Massad Ayoob Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry - Programação (2024)

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<p>GUNDIGEST®</p><p>BOOKSOF</p><p>CONCEALED</p><p>CARRY</p><p>2ndEdition</p><p>MASSADAYOOB</p><p>ThankyouforpurchasingthisGunDigesteBook.</p><p>Signupforournewsletterandreceivespecialoffers,accesstofreecontent,and</p><p>informationonthelatestnewreleasesandmust-havefirearmsresources!Plus,</p><p>receiveacouponcodetouseonyourfirstpurchasefromGunDigestStore.com</p><p>forsigningup.</p><p>orvisitusonlinetosignupat</p><p>http://gundigest.com/ebook-promo</p><p>http://gundigest.com/ebook-promo</p><p>http://gundigest.com/ebook-promo</p><p>I</p><p>AcknowledgmentsandDedication</p><p>tisapleasuretoacknowledgethecontributionsofthosewhomade</p><p>this book possible. Gail Pepin,who tookmost of the photographs</p><p>and was indispensable to the editing process on my end. Steve</p><p>Denney,whoseproofreadingadvicewas invaluable,andwhowaskind</p><p>enoughtowrite the foreword.HermanGunter, IIIwhoalsohelpedme</p><p>proofread.HarryKane,thesuperbeditoratCombatHandgunsandGuns</p><p>&WeaponsforLawEnforcement,whogavemepermissiontoblend into</p><p>this book some things I had previouslywritten for some of theHarris</p><p>Publications titles he puts together so tirelessly. Thanks! I never</p><p>would’vemadedeadlinewithoutyou!</p><p>Imayhavedesignedacoupleofholstersandcomeupwithacoupleof</p><p>techniques,butthisbookreallycomestoyoufromthecountlessnumber</p><p>ofpeoplewhohavetaughtmeandallowedmetopicktheirbrainsover</p><p>thelastnearlyfiftyyears.Theyareholsterdesignersandgundesigners,</p><p>gunfight survivors and survivors of horrors they were unarmed and</p><p>helpless to prevent. They range from world handgun champions to</p><p>novicehandgunstudents,allofwhomtaughtme lessonsabouthowto</p><p>help people prepare themselves and become ready to quell lethal</p><p>violenceatamoment’snotice.</p><p>Iwasmerelytheconduitoftheirknowledge,thecollectingagentwho</p><p>passedtheircollectivelearningexperiencesontoyou,thereaderofthis</p><p>book.</p><p>It is to all of them that this book is gratefully and respectfully</p><p>dedicated.</p><p>MassadAyoob,December2007</p><p>CONTENTS</p><p>TitlePage</p><p>SpecialOffers</p><p>AcknowledgmentsandDedication</p><p>Preface</p><p>ForewordbySteveDenney</p><p>SOFTWARE</p><p>Chapter1:TheCCWLifestyle</p><p>Chapter2:WhyWeCarry</p><p>Chapter3:WhereYouCan(AndCan’t)Carry</p><p>Chapter4:PreparationandAftermath</p><p>Chapter5:CastleDoctrineandStandYourGroundLaws</p><p>HARDWARE</p><p>Chapter6:“Gentlemen(AndLadies),</p><p>ChooseYourWeapons”</p><p>Chapter7:DefenseLoadsofChoice</p><p>Chapter8:ConcealedCarryandSpareAmmo</p><p>Chapter9:LightsforConcealedCarry</p><p>CARRYMETHODS</p><p>Chapter10:HipHolsters</p><p>Chapter11:CrossDraws</p><p>Chapter12:ShoulderHolsters</p><p>Chapter13:PocketCarry</p><p>Chapter14:AnkleHolsters</p><p>Chapter15:Non-traditionalCarryMethods</p><p>Chapter16:ConcealingLargerHandguns</p><p>Chapter17:ImprovingYourDrawFromConcealment</p><p>Chapter18:TheBackupCCW</p><p>Chapter19:OpenCarry</p><p>Chapter20:2012HolsterUpdate</p><p>ENHANCEMENTS</p><p>Chapter21:WardrobeFactors</p><p>Chapter22:IDPA:HowItHelpsTheConcealedCarryPractitioner</p><p>Chapter23:FinalAdvice</p><p>KeyPrinciples</p><p>PREFACE</p><p>IthasbeenfouryearssincethefirsteditionoftheGunDigestBookof</p><p>ConcealedCarry.Thingschange.Morestateshavegottenonboardwith</p><p>shall-issue concealed carry laws. More people in those states and the</p><p>states that already have such good laws are taking advantage of the</p><p>opportunitytobetterprotectthemselvesandtheirlovedones.Concealed</p><p>carryis,nopunintended,aboomingbusiness.</p><p>The industryhas respondedaccordingly.Therearenewconcealment</p><p>holsters, some of them downright ingenious. There is also a push for</p><p>lawswhichbetterprotecttheconcealedcarrier.Floridarecentlypassed</p><p>onewhichprotectedtheconcealedcarrieriftheirweaponinadvertently</p><p>became visible. Several states have passed “Stand Your Ground” laws,</p><p>whichrescindanyrequirementtoretreatbeforeusingdefensiveforceif</p><p>attacked in any place where you have a right to be. As we shall see,</p><p>these have been widely misunderstood, even by some on the gun</p><p>owners’sideofthedebate.</p><p>TheBottomLine</p><p>Self-defenseissuesareaverymatureandwell-establishedbodyoflaw,</p><p>andthecarryingofgunsissomethingthathasbeenpracticallyworked</p><p>outbyprofessionalsforaverylongtime.Thisiswhymostofthebook</p><p>younowholdinyourhandsisasitwaswhenitfirstcameoutin2008:</p><p>it is, for themostpart, everybit as relevantas itwas then.That said,</p><p>both the law and the human condition are dynamic things which</p><p>change,andthat’swhy18,000wordshavebeenaddedtothisupdated</p><p>edition.</p><p>And,ofcourse,changewillcontinuetotakeplace,anditwillalways</p><p>be up to all of us individually to keep upwith those changes as they</p><p>affectusandthoseweareresponsibleforprotecting.</p><p>I</p><p>FOREWORD</p><p>Spentcasingsareinchesapartfromex-SWATcopSteveDenney’snewSIGP2509mmashetests</p><p>itwithafastdoubletap.</p><p>’vebeencarryingconcealedfirearmssince1968,whichwasmyfirst</p><p>yearasaswornlawenforcementofficer.Iwasfinishingthelastyear</p><p>ofmyCriminologyDegreeatFloridaStateUniversityandjoinedthe</p><p>Tallahassee Police Department as a Reserve Officer. Since then, I’ve</p><p>learneda few lessonsaboutconcealedcarryby trialanderror,butmy</p><p>knowledge about firearms has been improved immensely by reading</p><p>whattheexpertsweresaying.Intheearly1970s,besidesreadingarticles</p><p>by people with names like Cooper, Gaylord, Askins, Skelton, etc., I</p><p>started reading articles from a guy by the name of Massad Ayoob. I</p><p>begantowonder,whowasthisAyoobguyand,moreimportantly,why</p><p>didwhathewroteactuallymake sense,basedonmyownexperience?</p><p>MyrelationshipwithMas’writingwasstrictlyone-sided(hewroteandI</p><p>read) from thenuntil 1999,when I finally had the chance to takemy</p><p>first LFI course. Since then we have become good friends and I have</p><p>become an instructorwith him for his Lethal Force Institute. That has</p><p>givenme a precious opportunity to see how he acquires and uses the</p><p>knowledgethatheshareswithothersinhistrainingclasses,hiswriting</p><p>andhiscaseworkasanexpertwitness.Sowhenhesaidhewaswriting</p><p>abookaboutconcealedcarry,Ithought:“Thishasgottobegood!”</p><p>Well, it is. Ihavebeenporingoverthemanuscriptforthepastweek</p><p>and I am happy to report thatMas has put together awinner. And a</p><p>timelywinner,atthat.Concealedcarryhasbeenahottopicintheworld</p><p>of gun ownership for the past two decades or so. More and more</p><p>opportunities for decent, law abiding citizens to protect themselves by</p><p>legallycarryingconcealedfirearmshaveemergedasStateafterStatehas</p><p>adoptedmore realistic concealed carry laws. Even so, only about two</p><p>percentofthepeopleeligibleforaconcealedcarrypermitactuallyapply</p><p>forone.That is starting tochange,however.Ofcourse,September11,</p><p>2001startedfolksthinkingmoreseriouslyaboutthesubject.Andmost</p><p>recently,themassmurderofstudentsatVirginiaTech,theshootingsin</p><p>malls inOmahaandSaltLakeCityand thearmedattackson religious</p><p>centers inArvada andColorado Springs are causing people to reassess</p><p>theirvulnerabilityastheygoabouttheirdailylives.Asmoreandmore</p><p>people come to the conclusion that they need to take realistic</p><p>precautionsagainstviolentattack,theneedforsensibleconcealedcarry</p><p>advicewillcontinuetoexpand.</p><p>Oneof the things thathas always impressedmeabout thewayMas</p><p>worksisthatheisnotjustateacherandnotjustawriter.Heisatrue</p><p>student of firearms, their history and their use. This book reflects his</p><p>serious research of the subject, as well as his ability to communicate</p><p>withhisaudience.Thereferencestomanyofthelegendary</p><p>waitingforpeoplewhowouldmake</p><p>easytargetstocomerunningout,ormaybeevenforme?Isteppedback</p><p>behind the corner of the wall and prepared to blast the last of my</p><p>firepower.Istrodeoutinfullviewoftheterroristandshotmylastthree</p><p>rounds. By this time, the others were already in the car. My target</p><p>jumpedintothevehicleandthedriverspedawayimmediately,leaving</p><p>behindtheacridstenchofburningtyresandexhaustfumes…”</p><p>Elsewhere in thisbook,wediscuss such factorsas the selectedcarry</p><p>gun’s ammunition capacity, and the carrying of spare ammunition. In</p><p>thiscase,vanWyk’sfive-shotrevolverwasnowempty,butitistellingto</p><p>examinehisfirstthoughtsintheimmediateaftermath.WrotevanWyk,</p><p>“It’s hard to expressmy feelings as Iwatched them drive away, but I</p><p>remember thinking, ‘Lord,whyhaven’t I gotmore ammunition?Why?</p><p>Why?Why?’”</p><p>It turned out that one of vanWyk’s shots hadwounded one of the</p><p>terrorists, oneKhayaChristopherMakoma, andhis first two rounds of</p><p>return fire had been enough to send the assassins fleeing with their</p><p>AK47s. At least that was the assessment of the South African Police,</p><p>neverapro-gunorganization,whenitissuedvanWykacommendation</p><p>forhisactions.Theawardread,“Mr.CharlAdriaanvanWykishereby</p><p>commended for outstanding services rendered in that he: on 25 July</p><p>1993endangeredhisown life inwardingoff theattackperpetratedon</p><p>the St. James Congregation in Kenilworth. His action in pursuing the</p><p>suspectsonfootandreturningfirepreventedfurtherlossoflife.Oneof</p><p>thesuspectswoundedintheincidentwaslaterarrested.”</p><p>Charl vanWyk, like many others, cites Biblical confirmation of his</p><p>choice to be armed. Proverbs 25:26: “Like a muddied spring or a</p><p>pollutedwell is a righteousmanwho givesway to thewicked.”Luke</p><p>22:36: “If thou hast not a sword, sell thy cloak and buy one.” (This</p><p>particular quote was a favorite of my old friend Harlon Carter, the</p><p>dynamic president of theNational RifleAssociation.)Nehemiah4:14:</p><p>“Don’tbeafraidofthem.RemembertheLordwhoisgreatandawesome,</p><p>and fight for yourbrothers, your sons andyourdaughters, yourwives</p><p>andyourhomes.”Exodus22:2:“Ifathief iscaughtbreakinginandis</p><p>strucksothathedies,thedefenderisnotguiltyofbloodshed.”</p><p>RememberthatintheoriginalHebrew,theSixthCommandmentisnot</p><p>“Thoushaltnotkill,”but“Thoushaltnotcommitmurder.”Thatis,thou</p><p>shaltnotkillwithevilintent.</p><p>I have trained many clergymen over the years, most of them the</p><p>religious leaders of their particular parish or synagogue. One was a</p><p>Bishop of the Catholic church. Most (not all, but most) of these</p><p>particularpadreswerescrupulousaboutmakingitcleartomethatthe</p><p>utmost confidentialitywasnecessary in regard to their training. Itwas</p><p>obviouswhythatwas,butitwasaBishopwhosaiditbest.“Ifitwasto</p><p>getoutthatIcarriedaguneveryday,”saidtheBishop,“Iwouldendup</p><p>astheparishpriestinFlatRock,Iowa.”</p><p>In some jurisdictions, houses of worship are off-limits for legal</p><p>concealedcarry.Inothers,itmaybeOKtocarrythereintheeyesofthe</p><p>law,butforbiddenbythatparticularchurch’spolicy.Insomestates,you</p><p>canloseyourpermitforcarryinginaplacethatis“posted”againstthe</p><p>practice. Inothers, there isnopenalty for ignoringa“no-guns”policy,</p><p>butifyourweaponisspotted,youcanexpecttobeaskedtoleave.Ifyou</p><p>do not comply, you can then be arrested for “trespass afterwarning,”</p><p>andinadditiontothatparticularoffense,yourpermittocarrymaynow</p><p>beinjeopardy.</p><p>Staywithinthelaw,andusecommonsense.Itain’tallabout“praise</p><p>theLordandpasstheammunition.”</p><p>CarryinginSchools</p><p>TheseriesofmassmurdersinAmericanschoolsinthelastfewyears,</p><p>particularlytheatrocityatColumbineHighSchoolinLittleton,Colorado</p><p>in1999andtheoneatVirginiaTechin2007,havebroughtuptheissue</p><p>of whether teachers or other school personnel should be armed on</p><p>campus.Theissuehasraisedsomeheateddiscussionsonbothsides.</p><p>Shortlyafter theColumbine incident, IwascalledbytheWallStreet</p><p>Journal and asked to write a short essay for their op-ed page on the</p><p>topic, in which I came out strongly for a policy that would allow for</p><p>volunteerteachersandotherstafftobespeciallytrainedandauthorized</p><p>tocarryconcealedhandgunswhileatschool.TV’sTodayShowgothold</p><p>of it, and invited me to appear opposite a spokesman for one of the</p><p>educators’ associations, who totally opposed the idea. No one, he</p><p>scoffed,hadeverheardofsuchasuggestion.</p><p>Insomejurisdictions,asignlikethismeansthesameas“CCWIllegalHere!”</p><p>ItisgenerallyacceptedthatitisillegalforaprivatecitizentowearaguninaU.S.PostOffice,</p><p>irrespectiveofconcealedcarrypermits.</p><p>IthenexplainedhowtheIsraelischoolshavehadthissysteminplace</p><p>since the Maalot massacre of schoolchildren by terrorists in the mid-</p><p>1970s,andhadeffectivelyputanendtosuchproblems.Theplainclothes</p><p>bodyguardswerevolunteerparentsandgrandparentsaswellasteachers,</p><p>alltrainedbytheIsraelicivilguard.WhenhostMattLauersarcastically</p><p>asked if the plan would include assault weapons, I replied that the</p><p>discreetly concealed 9mm semiautomatic pistols of the Israelis had</p><p>workedjustfine.</p><p>SimilarconceptsareinplaceinPeru,thePhilippines,andelsewhere.</p><p>We’ve also seen proof of the efficacy of an armed citizen response in</p><p>schoolshootingsintheUnitedStates.InPearl,Mississippiatwistedteen</p><p>namedLukeWoodhamstabbedhismothertodeathtogetthekeytohis</p><p>estranged father’s gun cabinet, and the next morning showed up at</p><p>school with a 30-30 deer rifle. He opened fire, with fatal results. As</p><p>Woodhamrantohiscar,assistantprincipalJoelMyrickrantohis,and</p><p>retrieved a compactColtOfficers 45ACPautomatic.He confronted the</p><p>escaping Woodham, who crawled out of his car and cravenly</p><p>surrendered.Theyoungmurdererhadbeenheadinginthedirectionofa</p><p>nearbyjuniorhighschool,stillinpossessionofthedeathweaponandan</p><p>amplesupplyofammunition.</p><p>There are gun law compendia for many states, but remember that the laws are constantly</p><p>changing.Reviewthem,butupdateconstantly!</p><p>In Pennsylvania, another crazy punk kid opened fire with a small</p><p>caliber pistol at an off-grounds school affair. The owner of the venue</p><p>grabbed a shotgun from his office and took the vicious little punk at</p><p>gunpoint. The latter, of course, surrendered, and amassacrewas very</p><p>likelyaverted.InVirginia,amassshootingatalawschoolwasaborted</p><p>whentwoadultstudentsdrewtheirownhandgunsandtookthearmed</p><p>offenderatgunpoint,atwhichtimeheinstantlygaveup.</p><p>The reality is as obvious as a corpse on display in a funeral home</p><p>casket.Guns in thehandsofgoodpeople stoparmedbadpeople from</p><p>committing mass murder. “Gun-free zones” literally become hunting</p><p>preservesforthepsychopathswhohunthumans.</p><p>FederalBuildings</p><p>Asageneral rule,Federalbuildingsareoff-limits forprivatecitizens</p><p>with firearms, concealed carry permits notwithstanding. If you feel a</p><p>compellingneedtocarryaguninoneofthoseplacesanddon’twantto</p><p>takethisadvice,phonetheofficeyouwishtovisitandaskthemabout</p><p>their policy. In the unlikely event that they tell you “Sure, it’s OK to</p><p>carryhere,”getsomethinginwritingonGovernmentletterheadwitha</p><p>signaturefromaresponsibleindividual.</p><p>The place most folks with permits</p><p>especially want to carry is, of</p><p>course,thePostOffice.It’stheoneofficeoftheFederalgovernmentthat</p><p>theprivatecitizenmostfrequentlyvisits.Therehasbeenagreatdealof</p><p>controversy over this issue. Some people interpret the wording of the</p><p>regulation that generally prohibits firearms from such places as</p><p>exempting permit-holders. There are others who consider that</p><p>interpretationtobewishfulthinking.</p><p>IhaveoccasiontoenterPostOfficebranchesalloverthiscountry,and</p><p>thereisgenerallyasignpresent(sometimesconspicuous,sometimesnot)</p><p>statingflatlythatfirearmsarenotpermittedonthesepremises.Stating</p><p>laterincourtthatwhatyoureadonthisorthatelectronicgunforumon</p><p>theInternetsayingyoucouldcarryinPostOffices,carriedmoreweight</p><p>inyourmind thana signpostedby thatOffice flatlyprohibiting carry</p><p>there, is not going to put you in great shape if you are arrested by</p><p>securitythereforillegalCCW.</p><p>Myadvicetoprivatecitizensisconservative,andsimple:“Don’tcarry</p><p>aguninsidetheUnitedStatesPostOffice,oranyotherFederalbuilding.</p><p>Courthouses</p><p>Idon’tpersonallyknowofanycourthousesanymorewheretheprivate</p><p>citizen can carry a gun around inside. In a handful of jurisdictions</p><p>(checkcarefullytoseeifyoursisone)itislegalforthearmedcitizento</p><p>actually check his or her gun into a lockbox at Courthouse Security</p><p>whentheyenter,andretrieveitwhentheyleave.These,unfortunately,</p><p>are few and far between. I have also seen court security personnel</p><p>literallybecomehystericalwhensomeonesimplyaskedthemaboutthe</p><p>legality of firearms in the courthouse. (“Oh, my God! A gun! Do you</p><p>haveagun?Doyouhaveagun?!?”)</p><p>Whenindoubt,callSecurityattheCourthouseinquestion,andgetit</p><p>sortedoutclearlybeforehand.Makesuretheyunderstandthatyouarea</p><p>privatecitizenwithacarrypermit,andnotapoliceofficer.</p><p>FederalCourthousesinparticulartakegunsveryseriously.Ifyouare</p><p>carrying your gunwhen youwalk through the front door and ask the</p><p>guardsatthemetaldetectorsifyoucancheckyourgun,you’realready</p><p>inviolationbecauseyou’realreadyinsidethecourthouseproper.</p><p>Forallthesereasons,thegeneralruleofthumbis,“Don’tbringagun</p><p>to the courthouse.” If the gun is evidence, talk to the attorney who</p><p>summonedyouthere,andhewillgothroughtheprocessofgettingthe</p><p>gunbrought in, turnedover toSecurity,andbrought to thecourtroom</p><p>andbackoutattheappropriatetime.</p><p>AlcoholicBeverageEstablishments</p><p>Gunpowder and alcohol can obviously be a pretty scary mixture.</p><p>Different jurisdictions handle that in different ways. I used to enjoy</p><p>visiting the Shortstop, a tavern on LA’s Sunset Boulevard. It was the</p><p>model for the bar Joe Wambaugh called The House of Misery in his</p><p>novel, TheBlackMarble. Itwas a cop bar.Most times Iwas in there,</p><p>therewereprobablyonlythreeorfourpeopleintheplacethatweren’t</p><p>carryingguns.</p><p>“Intheplace/Thathasthesteeple/Theymaynotwelcome/Pistol-packin’people.”</p><p>At thiswriting (2007), it is perfectly legal to carry your gun into a</p><p>taverninMassachusettsorNewHampshire,andhaveadrinkortwo,if</p><p>youhaveaCCWpermit.Obviously,ifyougetdrunkanddosomething</p><p>stupid with the gun, you can expect to go to prison. It’s your</p><p>responsibilitytobe,well,responsible.</p><p>Inonecase Iwascalled inonrecently,aMassachusettsCCW-holder</p><p>droppedinathisfavoritewateringspot,anddidn’tevenhavetimefor</p><p>one drink before a man he well knew to be a viciously brutal bully</p><p>began harassing a local woman. The armed citizen stepped in, and</p><p>becametheobjectofthebully’swrath.Bouncersintervenedandkeptthe</p><p>bully, who was known locally as “Killer,” from attacking the permit</p><p>holder.</p><p>Theyallleftthebarseparately,afewminutesapart,thearmedcitizen</p><p>leaving last. He was carrying a Beretta 40 in a hip holster under his</p><p>sweatshirt. As he drove away, he saw a man violently attacking a</p><p>woman.Pullingover,hesawitwasthebullyandthewomanfromthe</p><p>bar,whom the bully had been stranglingmoments before.He jumped</p><p>outofhiscarandorderedthemantolethergo.Thebullythrewherto</p><p>theground,screamed“I’llkillyou!”andlungedattheCCWholder,who</p><p>by now had drawn his Beretta. He fired one shot. The assailant went</p><p>down,mortallywounded, and the rescuer survivedamore than three-</p><p>yearlegalnightmarethatculminatedwithhisacquittalofallthecharges</p><p>(Murder, Manslaughter, and Aggravated Assault) that were lodged</p><p>against him. If he had not been carrying his gun (legally, under that</p><p>state’slaws)bothheandthewomanhesavedmighthavebeenkilledor</p><p>profoundlyinjured.</p><p>Not long ago, aNewHampshiremanwashaving a quiet drink in a</p><p>city bar, when a weirdo pulled out a gunwithmurder clearly on his</p><p>mind.Thecitizen,licensedtocarryhislittleKel-Tec“ratgun,”drewand</p><p>shothim.Theoffenderlived,butafterbeingshotgaveuphisattemptsto</p><p>hurt innocent people and focused solely on surviving his gunshot</p><p>injuries.Tothebestofmyknowledge,atthiswriting,thearmedcitizen</p><p>who shot him has not been criminally charged.He, too, had a permit</p><p>and was perfectly legal to carry while drinking moderately and</p><p>responsibly…inthatjurisdiction.