Six Months Under the Gun: A Weapon-Carrying Experiment
I spent Super Bowl Sunday this year learning that I should always be nice and polite and have a plan to kill everyone I see.
On May 13, I was awarded my concealed carry permit and decided to carry a handgun as often as I was legally allowed, where I was legally allowed, for as long as I felt like doing it. I was interested in finding out what it felt like to carry a gun, what was the best way to carry, and if the various legal hurdles would make it so impractical that I’d simply give up.
I was also curious about how carrying a gun might change the way I looked at the world. Did the mere act of carrying a gun mean I was paranoid? Would carrying a gun make me paranoid?
I was about to find out the answers to all these questions, but first I needed equipment in the form of guns, holsters, and ammunition. I contacted Smith & Wesson and told them of my plans, and they generously arranged to ship me a pair of handguns for a lengthy testing and evaluation period.
One was a M&P9C, a compact 13-round (12 in the magazine, one round in the chamber) 9mm semi-automatic pistol designed to be a backup weapon for police officers, or a primary weapon for concealed carry. Compact, black, and all business, it certainly looked capable of playing the role I intended for it.
The other handgun they sent was a new twist on an old classic. For years in television and in the movies, police detectives always carried snub-nosed .38 revolvers. The five-shot, aluminum-framed 637 revolver they sent me came with the bonus of a Crimson Trace (CT) laser mounted in the gun’s grip. When you grabbed the revolver with a firm grip, the laser projected a menacing red dot where the bullet would impact, in both daylight and the pitch black of a moonless night. The 637 included a keyed internal lock on the left side of the frame that blocked the cylinder from opening and the hammer from being cocked.
DeSantis stepped up and provided me with three different kinds of holsters to use. The neoprene Nemesis pocket holster was designed to work for those who carry in coat or deep pants pockets. The Cozy Partner is a classic, well-finished, inside-the-waistband holster that provides an excellent compromise between accessibility, security, and concealability. Both of these holsters were made for the 637CT revolver. For the M&P9C semi-auto, I went with a high-tech holster made of Kydex, the DS Paddle, and a single magazine pouch made of the same material for the spare 12-round magazine.
As for cartridges for these guns, ATK and Winchester took extremely good care of me, providing hundreds of rounds of CCI Blazer and American Eagle practice ammunition to test these guns, and their high-end Federal Premium Hydra-Shok, Supreme SXT, and Silvertip premium defensive ammunition.
Several days later I got the call from my gun shop that my handguns had arrived. I went to pick up the M&P and the 637CT, and things got tough. I learned the first day that deciding to carry is the easy thing; finding where you can legally carry is the hard part.
My typical day started by taking my older daughter to her elementary school, dropping my infant daughter off at her daycare, and then driving to work on a corporate campus in Research Triangle Park. In none of these locations is concealed carry permitted; if I’d been armed, I would have managed a trifecta of felonies before my first cup of coffee. The 637CT, which I’d planned to carry in the pocket holster with the intimidating Winchester Supreme SXT hollowpoints, stayed at home. Some experiment this was turning out to be!
It was a couple of days later that I finally had a chance to legally carry, when my wife dispatched me to the local pet store chain to pick up various kinds of critter food for the Owens family menagerie. As it turns out, a J-frame revolver with a full grip like that of the 637CT doesn’t fit real well in anything but the large side pockets of the cargo-style shorts I was wearing, so with every step, the 637CT slapped against my thigh. It was annoying, to put it mildly. Minimal clothing was required to deal with the heat with any degree of comfort, so the pocket holster, paired with a revolver with a full-size grip, was off the carry list until it was cool enough outside for a jacket.
Welcome to the club, my friend! Great article!
If you ever need something truly discreet for that summer carry, check out the Seecamp LWS32 or LWS380 with a Matt Del Fatti PH-3 pocket holster. The ultimate in concealability!
Here’s something you can wear in the summer.
http://www.coyoteorganics.com/
It’s not designed to conceal guns, but based on what you’ve said here it may as well have been.
Carrying a firearm is like carrying a wallet. Eventually you get used to it.Its a matter of finding a comfortable convenient place to tuck your heater away. If more folks carried,The crooks would think twice about shaking anyone down. Stay away from the 9 MM pistols. They have poor stopping power.( youve probably heard of the cops shooting a person 15 times? that’s why). Go with the 357 or the 40 cal in a small frame. Lots to choose from.
This was a very informative article. I have been contemplating carrying recently. This gives me information I can mull through if I go that route.
Lots of similarities to my experience…but there’s a simple answer. The gun you need is the one you can have at the time…so, after all the experiments, I carry a KelTec .380 in my pocket. No holster. Less than the size of my growing key chain. Works in all clothing. It’s not fun to shoot either, but if you have to shoot it, fun won’t be on your list of considerations. Seven shots…that’s all you get. It’ll be enough.
Carrying it is just like getting your pants on in the morning. I carry everywhere, just not where I might get caught and have to explain it. Restaurants where they serve liquor, for example, are forbidden so far, but I carry anyway, there, but nowhere there’s a cop on duty…banks etc are obvious. I use the ATM outside. Screw it. It’s simply invisible to anyone, a basically transparent act, even to me.
Having qualified for CCW in March ’07, I opted for a Kel-Tec .380 because it is small(only about 3/4″ wide and and about 5″ long) and light, but with a relatively heavy slug, and fits where I used to keep my wallet, in my right back pocket. It is “double action only” so it has a long trigger-pull, but it has no safety to worry about, and the hammer does not extended outside the frame so it doesn’t snag on clothing. It is concealable anywhere on my person, and since it is small and light I take it everywhere, even to church. I keep it with my wallet and truck keys and it goes with me where ever I go, and I can count on one hand the number of times I have left the house without it since getting my permit.
I,de rather hunt with dick cheney the ride with ted kennedy
The SmartCarry in-the-pants holster (http://www.smartcarry.com/) is very comfortable and works great with my Khar PM9. But this article fails to satisfy me because of its focus on the mechanics of carrying. I don’t carry in order to go through the motions, I carry to have an effective means of defense for myself and those with me.
I realize there are a lot of people who are afraid of firearms and a lot of people who disagree with the need to have a means to effect self defense. But when I go to the store, I don’t assume that it is just a waste of fuel to lug a spare tire with me because the streets near there are always free of nails. When the fire department shows up at your business for a surprise code inspection, they always expect your extinguishers to be in good working order. The FAA requires airliners to carry life rafts for every overwater flight.
We commonly accept and comply with each of these assumptions of risk. If we boarded an airplane and the pilot just happened to mention that the airline was saving money by omitting the flotation devices, we might want to ask to get off. Yet we think people are “gun nuts” or have some blood lust when they carry a concealed weapon.
On the personal side, in the half dozen or so years I have carried, I have never been discovered, that is no third party has reacted to my concealed firearm. I have never had to “display” my firearm, that is to say, remove it from its carrying position and make it ready to use. In my state, the law inclines permitees to only display when the use the firearm is clearly justified, meaning that you are going to have to shoot. To unnecessarily display the firearm is to invite the charge of “brandishing”, which is as it should be. I have had two incidents that passed without any harm to me, but where I was very relieved to have had the firearm. In the team of technical people I work with all but one have their concealed carry permits. Two of three women in the office have the permit or are thinking of getting it.
This article does little, IMO, to help those in the public who oppose concealed carry to understand why some of us think it foolish to leave home without our firearm.
North American Arms has a mini-revolver in .22LR
or a .380 small pistol .
Both are so small and concealable you will want
one with you as much as possible .
Cops are too heavy to carry .
http://www.naaminis.com
Senator Orin Hatch has a mini-revolver.
jon writes, Stay away from the 9 MM pistols. They have poor stopping power.( youve probably heard of the cops shooting a person 15 times? that’s why).
Yes, a 9mm has less “stopping power” than a .357 or a .40, but it is every bit as lethal, and is the preferred caliber of just about every armed service in the world. In fact, the caliber most used to commit murder? The venerable .22 LR
Ignorantly pushing ridiculously large calibers on people who don’t need them seems to be a favorite past time for certain types of people–people whom Freud might diagnose as having compensation issues…just sayin’.
BTW, If I had to guess why cops tend to unload their magazines every time they draw down on a suspect, it’s because of adrenaline, not because the 9mm lacks sufficient ability to kill.
Macgawd @11:
Um, the .40S&W round was developed for the FBI precisely because the 9mm or .38cal failed to stop bad guys intent on doing damage. I believe if you wikipedia the caliber, the story is there.
But if you like the 9mm, by all means use it. I’m not really on one side or another of the “perfect caliber” debate. Just pointing out that the other guys were not manufacturing their complaint out of thin air.
Good article. I live in Florida and had the same clothing experience.
Mac, most all of the pistol guru’s I’ve read recommend the largest caliber a person can reasonably carry concealed, usually a small 45 ACP or 357 snubby. The bigger the hit the better.
Great article with lots of practical information on concealed carry. For those whom caliber is a controversy remember the first rule is to have a gun. A walther P P in .32, loaded with silvertips, that one has with them is better than a .45 that can’t be carried descreetly. often just diplaying a peice can aviod a fightif not remaining cool under fire, bullet placement, and having a plan will have to get one through.
You don’t tell us what steps you took to keep from turning into a zombie-like crazed killer, shooting everyone in sight as the urges to “Kill! Kill! Kill!” oozed from every pore of each metallic molucule of those evil “Designed only to kill human beings!” guns and bullets. Perhaps if you were a criminal those urges would have overpowered your reason…? I suppress those same urges by carrying everywhere as well, Mass included. If criminals come at me wanting to express those urges, I intend to return supressing fire. On carrying everywhwere…at first it felt awkward and “Can people tell?” Now I don’t leave home without it, and feel decided uneasy going about unarmed. Ah, the 9mm-45ACP schism. Carry what’s comfortable, be a good shot. “Front sight…press…Surprise!” (Although if I were stationed behind a counter, I’d have some sort of .45ACP at hand.)
Brett L. writes, “Um, the .40S&W round was developed for the FBI precisely because the 9mm or .38cal failed to stop bad guys intent on doing damage. I believe if you wikipedia the caliber, the story is there.”
I don’t dispute that a .40 caliber round has more “stopping power” than that of a 9mm, but people who advocate larger calibers often do so by ignorantly conflating “stopping power” with lethality. Shot placement is key.
FWIW, I dare say that most private citizens aren’t going to run into the same situation that the FBI did to bring about the .40 caliber round–they’ll want it for home defense against burglars or against would-be rapists and muggers. I doubt that these criminals are going to be sporting military-grade body armor. In most cases, a 9mm will shoot someone just as dead as a .40 or .357.
AIWB ( appendix inside the waistband ) is the way to go. Holster or not.
Glock with holster or Springfield XD with or without.
Its concealable whether it is warm or not and you can access it sitting down or when knocked to the ground.
When you carry a weapon in an ankle holster to a house of worship, remember it can be seen by the person in the pew behind you. I was sitting in Mass behind a former classmate who I knew was a police officer. Just a word to the now wise.
I should have mentioned that I was kneeling, he was kneeling, and I was two pews behind him.
[...] Seat belts, helmets and guns [...]
Good article and valuable information. Thanks for posting it.
Okay, this is all well and good, but what holster goes with a little black dress? Serious question. If I’m going out at night and I’m tottering around in my stiletto heels, I want to be able to defend myself without snapping an ankle.
This seems to be more of a review of guns and accessories than more of an informational piece about how it feels in terms of mindset or security. The author already is heavily invested into guns as an enthusiast: a better article would have been if a new gun owner or even someone opposed to concealed carry laws trying to do so.
Macgawd, mortally wounding a hostile does you no good if you don’t put him on the ground, because he can still kill you while he bleeds to death.
first question you must ask prior to carrying….are you committed to using it if need be?
only reason for poor stopping power from 9mm or 38c is poor shooting. That said you must practice at least monthly to retain your advantgage.
old cliche….when every second counts, the police are always minutes away! protect yourself!!!!!
Nice story. Back 40 years ago, when I was a prosecutor, I tended to carry a small light weight semi-automatic. It was a Colt .380, and fit nicely in my hip pocket. I carried off and on for a few years until one night I got shot at. Twice.
After that, I decided that having that pistol encouraged me to act in ways that might cause me to need it, so I quit carrying. I placed the gun in my nightstand drawer. Have lived safely ever since.
Everyone should be able to own and use guns for personal defense. Only highly qualified people should be allowed to carry in public.
I carry a Kel-tec 380 at all times I have a pocket holster and just recently purchased a guntee they call it, Its a t shirt with a reinforced holster sewn under the arm pit area it works very well you can carry with a jacket or shirt over it its easy to grab the gun compaired with a pocket holster and while carrying it you cannot tell you have it with you. No bulge
or worry about it slipping out as your arm holds it in place very nicely with no discomfort at all. check out their web site http://www.guntee.com
I would like to know what people think about the Taser C2 as an alternative for personal protection to be carried by those not (even willing to be) trained or experienced in actual firearms. Fits nice in glovebox or purse, no permit restrictions and works well to about 15 ft.
My wife and daughter each carry one in their purse. Both have had situations where they felt uncomfortable in the parking lot when a stranger was lurking around and thought that they were able to get out better by having the weapon in their hand as they walked to the car. If nothing else confidence can make all the difference in that kind of situation.
Sure a .45 is what it is but I will never get either one of them to carry one of those around.
I myself have the certificate to get a CC permit but have not. I live in a low-crime area and no reason for me to carry every day. I do own several guns and practice at the range on a regular basis. So I am comfortable that my home is well defended should the zombies attack.
I still think that the vast majority of home defense situations could be handled quite well with a 9mm or even a .22 if the user is confident and accurate in the use of the weapon.
Interesting discussion.
Spindok
Congrats on the decision and action to behave as a fully-fledged citizen. And certainly the “how” is more complicated than the “why” of concealed carry of a firearm. That’s just 1 of the reasons I would prefer to see a choice of open or concealed carry for those that make this decision.
My biggest problem is that I have to conceal from my spousal unit as she is a complete hoplophobe and cannot be aware that my handgun is with us anytime we are out of the house together. Yes- it is a real point of contention at my house!
And I believe that firearms should go anywhere without restriction, since criminals don’t seem to have scruples about where they commit crimes. My metaphor is the tire iron and jack in your car trunk. You never get up in the morning and decide that today you won’t get a flat tire and so remove those critical tools, do you?
For me its a Kel-Tec P3AT in a pocket holster, every day.
Brett L:
Not correct about the .40SW. It was developed because 10mm rounds were overpenetrating their targets. The 10mm itself was developed because they wanted something with the power of a .357MAG available in an autoloader.
.45ACP rules the day.
Mythbuster writes, “Macgawd, mortally wounding a hostile does you no good if you don’t put him on the ground, because he can still kill you while he bleeds to death.”
That’s why I said hit placement is key. Relying on “stopping power” alone is only useful if you just plan to shoot without aiming. If I shoot you in the face with my 9mm, you will fall to the ground.
I liked your observation, in your previous post, about where you could legally carry. After I got through my carry class that was the thought I had. It seemed that the only places I could not legally carry were the very places I’d be most likely to need to, the so-called “gun free zones.”
I hope you post again, maybe an “after a year” or something. I’m still getting used to the idea and feel of having the bulk and extra couple of pounds from the pistol and holster.
(I thought the whole thing with the FBI ended up being the result of bullet design and type rather than caliber? But in any event, I’m happy with the 9mm and a good defense round.)