</p><p>In our nation’s patchwork quilt of state-by-state laws, things change</p><p>dependingwhereyouare.InNorthCarolina,youcan’tevencarryyour</p><p>gun into a restaurant that has a liquor license, even if you’re not</p><p>drinking. The same is true in Virginia, with one exception: you can</p><p>“opencarry”ahandguninarestaurantwithaliquorlicense,andeven</p><p>whileconsumingalcohol inabar! Indeed, theVCDL(VirginiaCitizens’</p><p>DefenseLeague)considersthe“goodrestaurantaccess”factortobeone</p><p>of the strongest pillars of their advocacy of open handgun carry. One</p><p>night while teaching a lethal force class in Richmond, some VCDL</p><p>memberstookmetothebaratanOutbacktomakeapoint.Mostwere</p><p>conspicuouslycarryinghandgunsinunconcealedholsters.Theywerenot</p><p>hassled. I couldn’t help but notice, though, that the customers at one</p><p>table nervously summoned a waiter and pointed, with frightened</p><p>expressions, at the Glock 21 45 automatic on the hip of one VCDL</p><p>member.Thewaiterexplained that itwas legal,andhewassorry,but</p><p>therewasnothinghecoulddoaboutit.</p><p>Inmostjurisdictions,concealedcarryisillegalincourthouses.Checkthelawsinanyjurisdiction</p><p>whereyoucarry.</p><p>ThenyouhavethestateofFlorida,whereatthiswriting,youcansuck</p><p>upalltheboozeyouwantinarestaurantwithaliquorlicense.However,</p><p>ifthemaitre‘dsays,“Yourtablewillbereadyinafewminutes;youcan</p><p>wait in the bar,” the second you step over that threshold you’re</p><p>committingaClassIVFelony,andyourautomaticlossofyourconcealed</p><p>carryprivilegewillbethe leastofyourproblems. Inthatstate,evenif</p><p>youarenotconsumingalcohol,youare forbiddentohaveyourgun in</p><p>any premises that makes more than 50% of its income from serving</p><p>alcoholbythedrink.</p><p>InTexas,notonlycan’tyoupackinabarorarestaurantwithaliquor</p><p>license,youcan’tevenenteraliquorstorewithyourgunontopurchase</p><p>abottleofwinetobringhome,unopened,fordinner.Thesameistruein</p><p>NewMexico.AfewyearsagointheAlbuquerquearea,amadmanwitha</p><p>knifeattackedawoman ina localWal-Martandnearlymurderedher.</p><p>Hewasplunginghisknifeintoherasanarmedcitizenleanedoverthe</p><p>counter with a licensed-to-carry semiautomatic</p><p>pistol, and shot him</p><p>dead.Allincludingthevictim,whosurvived,realizedhehadsavedher</p><p>life. Alas, anti-gun organizations pushed for his prosecution on the</p><p>grounds that he was illegally carrying the gun, because Wal-Marts</p><p>typically sell carry-out alcoholic beverages. What saved this heroic</p><p>gentlemanwasthefactthathewasintheoneWal-Martintheareathat</p><p>didn’thavealiquorlicense.</p><p>The lesson is clear. Know the law regarding the carry of firearms in</p><p>alcoholicbeverageestablishments, in thecommunityyouhappen tobe inat</p><p>themoment.Thereisnonationalstandard.</p><p>Thesimplestandmostlogicalcourseofactionistostaythehelloutof</p><p>barswhenyou’recarryingagun.Evensimplerandmorelogical,juststay</p><p>thehelloutofbars.</p><p>Oneofmymentorswasthelate,greatLt.FrankMcGee,thelegendary</p><p>NYPDmanwhoturnedthatdepartment’sFirearmsTrainingUnitintoa</p><p>FirearmsandTacticsUnit, tookanoverall tacticalapproach to training</p><p>that caused the rate of the officers’ gunfight survival to skyrocket.</p><p>Duringoneshortperiodinthe1970s,threepoliceofficerswereshotand</p><p>killedingunfights thatoccurredwhiletheywereoff-duty inNewYork</p><p>drinking establishments. Under Frank’s tutelage, the FTU literally</p><p>institutedablocof“offdutybar-roomsurvival”training.</p><p>Frank strongly urged his officers to stay out of bars for one simple</p><p>reason:barsare fullofunknowndrunkidiotswithguns. Icantellyou</p><p>thathelivedwhathetaught,too.McGeewasamanwholikedtolight</p><p>upanL&McigaretteandsipaglassofgoodScotch…buthelikedtodoit</p><p>someplacewhereitwassafetorelax.</p><p>One time back in the ’80s, Frank and I were guest-teaching at an</p><p>Instructors’ Update class at Smith & Wesson Academy in Springfield,</p><p>Massachusetts,andbothhadroomsatahotelinnearbyChicopee.After</p><p>class, I invitedFrank to joinme foradrink in thehotelbar.“Thehell</p><p>withthat,”growledFrank.“YouknowwhyIhatebars.Comeonbymy</p><p>roomandhavesomeScotch.”</p><p>Mostjurisdictionsforbidcarryofconcealedweaponsatschoolsportingevents.</p><p>“Ah, c’mon,” I teased. “Bars have atmosphere. It’ll be fun.” I finally</p><p>cajoled him, against his better judgment, into joiningme at the hotel</p><p>bar. Damned if we weren’t just starting our first drinks, when a</p><p>stereotypebutch lesbian starteda raging fightwithhermore “femme”</p><p>loverinthebar.Frankflashedatriumphantsmileatmeandsaid,“See?</p><p>See?”Andthen,withthehard-learnedpeopleskillsofaNewYorkcop,</p><p>hespokesoftlytothecouplewithacharmthatwouldhaveevaporated</p><p>themorningdewfromtheBlarneyStone,andhadtheaggressortearfully</p><p>apologizingtoherloverinminutes.</p><p>Atwhichpoint,we left thebar,me shakingmydumbfoundedhead.</p><p>FrankMcGeehadmadethepoint.AllIcouldmutterwas,“Howthehell</p><p>didyouarrangethat?”</p><p>Istillvisitbarsoccasionally,butlessandlessastheyearsgoby,and</p><p>neveranymoreinFlorida,NewMexico,orotherstateswiththoserules.</p><p>If Ineed tomeet someone inabaronbusinesswhere it’snot legal to</p><p>carrymygunonmyperson,Isecuretheguninthehotelroom.</p><p>Ifyouusealcohol,useitthewayyouuseguns:responsibly.</p><p>Amajorityofjurisdictionsforbidprivatecarryofhandgunsatschools.Authorwouldliketosee</p><p>thischangetotheproven-saferIsraeliparadigm.</p><p>Carrying a gun at church is no longer unthinkable, in jurisdictions where it is not expressly</p><p>forbidden.Inacasethathappenedasthisbookwenttopress,anarmedcitizengunneddowna</p><p>heavilyarmedmassmurdereratareligiouscenterandsavedcountlesslives.</p><p>AndOneOtherThing…</p><p>Youcanbedrivingalong,mindingyourownbusiness,perfectlylegal</p><p>tohaveyourconcealedweaponon…andtheblue,orred,orblue-and-</p><p>red lights start flashing in your rear-view mirror. You are about to</p><p>undergoaroutinetrafficstopwhilecarryingaloadedgun.Howexactly</p><p>doyouhandlethat?</p><p>If thisbookwas larger, I could tell youenough stories fora loooong</p><p>chapteronthistopicalone.Itisn’t,solet’sskipthewarstoriesandcutto</p><p>thebottomline,which is: it’s situational. I saythatbecauseyou’ll find</p><p>yourself in threedifferentkindsofstates.1)ThosethatrequireaCCW</p><p>holder to identify himself or herself immediately upon contact with</p><p>policewho are in theperformanceof their duties. 2) States that don’t</p><p>have that, but do cross reference their CCW files with the state</p><p>department ofmotor vehicles, sowhena cop runs your license taghe</p><p>immediatelycomesupwiththefactthattheownerislicensedtocarry.</p><p>3)Stateswhereneitherofthosethingsareinforce.</p><p>Here’saquestionfortheteacher:injurisdictionswhereyou’relegaltohaveaguninyourglove</p><p>boxbutcan’tcarryoneanyplacewherealcoholicbeveragesaresold,wheredoyoustandlegally</p><p>whenyouvisitthisdrive-throughbeerstore?</p><p>Inmostjurisdictions,yourcarrypermitallowsyoutobearmedinaWal-Mart…butnotinNew</p><p>Mexicoifthatparticularstoresellsalcoholicbeverages.</p><p>Inthefirstkindofstate,thebestwaytoIDyourself istocarryyour</p><p>CCWcard rightnext to yourdriver’s license, andhand the two to the</p><p>officer,withoutsayingawordabouttheCCW.They’llseeit,andtakeit</p><p>from there. (Many or even most will relax a little, knowing they’re</p><p>dealingwithsomeonewhowasinvestigatedanddeemedaproperperson</p><p>tocarrya loaded,concealedhandgun inpublic.)Youhavenotuttered</p><p>thatscary“G-word”thatfrightenspassersby,andyoungrookiecopswho</p><p>mightberidingalongtonight.</p><p>In the second kind of state, do exactly the same thing. You’re not</p><p>required to by law, but the cop knowswhen he stops you that you’re</p><p>likelytobecarrying,andifhehastoasktofindout,hemaywellseeit</p><p>subconsciously as you practicing “deception by omission of</p><p>information.”Ergo,CCWalongwithdriver’s license,as intheprevious</p><p>case.</p><p>In the third kind of state,where I’m a sworn officer, neither of the</p><p>aboveisthecase,andfranklyIdon’tcare.IfI’vepulledyouoverandI’m</p><p>worriedaboutyoubeingarmed,I’llaskyou,atwhichtimeI’llexpectan</p><p>honest answer. You blurting at first contact something about having a</p><p>gun tellsmeyou’vegota lotofego invested in it, and thatmakesme</p><p>nervous.But,that’sjustme.Alotofbrotherandsisterofficersinmyand</p><p>similar jurisdictions tell me that the driver handing over the CCW</p><p>reassures them.So, gowith the short form,whichwillworkwherever</p><p>youare legal tocarry: just forkovertheCCWwiththeDL.Theofficer</p><p>performingthestopwilltakeitfromthere.</p><p>Iftheofficerasksyoutostepoutofyourvehicle,itmeansthateither</p><p>youfitthedescriptionofsomeonehe’slookingforwhodidABadThing</p><p>andyou’llbepatteddown,orthatyouweredrivingcarelesslyenoughto</p><p>givehimprobablecausetobelieveyoumightbe“undertheinfluence,”</p><p>inwhichcase there isabout tobea roadside field sobriety test.While</p><p>some ofmy brothers and sisters use the gaze nystagmus test for this,</p><p>mostofusstillusetheRohmbergseries,whichwillinvolvemovements</p><p>suchasarmsextendingouttothesides,whichcanrevealyourholstered</p><p>weapon. In either case, you don’t want finding the gun to come as a</p><p>surprise. If Iwas instructed, “Please stepoutof thecar,” Iwouldkeep</p><p>my hands in plain sight andmotionless and reply, “Certainly, Officer.</p><p>However, I’m licensed tocarry,and Idohave iton.Tellmewhatyou</p><p>want me to do.” The statement begins and ends with respectful</p><p>deferenceand lawfulcompliance,andavoidsanything thatsounds like</p><p>“I’ve got a gun,” which is generally</p><p>interpreted as a threatening</p><p>statement.</p><p>I’ve been on both sides of these stops. Some cops will ask to take</p><p>custodyyourgunwhilethestopisunderway.Theyhavethelegalright</p><p>todothat.Don’targueorgivethemSecondAmendmentlectures:they’ll</p><p>see it as a dangerous person with a gun who is non-compliant with</p><p>lawful commands, and your night will quickly go downhill and your</p><p>carrypermitmaysoongrowwingsandleaveyou.Iwouldn’treachfor</p><p>the gun if the officer wanted that. I would say, “Certainly,</p><p>Officer/Deputy/Trooper.However,Idon’twantittolooktoanyoneelse</p><p>asifI’mpullingagunonanofficer.Thepistolisinaholsteronmyright</p><p>hip.You’rewelcometotakeit.Tellmewhatyouwantmetodo.”</p><p>EndinguphereforaCCWerrorwouldbeaverybadthing…</p><p>…but ending up here because youwere helpless is an evenworse outcome. Proper planning,</p><p>mind-set,andknowingtherightthingtodocankeepyououtofbothplaces.</p><p>If jurisdiction’s prevailing law says “no guns in county ormunicipal buildings,” check to see</p><p>wherethatleavesyouwhenyouvisitthepubliclibrary.</p><p>If the officer insists on you handing it over, do it very slowly and</p><p>carefully, with the muzzle in a safe direction and finger clear of the</p><p>triggerguard.Ifyoucansimplyunfastentheholsterandhandoverthe</p><p>holsteredweapon,that’sevensafer.</p><p>Would’vebeeneasierifyou’djustfollowedthespeedlimit,huh?</p><p>TheBottomLine</p><p>The laws of the given jurisdiction in a nation that’s a patchwork of</p><p>gun laws, are the laws you have to follow. It’s your responsibility to</p><p>knowtheturf inthatregard,whereveryourtravelsasa freeAmerican</p><p>takeyou.</p><p>2012Update:ChangesinWhereYouCanCarry</p><p>Since the first editionof thisbook, theUSAhas comedown toonly</p><p>onestatewherethereisnoprovisioninthelawfortheprivatecitizento</p><p>carry a loaded, concealed handgun in public. That’s Illinois, and even</p><p>there concealed carry has come surprisingly close to passing the state</p><p>legislatureatthiswriting.</p><p>Reciprocity – that is, recognition of out of state concealed carry</p><p>permits – changes constantly. The bestway to stay on top of it is the</p><p>very up-to-date website www.handgunlaw.us. Shortly prior to this</p><p>writing, for example, the state ofNewMexico see-sawedon the issue,</p><p>firstannouncingthatitwouldnolongerrecognizethepermitsofseveral</p><p>states, then capitulating to popular demand and once again accepting</p><p>manyofthepermitsithadjustpubliclyrejected.</p><p>NationalreciprocityhaslingeredformanyyearsonCapitolHill,butin</p><p>2011 House Bill 822 passed the House of Representatives, only to be</p><p>stalledintheSenate.Evenso,thatwasthefarthesttheconcepthasyet</p><p>gone,andthereishopeforitinthefuture.Theanti-gunnerspractically</p><p>foam at themouth over the concept, of course, but, amazingly, some</p><p>otherwise pro-gun individuals are against it. For some, it is “the</p><p>principle of the thing,” in their minds a violation of state’s rights.</p><p>(Interesting thought. Do they feel their marriage license or driver’s</p><p>licenseshouldloseitsvalidityattheborderoftheirhomestate,too?)</p><p>Author with Otis McDonald, right, the lead named plaintiff in McDonald v. Chicago, which</p><p>resultedina2010USSupremeCourtdecisionconfirmingindividualrighttokeepandbeararms.</p><p>http://www.handgunlaw.us</p><p>When this guy pulls you over for a routine stop and you’re legally carrying a gun, there are</p><p>thingsyouneedtoknowbeforehand.</p><p>This writer, for one, hopes that national reciprocity will pass. The</p><p>NationalRifleAssociationandtheSecondAmendmentFoundationhave</p><p>bothputa small armyof lawyersand law scholarson thematter, and</p><p>seen no practical downside to national reciprocity. Individual</p><p>interpretationofprincipleisfine,butjustaseconomicrhetorichasnever</p><p>fedthehungry,Constitutionalrhetorichasneverarmedthehelpless.</p><p>Sincethefirsteditionofthisbookwentintothepublisher,we’vehad</p><p>twogreatvictoriesintheUnitedStatesSupremeCourt,forwhichIthank</p><p>theSecondAmendmentFoundationinparticular.Thesearethedecisions</p><p>inHellerv.DistrictofColumbia (2008)andMcDonald, et. al. v.Chicago,</p><p>which finally wrote in stone that the Second Amendment-guaranteed</p><p>right to keep and bear arms is indeed an individual right. There have</p><p>beenmanyvictories since,at the stateand local level, for lawabiding</p><p>gun owners. On the concealed carry side of one of America’s most</p><p>contentioussocialdebates,so-called“guncontrol,”oursideiswinning.</p><p>COMPENDIUMOFSTATELAWS</p><p>GOVERNINGFIREARMS</p><p>Sincestatelawsaresubjecttofrequentchange,thischartisnottobe</p><p>consideredlegaladviceorarestatementofthelaw.</p><p>Thefollowingchartliststhemainprovisionsofstatefirearmslawsasof</p><p>thedateofpublication.Inadditiontothestateprovisions,the</p><p>purchase,sale,and,incertaincircumstances,thepossessionand</p><p>interstatetransportationoffirearmsareregulatedbytheFederalGun</p><p>ControlActof1968asamendedbytheFirearmsOwners’Protection</p><p>Actof1986.Also,citiesandlocalitiesmayhavetheirowngun</p><p>ordinancesinadditiontofederalandstaterestrictions.Detailsmaybe</p><p>obtainedbycontactinglocallawenforcementauthoritiesorby</p><p>consultingyourstate’sfirearmslawdigestcompiledbytheNRA</p><p>InstituteforLegislativeAction.</p><p>Allfiftystateshavepassedsportsmen’sprotectionlawstohalt</p><p>harrassment.</p><p>CompiledbyNRAInstituteforLegislativeAction;11250Waples</p><p>MillRoad;Fairfax,Virginia22030</p><p>Sincestatelawsaresubjecttofrequentchange,</p><p>thischartisnottobeconsideredlegaladviceorarestatementof</p><p>thelaw.</p><p>Allfiftystateshavepassedsportsmen’sprotectionlawstohalt</p><p>harrassment.</p><p>Withover20,000“guncontrol”lawsonthebooksinAmerica,there</p><p>aretwochallengesfacingeverygunowner.First,youoweitto</p><p>yourselftobecomefamiliarwiththefederallawsongun</p><p>ownership.Onlybyknowingthelawscanyouavoidinnocently</p><p>breakingone.</p><p>Second,whilefederallegislationreceivesmuchmoremedia</p><p>attention,statelegislaturesandcitycouncilsmakemanymore</p><p>decisionsregardingyourrighttoownandcarryfirearms.NRA</p><p>membersandallgunownersmusttakeextracaretobeawareof</p><p>anti-gunlawsandordinancesatthestateandlocallevels.</p><p>Notes:</p><p>1.“Assaultweapons”areprohibitedinConnecticut,NewJerseyand</p><p>NewYork.SomelocaljurisdictionsinOhioalsoban“assault</p><p>weapons.”Hawaiiprohibits“assaultpistols.”Californiabans“assault</p><p>weapons”,.50BMGcaliberfirearms,some.50caliberammunitionand</p><p>“unsafehandguns.”Illinois:Chicago,Evanston,OakPark,Morton</p><p>Grove,Winnetka,Wilmette,andHighlandParkprohibithandguns;</p><p>somecitiesprohibitotherkindsoffirearms.Marylandprohibits</p><p>“assaultpistols”;thesaleormanufactureofanyhandgun</p><p>manufacturedafterJan.1,1985,thatdoesnotappearonthe</p><p>HandgunRoster;andthesaleofanyhandgunmanufacturedafter</p><p>January1,2003thatisnotequippedwithan“integratedmechanical</p><p>safetydevice.”Massachusetts:Itisunlawfultosell,transferor</p><p>possess“anyassaultweaponorlargecapacityfeedingdevice”[more</p><p>than10rounds]thatwasnotlegallypossessedonSeptember13,</p><p>1994andthesaleofhandgunsnotontheFirearmsRoster.TheCityof</p><p>Bostonhasaseparate“assaultweapons”law.TheDistrictof</p><p>Columbiaprohibitsnewacquisitionofhandgunsandany</p><p>semiautomaticfirearmcapableofusingadetachableammunition</p><p>magazineofmorethan12roundscapacityandanyhandgunnot</p><p>registeredafterFebruary5,1977.Virginiaprohibits“StreetSweeper”</p><p>shotguns.(Withrespecttosomeoftheselawsandordinances,</p><p>individualsmayretain</p><p>prohibitedfirearmsownedpreviously,with</p><p>certainrestrictions.)Thesunsetofthefederalassaultweaponsban</p><p>doesnotaffectthevalidityofstate“assaultweapons”bans.</p><p>2.NationalInstantCheckSystem(NICS)exemptioncodes:RTC-</p><p>CarryPermitHoldersExemptFromNICSL-Holdersofstatelicensesto</p><p>possessorpurchaseorfirearmsIDcardsexemptfromNICS.</p><p>3.NICSexemptionnotes:Arkansas:Thoseissuedonandafter4/1/99</p><p>qualify.Mississippi:Permitsissuedtosecurityguardsdonotqualify.</p><p>4.Marylandsubjectspurchasesof“assaultweapons”toa7-daywaiting</p><p>period.</p><p>5.Waitingperiodforallsales.California:10days;sales,transfersand</p><p>loansofhandgunscanbemadethroughadealerorthroughasheriff’s</p><p>office.Maryland:7days;purchasersofregulatedfirearmsmust</p><p>undergobackgroundchecksperformedbytheStatePolice,either</p><p>throughadealerordirectlythroughtheStatePolice.RhodeIsland:7</p><p>days;privatesalescanbemadethroughadealerorthesellermust</p><p>followthesameguidelinesasasalefromadealer.</p><p>6.Thewaitingperioddoesnotapplytoapersonholdingavalidpermit</p><p>orlicensetocarryafirearm.InConnecticut,acertificateof</p><p>eligibilityexemptstheholderfromthewaitingperiodforhandgun</p><p>purchases;ahuntinglicenseexemptstheholderforlonggun</p><p>purchasers.California:transfersofalongguntoaperson’sparent,</p><p>childorgrandparentareexemptfromthewaitingperiod.</p><p>7.Incertaincitiesorcounties.</p><p>8.Maybeextendedbypoliceto30daysinsomecircumstances.An</p><p>individualnotholdingadriver’slicensemustwait60days.</p><p>9.Connecticut:Acertificateofeligibilityoracarrypermitisrequired</p><p>toobtainahandgunandacarrypermitisrequiredtotransporta</p><p>handgunoutsideyourhome.DistrictofColumbia:Nohandgunmay</p><p>bepossessedunlessitwasregisteredpriortoSept.23,1976andre-</p><p>registeredbyFeb.5,1977.Apermittopurchaseisrequiredforarifle</p><p>orshotgun.Hawaii:Purchasepermitsarerequiredforallfirearms</p><p>Illinois:AFirearmOwner’sIdentificationCard(FOI)isrequiredto</p><p>possessorpurchaseafirearm,mustbeissuedtoqualifiedapplicants</p><p>within30days,andisvalidfor5years.Iowa:Apurchasepermitis</p><p>requiredforhandguns,andisvalidforoneyear.Massachusetts:</p><p>Firearmsandfeedingdevicesforfirearmsaredividedintoclasses.</p><p>Dependingontheclass,afirearmidentificationcard(FID)orclassA</p><p>licenseorclassBlicenseisrequiredtopossess,purchase,orcarrya</p><p>firearm,ammunitionthereof,orfirearmfeedingdevice,or“large</p><p>capacityfeedingdevice.”Michigan:Ahandgunpurchasermust</p><p>obtainalicensetopurchasefromlocallawenforcement,andwithin</p><p>10dayspresentthelicenseandhandguntoobtainacertificateof</p><p>inspection.Minnesota:Ahandguntransferorcarryingpermit,ora7-</p><p>daywaitingperiodandhandguntransferreport,isrequiredto</p><p>purchasehandgunsor“assaultweapons”fromadealer.Apermitis</p><p>validforoneyear,atransferreportfor30days.Missouri:Apurchase</p><p>permitisrequiredforahandgun,mustbeissuedtoqualified</p><p>applicantswithin7days,andisvalidfor30days.NewJersey:</p><p>FirearmownersmustpossessaFID,whichmustbeissuedtoqualified</p><p>applicantswithin30days.Topurchaseahandgun,apurchasepermit,</p><p>whichmustbeissuedwithin30daystoqualifiedapplicantsandis</p><p>validfor90days,isrequired.AnFIDisrequiredtopurchaselong</p><p>guns.NewYork:Purchase,possessionand/orcarryingofahandgun</p><p>requireasinglelicense,whichincludesanyrestrictionsmadeupon</p><p>thebearer.NewYorkCityalsorequiresalicenseforlongguns.North</p><p>Carolina:Topurchaseahandgun,alicenseorpermitisrequired,</p><p>whichmustbeissuedtoqualifiedapplicantswithin30days.