TO: All
RE: This Article….
….is, as far as I can determine, a total waste of time, effort and, for PJM, money, if they were stupid enough to pay Owens for it.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[God made Men. Colt made men equal.]
This thread is wonderful for two reasons: (1) it provides some good experiential advice for those contemplating CCW (alas, I cannot because I live in now-restrictive Orange County in the People’s republic of Kalifornia) and (2) you just gotta know that all of the bleeding-heart, left-wing, peace-creep, pinko libs are suffering cardiac arrest just reading this stuff.
I’d just like to throw my support in for the .380 as well. Small, light-weight, (relatively) powerful. It’s as close to perfect (for me) as it gets.
I practiced on a regular basis with my .40 S&W but found that it was too bulky for concealment. I am very comfortable with my Glock 26 which I carry in an Uncle Mike’s inside-the-pant holster.
It is comforting to know, should the need arise, I will not be reliant on the mercy of some thug.
In response to #28, who decides whose qualified? I’m sure you would want some bureaucrat. I don’t.
bob, a masterpiece. admit it; you are really dave barry or maybe the shade of art buchwald (modo moonlighting?). anyway, lets all kill someone, real soon.
Joanna, my wife carries in a thigh holster in similar situations…..or in her handbag. We generally carry Glock 30′s (.45ACP), I carry two spare full-size (G21) magazines which will work in the G30, she carries one spare G30 mag.
All: I’ve seen (I’m an Emergency Physician in a big-city ED) people shot with just about everything from a red-ryder BB gun to 12 gauge shotgun slugs (caliber around 73). I’ve seen people killed by both ends of the spectrum…and walking around with basically similar wounds. In short, there is no one round that will guarantee stopping a bad guy.
Make what you will of our choices in carry weapons, and caliber.
In hot weather I use a holster vest. It’s a leather vest with a built-in holster. Because it’s a vest it’s not too hot and it doesn’t look out-of-place. I don’t use an inside-the-wasteband holster because there’s no room for both my stomach and a gun in any of my pants.
I carry a Sig 380 sweet to carry & hide on target evrytime…I practice often thats a key.. I hoped to never use it however I have had to… The crooks got away on foot but I got their get away car and all the stolen goods they took from me and others… yes there was a fire fight in low light conditions… good training is important…thats why it’s important to stay smart and know your gun…make um keep their head down…
If dgf ever encounters a violent assailant, I’m sure snide superiority will serve as adequate protection. Although it didn’t seem to help the liberal blogger who was shot in DC a few months ago.
And Obama’s Windy City is famously peaceful and idyllic,…,
I’d like to see a woman (Dr. Helen?) write a follow-up to this, because women face even greater problems trying to conceal a weapon. It’s one thing if you’re wearing a business suit with a jacket, but, as one commentator noted, a holster doesn’t go well with that little black dress.
A lot of women seem to carry their guns in their purses, but that’s rather risky, isn’t it? If you’re caught by surprise and your assailant gets the purse, if he wasn’t armed before, he is now.
I remember reading an INCREDIBLY LONG thread (1000+ comments) started by a fellow who was a coroner somewhere close to Atlanta. That gentleman had seen a ton of autopsied shooting victims (lots of drug gangbangers) and wrote from vast experience. His analysis was that the vast majority of pistol one-shot stops came from either .40 S&W or .45 ACP. He did note, however, that the majority of those killed by guns seemed to be killed by .380–it just took considerably more hits to do the job.
Given that a CCW permit holder is completely responsible for EVERY round fired, the idea of stopping an assailant with one shot sounds to me like an extremely good one. Clint Smith once said that the first bullet out of your gun in a self-defense encounter, no matter how justified, carries a $150,000 price tag. If that’s the case, the fewer rounds you need to shoot, the better. Good bullet placement and a serious round will stop pretty much any criminal who isn’t wearing body armor.
Remember: it’s far better to carry a weapon and not need it than to not carry and be desperately wishing you had. Any police officer who actually works the streets will tell you the same thing. They’ve all seen too many innocents abused by thugs because they were not able to protect themselves. They know, unlike most of the public, that the average citizen really is on his own out there. The police show up only after the fact to take reports. Your safety rests in your own hands. Individuals forget that at their dire peril.
Donna, thats why a woman who carries has to make some decisions – perhaps to not wear a little black dress? This is the same type of decision that men make – in the summer I like to wear so-called ‘river shorts’ when I’m not working: With an elastic waistband I can’t wear any holster at all.
So, if I’m going to carry I either pull on man-pants with a belt or wear a fanny pack/holster….
All this gun talk is making me thirsty! Actually, I’ve been considering a concealed carry permit for a while, and figured with the recent Supreme Court ruling things might be a little more accomodating down at my local police station. Dream on. The forms, fees, and unjustifiable-from-a-constitutional-perspective nonsense is still in full swing, and the ‘gun control’ officer’s attitude is palpable, and not in a “let’s make this as quick and painless as possible for you, dear citizen” way either.
I guess I’ll go with plan ‘B’ for now; carring a pocket full of rocks and making scary growling sounds if approached…
No training?? We have to complete a course in Missouri prior to getting our CCW permit. It cover the legalities, responsibilities, and basics of the handgun.
That is all we need – more right wing nuts carrying concealed weapons. Fortunately most are more a danger to themselves and their families
Good point Robert Hurley; Bob would be much safer in a city where he could not carry a pistol like Washington DC, Chicago or Baltimore. You are a regular original thinker and must be the smartest sheep in your flock. Baaa
That’s right, Hurley, the right-wing nutcases are ready and willing to gun you down in the street and put the last one right between your eyes just because you’re a libtard! Best keep your trap shut then before the DREADED RIGHT-WING DEATH SQUAD COMES TO METE OUT SUMMARY JUSTICE!
/snark off
It’s just too easy with these lefties. They’re clearly so threatened by someone who doesn’t need the nanny state it’s hard to avoid tweaking them just to see them froth.
They’re the people who told Clinton, “it’s scary being a little person out here.” Maroons, the lot of them, and cowardly maroons at that. Pfeh.
Kathy at her Cornered Cat website has lots of good information on the hows and whys of Concealed Carry. But specific to some of the women asking here, she has an entire article dedicated to the holster needs of women. http://www.corneredcat.com/Holster/straighttalk.aspx
53. Robert Hurley:
That is all we need – more right wing nuts carrying concealed weapons. Fortunately most are more a danger to themselves and their families
——————
Wild guess, Hurley. You’re probably OK with some folks carrying guns, namely the police, right? So when someone kicks down your door some night it will fall to some nameless and underappreciated cop to kiss his wife and kids goodbye and go put himself in harm’s way because the Hurley’s of this world choose to abdicate responsibility for their own family’s safety to the valor of strangers.
Suddenly I’m feeling a little better about being a right-wing nut job…
In Pa, we don’t have to “get qualified” to carry. That said. I carry a Taurus .22 which for close up will do the trick. When I’m feeling frisky I carry a S&W .38 revolver and when I am feeling thugish I roll with “my nine . . .” It is against the law to carry into a bank, into a bar or into the courthouse here. I suspect also into or onto school grounds. Otherwise? I have one on me always. Girl’s gotta protect herself.
It is always fun to see the learning curve people go through when they start carrying a concealed weapon. Welcome to the ranks of us sheepdogs’ and as you can see from the comment section most sheep do not appreciate or even like the sheepdogs who sacrifice so much to provide protection to the flock. You can see all the sheep urban legends in these comments so let me provide prospective from a the experienced professional view point.
1. Guns are not a bigger threat to the owner than criminals – that bit of anti gun “conventional wisdom” was disproven by credible academics like John Lott decades ago. Firearms were a bigger threat to the Pioneers than Indians or criminals but that is because most of them were clueless about how to use firearms and tended to carry and store them unsafely and that combined with first generation design flaws made having a loaded firearm a real hazard 150 years ago.
2. Carrying a pistol does not put people into situations that they would not be in without a gun. Stupidity does that. Some people will stop carrying a gun around the same time they get a clue about life and will wrongly attribute their more mature views to unconnected physical actions like placing a pistol in the nightstand.
3. Carrying a pistol does not make you a sheepdog – mental conditioning does. Having a firearm is worthless unless you know when to use it and that means understanding the OODA loop (observe, orient, decide, act.) It also means learning and understanding how to compensate for the adrenalin surge and diminished fine motor skills during a lethal force encounter.
4. You “present” a weapon towards your target and conversely you “draw” with crayons. Understanding how to present a weapon will save you from experiments with silly gimmicks like thigh holsters and “thunderwear.” IWB is the way to go which is why our typical summer wear is a tee shirt with a button down untucked (and it is much hotter here than in North Carolina.) A smooth presentation will normally be all that is required to get your target to stop whatever it was he was doing that prompted a lethal force response. Nobody wants to tangle with an adversary who displays professional gun handling skills because his marksmanship is most likely pretty good too. A smooth presentation will not only stop most American criminals in their tracks but dodgy Taliban affiliated Afghans at illegal checkpoints too.
5, The purpose of presenting a weapon is to get your adversary to stop whatever he was doing not to kill him. Two pistol rounds to the chest is a good way to do that and will seldom cause the death of your adversary unless you are isolated outside your local trauma system for some reason. But the good news is that just presenting the weapon will normally achieve that goal too.
6. The most dangerous moment in an armed encounter is when you are returning your weapon to its holster. If you have not off gassed the adrenalin dump and brought your breathing under control it is easy to screw up getting your weapon back in the holster which is why so many people just drop the weapon in situations like that. You really need to practice both presentation of the weapon and returning it to the holster repeatedly.
7. Stopping power is over rated in America because most assailants have been conditioned by television and believe that once they are shot they are going to die. Unless the perp is high on drugs or the rare, truly dedicated opponent hitting him – even with 9mm will do the trick. Dedicated opponents and druggies are a different matter which is why I will only carry .45 cal or 40mm when in the US (I have to use 9mm here in Afghanistan.)
8. Once you understand all the above than you can move into the small circle of men and woman who are the real sheepdogs in our society and those people realize something that very few others can absorb or understand. And that is this – my pocket folding Emerson knife (with the wave design for instant deployment) is far more dangerous and effective at your average gun fight distances than a pistol. The average gunfight in American occurs at a distance of 7 feet or less; by the time your typical adversary has produced a pistol at that range I would easily have completed a high X slash attack. It is a historical fact that an attacker who has two massive deep lacerations on his face will normally lose all steam and stop whatever it was he was doing. If he doesn’t – well that is what a “speed rock” presentation and .45 caliber pistol ammunition is for. But you have to practice that kind of stuff – the more the better….sheepdogs.
@Robert Hurley:
“That is all we need – more right wing nuts carrying concealed weapons.”
There’s lots of us “lefties” (I’m an old-fashioned union member) who carry. We have our rights, too! My best vacation ever was going to Cuba via Canada and shooting up a storm with AK-47s at the Cuban target ranges.
I carried a revolver all the time for a number of years here in Israel working as a security guard in different places including a school. I had three incidents where the thought crossed my mind I might have to use it. A guy approached one time and wanted to enter the building. I told him visiting hours had ended. He pulled a knife. At that point I had to calculate the degree of risk since you could only fire if life was in danger. I knew I wouldn’t let him pass but if he did try, I knew I had to fire in the air, and then at his legs. Of course if he lunged at me with that knife, all bets were off. While we were jawing, a clerk drove up who knew the guy, a hardened criminal, and called out in panic, “let him in.” That solved my problem and we immediately called the police. Another time was at the school. I was outside patrolling in a pelting rain storm. I had a black toque with the words NO FEAR on it pulled down to eye level, a red checked scarf wrapped around the rest of my face, and jacket collars pulled up. Suddenly a car pulled up alongside me. “Drop the gun or we shoot,” the guys in the car shouted. This was in 2002 at the height of the terror wave when everyone was on edge. Instinctively I thought I was confronting terrorists and I might have done just the opposite. Then it clicked they were cops. “Hey I’m the guard here,” I said pulling the scarf from my face. If I had looked like an Arab this might have ended badly. As it was, everyone had a good laugh. Another time I had taken my son for a walk in the woods, he was about nine. All of a sudden this vicious looking dog came running down the path straight at us. “Don’t move,” I yelled at the boy and pulled out the gun. The dog ran straight for him. I got ready to shoot the animal just before he attacked. The dog stopped right in front of the boy. Again I told the boy, “not to move.” There we were, frozen, the boy stiff as a rake, the huge dog in front of him, and me with the gun at the dog’s head. Minutes passed this way and then in the distance I saw an old man coming towards us dragging a bad leg behind him, calling out with a Russian accent, “don’t shoot him, please.” He finally got to us and called the dog off. I gave him a piece of my mind but he didn’t understand much Hebrew.
(BTW I’m female, and guys talking guns is oddly attractive to me–this is not the first place I’ve noticed that either).
I don’t visit or post here very often, but I appreciate this discussion as I’ve been doing lotsa research lately on getting my first gun (while I still can). I’ve taken lotsa notes, but so far my only decision is to seek out a good local gun shop (yellow pages? Walmart?), try out different ones, and go practicepracticepractice at a range. Maybe take a course too if I can find one.
That said, kudos to the following 2 posters for the giggles on what can be an intimidating topic:
Jay: I don’t use an inside-the-wasteband holster because there’s no room for both my stomach and a gun in any of my pants.
CaptFlood: I’ll go with plan ‘B’ for now; carrying a pocket full of rocks and making scary growling sounds if approached…
Thanks also to theMom for the link. Bookmarked.
Fortunately most are more a danger to themselves and their families
Prove it, Hurley. There are more cases of children accidently drowning in swimming pools every year then there are of gun accidents. Perhaps we shouldn’t advertise that though, or liberals will start calling for swimming pool bans.
Nunya wrote:
BTW I’m female, and guys talking guns is oddly attractive to me–this is not the first place I’ve noticed that either).
Men who are willing to defend themselves and their families – that is a very attractive quality. Who wants a wuss like Hurley? Only another wuss.
Donna V wrote:
Men who are willing to defend themselves and their families – that is a very attractive quality. Who wants a wuss like Hurley? Only another wuss.
Heh, my wife made a similar comment when “Dr. Owen Hunt” joined the team on Greys Anatomy. He’s a much more masculine, rugged character than the pretty-boy, GQ doctors Sheppard and Sloan.
Following up for the newbies, this is an article by someone who has experience with firearms.
If you are considering CCW or buying a first handgun take a NRA safety course, This is a very good place to start.
read up from other sources, go to your local Borders or Barnes and Noble and check the sports and outdoors section. If you can find it, reading Massad Ayoobs book, In The Gravest Extreme, while dated is well worth it. The gun mags give some great info but every gun review tends to be 4 stars. There are very good companies out there who make excellent weapons. Stick with estabished names.
Go to a range that rents pistols and start with a .22 LR target pistol or have a friend with a .22 show you the ropes. Handgun shooting is a lot of fun and an hour or two with a target pistol will serve as a basis to shooting.
Safety first and have fun, but practice, practice, practice. Defending your life is not a place to be cheap.
And to hurley, recently here in the peoples republic of Md. we have seen a spurt in home invasion robberies that ended in the homeowners murders. This was to much for even my liberal wifw when a peddler knocked at the door the other night. When it is your life or that of family you will find yourself up against an armed, muscular thug who will not hesitate to do harm. You and those like you will not rise to the occasion you will fall to the level of training you have acquired. Probably you would sell your life dearly, but you would still be DEAD. Conflict resolution PC crap or being submissive is not going to get you through, but the application of force will. Remember it isn’t always the other guy who gets attacked.