</p><p>10.Apermitisrequiredtoacquireanotherhandgunbefore30dayshave</p><p>elapsedfollowingtheacquisitionofahandgun.InVirginia,those</p><p>withapermittocarryaconcealedweaponareexemptfromthis</p><p>prohibition.</p><p>11.Requiresproofofsafetytrainingforpurchase.California:Musthave</p><p>HandgunSafetyCertificatereceipt,whichisvalidforfiveyears.</p><p>Connecticut:Toreceivecertificateofeligibility,mustcompletea</p><p>handgunsafetycourseapprovedbytheCommissionerofPublic</p><p>Safety.Hawaii:Musthavecompletedanapprovedhandgunsafety</p><p>course.Maryland:Mustcompleteanapprovedhandgunsafety</p><p>course.Michigan:Apersonmustcorrectlyanswer70%ofthe</p><p>questionsonabasicsafetyreviewquestionnaireinordertoobtaina</p><p>licensetopurchase.NewYork:Somecountiesrequireahandgun</p><p>safetytrainingcoursetoreceivealicense.RhodeIsland:Must</p><p>receiveastate-issuedhandgunsafetycard.</p><p>12.EverypersonarrivinginHawaiiisrequiredtoregisterany</p><p>firearm(s)broughtintothestatewithin3daysofarrivaloftheperson</p><p>orfirearm(s),whicheveroccurslater.Handgunspurchasedfrom</p><p>licenseddealersmustberegisteredwithin5days.</p><p>13.“Assaultweapon”registration.Californiahadtwodatesbywhich</p><p>assaultweaponshadtoberegisteredorpossessionaftersuchdate</p><p>wouldbeconsideredafelony:March31,1992forthenamedmake</p><p>andmodelfirearmsbannedinthe1989legislationandDecember31,</p><p>2000forthefirearmsmeetingthedefinitionofthe“assaultweapons</p><p>inthe1999legislation.InConnecticut,thosefirearmsbannedby</p><p>specificmakeandmodelinthe1993lawhadtoberegisteredby</p><p>October1,1994orpossessionwouldbeconsideredafelony.Arecent</p><p>lawrequiresregistrationofadditionalgunsbyOctober1,2003.In</p><p>NewJersey,any“assaultweapon”notregistered,licensed,or</p><p>renderedinoperablepursuanttoastatepolicecertificatebyMay1,</p><p>1991,isconsideredcontraband.</p><p>14.Chicagoonly.Nohandgunnotalreadyregisteredmaybepossessed.</p><p>15.NewYorkCityonly.</p><p>16.Purchasersofhandgunswhodonotpossessapermittocarryapistol</p><p>mustfileanapplicationforpurchase,whichwillberetainedbythe</p><p>chiefofpoliceorsheriffforoneyear.</p><p>17.VermontandAlaskalawrespectyourrighttocarrywithouta</p><p>permit.Alaskaalsohasapermittocarrysystemtoestablish</p><p>reciprocitywithotherstates.</p><p>18.Provisionsofthislawarestayedpendinganongoingdisputeinthe</p><p>courts.</p><p>19.Carryingahandgunopenlyinamotorvehiclerequiresalicense.</p><p>20.Arkansasprohibitscarryingafirearm“withapurposetoemployit</p><p>asaweaponagainstaperson.”Tennesseeprohibitscarrying“with</p><p>theintenttogoarmed.”Vermontprohibitscarryingafirearm“with</p><p>theintentorpurposeofinjuringanother.”</p><p>21.Loaded.</p><p>22.Municipalitiesmayprohibitopencarryingovernmentbuildingsif</p><p>suchprohibitionisclearlyposted.</p><p>23.Localjurisdictionsmayoptoftheprohibition.</p><p>24.IntheRighttoKeepandBearArmsAmendmentoftheAlaska</p><p>Constitution.</p><p>25.Preemptionthroughjudicialruling.Localregulationmaybe</p><p>institutedinMassachusettsifratifiedbythelegislature.</p><p>26.ExceptGaryandEastChicagoandlocallawsenactedbeforeJanuary</p><p>1994.</p><p>27.Preemptiononlyappliestohandguns.</p><p>Concealedcarrycodes:</p><p>R:Right-to-Carry“Shallissue”orlessrestrictivediscretionarypermit</p><p>system(Ala.,Conn.)(Seealsonote#21.)</p><p>M:ReasonableMayIssue;thestatehasapermissivemayissuelaw,but</p><p>theauthoritiesrecognizetherighttokeepandbeararms.</p><p>L:Right-to-CarryLimitedbylocalauthority’sdiscretionoverpermit</p><p>issuance.</p><p>D:Right-to-CarryDenied,nopermitsystemexists;concealedcarryis</p><p>prohibited.</p><p>I</p><p>Chapter4</p><p>PREPARATION</p><p>ANDAFTERMATH</p><p>Intheentertainmentmedia,gunfightsbeginwiththedrawandendwiththe</p><p>lastshot.Intherealworld,youneedtobepreparedbeforehand,andready</p><p>fortheordealthatislikelytofollow.</p><p>t’saboutsunsetrightnowoutsidemyhotelroominDenver,achilly</p><p>evening.December7,2006.PearlHarborisonourminds,ofcourse,</p><p>this being the anniversary of the sneak attack that changed the</p><p>historyofAmericaandtheworld.Butrightnow,I’mdealingwithacase</p><p>ofalaw-abidinggunownerwhohassufferedasneakattack</p><p>fromfate.</p><p>Thecaseclosedtoday,anditwenttothejuryabout45minutesago.</p><p>Eleven months earlier, the client, 58, was driving to the Veteran’s</p><p>Administration hospital to pick up some medicine. His name is Larry</p><p>Lindsey.Already asthmatic, he had just been diagnosedwith diabetes,</p><p>andoverallwasnotinthebestofhealth.Hewalkedwithacaneanda</p><p>pronouncedlimp,thelegacyofanaccidentonacitystreetafewyears</p><p>earlierwhenacarelessmotoristblastedthrougharedlightandranhim</p><p>downonacrosswalk.</p><p>Beable toarticulatewhyyouchosethecaliberandammothatwereused.Federal+P+115-</p><p>grainJHPisanexcellentchoicein9mm,butfullmetaljacket,right,isnot.</p><p>OntheInterstatethatgoesthroughDenver,ayoung-lookingmanina</p><p>FordTaurus, racingzig-zag through thehighspeed traffic, cut intohis</p><p>lane. The smaller car nearly ran Larry’s vehicle off the road. Acutely</p><p>aware of the dangers posed by such driving – not only reminded</p><p>constantlybyhislingeringinjury,butbythefactthathehadlostloved</p><p>ones to drunk and reckless drivers in the past – Larry alwaysmade a</p><p>pointofcalling in suchdangerousmotoristsonhiscellphone.But the</p><p>Taurus had accelerated ahead so quickly, still cutting left and right</p><p>throughtraffic,thathehadn’tbeenabletogetthelicenseplatenumber.</p><p>Hecontinuedonhisway.Ashereachedhisexit,hesawafamiliarcar</p><p>stopped at the edge of the exit ramp: the tan Taurus, with the same</p><p>youngmanat thewheel. Larry instinctively slowed, and suddenly, the</p><p>vehicleshotoutdirectlyinfrontofhim,nearlycolliding.Larryswerved</p><p>andhitthebrakes,andbarelymissedplowingintotheconcretewallon</p><p>therightsideoftheexitramp.Ashebroughthisvehiclebackonpath,</p><p>LarrysawtheTaurus’drivermouthacurseathimandraisehismiddle</p><p>fingerincontempt...andthenblastthrougharedlight,turningright,in</p><p>flagrantviolationofabigsignthatread,“NORIGHTTURNONRED.”</p><p>This, Larry decided, was just too blatant to ignore. When traffic</p><p>allowed,he too turned right, following the tanTaurus thatwasnowa</p><p>considerabledistanceaheadofhim.Hedecidedhewasgoing towrite</p><p>downthelicensenumberandphoneitin.Ashedrovehedialed9-1-1on</p><p>hiscellphone,andwasputon“hold.”Aheadofhim,hesawthecartake</p><p>a right, thena left.He followed in time to see it pull quickly into the</p><p>parkinglotonhisleft.</p><p>He slowed, turned into the lot – and stopped dead in the narrow</p><p>mouthof theparkinglot. Insteadofgoingtotherightwherethemain</p><p>parkingspaceswere,thetanTaurushadpulledintothethirdslotonthe</p><p>immediate left of the exit, a short row of Handicapped spaces. The</p><p>vehiclehadcome to its suddenstop in frontofa largeHANDICAPPED</p><p>sign.</p><p>Onlyafewstepsawayfromthevehicle,Larryfiguredhe’d jotdown</p><p>thelicensenumberandbeoutofthere.9-1-1Dispatchhadnotyettaken</p><p>himoff“hold.”</p><p>Butotherthingsweren’t“holding”atall.</p><p>The driver boiled out of the car, coming toward Larry, screaming</p><p>obscenities.FifteenortwentypacesaheadofLarry’scar,averytalland</p><p>strong-looking young man emerged immediately from the apartment</p><p>houseentrywayandproceededtowardhimatafastwalk.Thenanother</p><p>cameoutbehindhim.</p><p>Five feet eight, pushing sixty, a little overweight, and crippled and</p><p>sick,Larrywasn’tsurehewouldbeamatchforoneathleticyoungman,</p><p>letalonethree.Thethirdoneseemedtodriftaway,butthetallonewas</p><p>approachingstraightathimandthedriveroftheTauruswasalmostat</p><p>hisleftdoor,screaming“I’llkickyourass!I’llkillyou!”</p><p>Inhisyoungerdays,LarryLindseyhadspenteightyearsintheUnited</p><p>StatesMarineCorps,muchofitinVietnam,wherehisMOSwasCombat</p><p>Photographer. His issue weapon had been a 1911 45 automatic back</p><p>then.Agunguyallhis life,hehadgrown to like the issuepistol, and</p><p>hadchosenashispersonaldefensegunastainlesssteelKimberCustom</p><p>ShopGold191145.Hekeptitinhisconsolewithprettymuchthesame</p><p>load-out to which the USMC had accustomed him: in a holster with</p><p>loadedmagazine and empty chamber, backed up by twomore loaded</p><p>magsinaleatherpouch.</p><p>Trialscanbescary.Lawenforcementpersonnelbarricadethestreetsforablockineachdirection</p><p>around the courthouse because of death threats against the defendant in one case the author</p><p>worked.</p><p>Larry flipped open the console and took out the holstered pistol,</p><p>holdingitinplainsightwherehehopedtheycouldseeit.Themanon</p><p>hisleftscreamedanotherF-wordcurse…andhisrighthanddoveunder</p><p>hisjackettowardhisback,asifgoingforapistol.</p><p>Larry ripped the holster off the Kimber, jacked a 230-grain Federal</p><p>Hydra-Shokintothechamber,andbroughtupthepistol.</p><p>Suddenly,thetwomenweremovingback,andLarrywasn’tindanger</p><p>anymore. His cell phonewas still in his lapwhere he had dropped it</p><p>whenhewentforhispistol.Glancingbehindhim,Larrysawanopening</p><p>inthetrafficandhebackedoutintothestreet,thendrovetothenearest</p><p>corner andpulled into a parking lot there.Hedialed9-1-1 again, and</p><p>thistime,hegotthrough.Hetoldthedispatcherwhathappened.</p><p>Unfortunately, the tallmanwhohadmenacedhimhadwhippedout</p><p>hisowncellphonebeforeLarrywasoutoftheparkinglot.Hiscallwent</p><p>intoDispatchat3:02PM,andLarry’sdidnotgetinuntil3:03.Thefirst</p><p>responding officer arrived at the scene at 3:10, a respectable eight-</p><p>minuteresponsetime.</p><p>Thatofficerwouldtestifythatheneverreceivedanyradionotification</p><p>thatLarryhadcalledinhiscomplaint.Heseemedsurprisedwhenhewas</p><p>shownthefactsonthe9-1-1calllog,incourt,bydefenseattorneyPaul</p><p>Grant.</p><p>The same officer would testify that he had decided almost</p><p>immediatelyuponhis arrival to arrest Larry Lindsey,whowasnow in</p><p>the grip of a full-blown asthma attack. After all, two witnesses had</p><p>identifiedthecrazymaninastateofroadragewhohadwavedasilver-</p><p>coloredpistolat them,and themanhadadmitteddrawing thegunon</p><p>thepairtheofficernowconsideredvictims.</p><p>Larry Lindsey was arrested at the scene. He was charged with two</p><p>countsofFelonyMenacing,andlaterreleasedon$50,000bail.</p><p>ThetrialbeganonDecember6.Juryselectionwasdonebymorning,</p><p>withtheprosecutionremovingalmosteverygunowner.This isparfor</p><p>thecourse.Neithersidewantssomeoneonthejurywhomightidentify</p><p>withthepeopleontheothersideofthecase.Amongthetwelvejurors</p><p>andonealternatefinallyselectedtherewasbutasingleonewhoowned</p><p>firearms. He had two, which he kept empty, fittedwith trigger locks,</p><p>insideagunsafe.Aloadedgun,hesaidduringthejuryselectionprocess</p><p>calledvoirdire,wasjusttoodangeroustokeeparound.This,apparently,</p><p>wasenoughtosatisfytheprosecutor.</p><p>Thestatetooktherestofthedaytoestablishitscase.Astoryemerged</p><p>ofanicetwenty-somethingkid,animmigrantfromtheMiddleEastwith</p><p>no record,who accidentally cut in front of amotoristwhomust have</p><p>beenoneofthoseAngryWhiteMales.Thedriverhadboiledupinroad</p><p>rage, followedhimforseveralblocks,pulled inbehindhimandpulled</p><p>outabigsilverpistol,withwhichhethreatenedto“blowhisbrainsout”</p><p>along with those of his equally innocent twenty-something friend, an</p><p>immigrantfromEasternEurope,whohaddonenothingbutcomeoutof</p><p>hisapartmentbuilding.</p><p>Thecops took the stand.Yes, said thearrestingofficer,hehadbeen</p><p>calledtothesceneofacrimeofthreateningtoshootsomeonewithout</p><p>reason…foundtwocomplainantswillingtotestify…foundthedefendant</p><p>who admitted having</p><p>a gun just like the one the complainants had</p><p>described…anddetermined immediately thathewas guilty andplaced</p><p>himunderarrest.Muchemphasiswasplacedonthelargecaliberofthe</p><p>weapon. The prosecutor elicited from the officer that the hollowpoint</p><p>bullets,230-grainFederalHydra-Shok,weredesignedtoexpandandtear</p><p>“larger wounds.” And, oh my God, there were two spare magazines!</p><p>Enoughbulletstokilltwodozenpeople!</p><p>On themorningofDecember7, theassistantdistrictattorneywould</p><p>announce thathercasewasclosed.AttorneyPaulGranthadchosen to</p><p>call only twowitnesses: the defendant, andme. The ADA strenuously</p><p>objectedtomypresence,soaninformalhearingwasheldontherecord</p><p>inchambers.</p><p>It seems that when Grant had sent the routine list of witnesses he</p><p>intendedtocalltotheprosecutorwho’dhadthecasepreviously,thefax</p><p>hadnotgonethrough.Hehadn’tknownthat.Whenhementionedtothe</p><p>newprosecutoronthecasetheweekbeforethathewouldbecallingan</p><p>experttotestify,shewentthroughtheroof.</p><p>Thejudgewasnothappyabouttheglitch.However,hewasdiligentin</p><p>hisdutiesandherecognizedthatthedefendanthadcertainrights.The</p><p>prosecutor’s questioning of the arresting officer the day before had</p><p>elicitedtestimonythatmadethepistolseemanavatarofmalicebecause</p><p>of its caliber, its sparemagazines, its hollowpoint ammunition; Grant,</p><p>who had seen that before, argued that he had a right to rebut those</p><p>arguments.Incredibly,theprosecutorarguedthatsinceitcamethrough</p><p>a material witness instead of an expert, that material could not be</p><p>rebutted by an expert. Grant responded, successfully, with a logical</p><p>argument:whoeverhadsaidit,thepoisonwasinthewater,andhehad</p><p>therighttoadministeranantidoteofhischoice.Thejudgeagreed.</p><p>Reloaded ammo is great for practice, hunting, and competition, says author, but he strongly</p><p>recommendsagainstitfordefenseuse.</p><p>Grantwantedmetotestifyalsoastothestandardsofcareforprivate</p><p>citizens in such things, the rules of engagement as it were. The</p><p>prosecutoradamantlyobjected.Iwas,shesaid,goingtotellthejurythat</p><p>the defendant’s use of the gun was justified, and that issue was</p><p>somethingonlythejurycoulddetermine.Thejudgeaskedmewhatmy</p><p>takewasonthat.</p><p>IexplainedthatIhadnointentionofgoingto“theultimateissue,”the</p><p>guiltorinnocenceofthedefendant,andthatIagreedthiswasaquestion</p><p>that only the triers of the facts could answer. However, I added, I</p><p>believed the defense attorney’s job was to show the jury that a</p><p>reasonable,prudentperson,inthesamesituationandknowingwhathis</p><p>clientknew,wouldhavedonethesamething.Theelementof“knowing</p><p>what the defendant knew” required him to show the jury how such</p><p>decisions are made by lawfully armed citizens, and what the rules of</p><p>engagementareunderstood tobe. Itwas toestablish thoseparameters</p><p>thathehadbroughtmein.</p><p>And,ofcourse,thejudgeagreed.</p><p>Iwent on the stand first thing after court convened. The prosecutor</p><p>stipulated tomycredentials andexpertise, aprofessionalmovebyany</p><p>advocateagainstanadverseexpertwitnessbecauseit limitshowmuch</p><p>of his qualifications and background the jurywill hear in the opening</p><p>momentsoftestimony.</p><p>DefenseattorneyGrantaskedtherightquestions,andIlaidoutthose</p><p>“rules of engagement,” which will follow shortly in this chapter. We</p><p>explainedthe“furtivemovement”element:thatwhensomeonesuchas</p><p>theyoung Iranian immigrantmadeamoveconsistentwithgoing fora</p><p>gun, and not reasonably consistent with anything else under the</p><p>circumstances,itwouldreasonableandprudentofsomeonesuchasthe</p><p>defendanttoimmediatelydrawhisowngunandtakehimproactivelyat</p><p>gunpoint.</p><p>Onebyone,wecutdowntheshibbolethsthathadbuiltuparoundthe</p><p>defendant’schoiceofgunandammunitionduringtheprosecution’scase.</p><p>The45-caliberpistolwasquitecommoninAmerica,verypopularinlaw</p><p>enforcement, in fact approved for the Denver Police Department and</p><p>carried by a greatmany of its officers. The type of gun the defendant</p><p>hademployedwasadoptedby theUnitedStatesMilitary in1911,had</p><p>beenstandardwithourarmedforcesuntilthemid-1980s,andwasstill</p><p>used by ourmilitary among pistol teams, theArmy’sDelta Force, and</p><p>theMarine Corps’ Recon unit,which in fact had recently purchased a</p><p>quantityofKimbersfunctionallyidenticaltotheKimber45inevidence.</p><p>I explained that generations of American service personnel had</p><p>returnedtocivilianlifeaftercompletingtheirtermsofservice,andhad</p><p>decidedthatifthe191145pistolwasgoodenoughtobeissuedtothem</p><p>byUncleSamtoprotecttheircountry,itwasgoodenoughforthemto</p><p>purchase to protect their home and hearth and loved ones. In turn,</p><p>countlessAmericanswhohadneverjoinedthemilitaryhadbeentaught</p><p>by theirparents touse those same45s,andboughtoneormorewhen</p><p>they in turn grew up andmade the lawful decision to have a gun to</p><p>protectthemselvesandtheirlovedones.Thiswaswhythe1911wasso</p><p>verypopularandcommonamongarmedcitizens,andalsothefactthat</p><p>itsdesignfeaturesmadeitidealformanyformsofpistolmatches,which</p><p>thedefendantwouldtestifyhehadcompetedinregularlyuntilbecoming</p><p>toophysicallydebilitatedtodoso.</p><p>The two spare magazines that augmented the loaded pistol? I</p><p>explainedthatthiswasatypical“load-out”forthosewhocarriedagun.</p><p>Sincebeforeanyofuswasborn,thestandardlawenforcementrulewas</p><p>aloadedgunplusenoughspareammunitionfortwofullreloads.Itold</p><p>thejurythattheywouldseeuniformedofficersinthecourthouseduring</p><p>their breaks, and that theywould notice each had a double pouch on</p><p>theirdutybeltstocarrytwosparemagazinestocomplementtheirfully</p><p>loaded weapon. Since many of them had high-capacity pistols, some</p><p>wouldbecarryingasmanyas54dutycartridgesontheirperson,i.e.,a</p><p>fullyloadedGlock17with189mmroundsinitandtwospare17-round</p><p>magazinesinthepouches.Themilitaryload-out,sincethe45’sadoption</p><p>in1911,hadbeenloadedguninholsterplustwomagazinesinpouches.</p><p>Ipointedoutthattestimonywouldshowthatthedefendanthadserved</p><p>forsomeeightyearsasaUSMCcombatphotographerinVietnam(where</p><p>he had been wounded in action) and that every day there he carried</p><p>what the Government issued him: a 1911 45 auto with an empty</p><p>chamberandfullmagazine,andtwosparefullyloadedmagazines,inthe</p><p>holsteranddoublemagpouchhewasissued.Thiswasexactlywhathe’d</p><p>hadinthecarwithhimonthedayinquestion,albeitwitheight-round</p><p>competitionmagazinesinsteadofseven-roundGImags.</p><p>As a competitor for many years, the defendant needed at least two</p><p>magazines to shoot even prosaic NRA bullseye matches, and three to</p><p>shootastageinIDPA.Ifhejuststoppedatthepublicoutdoorrangefor</p><p>someshooting–which,recordswouldshow,hehaddonejustacouple</p><p>ofdaysbefore the incident– therewouldbea finiteamountofactual</p><p>shooting time in between stand-downs to examine and change targets.</p><p>Duringthosestand-downs,therewouldbetimetorefill themagazines.</p><p>Then, when it came time to shoot, the guywho came to shoot could</p><p>spendhisshootingtimedoingmoreshooting,justastheguywhocame</p><p>toagolfcoursetoplaygolfwouldratherplayeighteenholesthannine.I</p><p>couldseesomeofthejurorsnoddingtheirheadsinaffirmation.Andof</p><p>course, should adefensivepistolhave tobeused for seriouspurposes,</p><p>moreammocouldberequired,</p><p>orasparemagazinemightbenecessary</p><p>toclearamalfunction.They“got it.”Theyrealizedapersonforwhom</p><p>pistol shooting was a sport might want to have multiple loaded</p><p>magazinesforpurposesotherthanmassmurder.</p><p>The hollowpoints? I explained that virtually every law enforcement</p><p>agency in the country had adopted such ammunition, including the</p><p>DenverPDwhichlast IknewhadSpeerGoldDotasstandardissuefor</p><p>everyapprovedcaliber. (Detroit,Michigan is clutchedso tightly in the</p><p>ironfistofpoliticalcorrectnessthat“hollowpoints”areanathemathere,</p><p>so Detroit coppers are issued Federal Expanding Full Metal Jacket</p><p>ammunition, inwhich theoperative term is “expanding.”) I thenwent</p><p>on topointout the reasons for that,whichare listedelsewhere in this</p><p>book but, briefly, include reduced likelihood of ricochet that could</p><p>endangerbystanders, reduced likelihoodofover-penetration that could</p><p>jeopardizethesameinnocents,etc.TheFederalHydra-Shokinparticular</p><p>hadatonepointbeenthe“goldstandard”amongAmericanpolicebefore</p><p>thecomingofhigher-techJHPsfromthatmakerandothers,andremains</p><p>inwidelawenforcementuse.