Been carrying for a dozen or so years and have taken more than one course in self protection (not cheap but highly recommended). I find that I’m now not only more aware but more cautious. I consciously avoid situations or actions that could provoke an incident, even if only from a jerk. For exmple, while driving I have been cut off and in a past life may have expressed my disapproval by a word or gesture. Now I will simply mouth the word “sorry”, as if it was my fault, and go merrily on my way. The last thing I need is to find myself confroted by some hothead. I believe most of us who choose to carry are likewise less likely to invite trouble. Any further comments on this out there?
RE: RaZoR. I’ve had a North American Arms with interchangable cylinders for a .22 Magnum and .22 Long Rifle. I’ve carried it everywhere for 15+ years. The magnum hollowpoints make a hell of hole and you can practice with the .22 LR. This is a defensive weapon and you have to get close up and personal with it.
Snake eater.
Snake eater
I’ve had a North American Arms 5-shot snub-nose derringer for 15+ years. It comes with interchangable cylinders for .22 magnum and .22 LR. I carry it everywhere. Ii’s strictly a defensive weapon so you have to get close and personal. The magnum round in hollow-point make a sizable hole and sounds like a .38.
I’ve carried a AMT .380 “Backup” in my hip pocket for over 25 years.
For all you Liberals who responded with horror at a Conservative carrying a concealed weapon….
“Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.”
Thomas Jefferson
American Christian Infidel
Michael Canzano
“By mid-October, after almost six months of carry, putting on my holster seemed as natural an act as picking up my keys and wallet before leaving the house. . . . I was no longer self-conscious and am far more aware of what is going on around me. That awareness, in and of itself, makes me far less likely to walk into a questionable situation where problems may arise.”
Another perspective is if you kill several people, the same principle applies.
I’ve known of 20-year-olds in other countries who have killed 20 people and don’t even think about it. Sad.
Fanny Pack is best for carrying. DeSantisHolster.com sells them. Thanks Bob!
When I walk around at dark on campus, there are some areas where hardly anybody’s around, especially in winter.
I carry a nice little P-38 my Dad gave me.
It’s the number one cause of erectile disfunction in wood-be rapists, you know.
Nunya: Indoor ranges often rent pistols. This is a good way to familiarize yourself with your options – and a class is always a good idea too.
————-
It’s not a felony to carry into a business, or other private establishment, that posts a sign prohibiting firearms. The author seemed to assume that this is the case. But it is illegal to carry into many public buildings (e.g. schools). So you should know the law, and these distinctions, before carrying.
Also a J-Frame sans laser grip is very easily concealed in a pocket holster. I have a Model 38 and use a Mika holster. This is good combination for concealability and suits a range of attire and settings.
It’s true not all lefties are gun haters. The most vocal 2nd Amendment defender I know is a lady who just happens to be a member of the IWW. That’s right, the Wobblies.
Oh, and vivo, unless you are actually a sociopath, killing never becomes routine. Of course, your president’s best bud Ayers is one. 25 million Americans? Sheesh.
Oh, and the whole point of CONCEALED carry is that no one knows you’re carrying unless you need it. At which point laws about where you can legally carry become much less important.
I’ve never personally owned a firearm but seriously considering it now after electing President Government.
The Founders were smart men. The 2nd Amendment ensures our 1st and keeps us from government tyranny.
Let’s roll.
This sounds like the chronicle of a mass murderer just before he runs into a Wal-Mart or his “Research Triangle” and shoots up the place (let’s hope he doesn’t settle on his daughter’s elementary school). The signs were all there, the experts will say. People will ask: “Why didn’t anyone do anything before the guy went on his shooting rampage?” That is a valid question, in my opinion.
“The Founders were smart men. The 2nd Amendment ensures our 1st and keeps us from government tyranny.”
Yes, they were smart men, but they did not forsee the disparity between modern military grade weapons and civilian weapons that have developed since. Your right to carry a weapon will have no effect against a M1A2 Urban Assault tank with your thermal heat signature in it’s sights. Something to ponder on.
Hey Michael Canzano:
FYI:
http://wiki.monticello.org/mediawiki/index.php/Those_who_hammer_their_guns_into_plows
doh!
Wilson, a handful of determined Jews in the Warsaw, Poland ghetto armed with only a few smuggled weapons stood off three Nazi divisions for three weeks in 1943. And, closer to home, there is the Battle of Athens, TN in 1946 to show the utility of private arms against a despotic government. http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=A043
As a Missouri CCW instructor, I found this article to be a very good illustration of the changes that come into one’s life upon making the decision to take responsibility for one’s own safety.
re Bonka @ 37:
So, is that a good thing? The part where creepy liberals are afraid that you’re going to shoot them for disagreeing with you political ideology, I mean. That is one of the sterotypes modern conservatism is struggling against.
Having read this guy’s various blog posts, I find it rather frightening that someone this demonstrably stupid is allowed on the street with a firearm.
Not quite the article I was expecting but none the less informative. In my home state it is illegal for an employer to prohibit an employee from leaving a weapon in their vehicle.
Most police agencies who are issued the 9mm with 115 or 125g bullets at +P+ pressure are quite satisfied. Granted, the many standard pressure 147g loads have done poorly, but even those have been improved in the last few years.
IMO, anyone who carries a gun in public should have at least the intelligence, character, education and amount of training as the average commercial armed private security guard.
Regarding caliber – a .22 in hand beats a .45 left at home. If hot weather or clothing issues like black dresses are a concern, I highly recommend the Kel-Tec in .32, with belt clip, no holster necessary. Keep it clean & loaded with good ammo. Without a holster, it happily collects dryer/belly button lint, so regular cleanings are a must. I’ve carried on the beach, in nothing but my board shorts (inside my inner waistband, i.e. skivvies, lol!), no problems.
Debates over revolver / semi-auto, and caliber choices will continue long after we are gone. Suffice it to say, choose what you are comfortable with shooting and carrying and can confidently employ. I know I can make a soft-spot head-shot at 25 yrds, so anything .32 or larger (and semi-auto – I’m not fond of wheel-guns) is happiness for me. If you need to focus on center-of-mass shots, I would recommend .380 / .38 / 9mm (all roughly the same power & size) or better. Whatever you choose, make sure you CARRY IT!!!
As far as restrictive communities, businesses, or laws, I will say that concealed carry means it is *concealed*!! Unless there is a metal detector (airport, courthouse), or a pat-down (sporting events), you can, not saying you should
, carry without anyone ever knowing. Hell, I went though a pat-down once and, although I wasn’t carrying, the guy would have completely missed my gun!
For a place like California, get thee to a shooting range! Get an easily concealable gun, practice shooting it until you are comfortable, then practice carrying it concealed around your house daily for several weeks. Read up on good CC practices (how do you unconsciously re-direct a hugger away from your carry spot?). Have a guest or two over & carry while they sip coffee and discuss the weather. Then, one day when you’re feeling confident that your approach works, go to the corner convenience store & buy a soda. Go home. Wait. Nothing happens! Try it again, with the same results. From there, you’re on your own, but you will realize that concealed doesn’t mean you have a neon sign around your neck, but quite the opposite.
Remember the reason you carry – to make sure that you and your family can survive an attack. Then, consider the potential attackers, and what you are willing to do in what circumstance. Where is your line in the sand? I’ve seen apparent gang-bangers help a little old lady across the road, and I’ve seen cops beat, tazer, or shoot the defenseless, the surrendering, the elderly, and the obviously innocent. My line in the sand took much consideration, and my conclusion might disturb some people, but if you mess with my family I will stop the attack immediately, regardless of the attackers choice of clothing or uniform, race, religion, or legal status as a felon or LEO.
To those who consider this as evidence of a mass-murderer / serial killer / general psychopath with a gun waiting for an opportunity, I highly suggest you go change your freshly soiled panties. Anyone who would not come to similar conclusions either is ignorant (forgivable as they can learn), intellectually bankrupt and / or brainwashed (pitiful, but understandable), or a petty tyrant – one who intends to prey on others. Remember, a political philosphy based on ticking off gun-owners isn’t smart.
The bad guys don’t care about the stupid laws, and will carry anyway. The cops will treat you like a bad guy, regardless if you just saved a busload of nuns from a nuclear missile attack. They will do what they want and hide behind the law.
We, the “law-abiding”, are the only ones at a disadvantage, but only by our own tolerance for abusive laws and enforcement. We can choose to become “peaceable” instead of “law-abiding”. The difference? The law-abiding attempts to follow the laws, regardless of the dangers.
The peaceable person is aware of and prepared for the dangers, yet is peaceful in all possible matters by choice, but will engage in self-defense as necessary, including preparation for same. The choice to operate peacably willingly ignores the bounds of the law where they become abusive to a peacable existence.
The choice is yours.
Very good article. Very similar what I (and many others) have gone through. Congratulations on EXERCISING your freedom while you still can.
I have heard both sides of the gun debate and both sides bring forth valid points. The thing that brought me over to the side of carrying concealed was the night that I was deliberately ran off the road and jumped by three individuals intent on doing major bodily harm. Due to years of training I was able to escape with only some damage while being able to inflict some of my own. While I have great respect for our men and women in uniform, the police were not able to help me in this instance. They were not even aware until I made the phone call after the incident occurred. After this happened, I took my first safety course, then my CCW course and have carried ever since. I have never had to draw my firearm, but I practice every week with it and ensure that if I ever do have to fire it, I will not injure anyone other than the criminal. Regardless of how you feel about the gun issue, when you are the victim of a violent crime that nearly takes your life and no one is there or is coming to help you, your perspective changes.
There are about 2 million self-defense uses of a firearm every year, yet there are only about 30,000 annual deaths by firearm and roughly half of those are suicides. So, basically, about 15,000 out of 2 million attackers are killed while all other instances result in a victim merely brandishing their weapon to scare off the attacker. They may even fire a harmless warning shot which causes their attacker to flee, but only 0.0075% will actually shoot and kill their attacker. Of course, those having larger caliber firearms will require fewer shots to kill their attacker, but any firearm can do the job.
My point today is to express the idea that having a firearm of any caliber (even a small .22 revolver) on your person for self-defense use is better than having nothing at all. Smaller caliber firearms would be sufficient 99% of the time for self-defense since they are merely brandished to scare off an attacker. For those 1% who actually do shoot and kill their attacker, a larger .40 or .45 caliber would be preferred but the job can be done with a smaller round.
The best firearm is the one you have with you when you need it. If the firearm you own is too heavy or large to carry comfortably on a daily basis then you will leave it at home more often than not. If you are comfortable with a North American Arms .22 mini-revolver in your pocket, by all means let that be what you carry legally every day. Many are finding the mid-sized pistols, such as the Ruger LCP in .380 caliber, to be a decent trade-off of size versus stopping power.
For everyday carry in a relativity safe environment I would recommend front pocket carry using a pocket holster. No worry about the the gun becoming exposed and you can have your had on your defensive weapon without attracting attention.
If you have the money, it’s hard to beat the S&W 360 PD. It’s a 5-shot .357 magnum so light and compact you can carry it inside the band of running shorts at the small of your back with a T-shirt untucked and no one will know you’re carrying if you have good posture and don’t bend forward. It’s outrageously powerful and unpleasant to shoot (each shot feels like catching a fastball barehanded) but you can practice using .38 special cartridges. I’ve never seen its equal for combined practical carryability and stopping power.
Kel-Tec also offers a spring clip that allows you to simply tuck the pistol into your waist band. Light, effective and easy to work with. Also have to say that they are a good company when your pistol needs service. I messed up the slide when reassembling the gun, sent it to them, told them it was my fault and that I was willing to pay, they fixed and returned it free of charge. It was about 3 yrs old at the time and had at least 1,000 rounds through it.
Also have a S&W Chief’s Special SS 5 shot 38. I like carrying it because of the way it feels in your hand. Need bigger grips to hang onto that “little big man” though cause it kicks like a Colquitt! (I’m from TN)
“Stay away from the 9 MM pistols. They have poor stopping power”
Eh. That’s an urban legend. The people who’ve studied stopping power rate the 9MM quite highly.
“I was learning through trial and error that the style of holster that works for you will largely be decided by how you dress.”
Yes, you really need to dress around the gun, rather than dress how you please. A large, loose fitting shirt worn outside the pants offers lots of concealment.
“the .40S&W round was developed for the FBI precisely because the 9mm or .38cal failed to stop bad guys intent on doing damage.”
Strictly speaking, that’s not correct. The .40 was adapted because the FBI needed something to blame for its agents bad judgement and settled on their ammo, which could not talk back. The ammo was made the scapegoat for that fiasco.
The real moral of the Miami shootout is “don’t bring a pistol to a rifle fight”. A lesson which has been incorporated into subsequent FBI training.
Stopping power is an interesting subject. Life and aggression are biological, and loss of life and ending aggression are also biological.
The spine runs up and down, and hitting it directly leads to sudden stops. The 9mm is 9mm across, the .40 is 10 mm across, about 10 percent better. The .45 is 11.4mm across 14 percent better. The 12 gauge is 18mm across, and thus about twice as effective as a 9mm, even before spread. With #1 shot, and a 3 inch magnum you have 25 chances each chance with a .30 caliber ball, to cut a spine.
Cutting large blood vessels can lead to death, but takes a while. Lavoisier, a French scientist was sentenced to the guillotine. His last experiment was to blink his eyes as long as possible while timed by a friend. 16 seconds it took that head to die.
The problem with police is that they are armed. You might find this strange, but after all most police are whackoohs. ///////////given over to screwball defenses of persons who come to regard themselves as agents of the State who are not to be questioned.
This is all very dangerous, as has been shown on very many other venues. G]
Thank you for the article. I’m still in the contemplative process. Contemplating moving out of a state that is so afraid of its citizens that it has put all sorts of ridiculous restrictions on our right to bear arms.
For anyone carrrying or contemplating it, I strongly recommend LOTS of training–not just the CCW course. You will greatly increase your confidence in your ability to use your weapon if it is needed.
Sadly the Heller decision included exceptions for “reasonable restrictions”–we see by DC’s outrageous response what we can expect to be litigated over the next decade.
Meanwhile we have a perfect example of urban terrorism in Bombay which could have been stopped very early by an armed citizenry (or a properly armed and trained police force in this case). There will be more of those. But then anyone living in a large city in the US knows about urban terrorism, it’s practiced day in and day out.
BTW in my first handgun course–shortly after learning the “four basic rules”–we learned that one’s chance of surviving an armed conflict is greatly increased by running away. But sometimes you can’t do that.
The .40 S&W is really a shortened 10mm Auto.
The FBI briefly adopted the 10mm (S&W 1006 semi-auto) post 1986 Miami shootout, but found that shooting full power loads was a) hard on the gun and b) smaller stature agents (read: women) had a hard time qualifying with it. (10mm is no joke, in it’s full power loading.) So, Federal created a reduced power 10mm load just for the FBI.
S&W realized that they could get the same “power” of that reduced load 10mm with a .1″ shorter case, and squeeze this new round into a pistol originally designed for 9mm. Seeing opportunity, and not being dumb, they came out with .40 Smith & Wesson.
The rest, as they say, is history.
As the author of this article found out, new CCW permit holders often go through a couple of holsters as they try them and reject them. Most CCW permitees I know have a shoebox in their closet of tried and rejected leather and/or Kydex. I have one myself.