</p><p>Paul Grant closed the direct examination by askingme if I toldmy</p><p>studentsthattheymightbewisetoavoidfollowingdangerouspeopleto</p><p>reportthemtopolice.Itoldhimthatwastrue,andexplainedwhy:that</p><p>folkswhocameinlateanddidn’tseewhatyousawcouldmistakeyouas</p><p>theaggressivepursuerchasingahaplessvictim,andtheresultcouldbea</p><p>“falsepositive”thatmadethegoodguylooklikethebadguyandvice</p><p>versa.Itwasagoodnoteonwhichtoendthedirect.</p><p>Cross-examinationwasinteresting.Theseasonedprosecutorwaswell-</p><p>spokenandutterlyprofessional.Ifyoudrewagunbecauseyouthought</p><p>theothermanwasgoingtodrawone,butheturnedouttobeunarmed,</p><p>wouldn’t that be amistake? No, I answered, not if the totality of the</p><p>other man’s words and actions were reasonably construable to any</p><p>prudentpersonasindicatingthathedidhaveagun.Besides,twostrong</p><p>youngmenthreateningtobeatupandkillaphysicallydisabledmanin</p><p>his late fifties constituted disparity of force twice over. I had already</p><p>explained to the juryondirect thatdisparityof forcemeant that even</p><p>ostensiblyunarmedmenweresolikelytokillorcrippleyouunderthese</p><p>violent circumstances that this likelihood constituted the equivalent of</p><p>oneorbothofthembeingarmedwithapersedeadlyweapon.</p><p>And so itwent for almost two and a half hours, until Iwas done. I</p><p>headed back to the hotel to wait in case I was called back. Out of</p><p>hearingof the jury, theprosecutor informedthe judgeandthedefense</p><p>lawyerthatshemightcallarebuttalwitness,whosepurposewouldbeto</p><p>refutemy testimony. Therefore, I had to stick around for sur-rebuttal,</p><p>whichwouldinvolvemytakingthestandonceagaintoshootdownthe</p><p>rebuttaltestimony.</p><p>Whichbringsus to lateafternoonofDecember7. I learnafter court</p><p>hasadjournedforthedaythattheprosecutorhasgivenuponrebuttal,</p><p>the defendant has told his story, and both advocates have given their</p><p>closing arguments. There’s nothingmore I can do here. I pick up the</p><p>phoneandmakearrangementstoflyoutearlythenextmorning.</p><p>December 8, 2006: I’m in the Atlanta airport waiting to board my</p><p>connecting flight for the final leg ofmy journey homewhenmy Treo</p><p>rings.It’sPaulGrant.Thejuryhascomeinwiththeverdict.</p><p>NotGuiltyonallcounts.</p><p>Criminal defense lawyers rarely get to defend innocent men. When</p><p>they do, acquittal is all the sweeter, a perfect validation of such a</p><p>professional’s very existence. A relieved Paul Grant reminds the judge</p><p>thatthereisthesmallmatterofsomeofhisclient’sproperty,whichat</p><p>this moment has ceased to be evidence in the custody of the Court,</p><p>whichshouldbereturnedtohisclient.</p><p>Theprosecutor jumps toher feetandsays,“YourHonor, thestate is</p><p>preparingamotionfortheguntobedestroyed.”</p><p>The judge looksather in somethingclose todisbeliefandasks, “On</p><p>whatgrounds?”</p><p>“There’sastatute,”sheblurts.</p><p>Patiently,thejudgeasks,“Whatstatute?”</p><p>Theprosecutorrepliesthatshedoesn’tknow,exactly,butsheintends</p><p>tofindit.</p><p>Somepeoplejusthatetolose.</p><p>Lessons</p><p>Aweeklater,Ireceivedanemailfromthedefendant.“Thisisthefirst</p><p>chancesincethetrialthatIhavehadtoactuallysitdownandcomposea</p><p>lettertoproperlythankyou,”hewrote.“Thewholeordealofthetrial,</p><p>coupledwith the emotional and financial drain of the previous eleven</p><p>monthshadtakensuchatollonmywifeandmyselfthatwejusttooka</p><p>fewdaysofftospendsometimewitheachother.Itisamazingjusthow</p><p>muchbetterIfeelnow.</p><p>“I can’t tell you how much we appreciated your presence in the</p><p>courtroom,andyourtestimony.BecauseofyouandPaul,NatashaandI</p><p>willbespendingChristmastogetheragainthisyear.Webothagreethat</p><p>thisisourbestChristmasever.Wehopethatyouandyourfamilyhavea</p><p>veryMerryChristmas,andaHappyNewYear!</p><p>“The one thing that I never could have anticipated was that the</p><p>elements of a confrontation with bad guys here in a ‘civilized’</p><p>environmentcouldhavesomanysimilaritiestoanengagementinactive</p><p>combat. Therewas the same tendency to focus solely on the threat at</p><p>hand,excludingalmosteverythingelse,andthesameauditoryexclusion</p><p>andtimedistortion.Thestressofthesituationalsomadeitverydifficult</p><p>torememberthechronologicalorderofthings.</p><p>“Itisaverystrangesensationtohaveyourmindracingatsuchspeeds</p><p>astomakethemomentseemasifitistakingplaceinagonizinglyslow</p><p>motion. It’s almost impossible to keep tabs on everything at once…</p><p>assessing the danger, keeping an eye on two ormore aggressors (who</p><p>happentobeindifferentlocations),tryingtosafelyretrieveandhandle</p><p>yourhandgun,while simultaneously trying towatch the traffic behind</p><p>yousothatyoucansafelybackoutoftheparkinglot.ThewholetimeI</p><p>wasprayingthatIdidn’thavetoshootthisidiot,butIalsorealizedthat</p><p>pullingthepistolwasmyonlywayoutofadeadlysituation.Thankfully,</p><p>itdidwhatIintendedforittodo.Itdefusedthesituationimmediately</p><p>andIwasabletoextractmyselfandwaitforthepolice.</p><p>“Iusedmypistolinselfdefense,knowingfullwellwhattheaftermath</p><p>wouldmost likelybe. IknewthatDenveralmostalwaysprosecutesan</p><p>individualifhehasusedafirearmtodefendhimself,butIalsobelieved</p><p>thatIhadnootherchoiceinthematter.”</p><p>He concluded, “After the trial, a juror askedme if thishad changed</p><p>mymindaboutcarryingafirearmforselfdefense.Sincesheclaimedto</p><p>beoneofmydefendersearlyonindeliberation,I’msurethatwhatshe</p><p>meantwasthatifIhadnothadmyhandgunwithmethatIwouldnot</p><p>havehad todefendmyself, yeta second time, in court.Evenafter the</p><p>trial andmy acquittal of all charges, she still couldnot see thewhole</p><p>picture,andfailedtoconsiderthelikelyoutcomehadIbeenunarmed.I</p><p>explainedtoherthattheexperiencehadonlyreinforcedmybeliefthat</p><p>we live in perilous times, and that I should always carry a firearm to</p><p>defendmyself.”</p><p>Whew!Wheredowebegin?Let’sstartwiththeobvious.</p><p>I can’t overemphasize that “false positive effect” that I spoke of in</p><p>court.Thiswholethingwentthewayitdidafterthegunwasputaway</p><p>becausethedefendantdidn’tgethisstoryintotheauthoritiesbeforehis</p><p>antagonists did. The entire criminal justice system is geared on the</p><p>assumptionthatwhoevercallsinfirstisthecomplainant,</p><p>thevictim.The</p><p>good guy now, by default, becomes the bad guy: the suspect. The</p><p>perpetrator.</p><p>Insituations like these,you’reacontestant inwhat I’vecometocall</p><p>“theracetothetelephone.”Thewinnergetstobethegoodguy,andthe</p><p>loserautomaticallybecomesthebadguy.</p><p>She’s5’0”,andthey’reabout6’4”.Howmanyelementsof“disparityofforce”couldbepresent</p><p>here?</p><p>Iknowwhatyou’rethinking:that’snothowitshouldbe,anditisn’t</p><p>fair.You’reright.Itisn’tfair,anditisn’thowitshouldbe.But,yaknow,</p><p>I don’t think you paid the price of this book to find out how I think</p><p>things should be. I think you paid it to find out how things are, and,</p><p>well,thisishowtheyare.</p><p>Please don’t think that the criminal justice systemalways goes after</p><p>thewrongguy.That’sactuallyfairlyrare.Mostofthetime,thesystem</p><p>works.Butthat’spartlybecause,mostofthetimethings“goasusual.”</p><p>BythatImean,whathappensmostofthetimeisthatthepersonwho</p><p>calls in is the innocent victim aswell as the complainant.Most of the</p><p>time, the person complained about is the perpetrator. After you do</p><p>criminaljusticeforalivingforawhile,itbecomesbusinessasusualto</p><p>accept things as such. Complainant equals victim, complained about</p><p>equals suspected perpetrator. Soon everyone from the dispatcher who</p><p>takes the call, to the copon thebeatwho responds, to theprosecutor</p><p>whotakesthecasetocourt,acceptsthisasamatterofcourse.</p><p>That’s why, when testifying in this particular case, I used the term</p><p>“falsepositive”tothejury.Iwasn’ttheretoblamethearrestingofficer.</p><p>Heworkedwithwhat he had toworkwith. Call says, “Manwith gun</p><p>threatens people.” A BadThing. Gets to scene. Complainants confirm,</p><p>“Yup,threateneduswithgun!”Hmmm.Suspectsays,“Sure,Ipulledthe</p><p>gun–it’srightthere–andwarnedthatIwouldshoot,but–“</p><p>Well,youandImightalsosay,“Saveit forthe judge,buddy,you’re</p><p>underarrest.”Probablecausenowexiststomakethearrest.Sortingout</p><p>theexcusesandalibis?That’slargelyforthecourtroom.</p><p>At one point in that trial, I was asked in front of the jury if I was</p><p>prejudiced against cops. Hardly, I replied; I had been a sworn police</p><p>officerfor33years,andstillwasone,albeitonaparttimebasis.Ifthe</p><p>assistant district attorney had asked me on cross if I was prejudiced</p><p>againstprosecutors,Iwouldhavesaidmuchthesame:Hardly,because</p><p>I’vespentmorethanseventeenyearsasapoliceprosecutor.(Inthestate</p><p>where I serve, selectedpoliceofficersaresent toa two-weekcourseat</p><p>the state law enforcement academy after which, if we can pass the</p><p>stringent final exam, we are declared “police prosecutors.” We can</p><p>prosecuteviolationsandmisdemeanorsallthewaythroughonourown,</p><p>andcangoas farasarraignmentwith feloniesandsecondseat for the</p><p>restofthetrialwitha“real”prosecutorifheorshewantsusto.“Second</p><p>seat,” called “second chair” in some jurisdictions, mean that you’re</p><p>actingasco-pilot to thedesignatedprosecutorwhois thepilot.Onlya</p><p>fewstateshavethissystem,butitworksamazinglywell.)</p><p>JustasIrespectcopsandprosecutors, Irespectphysiciansandother</p><p>medical professionals. They rarelymakemistakes…but they’re human,</p><p>andtheycanmakemistakes.Theyworkdailywithreliablesystemsand</p><p>protocols that let themdiagnoseand treatproblems.Mostof the time,</p><p>those things perform as intended. But, every now and then, an</p><p>unforeseen aberration occurs in the way things normally work, and a</p><p>test registers “positive” when in fact it should register “negative.”</p><p>Professionalhistory, logic, themomentumofroutine,anda little thing</p><p>called “business as usual” now come together, and because the test</p><p>indicated “positive,” the patient is treated as if he had the disease.</p><p>Hopefully, the wrong treatment is discovered in time to rectify the</p><p>situation,givethepropertreatment,andhealthepatient.</p><p>Thecriminaljusticesystemworksexactlythesameway.</p><p>Whentheguywhostartedtheproblemcallsinfirst,andsaysthegood</p><p>guy is thebadguy,wehave the “falsepositive” result. In themedical</p><p>example, thesymptomshavemimicked thoseof thegivendisease,and</p><p>treatment for that disease is prescribed. In the legal example, actions</p><p>mimic those of a given crime, so the “patient” is treated as if he had</p><p>committedthecrime.Inthemedicalenvironment,continuedmonitoring</p><p>of the patient’s condition will hopefully determine that the wrong</p><p>treatmentwas prescribed because of the false positive, and thematter</p><p>willbe rectified. In the legalenvironment, thatusuallydoesn’thappen</p><p>untilyougettocourt,aswasthecaseforthisunfortunatedefendant.</p><p>So, tomakea longstoryshort, the lesson is,be thecomplainant!Win</p><p>that“racetothetelephone”intheaftermathoftheincident.</p><p>Another lesson, discussed in both direct and cross and worthy of</p><p>reiterationhere, is: carefully consider the risks before you pursue or even</p><p>followawrongdoer.AsIsaidonthestandthatdayinDenver,aprivate</p><p>citizenchasinga suspect is a little likeadogchasinga car:hehasno</p><p>ideawhathe’sgoingtodowithhisquarry ifhecatches it,buthewill</p><p>feelanalmostirresistibleurgetochaseit.</p><p>Our society sends a very mixed message on this. Somewhere in</p><p>America almost every day, some brave citizen will chase a thief or</p><p>follow a bank robber or trail a road-raging driver as Larry did in this</p><p>case.Often, there is a successful conclusion. Thanks to that concerned</p><p>citizen’sdiligenceandwillingnessto“getinvolved,”thepersonwhodid</p><p>the bad act is captured by the police and the public is made safer.</p><p>Sometimes,it’seventhecitizenwhocapturesthebadguy,andthenthe</p><p>newspaperslionizethatgoodcitizenasahero.</p><p>Well, I think that’s agood thing, in themoral sense.Backwhen the</p><p>English Common Lawwas formed, it included an element called “hue</p><p>and cry.” A formal police department would not be established in</p><p>England until long after, under the great Sir Robert Peel for whom</p><p>British “bobbies” are nicknamed. In those long ago times, it was</p><p>understood that citizens had to do their own policing. Thus, it was a</p><p>publicdutyto“raiseahueandcry”whenonesawacrimecommitted:</p><p>toshout“Stop,Thief!”andgivechase,hopefullysoonjoinedbyalike-</p><p>mindedcrowdofgoodcitizens,andlayhandsuponthemalefactorand</p><p>holdhimuntilthetravelingmagistratecouldbebroughttothevillageto</p><p>supervisetheimpositionoftheKing’sjustice.Itisfromthisheritagethat</p><p>we have today’s laws creating something called “citizen’s arrest” in</p><p>virtually all of our United States, where the English Common Law</p><p>remainsthemodelofoursystemofjustice.</p><p>However,whenthenewspaperandTVnewsstoriesappearapplauding</p><p>theheroic citizenwho led thepolice to thebadguyor even captured</p><p>himbyhis lonesome, please notice that there’s almost always a quote</p><p>from a police spokesman who says, “We appreciate this citizen’s</p><p>heroism,butwehavetourgethepublicnottogoafterpeopletheysee</p><p>commitcrimes.Itcanbeverydangerous.”</p><p>They ain’t just blowing politically correct smoke. The bad guymay</p><p>just turnonyou, justas thecar thedog is chasingcansuddenlygo in</p><p>reverseandrunoverthepuppy.Whatareyougoingtodoifthebadguy</p><p>screamsatyou,“I’llblowyourf—kin’headoff!”ashereachesasiffora</p><p>pistol?</p><p>Well,ifyoucan’tgetagunonhimasquicklyasLarrygot</p><p>a45onthis</p><p>guy,youcouldbeonthefasttrackforyourbodyheatgoingfrom98.6</p><p>degreesFahrenheittoroomtemperature.AndifyouareasfastasLarry,</p><p>you can find yourself going through the same terrible ordeal in court</p><p>thathedid.</p><p>Maybe you’re faster than Larry. Let’s say you’re in the exact same</p><p>circumstances, and you put a 230-grain Hydra-Shok into the man’s</p><p>centerchest,heartintospine,beforehecangethisgunhereachedfor</p><p>first,outofitshidingplace.He’swhatsomefolkswouldcallDRT:Dead</p><p>RightThere.</p><p>The first responding officers will approach the body. IF they find a</p><p>pistolinhishand,youmaybehomefree.ButIFtheyDON’T,you’rein</p><p>deeptrouble.You’vejustshotanunarmedman.</p><p>Gobacktothewaytheprosecutorcross-examinedmeinthiscase.She</p><p>was trying togetme to say that ifyoupullagunonamanyouhave</p><p>reasontobelieveisgoingtocriminallyshootyouwithagunofhisown,</p><p>andheturnsouttobeunarmed,it’swrong.Well,asIexplained,that’s</p><p>plain and simple BS. The law has never demanded that the bad guy</p><p>actually have a gun, or that the gun be real instead of fake, loaded</p><p>insteadofempty,operableinsteadofbrokenanduseless.Allthelawhas</p><p>everdemanded,insofarastheattackerbeingarmed,isthathismanifest</p><p>intent–hisobviousintent,asmanifestedbyhiswordsand/orhisactions</p><p>–besuchthatanyprudentpersonwouldbereasonabletoconcludethat</p><p>hewasindeedcapableofkillingyou.</p><p>Alas,overtheyears,ahugenumberofprosecutorshavefailedtosee</p><p>that.Inlawschool,deadlyforcelawisatinydropinagreatseaoftort</p><p>law,contract law,andgeneral legalprinciples. I’ve talked toattorneys</p><p>whospentmoretimeinlawschoolstudyingmaritimelawthandeadly</p><p>force or self-defense law. This forces the prosecutor, absent special</p><p>training,tofallbackonlegalformulae.</p><p>Author,right,observesaslightingexpertsdetermineambientlightatacrimescene.Thiscould</p><p>beacriticalelementforthejurytoweigh.</p><p>The formula says that the key ingredients of Manslaughter are</p><p>recklessness or negligence, coupled of course with the death of the</p><p>alleged victim. Some perceive bad judgment to be the equivalent of</p><p>recklessnessand/ornegligence.“Hmmm…youthoughthehadagun,but</p><p>hedidn’t.Yourjudgmentwasobviouslywrong.Youkilledhim.Let’ssee</p><p>what my law school notes say…bad judgment, plus death, equals…</p><p>Manslaughter!Yes, thatseemstobeanappropriatecharge.”Andthere</p><p>youare,incourtwithyourfutureontheline.</p><p>Eveniftheotherguydidturnouttohaveagun,rememberthatIonly</p><p>said youmay be home free. Way back in 1984, I was hired by two</p><p>famouscriminaldefenselawyers,RoyBlackandMarkSeiden,tospeak</p><p>inthedefenseofOfficerLuisAlvarez.LuiswasaMiamistreetcopwho,</p><p>along with his young rookie partner, was arresting a man for illegal</p><p>possessionofaconcealedhandguninacrowdedvideoarcade.Theman</p><p>went for his gun, a stolen RG-14 revolver loaded with hyper-velocity</p><p>Stinger22LongRiflehollowpoints,andAlvarezshothimdead.</p><p>It was a cross-racial shooting, and it triggered a race riot. The city</p><p>needed a scapegoat, and Alvarez was the chosen sacrifice. He was</p><p>charged with Manslaughter. Now, at the time the suspect made the</p><p>drawingmovementthatledtohisdeath,Alvarezalreadyknewthisman</p><p>wasarmedwithahandgun.Hehadapproachedhim,putahandonthe</p><p>bulgeunder the suspect’s sweater, and instantly realized thathishand</p><p>was on a revolver. The cop asked him, “What’s that?” The suspect</p><p>replied–withwhatwouldturnouttobehislastwordsonEarth–“It’sa</p><p>gun.”</p><p>Theprosecution,togetaconviction,neededtoshowthatAlvarezhad</p><p>actedrecklessly.TheirpositionwasthatAlvarezshouldhavewaitedto</p><p>actuallyseethemandrawthegun.Theyputforthanexpertasawitness</p><p>who testified, “He shouldn’t have fired until he saw the gun.” Asked</p><p>aboutthatwhenmyturncameonthewitnessstand,myreplywas,“If</p><p>youwaittoseethegun,you’regoingtoseewhatcomesoutofit.”Ithen</p><p>did ademonstration and showed the juryhowquickly a gun couldbe</p><p>drawn from a waistband when carried as it was found on the dying</p><p>suspect’sbody.Therewasawholelotmoretotheeightgruelingweeks</p><p>BlackandSeidenputinonthattrial,fromjuryselectiontoverdict,but</p><p>itendedinanacquittal.Whichtriggeredanotherriot,butthat’sanother</p><p>story.</p><p>Now, let’sgetback to theLindseycase, theone inDenver.Youwill</p><p>recall the discussion of actions leading up to the final encounter, and</p><p>how it is important that the jury know and assess how each of the</p><p>players was acting in the short period of time leading up to the</p><p>encounter.IfyouhaveacaselikeLindsey’sthat’s“hesaid/shesaid,”in</p><p>this case two complainants versus one defendant and no impartial,</p><p>objective eyewitnesses, it’s going to come down to taking one man’s</p><p>wordsoverthoseofanother,orthoseofacouplemore.</p><p>Thenumberofpeopletestifyingononesidecanbeconvincing,butis</p><p>not necessarily the best evidence. (By that standard, if a victim was</p><p>gang-rapedandall theperpetrators solidlydenied it, thevictimwould</p><p>never get justice.) When it goes to “he said/she said,” the relative</p><p>credibilityofeachwitness’stestimonymustbeweighedseparately.This</p><p>will include other factors in what the court calls “the totality of the</p><p>circumstances.” Therefore, each individual’s actions in the short time</p><p>frameleadinguptotheencountercanbeusedbythejurytodetermine</p><p>who seemed most likely to have committed a reckless act that</p><p>disregardedthevalueofhumanlife.</p><p>Let’s lookattheLarryLindseycaseagainwiththat inmind.Lindsey</p><p>wasasickmanenroutetotheVeteran’sAdministrationhospitaltoget</p><p>much-neededmedication,yethedivertedfromhisownneedstogetthe</p><p>license number so he could report the offending vehicle to the</p><p>authoritiesbeforetherecklessdrivercouldkillsomeone.This,Isubmit,</p><p>would be seen as a selfless and highly responsible action by a private</p><p>citizenwhohadno legalduty todo that, thoughofcoursehehad the</p><p>right.</p><p>Now,let’slookatthechiefwitnessagainstLarry.Howmanyreckless</p><p>acts, connotative of irresponsible action and therefore corroborative of</p><p>Larry’s account of the incident, did this guy commit? At least five are</p><p>evident.</p><p>(1)HeinitiallycutsLarryoffontheInterstate,nearlyrunninghimoff</p><p>theroad.</p><p>(2) He suddenly darts onto the exit ramp and cuts Larry off again,</p><p>nearlyforcinghisvehicleintoaconcretewallthistime.(Thedriverwill</p><p>lateradmittothisparticularoffense,butwillsaythathedidn’tmeanto</p><p>doit.)</p><p>(3) The other driver flipped Larry off. Now, obviously, that’s not a</p><p>“shootingoffense,”but it showsyou thatyou’redealingwith someone</p><p>whohassomehostilitygoingandperhapsanangermanagementthing.</p><p>After all,wewould all tell our kids that giving the bird to a stranger</p><p>you’ve cutoff in traffic is provocativeat thevery least, and therefore,</p><p>notaresponsiblethingtodo.