Lastly, stopping power is a product of shot placement, provided a certain “oomph” is maintained as to which caliber you choose. .380 Auto is generally considered the minimum power floor for serious social occasions. That being said, having a .22 LR is better than empty hands.
A 9mm with a modern hollowpoint loads will perform adequately, provided good hits are obtained.
You can’t miss fast enough to win, so don’t miss.
“The spine runs up and down, and hitting it directly leads to sudden stops. The 9mm is 9mm across, the .40 is 10 mm across, about 10 percent better. The .45 is 11.4mm across 14 percent better.”
Riiiight. By that logic a .380 ACP is about 23 percent “better” than a 30-06. To say nothing of a 5.56MM.
People use rifles to kill animals (and in some cases other people) every day. Handguns spend 99.999% of their lives making holes in paper targets. I suppose that is why we see these slightly odd discussions about the effectiveness of handgun cartridges while they are much rarer with respect to long guns.
Why does it have to be concealed? A CCW says that you MAY carry concealed, not that you have to. Not necessary to flaunt it, just don’t worry about it. I’d rather carry a full size .45 than a .380. If it freaks people out, too bad, stay in the sheep pen.
Patrick
58. Oddybobo:
It’s legal to carry in a bar in PA. I’ve done it, but when I do, I don’t drink. But there are no legal restrictions on that just my own personal rules.
Great Post, Thanks
I enjoyed reading the article and went through somewhat similar thought processes when I made the decision to carry. I have FL & VA CCW’s and carry fairly often.
I carry a Sig P220 compact .45 holds 6+1 (with the “beaver tail”). It is a great carry weapon.
The gun is there to protect you? How does it do that? It is not an animate object and has no will of its own.
YOU are the only one capable of protecting yourself and those around you. The gun is simply a tool, and totally ineffective without the will and training to use it property.
We must get over this obsession – by both the gun banners and promoters – to personify the tools and ignore the personal responsibility/self ownership without which there can be no safety or liberty.
The most important equipment in my personal arsenal of protection is a pair of reliable sneakers.
But when that doesn’t work, the critical equation is not WHAT to do, but the experience and judgement to decide WHEN to do it. That’s the hinge point. WHEN. Who among us wants to take that fateful step that guarantees a trip through the legal system, especially if action is warranted and lives were saved. Being clear headed in a fire fight is surely as hard as mustering the wherewithal to actually withstand what comes after the smoke clears. Because even if you’re right, that doesn’t mean the JustUs system will come down on your side. Just unholstering my weapon will guarantee unpleasant discussions with law enforcement, let alone if I have to drop the hammer and save lives. I’ve got to think this one factor stays more hands than we know.
I like Barney Pfife’s advice, though … nip it in the bud, Andy. Nip it in the bud.
“Fanny Pack is best for carrying. DeSantisHolster.com sells them. Thanks Bob!”
Fanny packs work for holding and hiding a gun, but they’ve become a concealed carry stereotype. The general populace doesn’t wear them much anymore and people carrying them tend to stand out. Their wikipedia article even makes mention of this.
I carry a Keltec P3A3 (.380), in a PagerPal that I also use to carry my cell phone. It works very well, and NO one has ever noticed. I have been using this rig for over 10 years now.
I also have a larger PagerPal that I use to carry a Colt Officer’s Model. Works just as well.
(I carry the Keltec everyday, everywhere. I carry the Colt when I am going places that are somewhat more problematical.)
I also sometimes carry both. The Keltec in the PagerPal and the Colt in an ISWB, SOB, along with an extra mag.
YMMV, IANAL, NWEOI.
DCP
Thanks to NOTGONNADOIT for the definition “The peaceable person is aware of and prepared for the dangers, yet is peaceful in all possible matters by choice, but will engage in self-defense as necessary, including preparation for same. The choice to operate peacably willingly ignores the bounds of the law where they become abusive to a peacable existence.
The choice is yours.”
The other point commentors make clear: We, as individuals, are responsible for our safety. How, and what weapon used is a matter of personal choice.
If you want peace, prepare for war.
God Bless,
BAB
Good piece. I like it largely because of some of the things that another poster complained about — the matter-of-factness, and focus on the mechanics, and how it all becomes ordinary, as it’s supposed to.
As to the issue of training, here in Minnesota we require training to get a carry permit, as do many other states. Some states don’t, and it’s hard (read: impossible, but I’m weaseling) to find any evidence of any statistical difference between permit holders in the different kinds of states. Almost invariably, people who go to the minor trouble and small expense of registering themselves with a government to get a carry permit stay out of trouble.
(I’m not knocking training — for obvious reasons — but it’s hard to make a sound policy argument that it’s necessary.)
I must respectfully disagree with those personnel who believe a 9mm is inadequate for stopping an assailant.
First, regular military and law enforcement do not usually have to worry about concealing their weapon so carrying a full size 45 auto isn’t a concern. Undercover officers have the same concealment issues that permit carriers have. Also, the FBI Academy considers a handgun strictly a defensive weapon and long guns are the choice for deliberate operations.
Second, even a .45 will not necessarily stop an assailant in their tracks. The FBI Academy published a report on bullet wounds that found that even when shot through the heart the brain and muscles can function for 10-12 seconds. The only shot that will stop an assailant immediately is a shot through the central nervous system with the head being the primary target. The second method of stopping an assailant is through penetrating vital organs or blood loss and the key is penetration and permanent wound cavity. A 9mm is sufficient to cause both and a .22 long rifle is capable of destroying the central nervous system.
Target placement is more critical than caliber and time on the range and the laser sights can help increase the lethality of any weapon. Again, a 22 in your pocket is better than the 45 in your car.
59. Tim san:
“my pocket folding Emerson knife (with the wave design for instant deployment) is far more dangerous and effective at your average gun fight distances ….. I would easily have completed a high X slash attack.”
____________________-
That’s how I roll. I keep a slim little Greatland 2.5″ folding knife in my coin pocket of my pants. Top of the knife pokes out just enough to quickly slide out and present. In general, I just find so many uses through most any given day that a good pocket knife helps out in sure utility. But knowing that I can snap this thing out and slash certainly gives me some piece of mind. It seems most thugs like to posture and get in people’s faces because they get off on the intimidation. If they see the fear in your eyes then it only heightens their euphoria to another level of violence. However, if you turn and give them that, “you feelin’ lucky punk” look then you can almost see the gears spinning in their head asking themselves if this guy is packing.
I’ve always carried a knife since I was a kid — something I picked up in Boy Scouts. Had to use it once actually when I was about 15. It was during the summer break and I was walking from my house to the corner store when 4 of the most well known bully’s from school happened across me on their bikes. I was the sort that generally kept to myself and they must have taken this as a sign of weakness. They rode up and got off their bikes and surrounded me. One of them pushed me up against a wall and the others howling and talking smack that I was about to get my ass beat so bad. I snatched my pocket knife, presented the blade, and quickly swiped at his face. He bowed back just in time to avoid the strike but his eyes grew to the size of silver dollars and the rest of the crew quickly jumped back. I took the opening and quickly walked away from them. Their bravado quickly turned to some misplaced righteous indignation as one of them yelled, “Hey, your not supposed to have that knife!” They slowly got on their bikes and rode off. The next few years of school those guys never once made eye contact with me. And in fact, I’d say their bullying ways in general had curbed quite a bit. Perhaps the incident actually did them some good, looking back on it.
Anyways, just saw on Guns & Ammo TV on Vs. channel they were deputing the .327 Federal Magnum round. 6 round capacity in a compact revolver, 15 inches of penetrating power through ballistics gel, and half the recoil of a .357magnum.
What made me get my CC and
Macgawd: “If I shoot you in the face with my 9mm, you will fall to the ground.”
Er…actually, if you shoot me in the face, chances are you will miss and I will kill you with my centerlined shot. Headshots from outside of arm’s reach are notoriously difficult.
you just gotta know that all of the bleeding-heart, left-wing, peace-creep, pinko libs are suffering cardiac arrest just reading this stuff.
No kidding, they started up just three comments down from yours. And as usual, psychological projection is all they’ve got.
Well I would like to add my two cents worth to this conversation: While I have debated a CC permit (I live in TN where we have that right by law) I am somewhat uncomfortable with the thought of packing everywhere. BUT, I love the law that lets my neighbors carry and I know it makes me much safer because now the would-be mugger or thief does not know but what I am carrying. Plus, I know that if something does happen I am much more likely to be rescued by someone who is packing. So the point of my comment? Concealed carry laws aren’t just good for those who want to take advantage of them – they are good for society as a whole. I think one of the ma
Your choice to carry is no different that having a fire extinguisher in your home, or wearing a seatbelt, it’s a safety tool if you know how to use it. With that get training at a good gun school, and carry everywhere. Why carry everywhere? Because when you need a gun you really really need it.
I’d rather have a gun with stopping power than one with killing power, personally. If someone’s trying to kill me, I’d rather stop him before he does so than inflict a wound that will kill him after I’m already dead myself.
Great article,I’m glad to see someone posting an article like this.Guns are obviously dangerous in the wrong hands, but the balance between good and evil although some what clechae has to be restored by good responsible AMERICANS. being able to have the right to bare arms is what has always seperated us and kept us safe and i love the peace of mind it gives to know that if i had to i could possiblly have at least a chance to protect myself, family, or innocent citizens if necessary.
sirmatthew @91:
You quote the numbers 2 million self-defense uses of a firearm every year and 15,000 non-suicide deaths by firearm, and then say that the rest of the self-defense uses were simply “brandished to scare off an attacker”. But you forgot cases where the shooter would have shot at and *wounded* their attacker. It’s not reasonable to conclude that 99% of the time, merely brandishing the weapon is enough; your numbers simply don’t support that conclusion.
Now, does simply brandishing the weapon sometimes work? Yes indeed. It works rather often, in fact — many criminals aren’t expecting to be threatened by their would-be victims and will back off. But you shouldn’t EVER count on it. NEVER present a weapon unless you are prepared to use it, otherwise you’re simply begging to have it taken away and used against you.
Having had my concealed handgun license for 15 years, I’m familiar with many of the issues raised in the article. As others have pointed out, it is absolutely essential to have a carry system which is comfortable and convenient enough that you will actually use it. I’ve known many folks who’ve gotten their licenses, and most of them never carry.
I sometimes use a fanny pack with a Glock 27 (.40) on car trips, but it basically tells the world you’re carrying and it has the added disadvantage of being the height of fashion dorkiness. Like a number of others on this thread, I’ve settled on a Keltec .380 in a DeSantis pocket holster for daily carry. It won’t hit like my Glock, but it gives me seven medium power hollow points to defend myself with, and it’s comfortable enough that I carry it every day.
Mr. Coneho is my kind of gun owner- use your feet first but be mentally prepared for the questions of when and whether to use. Searching my own conscience (and studying statistics), I’ve decided not to carry. I retain a .45 and a 12 gauge for home protection as well as a range of Beeman and Feinwerkbau air rifles for longer range sniping (house is 1/2 mile from road with fairly clear field of fire on the approach).
The stats are pretty simple- take the number of murders annually, subtract those involving acquaintances, then subtract those murders occurring in bad neighborhoods of major murder capitols (that I don’t frequent). The remaining number is fairly small and I determined not worth the risk of my accidentally killing an innocent in a situation. Anyone who thinks they can unholster and accurately fire their weapon in a stressful armed confrontation has never been in one. Training and simulation does not adequately prepare one (as evidenced by trained police shooting 10-15 rounds wildly with 2-3 hits). The only way to prepare for a lethal but controlled (3-5 well aimed rounds) performance is to repeatedly participate in firefights (join the Marines). Blackwater does offer fairly good simulations, though.
I will protect my home with extreme violence but do not feel comfortable using lethal force in less controlled environments. I fell out of my chair guffawing when reading the one comment from the couple that travels with 2 loaded weapons and 3 extra magazines. Get a freaking life and have some pity on bystanders.
For those of you (many, apparently) who have no respect for private property and carry an undisclosed weapon without the permission of the property owner (or especially in direct disregard of the owner’s instructions), you should get what you deserve- how would you treat such a person if encountered in your own home? The property owner should assume nefarious intent and act accordingly. I laugh at those who say they respect the law, the constitution and
private property who then disrespect the private property of others. An armed thug is an armed thug.
I also loved the comment from the person who got into a “low light firefight” over some stolen property. To me this isn’t too far off a gangbanger spraying the car of a rival who stole some of their drugs. Public firefights over stolen property are exactly the kind of armed encounters we don’t need. Too much risk of innocents killed, and over what- some silverware or a TV set? Sheesh
And how about the “sheepdog” comments! Based upon statistics, if you want to be a useful sheepdog you should be driving around reporting bad drivers and speeders or making citizens arrests of same.
I commend Mr. Owens on the sane, circumspect and methodical way he has approached his carry decision. I would feel safe on the streets with him and a few others. Too bad so many carriers appear to have Red Dawn/lone sherriff fantasies. Fortunately the odds of one of these looks actually having to use their metal appendage is miniscule.
“I’d rather have a gun with stopping power than one with killing power, personally.”
There’s no distinction between stopping power and killing power. Neither term has much concrete meaning, but what little exists indicates that they mean the same thing.
“If someone’s trying to kill me, I’d rather stop him before he does so than inflict a wound that will kill him after I’m already dead myself.”
While that’s a rational approach to the problem, you have no reliable way of picking one outcome over the other. The vast majority of gunshot deaths, even including those from rifle or shotgun wounds, do not cause instantaneous death. Even a bullet to the heart or brain can allow your attacker to continue to function for several seconds.
“Yes, they were smart men, but they did not forsee the disparity between modern military grade weapons and civilian weapons that have developed since. Your right to carry a weapon will have no effect against a M1A2 Urban Assault tank with your thermal heat signature in it’s sights. Something to ponder on.”
The right to carry of millions of people will have a hell of an effect. Armies need recruits; many of whom would refuse to fight their own countrymen. Armies need money, ammunition, food, fuel, and spare parts all provided by vulnerable and widely dispersed (i.e. extremely difficult to protect) civilian infrastructure. Finally, tanks, planes, and helicopters need crewmembers can’t hold ground without infantry support, all of whom are quite vulnerable to small arms fire.
If you need a real world example, look at what a few thousand were able to do to our military in Iraq, without the ability to strike our civilian infrastructure and lightly defended rearward bases.
Well, this was posted quite a while ago. I own several weapons, a couple inherited from a Great-Uncle who traveled selling back in the 1920s. He had a .22 desk gun, still in cherry shape, and a .38 glove-box gun, pretty beat up and worn.
I have a newer .38 S&W Rossi 5-shot revolver and a 20 ga pump gun. Working the slide on a pump gun is the best home defence sound ever. I also have a couple of new .22s a friend gave me. I’m planning on getting a CCW permit soon, for traveling across the country.
I have many liberal friends who own multiple weapons. Mostly we live in the country where police support is an hour away. We had a fellow in the neighborhood some time ago who suffered a mental breakdown. He was running a Dodge van up and down the little one lane roads going 60, shooting out the windows of the van.
He didn’t hit anyone, and when one neighbor called the state police, they asked if anyone was hurt. Answered no, they didn’t show. So I keep a gun by the bed, others in various closets and shelves, and have 3 big dogs for security.
Most Americans intend to take care of themselves, and thus, by extension, the rest of the country.
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