</p><p>(4)Larrysawhimblastthrougha“norightturnonred”light.Another</p><p>dangerousact that’s construableas showingdisregard for the safetyof</p><p>oneselfandothers:moreirresponsibility.</p><p>(5) In the penultimate moment before the confrontation, the driver</p><p>whobecamethecomplainantwhippedhiscarintoahandicappedspace,</p><p>withnoapparentneedforthatsortofspeed.Again,whileobviouslynot</p><p>an offense that warrants gunpoint, it’s something that shows you an</p><p>agitatedmaninahurry,amanwho</p><p>namesinthe</p><p>firearms world and many of the real-world case studies are not just</p><p>academic.Mashas knownmost of thegreats.Andanyonewhoknows</p><p>Mas also knows that he is always asking questions, always analyzing</p><p>otherpeople’sviewsandalwaysseekingmoreandmoreknowledge.It’s</p><p>not just the “names” either. I have beenwith himwhen he asked the</p><p>ordinarymanorwomanwhattheirimpressionswereonaparticulargun</p><p>or piece of gear. “How do you like that Beretta,” he asked a young</p><p>highwaypatrolmanweweresharingagaspumpwithduringafuelstop</p><p>onatripacrosstheGreatPlains.“How’sthatholsterworkin’forya,”to</p><p>aSheriff’sDeputywemet at a convenience store. “Whatdoyou think</p><p>theyshoulddotoimprovethat”isacommonquestionwehearwhenhe</p><p>callsonustohelpevaluatesomegunorothergearthathasbeensentto</p><p>himto“T&E.”Beyondtheequipment,Masgathersreal-lifeinformation</p><p>abouttheuseoffirearmsforselfdefense.Certainlyhiscaseworkasan</p><p>experthasgivenhimuniqueaccesstoincidentsfromthestreets.Someof</p><p>them are high profile, some rather ordinary. Except to the people</p><p>involved.Everycasehas its lessons.And,veryoften,his studentshave</p><p>their stories. Stories that canmake the hair on the back of your neck</p><p>standup,orbringateartoyoureye.Likethefemalestudentwhohad</p><p>beenthevictimoftwoviolentsexualassaults.Thefirsttimeherattacker</p><p>succeeded in raping her. The second attacker did not. The difference?</p><p>Thesecondtimeshewasarmedandpreparedtodefendherself.Orthe</p><p>RomanCatholicpriest,whogrewupinaforeigncountryknownforits</p><p>civilstrife.Hehasbeenshotfivetimesandstabbedonce,allinseparate</p><p>incidents.HenowlivesintheUnitedStates,carrieseveryday,andwhen</p><p>hequietlyrelateshisstory,hesimplysays:“Neveragain.”</p><p>Theseare thesortofpeopleMasspendstimewithasbotha teacher</p><p>andasastudentofthehumanexperience.Andthatexperienceiswhat</p><p>hewillingly and skillfully shareswith his students and his readers. In</p><p>thisbook,hehascompileddecadesofexperienceinnotjustthecarrying</p><p>of firearms, but the shooting of firearms.Mas has been a competitive</p><p>shootersince theoldPPCdays.Hewasa“regular”at theBianchiCup</p><p>and other national matches. He still competes regularly in law</p><p>enforcementcompetitionsandInternationalDefensivePistolAssociation</p><p>(IDPA)matches.Infact,MaswasoneofthefirstIDPAFourGunMasters</p><p>and became the first Five Gun Master, when an additional revolver</p><p>categorywasestablishedby IDPAa coupleof years ago.He is alsoan</p><p>avidresearcherofthehistoryofcarryingfirearmsandtheirusebypolice</p><p>andordinaryprivatecitizensalike.Assuch,hewasaguestlecturerata</p><p>conferenceofwriters andhistorians inTombstone,Arizona, assembled</p><p>todiscussprobably themost famousgunfightever, theshootoutat the</p><p>OK Corral. And, on a more contemporary note, he was requested to</p><p>representthe“expertwitness”pointofviewonapanelofAmericanBar</p><p>Association legal experts who were making a Continuing Legal</p><p>Educationtrainingtapeforattorneys.Thetapespecificallyaddressesthe</p><p>investigation,prosecutionandeffectivedefenseofpeoplewhohavehad</p><p>tousedeadlyforcetoprotectthemselvesorothers.</p><p>In this book,Mas discusses bothWHYwe carry andHOW to carry.</p><p>Mas explains the concepts behind the two styles of holsters he has</p><p>designed, the LFI Rig and the Ayoob Rear Guard, and why holster</p><p>selection is such an important part of your carry “system.” He also</p><p>explains the need to practice drawing from concealment, in order to</p><p>quickly respond to any threat. He explains the rationale behind two</p><p>drawingmethodsthathedeveloped:usingtheStressFire“CoverCrouch”</p><p>todrawfromananklerigandtheFingertipSweep(hecallsit“reachout</p><p>andtouchyourself”)usedtopositivelyclearanopenfrontgarmentfora</p><p>smoothsame-sidedraw.Masbegandevelopinghis“StressFire”shooting</p><p>techniquesbackinthe1970’s.Bylate1981,atthesuggestionofworld</p><p>champion shooter Ray Chapman, he established the Lethal Force</p><p>Institute and has been instructing “certified card carrying good guys”</p><p>thereeversince.TheChiefofPoliceofthedepartmentwhereMasserves</p><p>asaCaptain,RussellLary,hasentrustedhissontoMas’tutelagetothe</p><p>extentthathehasattendedalloftheLFIclasses,LFI-I, II&III,andhe</p><p>justrecentlycompletedthemostadvancedclass,LFI-IV.Yes,Masreally</p><p>isaCaptainintheGrantham,NHPoliceDepartment.IknowtheChief,</p><p>andhe isdelighted tohave sucha true “human resource”available to</p><p>theresidentsofhiscommunity.</p><p>Alothaschangedinthenearly40yearssinceIstartedinthisfield.A</p><p>lot happened before that, of course, but I see the next major steps</p><p>comingintheimmediatefuture.Peoplearetiredofbeingvictimizedby</p><p>peoplewhousegunsandotherweaponsillegally.Andpeoplearetired</p><p>of being victimized by anti-gun advocates and the laws and rules for</p><p>which they are responsible. They have been shown to be worse than</p><p>ineffective.Theyhaveputdecentpeopleunnecessarilyat risk in“Gun-</p><p>FreeZones,”thatareonlygun-freetothelawabiding.Theycontinueto</p><p>attempttothwarteffortstomakeconcealedcarrybylawabidingpeople</p><p>anation-widereality.Theyhavemadepeoplevulnerableatatimewhen</p><p>they should be seriously thinking about, and preparing for, their own</p><p>self protection.Not to become “vigilantes,” but to be able to hold the</p><p>lineagainstviolence,untiltheprofessionalscanrespond.And,makeno</p><p>mistake,youareyourown“FirstResponder.”Justasyouwouldhavea</p><p>fireextinguisher inyourhomeorcar,or takeacourse in firstaidand</p><p>CPR,youneedtoconsiderhowwellyouarepreparedfortheotherkind</p><p>of deadly threat that may suddenly present itself: a violent, criminal</p><p>attackonyouorthosewhodependonyou.Inthisbook,MassadAyoob</p><p>hasbroughttogetheralltheessentialelementsthatyouneedtoknowif</p><p>youarecurrentlycarryingconcealedfirearmsor ifyouareconsidering</p><p>doing so. This is your opportunity to take advantage of all of the</p><p>research, knowledge and experience that Mas has accumulated over</p><p>morethanfourdecades.Ican’tthinkofabetterteacher.</p><p>SteveDenney</p><p>FirearmsandDefensiveTactics</p><p>Instructor,FirearmsTraining</p><p>ContributortoOfficer.com,</p><p>FormerPoliceSupervisorand</p><p>OrdinaryCitizenoftheUSA</p><p>http://Officer.com</p><p>SOFTWARE</p><p>I</p><p>Chapter1</p><p>THECCW</p><p>LIFESTYLE</p><p>As Gail begins to give him a hug, Steve tucks his elbows into his body andwill seem to be</p><p>huggingback,buthisforearmplacementwillpreventherfromfeelingtheSIG357onhisright</p><p>hiporthesparemagazineonhisleft.</p><p>fyou’rereadingthisbook,thattellsmethatyou’veeithermadethe</p><p>decisiontoCCW(CarryaConcealedWeapon),orarethinkingabout</p><p>it.Eitheroneisagoodstarttoenhancedpersonalsafetyofoneself</p><p>andlovedones.</p><p>Itsurprisessomepeopletohearthatfromaguywho’sbeencarryinga</p><p>badge for threeandahalfdecades.Surprise: therearemorecopswho</p><p>feelthesamewaythanyoumightthink.Factis, forthemostpart,the</p><p>anti-guncopsfallintotwonarrowcategories.Oneisthechiefappointed</p><p>byananti-gunmayororcitycouncil,whoservesatthepleasureofthe</p><p>appointingauthority and cangetbustedback toCaptain– thehighest</p><p>ranknormallyprotectedbyCivilService–ifhedoesn’tmakehimselfa</p><p>mouthpiece for the politician(s) in question. The other is the young</p><p>rookiewhodidn’thaveagunofhisownuntilhegotintotheAcademy,</p><p>and associates the weapon with the new identity into which</p><p>doesnotcaremuchabouttheneeds</p><p>ofothers…andanirresponsibleman.</p><p>If you are the jurorwho has to determinewhich of thesemenwas</p><p>most likely toact irresponsibly in themoments that followed,whatdo</p><p>theiractionsinthemomentsleadinguptotheconfrontationtellus?This</p><p>iswhat thecourtsandthe laware lookingforwhentheydemandthat</p><p>actionsbeconsidered“withinthetotalityofthecircumstances.</p><p>Once you’ve learned to do it, you can shootwith deadly accuracy at high speedwith a good</p><p>double-actionrevolverlikethisTaurusTracker.There’snogoodreasontorelyonadefensegun</p><p>witha“hairtrigger,”opinestheauthor.</p><p>HardwareLessons</p><p>Beabletoexplainyourchoiceofgunandammunition,andeven</p><p>accessories.Therearesomewhowillbeyouradversariesincourtwho</p><p>willmakeitappearthatyourhavingagunwithyouatallwasparanoid.</p><p>Beabletoarticulatewhyyoudidchoosetoarmyourhome,yourshop,</p><p>oryourperson.Beabletoexplainwhycarryingsufficientammunitionis</p><p>a practice recommended by responsible firearms professionals for very</p><p>goodreasons,andhasnothingtodowithanyplantomassacreshoppers</p><p>atthemall.</p><p>Atthiswriting,I’mconsultingonanamicusbriefforanappellatecase</p><p>intheNortheast,Commonwealthv.Pepicelli.Amicuscuraeare“friendof</p><p>the court”briefs,whichexplain indeptha certain issue in the caseat</p><p>bar.Athisoriginal trial, thearmedcitizendefendantwasconvictedof</p><p>criminal homicide after fightingoffmenwhohad comeafter himand</p><p>endangeredothersata familycookout.Awareofapreviouspatternof</p><p>threats, Pepicelli was armedwith a Glock pistol and carrying a spare</p><p>magazine when the incident went down. The prosecution argued that</p><p>onlyamanwhointendedtoshootsomeonewouldbringaloadedpistol</p><p>to a family barbecue…that only a man who intended to shoot many</p><p>peoplewouldcarryasparemagazine…andthatcarryingahigh-capacity</p><p>semiautomaticpistolsuchastheGlockwassomehownefarioustobegin</p><p>with.</p><p>And they got away with that. The reason is, their argument went</p><p>unchallengedbyadefenselawyerwhoapparentlywasnotwellversedin</p><p>theseparticularareas.Pepicelliwasconvictedandsentencedtoprison.</p><p>Hisappealisnowunderway,undertheabledirectionofLisaSteele,one</p><p>ofthenation’stopappellatelawyers.Theoriginaltriallawyerhadbeen</p><p>wise enough to seek out an expert witness, and he chose TomAveni,</p><p>whoisahighlyqualifiedinstructorandresearcherinthefield,andvery</p><p>capable.Unfortunately,thejudgerefusedtoallowanytestimonyinthe</p><p>aboveareas.Itistheexclusionofthattestimonythatisbeingchallenged</p><p>intheappeal,andinthevariousamicusbriefsthatarebeingsubmitted.</p><p>Ammunitioncanalsobean issue. Ihaveseenmanycaseswhere the</p><p>prosecutors and plaintiff’s lawyers have argued that the use of hollow</p><p>pointsconstitutesmalice.Theirargumentsgenerallycomealmostword</p><p>forword fromanarticlepublishedsomethirtyyearsago in the liberal</p><p>magazineTheNation.Thisarticlewastitled“TheVietnamizationofMain</p><p>Street.”Thefocusofitsattackwasthesweepingadoptionofhollowpoint</p><p>ammunition by America’s police. The thing reeks of BS and total</p><p>misconception. It includes phrases such as “bullets shaped like the</p><p>nacellesofjetengines”and“Thebulletdoesn’texplode,youdo.”</p><p>Thereareseveralwaystodefusethisattack.Onethathasworkedwell</p><p>forme for someyears is to advisedefense counsel to ask everypolice</p><p>officer who testifies during the state’s case an important question on</p><p>cross-examination: “What sort of ammunition do you carry on duty,</p><p>Officer?”Almostcertainlyitwillprovetobesomesortofhollowpoint,</p><p>thoughthecounselorwillwanttoconfirmthiswellbeforehand,priorto</p><p>askingthequestion.It’safoolishortoo-adventurousattorneywhoasksa</p><p>questiontowhichheorshedoesnotalreadyknowtheanswer.</p><p>It’s still good to have an expert witness for your own side whose</p><p>trainingandexperienceencompassesthisarea.Thisguaranteesbringing</p><p>in the testimony that the HPs are less likely to dangerously over-</p><p>penetrateorricochet.Suchanexpertshouldalsobringoutthepointthat</p><p>since hollowpoints have come into use,most shootingswith themend</p><p>with fewer gunshots inflicted than in the old days, when cops with</p><p>impotent158-grainround-noseleadbulletshadtoemptytheirrevolvers</p><p>intothebadguystoputthemdown,andsometimesdidn’tevenstopthe</p><p>fightwiththat.</p><p>Themoregunshotwoundsamansustains,themorelikelyheistodie,</p><p>all other things being equal. The HP round’s history of improved</p><p>“stoppingpower”meansthebadguyhastobeshotfewertimestomake</p><p>himceasehostilities.Moreover,because itwasdesigned to stay in the</p><p>body, the hollowpoint slugwill be less likely to punch a second open</p><p>hole in the body as it exits. This reduces tension pneumothorax, the</p><p>“sucking chest wound,” and some believe it also somewhat reduces</p><p>hemorrhage.Thedeeperpenetrating “regular bullet”will bydefinition</p><p>becapableofpiercingmorebonestructures,bloodvessels,organs,etc.</p><p>Thus,withallthesefactorstakenintoconsiderationinTheBigPicture,a</p><p>solidargumentcanbemadethatthehollowpointbulletislesslethaland</p><p>thereforeevensaferfortheperpetratorwhoforcesyoutoshoothim!</p><p>Some authorities recommend that the armed citizen carry the same</p><p>round as that used by local law enforcement, on the theory that the</p><p>prosecutorcan’taccuseyouofusing“extra-deadlymaliciousbullets” if</p><p>thataccusationislikelytotarnishlocalpolicewhocarrythesameload.</p><p>Some folks have attributed this advice tome. This is incorrect. I have</p><p>mentionedthatsomeexpertssuggestthis,butIwasn’ttheonewhocame</p><p>upwith the idea. Is it smart?Well, it is if the department in question</p><p>usestherightammo!In1998,ifyoulivedinNewYorkCityandwanted</p><p>topack thesamestuffas the localpolicedepartment, thatwouldhave</p><p>been 115-grain full metal jacket round nose 9mm“ball,” one of the</p><p>poorestchoicesforself-defenseorlawenforcement.</p><p>Oneargumentagainst thishasbeen, “Carrying the same loadas the</p><p>local cops might allow opposing counsel to suggest, Your Honor, the</p><p>defendant is awanna-be Rambo!Why, he even loaded his deadlyweapon</p><p>withthesameammunitionasourpolicecarry,asifhewasimpersonatingan</p><p>officer.</p><p>IhavetotellyouthatIdon’tworryawholelotaboutthatparticular</p><p>attack.Ihaven’tseenithappenyet.But,ofcourse,someonenotseeingit</p><p>happenyetdoesn’tmeanithasn’thappenedyet,orthatitwon’thappen</p><p>inthefuture.Thatbeingthecase,itwouldn’thurttohaveananswerto</p><p>the challenging question, “Is it not true that you loaded with police</p><p>ammobecauseyou fancyyourself tobeacop,even thoughyouaren’t</p><p>one?”</p><p>The best answer is, “No, sir. The police are experts in protection</p><p>against the kind of criminals who attack citizens. I thought if the</p><p>ammunitionwasgoodenoughforthepolicetousetoprotectmyfamily,</p><p>itwasgoodenoughformetousetoprotectmyfamily.”</p><p>One thing I try to avoid is carryingmydepartment-issue45autoor</p><p>evenammoidenticaltowhatmyPDissueswhenI’mnotworkingforthe</p><p>department.ThereasonisthatIdon’twantthedepartmentgettingtied</p><p>into a suit that might evolve from something I had to do to protect</p><p>myself from death. The lawsuit won’t do either entity, me or the</p><p>department,anygood.Eachofficeronmydepartmentisissuedapermit</p><p>tocarryaconcealedhandgun,justlikeacitizeninourjurisdictionmight</p><p>possess. No, a sworn officer doesn’t</p><p>need a permit to carry a gun off</p><p>duty,butIlikethemhavingtheoption.</p><p>Here’s why, and it’s kinda complicated, so please follow along.</p><p>Remember, the lawsuitdoesn’t seek justicesomuchas it seeksmoney.</p><p>Therefore, the plaintiff will go for the deep pockets. When House</p><p>Resolution218wasatlonglastsignedintolawbyPresidentGeorgeW.</p><p>Bush and became LEOSA, the Law Enforcement Officers’ Safety Act,</p><p>sworn police and honorably retired cops around the country became</p><p>eligible to carry guns nationwide, on their own time, irrespective of</p><p>arrestpowersinagivenjurisdiction.Ipersonallythinkthat,intime,this</p><p>will be the precedent that could get a nationwide concealed carry</p><p>privilege for armed private citizens who are provably both competent</p><p>and law-abiding. It establishes a key ingredient called “obvious</p><p>legislative intent.”WhenLEOSAbecame law, theobvious intentof the</p><p>Representatives and Senators who voted for it was to recognize that</p><p>whenbadpeopleattemptedtomurdergoodpeople,itwasagoodidea</p><p>tohavemorearmedgoodguysandgalswhomightbetheretostopthe</p><p>carnage, and it didn’t matter if they had the power to arrest the</p><p>malefactor in that jurisdiction or not. Police chiefs in cities fromNew</p><p>YorktoChicagohavedraggedtheirfeetandgotteninthewayofother</p><p>cops carrying there, or their cops carrying elsewhere, but once that is</p><p>sorted out we’ll start seeing “saves” from LEOSA that will prove the</p><p>obviouslegislativeintenttobejustified.Now,itwillbeamuchshorter</p><p>step to expanding the privilege to private citizens who can show the</p><p>sametrustworthinessandcompetencyasthosecopscarryingnationwide.</p><p>If I’m outside my jurisdiction and have to shoot someone in self-</p><p>defense while I’m carrying on LEOSA, my police department is</p><p>effectivelyimmunefromlawsuit. Iwasnotactingunder“colorof law”</p><p>on duty; I was merely exercising a privilege granted by the Federal</p><p>governmenttomeandmanyothers.</p><p>If, however, I’m outsidemy jurisdiction and shoot someone in self-</p><p>defensewith the company hardware, the agency can be sued. After all,</p><p>theygavemetheammunitionandwhatisnow“thedeathweapon.”</p><p>The lawsuit seeksbigbucks. Idon’thavebigbucks,andain’tworth</p><p>suingbymylonesome.Butthecommunityanylawenforcementagency</p><p>serveshasa taxbase thatplaintiffs’ lawyersdoseeas representingbig</p><p>bucks.Ifthere’snomoneythere,thereislesslikelytobealawsuitatall.</p><p>Keepthebloodoutofthewater,andyoudon’tattractthesharks.</p><p>Avoidthe“HairTriggerTrap.”Icallitatrapfortworeasons.First,cops</p><p>and civilians and security professionals alike aremuchmore likely to</p><p>havetotakepeopleatgunpointthantoshootthem.Ifthefingergoesto</p><p>thetrigger,asstudiesshowitoftendoesunconsciously,evenwhenthe</p><p>personholdingthegunishighlytrained, thestage isset foraccidental</p><p>discharge due to several causes first identified by famed physiologist</p><p>Roger Enoka. These include startle response, postural disturbance,</p><p>interlimbresponse,etc.Thelighterthetriggerpull,themorepronethe</p><p>gun is to suchunintentionaldischarges,oftenautomaticallyconsidered</p><p>“negligentdischarges”byfirearmsprofessionals.</p><p>Butthereisamuchmoresubtletrap.Ithasbecomeacottageindustry</p><p>in shooting-related lawsuits, and to a lesser extent in criminal</p><p>prosecutions, foropposingcounsel topresenta false caseofaccidental</p><p>discharge when in fact the shooting was intentional. This is because</p><p>experiencedlawyersknowthatself-defensetoachargeofanintentional</p><p>shootingiswhat’sknownintrialtacticsparlanceas“aperfectdefense,”</p><p>butit’smuchharderforadefendanttoprovethathedidn’tcockthegun</p><p>andrecklesslysetthestageforanunintentionalhair-triggerdischarge.</p><p>Thebestwaytoavoidthatbogusattackistohaveagunwhosetrigger</p><p>weight is within factory specifications for police duty as opposed to</p><p>targetshooting.Thisisanargumentagainstanygunthatcanbecocked</p><p>to create a very lightpull, unless the single-actionpull is at least four</p><p>pounds or more in weight. This is one reason so many police</p><p>departments have gonewith double-action-only handguns. One reason</p><p>for theGlockpistol’s enormouspopularity, particularly among cops, is</p><p>that BATFE has ruled it to be a double-action-only design. Just don’t</p><p>installthe3.5-poundconnector,creatingalightpullthatthefactorysays</p><p>shouldbeusedONLYoncompetitionpistols,andyoushouldbefine.</p><p>Thehandloadtrap.Useallthereloadsyouwantforpractice,ormatch</p><p>shooting,orhandgunhunting.Heck,Ido.Butforahomedefensegun,</p><p>concealed carry handgun, or police dutyweapon, factory ammo is the</p><p>way to go. In most cases, the factory round will have better quality</p><p>control and more reliability than a reloaded cartridge. If you don’t</p><p>believeme,askanyonewithexperienceasarangeofficerinanyformof</p><p>handgun competition, “Which is more likely to misfeed or misfire, a</p><p>factory load or a handload?” Moreover, every factory defense round</p><p>recommendedinthisbookhasaproventrackrecordasaman-stopperin</p><p>actualgunfights.Nohome-brewedammohasthat;actualshootingswith</p><p>reloadsareveryfewandfarbetween.(Youcouldassembleahandload</p><p>that duplicates a given factory load, and save some money, but now</p><p>you’reliterallydefendingyourfamilywithacheapimitation.That’sthe</p><p>kindofcloneammotouseforpractice,notforstreetcarry.)</p><p>Tworealproblemscomeupincourtwithhandloads.InNewJerseyv.</p><p>DanielBias,whetherthedeathofayoungwomanwassuicideormurder</p><p>atthehandsofherhusbandcamedowntoforensicevidencetesting,to</p><p>wit, the determination of how far the gunmuzzlewas from her head</p><p>beforethefatalwoundwasinflicted.However,thedeathweaponwasa</p><p>Smith&WessonModel586revolverchargedwithverylightreloadsin</p><p>38Special+Pcases.Thepoliceinsistedondoingtheirgunshotresidue</p><p>(GSR) testing with actual +P, which leaves GSR for a considerable</p><p>distance,andtherewasnonefoundonherheadorhair.Defenseexperts</p><p>tested reloadsduplicatingwhat thehusband saidhehadmadeupand</p><p>put in the gun, and could have shown that these wouldn’t have left</p><p>residue at the distance the gun was when the defense believe it</p><p>dischargedinthevictim’sownhand.</p><p>However, tomake a long story short, that evidence never got in. It</p><p>would have required the court to take the defendant’s word for the</p><p>handload“recipe.”Evenyourreloadingrecords,meticulousastheymay</p><p>be,won’thelp.Yousee, theevidencewasmanufacturedbythedefendant,</p><p>and that goes for the records aswell as the ammo.You can’t prove it</p><p>wasn’tsomeBSyoucameupwithafterwardtogetawaywithmurder.I</p><p>havechallengedmanyInternetadvocatesofdefensivehandloadstofind</p><p>a case where the defendant’s records or testimony as to load was</p><p>acceptedasGSRevidence.Nonehasevercomeupwithacase.</p><p>SomescoffthatGSRisunlikelytobeanissue.They’rewrong.Lookat</p><p>a few random issues ofAmericanRiflemanmagazine’s “ArmedCitizen”</p><p>column,andseeatwhatcloserangesmostofthoseshootingstakeplace.</p><p>It’s critical for you to be able to prove that the opponent was close</p><p>enoughtokillyouwithhisknife,andheorhisadvocates incourtare</p><p>likelytotellthejurythathewastoofarawaytopresentanydangerto</p><p>you. Gunshot residue testing may save you…if we can get it in. We</p><p>regularlyintroduceGSRtestingwithfactoryammo;I’veneverseenthat</p><p>failtoget</p><p>in.</p><p>DennisTuellerdidagreatserviceforcopsandarmedcitizensalikewithhis1983researchthat</p><p>provedtheaveragemancouldclose7yardsfromastandingstartanddeliverafatalknifethrust</p><p>in 1.5 seconds. Here, he explains his research at a deadly force symposium convened by the</p><p>authoratanASLETseminar,2006.InthebackgroundarenotedauthoritiesBrianStover,Harvey</p><p>Hedden,andJohnHolschen.</p><p>HowlikelyisitthatGSRwillbeanissue?Well,let’stakealookatmy</p><p>owncaseloadat themoment.With theLindsey case finishedbya just</p><p>acquittal,I’mdowntotenonthecurrentschedule,aniceroundnumber</p><p>that’seasytoworkwith.Oneofthosecasesinvolvesacitizenwhodrew</p><p>aknife toprotecthimself,andanother focusesonacopwhodefended</p><p>himselfwithblunt force.Neither, obviously,haveanything todowith</p><p>gunshot residue sinceno guns came into play at all.Of the remaining</p><p>eight, GSR is an issue in four of them, and in one, it is a compelling</p><p>issue.That’s40percentofthecasesoverall,andhalfofthetencasesin</p><p>thisexample.DoesthatsoundasifGSRis“unlikely”tobeanissuewhen</p><p>yourshootingcomes?</p><p>Another thing toworryaboutwithhandloads is theargument,“This</p><p>man was so intent in causing horrible, deadly wounds that regular</p><p>bulletsweren’tdeadlyenough,sohemadehisownextra-deadlybullets!”</p><p>Thatwas theBSpulledby theprosecution inStateofNHv.Sgt. James</p><p>Kennedy.ThatargumentwasshotdownbyJimCirilloasexpertwitness</p><p>forthedefense.However,everycourtroomargumentislikeagunfight:</p><p>it’sbettertoavoidit thantohavetofight it,andeverynowandthen,</p><p>theothersidecangetluckyandwin.</p><p>Bytheway,rememberthosetwocasesthenexttimeyouhearonthe</p><p>Internet,“Therehasneverbeenacaseofanyonegetting in trouble for</p><p>using handloads.” TheKennedy case endedwith an acquittal, and that</p><p>wasjustice.However,theBiascasewentthroughthreetrialsbeforethe</p><p>thirdjuryfoundthekidguiltyofManslaughterandsenthimtoprison.</p><p>Bothhislawyerstoldmetheyfeltthatifhe’dhadfactoryammointhe</p><p>gun,theydon’tthinkhewouldhavebeenconvicted.</p><p>TheRulesofEngagement</p><p>Everyencounterwillbedifferentfromeveryother:sometimeshugely,</p><p>sometimessubtly.Theonlywaytomakesureyou’rerightistofollowa</p><p>formulawhenyoumakethedecisionwhetherornottouselethalforce.</p><p>The formulae I’m about to show you are rock-solid, engraved in the</p><p>stoneofthelawandwhatthecourtcalls“commoncustomandpractice”</p><p>alike.</p><p>Deadlyforceisonlypermissible inasituationof immediate,otherwise</p><p>unavoidable danger of death or great bodily harm to oneself or another</p><p>innocentpersononehastherighttoprotect.Thepresenceofthatsituation</p><p>is determined by the simultaneous presence of three criteria: ability,</p><p>opportunity,andjeopardy.</p><p>Abilitymeanstheattackerhasthepowertocausedeathorgreatbodily</p><p>harm: that is, to kill or cause crippling injury. This usually takes the</p><p>formof a per se weapon such as a gun or knife or club, but as noted</p><p>above,canalsomanifest itselfasdisparityof force.Forceofnumbers,a</p><p>hugelylargerandstrongerattacker,anable-bodiedpersonattackingthe</p><p>disabled,high skill atunarmedcombat that is known to the shooter, an</p><p>adult violently attacking a child, even a male violently attacking a</p><p>female are examples of disparity of force. Even though they are</p><p>ostensiblyunarmed,theirgreatersize,strength,etc.issolikelytokillor</p><p>cripple that it becomes the equivalent of a deadly weapon. As noted</p><p>earlier in this chapter as related toColorado v. Larry Lindsey, a furtive</p><p>movement that is consistent with going for a weapon (and consistent</p><p>withnothingelse)alsosufficestocreatetheabilityfactor.</p><p>Opportunitymeans the attacker is capable of immediately employing</p><p>that power. In 1983, Dennis Tueller did the ground-breaking research</p><p>thatprovedtheaverageadultmalecancloseagapofsevenyardsfroma</p><p>standing start and inflict a fatal stab wound in 1.5 seconds on the</p><p>average.From100yardsaway,itwouldtakehimlonger,andshootinga</p><p>manwithaknifefromtheotherendofafootballfieldwouldprobably</p><p>notbeseenasjustifiableinmostcourtstoday.Withinsevenoreventen</p><p>paces, though, the man with the knife has satisfied the opportunity</p><p>factor.</p><p>Jeopardy is the final factor. The opponentmust be acting in such a</p><p>manner that any reasonable, prudent person in your situation would</p><p>concludethathisintentwastokillorcrippleyouortheinnocentperson</p><p>you deploy your gun to protect. As noted earlier, we’re talking about</p><p>manifestintent:anintentexpressedinwordsand/oractions.</p><p>There is also an element that must be considered that has become</p><p>knownaspreclusion.Tobejustifiable,deadlyforcemustalwaysbealast</p><p>resort.Preclusionmeans,was thereanywayofavoiding this?Not just</p><p>escapeatthescene,butprevention:didyoudoanythingtostartthefight</p><p>or“keeptheballrolling”?Ifyoudid,itimpairswhatthecourtscall“the</p><p>mantleofinnocence.”</p><p>Some instructors teach preclusion as part of the same formula as</p><p>ability/opportunity/jeopardy. I disagree, and separate it out in the</p><p>trainingIgiveatLethalForceInstituteandelsewhere.Therearetwobig</p><p>reasons for this. First, Ability/Opportunity/Jeopardy (AOJ, for short)</p><p>speaks to the assailant and the threat he presents to you. Preclusion</p><p>speaks to you, and your exact situation, and your options in a given</p><p>momentandplace.It’s“applesandoranges.”Bothelementsneedtobe</p><p>considered,buttheyneedtobeconsideredseparately.</p><p>Second,AOJiswritteninstone,butpreclusionisfungible.Areyoua</p><p>cop,acting in the lineofduty? If so,youhavenoduty to retreat,and</p><p>indeed,undercertaincircumstancesyourretreatmightbeconstruableas</p><p>cowardice ormisfeasance of public office.Were you an armed citizen</p><p>attackedinpublicinFloridaintheyear2004?Ifso,thestatelawsaid</p><p>youhadaduty to retreat beforeusing lethal force in self-defense.But</p><p>today,thenew(and,Iliketothink,improved)Floridalawallowsyouto</p><p>standyourgroundwithoutattempting to retreat ifyouareattacked in</p><p>anyplacewhereyouhavearighttobe.NewYorkandmanyotherstates</p><p>stillhave“retreatrequirements”forpublicattack.</p><p>However, in any jurisdiction, you are allowed to stand your ground</p><p>without resorting to retreat if you are in your home. It is called the</p><p>“castledoctrine”becauseitstemsfromtheancientEnglishCommonLaw</p><p>thatheld“aman’shomeishiscastle,”andattackedthere,heneednot</p><p>retreat.</p><p>Ayoobwrote In theGravest Extreme to showarmedcitizens the rulesof engagement indeadly</p><p>force encounters. It is available through Police Bookshelf, PO Box 122, Concord, NH 03302,</p><p>www.ayoob.com.</p><p>http://www.ayoob.com</p><p>Remember, however, that in any jurisdiction that has a “retreat</p><p>requirement,”retreatisneverdemandedunlessitcanbeaccomplishedin</p><p>completesafety tooneselfandother innocentpersons. Inotherwords,you</p><p>aren’t expected to turn your back on a mugger’s gun and attempt to</p><p>outrunabullet.Youaren’texpectedtorunawayandleaveyourchildren</p><p>behind,helplessagainsttheattacker, likethrowingthebabiesfromthe</p><p>sleightoplacatethepursuingwolves.(Interestinglyenough,I’vebeenin</p><p>casesagainstruthlesslawyersandprostituteexpertwitnesseswhotried</p><p>toconvincejuriesthatyouweresupposedtostooptosuchlevels.They</p><p>didnotwintheircases.)</p><p>Ifthishasbeenalongchapter,it’sbecauseit’saveryinvolvedcorner</p><p>of concealed carry,</p><p>and we’ve barely scratched the surface here. My</p><p>bookIntheGravestExtreme:theRoleoftheFirearminPersonalProtection</p><p>isdevotedtothistopic,andhasstoodthetestoftimeandthecourtsfor</p><p>more than a quarter of a century. Deadly force law being one of the</p><p>morematurebodiesof law,nothing terriblysignificanthaschanged in</p><p>“the rules of engagement” since itwaswritten. It is available through</p><p>Police Bookshelf, PO Box 122, Concord, NH 03302, 1-800-624-9049,</p><p>www.ayoob.com.Atthesamewebsiteyou’llfindalinkfortheclassesI</p><p>teach throughLethal Force Institute.The course I’d recommendwould</p><p>be the 40-hour LFI-I, which encompasses the legal/ethical/tactical</p><p>elements plus several hundred rounds of hands-on combat shooting. If</p><p>youalreadyfeelyou’resufficientlycompetentwiththe“how”andwant</p><p>moreaboutthe“when,”considertheweekend(two-dayintensivelecture</p><p>setting)JudiciousUseofDeadlyForceprogram.</p><p>Thehowand thewhen can’tdo it by themselves, though.Youneed</p><p>both. Power and responsibility are commensurate. With great power,</p><p>obviously, comes great responsibility, because power unchecked by</p><p>responsibility becomes bullying among individuals and terrorism and</p><p>tyrannyinthecollective.</p><p>Atthesametime,responsibilitywithoutthepowertofulfillitmaybe</p><p>theultimatehopelessness.</p><p>http://www.ayoob.com</p><p>B</p><p>Chapter5</p><p>CASTLEDOCTRINEANDSTANDYOUR</p><p>GROUNDLAWS</p><p>etweenthefirsteditionofthisbookandthesecond,somestates</p><p>adopted “castle doctrine” laws that clarified the old English</p><p>CommonLawprinciplethat thecitizen’shomeishiscastle,and</p><p>attacked there,heneednot retreat.Thishad longbeen the lawof the</p><p>landanyway,whenstatutory law,case law,and jury instructionswere</p><p>examinedintoto,butitcertainlydidnothurttohaveitclarifiedinthe</p><p>statutes.</p><p>Manystateshavehad(andsomestillhave)lawsthatrequireaperson</p><p>attacked in public to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense.</p><p>Othershavehistoricallyallowedapersoninthatsituationtostandtheir</p><p>ground and fightwithout attempting to retreat, so long as they had a</p><p>righttobeinthatplace,didnotstartthefight,andwerenotcommitting</p><p>acrime.</p><p>It should be noted that even in the so-called “retreat states,” retreat</p><p>was only required when it could be accomplished in complete safety to</p><p>oneselfandotherinnocentparties.Ifitwasn’tinthestatutes,itwasinthe</p><p>caselawand/orthestates’recommendedjuryinstructions.Somefeltit</p><p>wouldbegoodtoclarifyit intheblackandwhiteofthestatutes.Sure</p><p>madesensetothiswriter,andI’mgladthatthosestatesdidso.</p><p>AtCatoInstituteforumonStandYourGroundlaws,ClaytonCramergaveexcellentexplanation</p><p>oftheselaws’historyandsocietaldevelopment…</p><p>…MassadAyoobexplainedwhyargumentsagainstsuchlawsdidnotholdwater…</p><p>Some other states rescinded the retreat requirementwith new laws,</p><p>which allowed the law-abiding citizen to stand their groundanywhere</p><p>they had a right to be if theywere attacked, under the circumstances</p><p>described above. The proper term for that was simply “rescinding of</p><p>retreat requirement.” If one needed a catchy name to sell it to the</p><p>legislators and the public, certainly “Stand Your Ground” was</p><p>appropriateforthat.However,sincemanysawitasextendingtheCastle</p><p>Doctrinetopublicplaces,and“CastleDoctrine”hadapositiveringtoit,</p><p>someonoursidedecidedtocallthe“StandYourGround”laws“Castle</p><p>Doctrine”lawsinstead.</p><p>That,unfortunately,muddiedthewaters.CastleDoctrinetraditionally</p><p>speakstothehome;StandYourGroundhistoricallyspeakstoanyother</p><p>placewhereyouhavearighttobeandarenotdoinganythingwrong.</p><p>AsmyfriendandcolleagueClintSmithofThunderRanchfamesaysof</p><p>sometacticalprinciples,“They’rethesame,butthey’redifferent.”</p><p>At this writing, I’ve been swimming with the sharks as an expert</p><p>witness for the courts, both criminal and civil, for 33 years in cases</p><p>involvingweapons and shootings. I can tell you that theold aphorism</p><p>fromlawschoolisabsolutelytrue:“Ifthelawisonyourside,poundon</p><p>thelaw…ifthefactsareonyourside,poundonthefacts…andifneither</p><p>the lawnor the facts are onyour side, poundon theopposingparty.”</p><p>Well,youwouldn’thaveshotsomeoneinself-defenseifthefactsandthe</p><p>law weren’t on your side, so that leaves the clueless or politically</p><p>motivated prosecutorwrongfully charging you, or the greed-motivated</p><p>plaintiff’slawyersuingyou,onlyoneavenuebywhichtoattackyou.It</p><p>won’tbehonest,itwon’tbeclean,anditwon’tbepretty.</p><p>…andattorneySteveJansenexplainedwhyhefeltStandYourGroundwasaLicensetoKill.</p><p>If one issue is, “Whydidn’t you runwhenyouwere attacked in the</p><p>public park instead of pulling your gun?” and your answer is, “Castle</p><p>Doctrineallowedmeto,”you’vejustopenedyourselftothesharkattack.</p><p>The opposing lawyer on cross-examination will hand you a copy of</p><p>Black’sLegalDictionaryandhaveyoureadthewhole“Aman’shomeis</p><p>hiscastle”thingaloudinfrontofthejury.Then,youcanexpecthimto</p><p>ask,“Didyouconsiderthepublicparkyourcastlegrounds?Whoexactly</p><p>wasitthatmadeyoukingofusall?”They’llmakeamonkeyoutofyou</p><p>and severely damage your credibility. (I don’t put words in people’s</p><p>mouths, but if I was the defendant in that situation I would simply</p><p>answer the questionwith, “Sir, therewas noway I could retreatwith</p><p>completesafetytomyselfandtheothersIfiredmyguntoprotect.”)</p><p>A third, and completely separate legal doctrine is “assumption of</p><p>reasonableness.” This means simply that the person claiming self-</p><p>defense,iftheycanproveittoapreponderanceofevidencestandardin</p><p>ahearinginfrontofanimpartialmagistrate,cannotbechargedwitha</p><p>crimefortheact.In2005,theFloridaStateLegislaturepasseda“Stand</p><p>Your Ground” law – Florida Statute 776.013 – which combined the</p><p>clarificationof theCastleDoctrineprinciplewith the rescindingof the</p><p>retreatrequirementfromwhichitdrewitsname,andtheassumptionof</p><p>reasonablenessprinciple.</p><p>The fourth and final element associatedhere is insulation fromcivil</p><p>suit,whichessentiallycomesundertheumbrellaof“tortreform.”Thisis</p><p>thelawthatstatesifthecriminaljusticesystemhasruledtheshootingto</p><p>bejustifiable,thepersonwhofiredshouldbeimmunetocivillawsuit.</p><p>That iswhat the “black letter of the law” says.However, it must be</p><p>takenincontextwithothersubtleties,suchastrialtacticsandthemoodofthe</p><p>courts.Onehastoreadthefineprint.</p><p>Let’s lookfirstatCastleDoctrine.Therearesomesituationswhere it</p><p>doesn’tholdtrue.Ifthepersonyoushootalsohadarighttobeinyour</p><p>homeatthetimeoftheshooting,thisdefenseisvoided.Weseethatall</p><p>the time indomesticviolence shootings,when thewomanwhohad to</p><p>firewasthevictimoftheabusivehusbandwhoattackedher,andwith</p><p>whom she shared the “castle.” Ditto roommates, ditto even originally-</p><p>invitedguestswhowentcrazyoncetheywerethere.</p><p>StandYourGround?Iftheotherguyalsohadarighttobethere,it’s</p><p>goingtocomedowntowhowasthemurderous,unlawfulaggressorand</p><p>whowas the innocent intended victimwhoworewhat the courts call</p><p>“themantleof innocence.”Foronething, if the initialattacker tries to</p><p>break off the assault and flee, and the original innocent victim then</p><p>shootshimintheback,the“standyourground”defenseforthelatteris</p><p>nowoffthegameboard.</p><p>Presumption of Reasonableness? Plaintiff’s counsel has</p><p>only to</p><p>fabricateatheoryofanegligent,unintendeddischargeonyourpart,and</p><p>they’vegottenpastyourwallofprotection.Thereisnosuchthingasa</p><p>“justifiableaccident”inthelexiconofthelaw.</p><p>Immunityfromcivillawsuit?Togetthat,youneedtoshowthatyour</p><p>shootingincidenthasinfactbeenruledjustifiable.Ifithasnotgoneto</p><p>trial(asitwon’t,iftheprosecutor’sofficedoesn’tchoosetoprosecute,or</p><p>the grand jury returns “no true bill”), you haven’t actually been</p><p>determined to have fired in self-defense. All that it means is that the</p><p>prosecutor’s office didn’t think they could convict you beyond a</p><p>reasonable doubt. The civil lawsuit standard is much lower, merely</p><p>preponderanceofevidence,whichiswhysomanypeoplewho’vebeen</p><p>heldharmlessincriminalcourthavebeenabsolutelyhammeredincivil</p><p>court. If the prosecutor’s office issues a “memorandum of closure”</p><p>statingthat,intheirofficialopinion,yourshootingofyourattackerwas</p><p>indeedjustifiable,that’sprettystrongonyourbehalfinthisstageofthe</p><p>courtproceedings. If they simplydon’t issue suchamemorandum, the</p><p>civilcourtjudgemaywelldecidethatit’s“anissueforajurytodecide,”</p><p>and you’re back in the very financially and emotionally expensive</p><p>nightmareofbeingsuedbysomeonetryingtotakeeverythingyouhave.</p><p>Inthefirstquarterof2012,ahighlypublicizedshootingtookplacein</p><p>Floridathatmadethesemattersanissueofnationaldebate.Atthetime</p><p>ofthiswriting,thematterhasnotbeenresolvedbythecourts,andthis</p><p>writer is not in a position to comment on that case until it has been</p><p>resolvedincourt.Thepublicityledtosometrulybizarreinterpretations</p><p>of the law, such as saying that “Stand Your Ground” means you can</p><p>shoot anyone you’re remotely afraid of. Totally untrue! Or that it’s a</p><p>“licensetokill”:again,totallyuntrue.Orthatitletsanyonekillanyone</p><p>andgetawaywithitbyclaimingself-defense:yetagain,totallyuntrue.</p><p>Toconvictyouforacrimeincriminalcourt,theprosecutionhastoshow</p><p>thatyouareguiltybeyonda reasonabledoubt, a standardof certainty</p><p>generally seen as somewhere between 95% and 99.9%. For you to be</p><p>cleared under “Presumption of Reasonableness,” youwill have had to</p><p>provetoacivilcourtstandardofpreponderanceofevidence,agreater</p><p>than50%certainty,thatyoudidtherightthing.</p><p>Dothemath!Ifyou’vealreadyproventhatit’smorethan50%certain</p><p>thatyoudidtherightthing,howonearthcoulditbeproventoa95%-</p><p>pluscertaintythatyoudidthewrongthing?</p><p>InAprilof2012,TimLynchoftheCatoInstitutebroughtthreeofus</p><p>totheirheadquartersinWashington,DC,totellaliveaudience,whichI</p><p>wastoldnumberedonehundred,andavideoaudiencefargreaterthan</p><p>that,whatwethoughtoftheStandYourGroundissue.HistorianClayton</p><p>CrameropenedbyexplaininghowCastleDoctrine,StandYourGround,</p><p>andrelatedconceptshaddevelopedoverthecourseofcivilization.Iwas</p><p>theonewhospokeonbehalfofStandYourGroundlaws.StevenJansen</p><p>of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys took the side that “Stand</p><p>YourGround”wasalicensetokill.Youcanseetheforumdiscussionfor</p><p>yourselfathttp://www.cato.org/event.php?eventid=9141.</p><p>http://www.cato.org/event.php?eventid=9141</p><p>HARDWARE</p><p>O</p><p>Chapter6</p><p>“GENTLEMEN</p><p>(ANDLADIES),CHOOSEYOURWEAPONS”</p><p>(L)S&WBodyguard(M/649)withshroudedhammer,DA/SA.(Center) factorybobbedhammer</p><p>onDAORugerSP101.(R)“hammerless”configurationofDAOS&WCentennial(M/40-1).</p><p>necan’tcarryaconcealedweaponwithouthavingaconcealable</p><p>weapon. Some are suitable for the concealed carry task, and</p><p>somearenot.</p><p>Wecan’tcovereverypossiblechoicehere.AswingthroughtheKrause</p><p>catalog will show you whole books on the 1911, the Glock, the SIG-</p><p>Sauer,theBeretta,theSmith&Wessonseries,etc.al.Othergoodchoices</p><p>fromPaladinincludeLivingwith1911sandLivingwithGlocksbyRobert</p><p>Boatman,andtheoutstandingTheSnubbyRevolverbyEdLovette.Ithink</p><p>Lovette’s book should be read by anyone who owns or is thinking of</p><p>owninga“snub-nose.”Itputsthewholegenreinperspective.</p><p>As noted earlier, it’s more convenient to have a “wardrobe” of</p><p>concealable handguns, but it’s not entirely necessary. Generations of</p><p>youngcopshavelearnedthatit’scheapertobuyaconcealmentholster</p><p>for their full-sizedepartment-issue servicehandgun than topurchasea</p><p>wholenewgunandleathersetforoff-dutycarry.Similarly,manyarmed</p><p>citizens have learned that the full-size handgun they bought for home</p><p>protectionisconcealableiftheysettheirmindtoit.</p><p>Thecompetentshooterloseslittlegoingdouble-action-onlywithasnubby.ThisoldM/36Chief</p><p>SpecialwithHerrettstocksmade5outof5headshotsat20yardssingleaction(left)anddouble</p><p>action(right).</p><p>Cockedtosingleactionasshown,thisS&W649canbeaproblemwaitingtohappeninatactical</p><p>situation.Authorprefersdouble-action-only(DAO)S&Ws.</p><p>Copshavepickeduponthis,too.In1967,OrdnanceSgtLouisSeman</p><p>of the Illinois State Police convinced the ISP to become the first large</p><p>departmentinthenationtoadopttheSmith&WessonModel399mm</p><p>semiautomaticpistolasadutyweapon.The reasonwasnot firepower.</p><p>Atthetime,trooperswererequiredtobearmedoffduty.Theycarried4-</p><p>to6-inchbarrelColtandSmith&Wessonservicerevolversinuniform,</p><p>and generallywore 2-inch barrel small frame 38 versions of the same</p><p>guns on their own time. At qualification, the “snubby” scores were</p><p>dismally inferior to those with the larger revolvers. Seman reasoned,</p><p>correctly,thattheModel39autopistolwouldbelightandflatenough</p><p>forconcealedcarry,butwoulddofineforuniformwearaswell.Hewas</p><p>proven right: scores skyrocketed, and the troopersbecamecomfortable</p><p>wearing the slim Smith 9mms on their off-time. More recently, when</p><p>NYPDwentwith16-shot9mmpistolsandgavetheirofficersthechoice</p><p>oftheSIGP226DAO,theheavyS&WModel5946,orthepolymer-frame</p><p>Glock19, the overwhelmingmajority chose the latter. Thiswaspartly</p><p>because theGlock 19was cheaper (NYPDofficers buy their own guns</p><p>throughthedepartment),butalsobecause itwasmuchlighterandthe</p><p>onlyoneofthethreeoptionsthatwastrulya“compact.”TheG19was</p><p>easier to carry all the time off duty, or when transferring to a</p><p>plainclothesassignment.</p><p>AbitlargerthanJ-frames,andheavier,TaurusTracker45(top)andRugerSP101357(below),</p><p>arevery“shootable”andsubstantiallymorepowerfulthan38s.</p><p>Today’snewparadigm:polymer-framed,striker-firedautos.Fromtop:Glock22in40,S&WM&P</p><p>in9mm,SpringfieldXDTactical in45GAP,45ACPKahrP45,40cal.Taurus24/7,and9mm</p><p>RugerSR9.</p><p>Many prefer a mix of modern and traditional. These are modern polymer-frame autos with</p><p>hammer-firedmechanisms.Fromtopright:(1)9mmSIGP250DAO;(2)45ACPHeckler&Koch</p><p>USP45;and(3)45ACPRugerP345.</p><p>Secrets of experience: moderately long-barrel guns with short grips deliver great shooting</p><p>performance,andmaybeeasiertocarryatthewaistthan“snubbies.”(4)KahrCovertP40in40</p><p>S&W;(5)S&WModel6438Specialwith4-inchbarrelandCraigSpegelBootGrips;and(6)Colt</p><p>CCOwith41/4-inchbarrelofCommandermountedonshortOfficersframe,in45ACP,wearing</p><p>BarnhartBurnerstocks.</p><p>Just as hunters and sportsmen have historically modeled their rifle</p><p>choices on the nation’s military small arms, America’s armed citizens</p><p>havehistoricallyfollowedthepoliceestablishmentinchoosingdefensive</p><p>handguns.WhenmostofAmerica’scopscarried38Specialrevolversto</p><p>work,that</p><p>sametypeandcaliberwasthemostpopularchoiceofhome</p><p>defense and concealed carry gun. Though private gun enthusiasts</p><p>embracedautopistolsbeforeAmericanlawenforcementingeneral,they</p><p>did not switch to autoloaders enmasse until the police did the same.</p><p>Today, the snub-nose “detective special” genre remains extremely</p><p>popular amongcops forbackupandoff-dutywear, and the same style</p><p>gun is very popular among armed citizens, but both tend toward the</p><p>autoloaderasaruleforfullsize“heavyduty”handguns.</p><p>Let’s take just a cursory look at available choices today. In each</p><p>weapontype,varioussizesandcalibersareavailable.Thisallowsarmed</p><p>citizenandcopaliketohaveadeepconcealmentgun,alargerhandgun</p><p>that’sconcealableunderheavierclothing,andperhapsastilllargerone</p><p>for home defense or target practice, all with the same fire controls and</p><p>general “feel” for commonality of training and habituation, so that skills</p><p>developedwith the onewill transfer to the other.With some (but not</p><p>all) combinations, one can also use the larger gun’s speedloaders or</p><p>highercapacitymagazinesforefficientspareammorechargingwiththe</p><p>smallergun.</p><p>Twoapproachestomaking1911’sbuttlessprotuberantinconcealment.Top:shortenedOfficer’s</p><p>frame on Colt CCO. Center: “Bobtail” configuration developed by Ed Brown, shown on his</p><p>Executivemodelpistol.</p><p>Bottom:standardsize1911frameforreference,hereaSmithSW1911.All3are45ACP.</p><p>TheNewParadigm“Automatics”</p><p>The proper term is considered to be “semiautomatic,” but for my</p><p>generation “automatic” was an acceptable descriptor of autoloading</p><p>pistolswhichonlyfiredoneshotperpullofthetrigger,soforgivemeifI</p><p>use it in this book for convenience. We all know what we’re talking</p><p>about.</p><p>Themost popular genre of automatics today are striker-fired pistols</p><p>with no “hammers” per se, and with polymer frames. Pioneered by</p><p>HecklerandKochwiththeVP70ZandHKP9seriespistolsofthe1970s</p><p>and’80s–butpopularizedmorethan20yearsagobythemarket-leading</p><p>Glock brand – the polymer frame reducesweight, reduces cost, and is</p><p>impervious to corrosion. The latter is an important point with guns</p><p>carriedconcealedandoftenexposedtosalty,rust-creatinghumansweat.</p><p>Mostofthesepistolswillhaveatriggerpullthat’sthesamefromfirstto</p><p>lastshot,whichmakesthemeasiertolearntoshootwell.Theseinclude</p><p>the Glock, of course, and also the Springfield Armory XD, the Kahr,</p><p>Smith&Wesson’s successfulMilitary& Police series and cost-effective</p><p>Sigma line, and the slim, reliableRuger SR9 amongothers. TheGlock</p><p>lineisfarandawaythemostpopularinAmericanpoliceserviceatthis</p><p>writing,buttheS&WM&Piscomingonstronginthatsectorandso,toa</p><p>lesserdegree,istheXD.</p><p>S&W lightweight Centennials have been the choice of experts for deep concealment formore</p><p>thanhalf a century. Top:OriginalCentennialAirweight, circa 1953.Center,Model 442, early</p><p>’90s,withEaglegrips.Bottom,Model340M&P,withfactory-furnishedHoguegrips,introduced</p><p>2007.</p><p>Double-action semiautomatics can be had with polymer frames</p><p>(BerettaNinety-TwoandPx4,thecurrentHKseries,SIGP-250andSIG-</p><p>Pro,RugerP959mmandP34545,forexample).Theserequirea long,</p><p>heavy (read “deliberate”) pull of the trigger for the first shot, and are</p><p>considered by some to be less prone to stress-induced accidental</p><p>discharges for that reason. They can be ordered DAO (double-action-</p><p>only,withthatsameheavypullforeveryshot,suchasthepopularKel-</p><p>Tecseries),orTDA(traditionaldoubleaction)inwhichthepistolcocks</p><p>itselftoaneasy,lightpullforeveryshotafterthefirst.Thelatterwillbe</p><p>fitted with a decocking lever to safely lower the hammer when the</p><p>shootingisdone.Ofcourse,thesamecompanies–plusSmith&Wesson</p><p>and many more – offer double-action autos with steel or aluminum</p><p>frameconstruction,too.</p><p>A classic favorite among American shooters is the single action</p><p>semiautomatic, typifiedby the1911pistol thathasbeenpopular since</p><p>the eponymous year of its introduction. To be ready for immediate,</p><p>reactive self-defense, the 1911 type handgun has to be carried cocked</p><p>and locked (hammerback, thumb safety in the “safe”position)with a</p><p>liveroundinthechamber.Thisalarmssomepeoplenotintunewiththe</p><p>tradition, and there is no shame for those people to simply go to a</p><p>doubleactionorstriker-firedhandguninstead.The1911waspopularfor</p><p>concealedcarryfromthebeginningbecauseitisextremelythinforagun</p><p>of itspowerlevel,andisthereforeverycomfortabletowearinsidethe</p><p>waistbandoreveninashoulderholster.Themostpopularchamberingis</p><p>the one this gun was designed around, the 45 ACP (Automatic Colt</p><p>Pistol),butenthusiastshaveboughtthemin38Super,9mm,10mm,and</p><p>other chamberings. The 1911 was designed by firearms genius John</p><p>Moses Browning, who before his death did the initial designwork on</p><p>another famous weapon that bears his name, the Browning Hi-Power.</p><p>Even slimmer, and capable of holding 14 rounds of 9mmParabellum,</p><p>thishighqualityweaponhassomethingofacultfollowingintheCCW</p><p>world.</p><p>Revolvershaveearnedareputationforgoodreliabilityandhavebeen</p><p>aroundsincetheyear1836.Aswing-outcylinderdoubleactiondesignis</p><p>the easiest handgun for new shooters because of its simple</p><p>“administrativehandling,”theroutineloadingandunloading,checking,</p><p>and cleaning that accompanies all responsible firearms ownership. Its</p><p>“manual of arms,” i.e., its physical operation, is without parallel for</p><p>simplicity.Thisisonereasonmostexpertsrecommendthedouble-action</p><p>revolverasa“startergun”fornewshooters.</p><p>Model642Airweight38Spl.maybetoday’s“bestbuy”inacarrysnub,opinesauthor.</p><p>642withUncleMike’s grips andpocketholster, backedbySpeedStrip, and loadedwith135-</p><p>grainGoldDot38Spl.+Pisanexcellenteverydaycarrysnubbyset-up.</p><p>RevolverorAuto</p><p>Asyouassessyourparticularbalanceofneeds,you’llfindsomestark</p><p>differencesbetweentheattributesofthedoubleactionrevolverandthe</p><p>semiautomaticpistol.Let’sgoforaquickoverview.</p><p>All autoloadingpistolshave longbearing surfacesbetween slideand</p><p>frame, making them sensitive to proper lubrication. They are also</p><p>depended on clean, pristine magazines with unfatigued springs. Thus,</p><p>autopistols aremoremaintenance intensive than revolvers,whichcan</p><p>beleftunlubricatedandatrestliterallyfordecadeswithnodegradation</p><p>infunction.MilitaryspecautopistolssuchastheGlock,Beretta,SIG,etc.</p><p>have large tolerances between the moving parts, allowing them to</p><p>functionwhensandordirtgetinthemechanism;themorefinelyfitted</p><p>revolvers may choke if dropped in a sand pile or immersed in mud.</p><p>Thus, while the revolver is more forgiving of lack of routine</p><p>maintenance,theautomaticismoreforgivingoffieldabuse.</p><p>CrimsonTraceLasergripsmakeanexcellentadditiontohard-to-shootsnubbyrevolvers.</p><p>Intheseriousdefensecalibers(38Specialandup)revolvershaveonly</p><p>five shots in the small frame models, six in the standard frame, and</p><p>occasionallysevenoreightinthelarger,progressivelyhardertoconceal</p><p>sizes. The smallest 9mmautos start at seven rounds onboard, quickly</p><p>progresstotenoreleven,andifyoucancarryalightpolymer-frame,full</p><p>size9mmauto,you’reupto18roundsorso,twentyifyoudon’tminda</p><p>small magazine extension protruding from the butt. With</p><p>quick-</p><p>interchangingmagazines, the autos are alsomuch faster to reload. By</p><p>anymeasure,iffirepower’swhatyouwant,asemiautomaticiswhatyou</p><p>need.</p><p>Most semiautomatics can jam if pressed against an assailant’s body</p><p>beforefiring,ascanhappeninabelly-to-bellyfighttothedeathorrape</p><p>attempt. The pressure will push most autos’ slides out of battery, or</p><p>firingalignmentoftheparts,preventingevenoneshotfrombeingfired.</p><p>Ifthefirstshotdischarges,viscousblood,fat,andbrainmattermaybe</p><p>back-blastedfromashotagainstbarefleshintothebarrelbushingarea</p><p>of the autoloader as it cycles, preventing the slide from closing into</p><p>battery for a subsequent shot.With a revolver, however, this is not a</p><p>consideration. If your likeliest threat profile is a contact-distance</p><p>mugging, rape, or murder attempt, the revolver will give you an</p><p>advantage.Muzzle contact shots are particularly devastating since the</p><p>violently expanding gases of the muzzle blast are directed into the</p><p>opponent’sbody,causingmassiveadditionaldamage.</p><p>Revolvershootershavetendedhistoricallytopracticewithlightloads,</p><p>usingmildwadcuttersorfeeble130-graingeneric38Specialrangeloads</p><p>for training, and then loadingmonsterElmerKeithMemorialMagnum</p><p>loadsof357persuasionforthestreet.Copsgotawayfromthatlongago,</p><p>because they realized that light loads didn’t prepare the officer to hit</p><p>with a hard-kicking gun at the moment of truth. Too many private</p><p>citizensstilldeludethemselvesthisway.Anadvantageoftheautopistol</p><p>is that it won’t run with light loads, forcing the shooter into relevant</p><p>practice.</p><p>Seen here with 340 M&P, Centennial’s design lets the hand get higher on the backstrap for</p><p>superiorrecoilrecoveryinrapidcombatfire.</p><p>Shorter,moreefficient autopistol loads tend toproduce lessmuzzle</p><p>flash at night than revolver ammo of equivalent power levels, i.e., 38</p><p>Specialversus9mm,357Magnumversus357SIG,or45Coltversus45</p><p>ACPor45GAP(GlockAutoPistol).The lessmuzzle flash, the less the</p><p>shooterisblindedbyhisorherownweapon,anotheradvantagetothe</p><p>auto.</p><p>Autostendtohavesquared-off“handles”thatpresstightlyagainstthe</p><p>body, particularly in pocket, ankle, belly-band, or other deep</p><p>concealment carrymodes.Thismeans the fingers of thedrawinghand</p><p>mayhavetofightalittletogetbetweenthefleshandtheguntogaina</p><p>drawinggrasp.Theroundedprofileofthesmallframerevolverallowsa</p><p>much faster grasp, hence a much faster draw. Score a point for the</p><p>revolverhere,particularlyinpocket,ankle,orbelly-bandcarry.</p><p>Revolvers tend, overall, to be somewhat more reliable than auto</p><p>pistols,whichcanjamfrombeingheldwithalimpwrist,fromusingtoo</p><p>short or too long a cartridge, or from lack of lubrication ormagazine</p><p>damage.Particularly fornon-experiencedshootersandthosewhodon’t</p><p>routinely lubricate their guns, this gives the “wheelgun” a reliability</p><p>edge. (Auto shooters, remember to lubricate your carry gun monthly,</p><p>evenifyoudon’tshootit.Lubricantisliquid;itdrainsandevaporates.)</p><p>Ifyoucarryinanankleholster,gritbuildsuponthegunquickly.Onlya</p><p>few “military-spec” small autos seem to survive this buildup without</p><p>jamming:theKel-TecP11andP3AT,thebabyGlocks,andtheKahrs,for</p><p>example. Revolvers tolerate this grit buildup in ankle holsters much</p><p>better.</p><p>One thing we’ve seen more and more since autoloaders became</p><p>predominant in police work is that if they are carried with amanual</p><p>safetylockedinthe“safe”position,theyofferanelementofproprietary</p><p>naturetotheuserifacriminalgainscontroloftheweapon.Thisfeature</p><p>isgenerally theprovinceofautopistols insteadof revolvers.However,</p><p>theK-frame(38-sizeframe)orlargerS&Wrevolvercanbeconvertedto</p><p>MagnaTriggerconfigurationbyRickDevoid.Suchaconversioncanonly</p><p>befiredbysomeonewearingamagneticring.Whenmylittleoneswere</p><p>notyetatanageofresponsibility,my“housegun”(andoftenmycarry</p><p>gun)wasa4-inchbarrelSmith&Wesson357,MagnaTriggered. Itwill</p><p>comeoutofretirementnowthatI’vegotgrandkids.Igavea21/2-inch</p><p>barrelMagnaTriggerCombatMagnumtomyyoungestwhenshebecame</p><p>a mom – Devoid tuned the action, too – while her older sister was</p><p>comfortable with her pet S&W Model 3913 9mm automatic in this</p><p>regard, since it is equipped with both manual safety and magazine</p><p>disconnector safety. Devoid (www.tarnhelm.com) can also fit a</p><p>Cominolli thumbsafety forallGlockpistolsbut theModel36,offering</p><p>proprietarynaturetotheusertoGlockfans.</p><p>http://www.tarnhelm.com</p><p>Ayoobsays“Friendsdon’t let friendscarrymouseguns.”ComparedtoS&W40-138(top), the</p><p>NAA 22 Magnum (center) and 22 Short (bottom) mini-revolvers should be seen as enjoyable</p><p>recreationalguns,notfightingweapons,hefeels.</p><p>Thereissuchathingas“toobig”indefensiverevolvers,suchasthe460Smith&Wesson.Author</p><p>whimsicallyholds83/8-inchversion,left,andshortbarrel“emergency”model,right.</p><p>P3ATbyKel-Tecisreliableincurrentproduction,saysauthor,andcertainlylightandflat.</p><p>Kel-TecP3AT(belowJ-frameS&Wshownforcomparison)isextremelyflatandeasytocarry,but</p><p>authordoesnottrustits380cartridgeasmuchashedoes38Spl.+P.</p><p>Thecarrygunofyourchoicewillprobablybeavailableinavarietyofsizeformats.Herearethe</p><p>fourcurrentlyproduced9mmGlocks.Fromtop,targetsizeG34;servicesizeG17;compactG19;</p><p>subcompactG26.</p><p>Thereareotherfactorstoconsider,butthesearethekeypoints.They</p><p>help toexplainwhyserious shooters todayseemtopreferautoloaders,</p><p>butmostexpertsrecommendrevolversforbeginnersandforthatclassof</p><p>gunownersthatexpertMarkMoritzdefinedasNDPs,ornon-dedicated</p><p>personnel. It also explains why the revolver is so popular as a</p><p>hideout/backupgunamongevenhighlytrainedgunpeople.</p><p>Whenindoubt,dowhatIdo.Withaservice-gradeautomaticonmy</p><p>hipandalight,snub-nosedrevolverinmypocket,I figureI’mcovered</p><p>whether St. Peter turns out to be a Bill Jordan/revolver fan or a Jeff</p><p>CooperautofanwhenImeethimonJudgmentDay…</p><p>ConcealedCarryGunFeatures</p><p>Whatever your choice, there are some features that are particularly</p><p>suitableforconcealedcarry.Youwantacarrygunthatissnag-free.No</p><p>sharpedges.Nothingtohookonclothingandrevealthepistol,orwear</p><p>holes in the garments, or catch on fabric and fatally stall a defensive</p><p>draw. If you just have to have a sharp-edged, non-ramped front sight,</p><p>make sure your holster has a “sight channel” that will prevent</p><p>“catching.” Some shooters really do have a need for adjustable rear</p><p>sights – they’re carrying a hunting handgun or match handgun that</p><p>needs tobepreciselyzeroed,andmayneedthesightsadjusted to take</p><p>advantage of different ammunition power levels – the edges of those</p><p>sightsshouldberounded,evenifacustomgunsmithhastodoit.</p><p>Makesurethegripandgrip-frameareagivethehandenoughtraction</p><p>ifwetwithsweatorbloodorrain.Thedefensivehandgun,remember,is</p><p>an emergency tool. Smooth metal frames coupled with pearl or even</p><p>ivory“handles,”ifthelatterdon’thavefingergrooves,mightaswellbe</p><p>coatedwithwet soap. Some secure grip surfaces can be too tacky for</p><p>concealedcarry.Dependingon thegarments, “rubber”gripshavebeen</p><p>known to catch inner clothing surfaces and hike up the garment to</p><p>revealthehandgun.Skateboard-likegripsthatlockthegunsolidlyinto</p><p>thehand can abrade coat</p><p>linings. I find I canwear themnext to bare</p><p>skin,butalotofmycolleaguesfindthemagonizing.Ontheotherhand,</p><p>someofthosefolkscanwearcocobologripsnexttotheirskin,butinmy</p><p>casetheycauseanangryredrash.Therearealotofindividualisticlittle</p><p>tastesthatyoudevelopoveryearsofconcealedcarry,andtheytendto</p><p>behighlysubjective.</p><p>Theoldrevolverparadigm,seenwithS&W38Specials.Fromtop:6-inchK38forpistolteamuse,</p><p>4-inchCombatMasterpieceforuniformwear,and2-inchChiefsSpecialforconcealmentneeds.</p><p>Yourmodelofchoicemaybeavailableinvariouslengths.Thesearesingle-action-onlySIGP220</p><p>45s.Fromtop:5-inchbarreltargetmodel,41/4-inchservicemodel,and3.9-inch“Carry”model.</p><p>Night sights are a good idea. Most armed encounters occur in dim</p><p>light,andTritiumsightscanhelp.Whenyouwakeupinpitchdarkness</p><p>inastrangemotelroom,thoseglowingsightdotsguideyourhandtothe</p><p>bedside defense sidearm like airstrip landing lights. Laser sights,</p><p>particularly the convenient designs such as LaserMax (replacing the</p><p>recoilspringunderthebarrelinpopularautos),andtheCrimsonTrace</p><p>LaserGrip (bolt-on, for popular revolvers and autos) can enhance your</p><p>hit potential in the dark. They’re a Godsend for those with vision</p><p>problemsthatallowthemto identifya threat,butdon’t let themfocus</p><p>on gunsights that are at arm’s length. The deterrent effect of the red</p><p>laser dot on a suspect at gunpoint may have been over-rated by</p><p>manufacturers andadvertisers,but if there’s a chanceof thatworking,</p><p>it’sachanceyouwantonyourside.Lasersightsarealsoatremendous</p><p>trainingaidindryfireandevenlivefire,allowingtheshootertobetter</p><p>becomeaccustomedtoholdingthegunassteadyaspossibleastheindex</p><p>fingersmoo-oothlyrollsthetriggerbackuntiltheshot.</p><p>Commonalityoftrainingandammo,dualityofpurpose.Top,Glock31withScottWarrennight</p><p>sights and InSightM3Xwhite lightunit, forpolicepatrol andhomedefense.Below,Glock33</p><p>with Trijicon night sights for backup and concealed carry. Both fire the powerful 357 SIG</p><p>cartridge,andsmallergunwillworkwithlargergun’smagazines.</p><p>Whitelightattachmentsmakegreatsenseforhomedefense,anditis</p><p>logicaltopurchaseasanall-arounddefensepistolanautoloaderthathas</p><p>integral frame rails that allow slide-on/slide-off units by SureFire,</p><p>InSight, Streamlight, Blackhawk, and so on. Police are going to larger</p><p>holsters made to carry light-mounted guns, and a few manufacturers</p><p>(Blade-Tech, for one) produce concealable holsters that carry light-</p><p>mountedautomatics.Asthelightunitsbecomesmaller,thispracticewill</p><p>becomemorepracticalforconcealedcarry.</p><p>ThicknessisanimportantdimensioninCCWselection.Toptobottom,left:SpringfieldXD,Glock</p><p>22, Kimber 1911, SIG P226. From top at right: Kahr P40, S&W K-frame, S&W J-frame, and</p><p>BrowningHi-Power.Noteslimnessof1911andHi-Powerformats,areasonfortheirpopularity</p><p>amongCCWprofessionals.</p><p>SizeandShapeFactors</p><p>Bulgesundertheclothingarethekeyenemyofeffectiveconcealment,</p><p>andthe“handle”areaoftheguntendstobethebiggestoffenderhere.</p><p>The long grip-frame of a full-size duty pistol is best concealed by</p><p>carrying it on the strong-side hip, tilted sharply forward until the</p><p>backstrapofthegripispointedalmostatthearmpit.Thismayrequirea</p><p>slightcrouchtoeffectthedraw,butthat’ssomethingmostpeopledoin</p><p>ahigh-stressdangersituationanyway.</p><p>Carrygunofauthor’soldestdaughteristhisSokol-tunedS&WModel39.Itholdsnineroundsof</p><p>9mmand isaperfectcarry size.SIG’sanalogouspistol, theP239,wasadvertisedas“Personal</p><p>Size,”forgoodreason.</p><p>Nonetheless,smallergunbuttsareaplusforconcealment.Oneofthe</p><p>lesser recognized concealment secrets is that a medium-length barrel</p><p>coupled with aminimized grip frame can give the carrier the best of</p><p>both worlds. Three good examples would be the K-frame Smith &</p><p>Wessonrevolverwitha4-inchbarrelandstockscutlevelwiththemetal</p><p>butt;myfavoriteconcealedcarryColt45autoamongtheextensiveline</p><p>the company has offered since 1911, the CCO with 4 1/4-inch</p><p>Commander barrel and commensurate length slide mounted on the</p><p>short-butt Lightweight Officers frame; and the popular Kahr Covert</p><p>series, inwhichthebarrel/slideoftheirstandard-lengthguns(compact</p><p>bymostothermakers’standards)ismatedwiththestubbyframeoftheir</p><p>Micromodels.Withautos,thisgenerallyreducescartridgecapacitybya</p><p>round or two due to the necessarily shorter magazine, but that’s a</p><p>reasonablepricetopayforagunthatconcealslikeasnubbybutshoots</p><p>likeaservicepistol.MyoldfriendMartyHayes,themastershooterand</p><p>instructor who directs Firearms Academy of Seattle, once created a</p><p>Glock40perfectforconcealedcarrythatIcalledtheGlock22-1/2.He</p><p>took the standard service-size sixteen-shot Glock 22 and shortened its</p><p>butt to take the 13-round Glock 23 magazine. This gave maximum</p><p>concealment, still offered an excellent grasp, and a total of fourteen</p><p>versus sixteen roundswasnotdeemed tobeanunfairprice topay for</p><p>theimprovedconcealment.</p><p>This hammer-shrouded Colt Detective Special picked up thismuch lint and dirt carried in an</p><p>ankleholsterbetweencop-owner’srangequalifications. Itstillworked,onereasonauthor likes</p><p>revolversforpocketandanklewear.</p><p>Roundedbuttsworkwell.EdBrowncameupwitha“bobtail” lower</p><p>rearendforhisownlineoffactorycustom1911automatics,whichhe</p><p>has licensed to theDanWessoncompany for theirbrandandwhich is</p><p>availableforcustomgunsmithingaswell.Withanyhandgun(revolvers</p><p>areparticularlysuitable)roundingtheedgesofthegripsatthebottom</p><p>willimproveconcealability.</p><p>AdditionalSafetyFactors</p><p>The trigger pull should be smooth on a defensive handgun, but not</p><p>particularlylight.Onefactorthatoccurstohumanbeingsunderstressis</p><p>vasoconstriction.Bloodflowisredirectedawayfromtheextremitiesand</p><p>into the internal organs and major muscle groups, as if to “fuel the</p><p>furnace” for the superhuman effort about to come. This is why</p><p>frightenedCaucasiansbecomedeathlypale,anditiswhypeopleinlife-</p><p>threateningstresssituationsbecomegrosslyclumsy.Alighttriggerpull</p><p>cannowmuchmoreeasilydischargeprematurelyandunintentionally.</p><p>There are two problems with this. One is the potential for</p><p>unintentional discharge itself. (Yeah, I know, it’s trendy to call it</p><p>“negligentdischarge”unlesstherewasamechanicaldefect.I’veworked</p><p>in the criminal justice system since 1972, and I still believe in the</p><p>“innocent until proven guilty” part. The automatic assumption of</p><p>negligenceifthedischargewasnotcausedbymechanicalfailureseems</p><p>tohavearisenfromfirearmsacademiessponsoredbyliabilityconscious</p><p>firearmsmanufacturers. I’m still comfortablewith the term“accidental</p><p>discharge” (AD) until negligence has been clearly and convincingly</p><p>proven.)</p><p>AuthorhascarriedthisBrowningHi-Power,tunedbyCylinder&SlideShop,coasttocoastinthe</p><p>U.S.A.andfromEuropetoAfrica.Greatfeeland“shootability”combinewiththinnesstomakeit</p><p>more concealable than it looks in profile.Worldwide availability of Browning parts and 9mm</p><p>Lugerammodoesn’thurt,either.</p><p>GunexpertDeanSpeirpronouncedtheGlock30theidealconcealedcarrypistol.Match-accurate</p><p>andtotallyreliablewithdutyloads,itcarries11roundsof45ACP.</p><p>Laser sights are useful, especially in poor light. Here author centers a target</p><p>after dusk with</p><p>RugerSP101revolverequippedwithCrimsonTraceLaserGrips.</p><p>Subcompact1911sarepopularamongprofessionals.FamedinstructorGilaHayescarrieshers,an</p><p>UltraCompact9mmSpringfieldArmory,asshownwithmodifiedsafety,sights,andLaserGrips</p><p>added.</p><p>Accidental discharges, sometimes with tragic and fatal results, have</p><p>beenclearlyandconvincinglyrelatedtoverylighttriggerpullsoverthe</p><p>years by countless police departments. Decades ago, the police</p><p>departmentsofLosAngelesandNewYorkCitywent todouble-action-</p><p>onlyrevolvers,becausesomanybadthingshadhappenedwithrevolvers</p><p>cocked to single action. NYPD now mandates a nearly twelve-pound</p><p>(NY2,or“NewYorkPlus”)triggermoduleinallGlockpistolscarriedby</p><p>membersoftheirservice.TheNewYorkStatePolice,fortheexactsame</p><p>reason,pioneered theoriginal “NewYork trigger” (NY1) for theGlock</p><p>179mmstheyadoptedinthe1980s,andfortheGlock3745GAPsthey</p><p>carrytoday.Thisbringspullweightupto7.75-8.0pounds.Itworkswell</p><p>under stress foraccuratehits; it’s actually less likely tobreak than the</p><p>standardtriggerspring it replaces;andI foronehave it ineachof the</p><p>severalGlocks I regularly carry concealed. In a 1911 pistol, no street-</p><p>wisepolice instructororgunsmithwill recommenda single-actionpull</p><p>weightof less than fourpounds, andmost suggest somethingcloser to</p><p>five.</p><p>Crimson Trace LaserGrip activates when middle finger depresses button on front of grip in</p><p>normalfiringgrasp.It’sshownhereonaSmith&WessonTitaniumModel34238Special.</p><p>Precisionshotsareneededinself-defensemoreoftenthanfolksthink.LatemodelS&WM/40-1</p><p>(right), has better sights than such J-frame S&Ws used to have, but even better are those on</p><p>Model340PD(left).BigAOExpressnightsightinfrontiseasytopickupinclose,fastshooting,</p><p>andtheeyesettlesitintogenerousU-notchrearsightifprecisionshotisneeded.</p><p>ColtLightweightCommander45autohasbeenafavoriteofconcealedcarryprofessionalssince</p><p>1950.</p><p>Goodlightsareessentialtoself-defenseinpoorlight.FL/GARegionalChampionwithEnhanced</p><p>ServiceRevolver, Jon Strayer, demonstrates the very useful Liberator flashlight by First Light,</p><p>Inc. at 2007 national championships. Affixing quickly to the back of the hand, it leaves both</p><p>handsfree.RevolverisMulkerinCustomS&W45.</p><p>Thesecondproblemwiththelighttriggerpullisthefalseallegationof</p><p>anaccidentaldischarge.Here’sthesituationI’veseenplayoutoverand</p><p>over again in both civil and criminal cases over the years. Good guy</p><p>shootsbadguy.Publicity-hungryprosecutorormoney-hungryplaintiff’s</p><p>lawyer needs a scapegoat to grab political or financial profit. This</p><p>attorney fabricates a case of accidental discharge due to recklessly</p><p>cockinghammerandcreatinghairtrigger(orcarryingpistolthatwould</p><p>alwaysfirewith“hairtrigger”).ThisBSallegationisdignifiedincourtas</p><p>theaccuser’s “theoryof thecase.”Without this frailhookonwhich to</p><p>hang the bogus case, it probablywould have gone away. Instead, the</p><p>shooter who fired in self-defense goes through a nightmarish (and</p><p>nightmarishlyexpensive)ordeal.Seethe“Aftermath”chapter.</p><p>ThreemodificationsstandoutonthisGlock17.HeinieStraight-8sight…Cominollithumbsafety</p><p>fittedbyRickDevoidatTarnhelm…andoversizemagazinereleasefromGlockWorks.Notevery</p><p>shooterneedseveryavailablemodification.</p><p>One iswisest to avoid it entirely. The revolvers I carry for personal</p><p>defense will fire double action only. Some came that way from the</p><p>factoryandsomeweremodified.Mycarryautosareeitherdoubleaction</p><p>(withheavier-than-target-gradetriggerpullsevenonsingleaction),my</p><p>XDshave6to7poundtriggerpulls,noneofmycarry1911sarelighter</p><p>than4pounds,andasnotedmycarryGlockshaveNewYorktriggersin</p><p>the7-8poundpullrange.Anyonewhotellsyouit’simpossibletoshoot</p><p>wellwiththeseguns,doesn’tknowhowtoshoot.I’vewonIDPAmatches</p><p>withGlockandXDpistolsintheabovepullweights,andforthreeyears</p><p>runningwontheNHPoliceAssociationannualstateshootwithaGlock</p><p>22thathadaNewYorktrigger,shootingagainstsomewhohadput3.5</p><p>poundpullsintheirgunsbeforethematch.</p><p>SelectingtheGunWardrobe</p><p>In a clothing store, it’s hard to go wrong with “the basics”: “basic</p><p>black,”graypinstripe,andallofthat.IntheworldofCCW,thefirstof</p><p>“thebasics”isasmallrevolver.</p><p>S&W’s J-frame series is the odds-on choice of professionals. High</p><p>quality, smart engineering, and a wide range to choose from: 22, 32</p><p>H&RMagnum (off and on), 38 Special, and 357Magnum.My advice</p><p>wouldbetogowiththe38Special,thoughthelittle22KitGunsmake</p><p>great “understudies” for cheap practice. An all-steel 2-inch (actually 1</p><p>7/8-inchbarrelinmostcases)willrunabout20ounces.Thealuminum</p><p>frameAirweights go about 15ounces, a profounddifferencewhen the</p><p>guniscarriedinapocketorontheankle,butmuchlessnoticeableina</p><p>beltholster.TheAirLitesareavailableinvariousmixesofTitaniumand</p><p>Scandium, and are proportionally expensive due to the rare materials</p><p>used in their construction, but they can get down to the eleven and</p><p>twelve ounce weight range. There’s no excuse not to carry when</p><p>adequatelypowerfulhandgunscomethislight.</p><p>Of course, the lighter the gun, the harder it kicks with the same</p><p>ammunition. The all-steel small frames aren’t too bad, even with 38</p><p>Special+Pammo.TheAirweightsaredownrightunpleasant,andafter</p><p>I’ve finished a 50-shot qualification I’m glad it’s over. The AirLites,</p><p>however,aredownrightpainful,andwithMagnumloadsthey’retorture</p><p>devices. I find them more painful to shoot than the mighty Smith &</p><p>Wesson500Magnumhuntingrevolver,by far. Ifyouget themin357,</p><p>loadthemwith38sanddoyourselfafavor.</p><p>It’s amyth,by theway, that it’sOK topracticewithmild loadsbut</p><p>carry monster Magnums because somehow, fight or flight reflex will</p><p>makeupforthekickinanactualdefensiveshooting.True,thedumpof</p><p>nor-epinephrineandendorphinsthataccompanieshighlevelbodyalarm</p><p>reactionmay block the pain of the recoil, but that won’t keep a too-</p><p>powerful gun from twisting in your hand and preventing you from</p><p>gettingfast,accuratefollow-upshots.Youdon’tneedmetotellyouthat</p><p>ahitwitha38Specialbeatsamisswitha357Magnum.</p><p>The J-frame– a32-size framewith a cylinder boredout for five38</p><p>roundsinsteadofsix32s–canbehadinthreestyles,alldatingbackto</p><p>theperiodbetween1949and1955.TheoriginalChiefsSpecialseriesis</p><p>the “conventional style” double-action revolver,with exposed hammer</p><p>thatallowsthumb-cockingtosingleaction.TheBodyguardstyleisthat</p><p>gun with a built-in “hammer shroud” patterned after the bolt-on Colt</p><p>shroud introduced shortly before, which keeps the hammer spur from</p><p>snagging on clothing or pocket linings during a fast draw. A small</p><p>button-sizeportionofthehammerisexposedtoallowthumb-cockingfor</p><p>light-pullsingle-actionshots.ThethirdvariationistheCentennialseries,</p><p>known colloquially as a “hammerless” but actually having a hammer</p><p>thatistotallyenclosedinsideitsstreamlinedframe.</p><p>Modernparadigmhandgunsarewidelyconsideredinferiortotheclassic191145,butthat’snot</p><p>necessarily so. In the single-action 45 division, CDP, the top three places at the 2007 IDPA</p><p>National Championshipswent in order toDavidOlhassowith SpringfieldArmoryXD45 (top),</p><p>DavidSevignywithGlock21SF</p><p>(center),andErnestLangdonwithS&WM&P(below),allin45</p><p>ACP.</p><p>Itisgenerallyacceptedthatforfastdefensiveshooting,doubleaction</p><p>isthewaytogo.Withthisinmind,theCentennialisclearlythebestbet,</p><p>followedbytheBodyguard,followedbytheChiefs.Thereasonisfound</p><p>byanalyzingshooterergonomicsinlivefire,nottheorybornindryfire.</p><p>This late model S&W has current style cylinder latch, designed not to ding the thumb upon</p><p>recoil,andaboveittheInternalLockingSystem,whichpuristsdespiseandnewshootersseemto</p><p>like.</p><p>Introduced in2007, thisModel40-1Classicwas the first S&W inyears toappearwithout the</p><p>internallock.Ithastheold“lemon-squeezer”gripsafety,andtraditionalsquarelatchthatpurists</p><p>associatewiththeS&Wbreed.</p><p>Whena revolver recoils, itwants to torque itsmuzzleupand to the</p><p>side.With the conventional-hammerChiefs series, thebutt can roll up</p><p>intothewebof thehand,gettingafteronetothreeshots toaposition</p><p>wherethatwebofthehandblocksthehammerandpreventssubsequent</p><p>shots from being fired until the gun is re-gripped. That won’t happen</p><p>with the Bodyguard, whose hammer is shielded within its slot, and</p><p>whoseshroudisshapedinawaythatcatchesatthewebofthehandand</p><p>prevents“roll-up.”TheCentennialisevenbetter,becausenotonlycan’t</p><p>thegunrollup,but inaddition theshapeof therear frameallows the</p><p>shooter’shandtograspthegunhigher.Thislowerstheboreaxisvis-à-vis</p><p>the gun hand and arm, keeping the muzzle down, and maximally</p><p>enhancing the shooter’s recoil recovery rate for the most accurate</p><p>possiblerapidfire.</p><p>Because the Centennial can only be fired double action, it also</p><p>preventscockedgunaccidentsandpossiblefalseaccusationsofsame.All</p><p>thesereasonshavecombinedtomaketheCentennialseriesnotonlythe</p><p>mostpopularoftheJ-framesoverall,butinmostyearsof latethebest</p><p>selleramongJ-framesoverall.</p><p>Factoring in cost, shootability, and portability, the S&WModel 642</p><p>Airweight is my personal choice among all those available, most of</p><p>which Iownorhaveownedandallofwhich I’veshot. It’s theone I’d</p><p>personallyrecommend.Taurushasalineofsimilarrevolversinallthree</p><p>hammer styles which are acceptable alternatives, trading less fancy</p><p>finishforalowerpricetag.</p><p>Going up a notch, there are slightly larger revolvers that are more</p><p>powerful.ThetwoIcouldmoststronglyrecommendarethesnub-nosed</p><p>RugerSP101357Magnumand the2-inchbarrelTaurusTracker in45</p><p>ACP.Thelattertakestherimlessautopistolcartridgesinafast-loading</p><p>“moonclip,”andmine shoots topointofaimat25yardswithgroups</p><p>likeaservicerevolver’s.TheSPalsohastarget-gradeaccuracy.Eachhas</p><p>extra-cushionytripstobringtheirrecoildowntomanageablelevels.In</p><p>the25-ounceweightrange,thesearetooheavyformytasteforpocket</p><p>oranklecarry,butforthepersonwhowantsasmall,powerfulsnubbyin</p><p>abeltholster,they’regreat.</p><p>Carrygunchoiceinvolvesabalanceof“heavierguneasiertoshoot,lighterguneasiertocarry.”</p><p>Author weighs choice between 14 oz. Kahr PM9 (left, all black) and 22 ounce Kahr MK9</p><p>(stainless,right).Eachisa7-shot9mmofidenticaloveralldimensions.</p><p>Next on the “concealed handgun wardrobe necessities list” is a</p><p>compact semiautomatic pistol, if you’re comfortable with that type of</p><p>handgun.Glocksincompact(G199mm,G23.40,G32.357SIG,G30.45</p><p>ACP, and G38 .45 GAP) are all good choices. So are the many other</p><p>compact(i.e.,mediumsize)modernautosyou’ll findintheGunDigest,</p><p>where there’s more space to pore over the various models and</p><p>size/weight specifications than here. In the 1911, Commander and</p><p>Officerssizeworkwell.Formany,somethingmoresub-compactfitsthe</p><p>bodybetter.Thesewouldincludethe“babyGlocks”inthesamecalibers,</p><p>the Micro-series Kahrs, and the smallest of the 1911s by their many</p><p>makers.</p><p>Finally, a full-size gun makes particular sense under cold-weather</p><p>wardrobes,whichcanamplyconcealthem.Incoldweather,withgloved</p><p>orcold-numbedhands,apistolwithalongergrip-framemaybeeasierto</p><p>handle. I like somethingwith a large trigger guard, andwhose trigger</p><p>won’treboundsofarforwardthatitcansnagonorbeblockedbythick</p><p>glovematerial,whichcouldmakeitfailtore-set.ATDAautopistolwill</p><p>generallyfillthatbill,aswilltheGlockorXD.Igetleeryofsingle-action</p><p>pistols when cold or gloves have further reduced a vasoconstricted</p><p>hand’s ability to feel the trigger, and the glove-blocking factor leaves</p><p>mostrevolversoutentirely.</p><p>Subcompact carry guns can be “too small for your hand,” necessitating technique changes.</p><p>Trigger reach is so short on this Kahr that author’s trigger finger is blocked by thumb in</p><p>traditional grasp; thumb will need to come up. Little finger is tucked under short butt since</p><p>there’snoroomforitontheframe…</p><p>…author’s two-hand grasp on the Kahr puts firing thumb on support hand out of theway of</p><p>triggerfinger,andsupporthandthumbwellforwardtoavoidthesharpedgeontheKahr’sslide</p><p>releaselever.</p><p>The bottom line of “concealed handgunwardrobe selection” is this:</p><p>the gun’s size and shape must fit hand, body, and clothing selection</p><p>alike.Youprobablydon’tdressthesameeveryday.Whenyou“dressto</p><p>kill”(forgiveme,Icouldn’tresist)youalsoneedtovarythatparticular</p><p>“wardrobe”tobettersuityourdailyneeds.</p><p>Final advice: In the immortalwords of author and big game hunter</p><p>Robert Ruark, “Use Enough Gun.” Small-caliber weapons simply don’t</p><p>have the “oomph” to stop a violent human being. I coined the phrase</p><p>“Friendsdon’t let friendscarrymouse-guns,”and I’ll stickby that.The</p><p>cessationofhomicidalhuman threat is the raisond’etre of CCW. If the</p><p>Weaponyou’reCarryingConcealedisn’tpowerfulenoughtodothatjob,</p><p>you’veundercutthewholepurposeofthemission.Ipersonallydrawthe</p><p>lineabovethemarginal380ACPandconsidertheminimumstobe38</p><p>Special+Pinarevolverand9mmLugerinasemiautomaticpistol.On</p><p>thetopend,onlymastershooterscanhandletheviolentrecoilof41and</p><p>44Magnums. Formost people, the best bet is in a caliber range that</p><p>encompasses38Special,357Magnum,9mmLuger,40Smith&Wesson,</p><p>10mmAuto,45ACP,and45GAP.Thereareotherrarely-carriedrounds</p><p>withinthatrange,butanyofthose–withproperhigh-techhollow-point</p><p>defensive ammunition – can be reasonably counted on to get you</p><p>throughthenight.</p><p>Formoreongunandammoselection,I’dreferyoutomyGunDigest</p><p>Book of CombatHandgunnery, Sixth Edition, available fromKrause. The</p><p>bottom line is, it’snotabout “whatgundidyouhave” somuchas it’s</p><p>about “did you have a gun?” Modern ultra-compact, ultra-light 38</p><p>Specialand9mmLugerhandgunsgiveyouadequatepowerinextremely</p><p>smallandlightpackages.Youjustdon’thavetosettleforanythingless,</p><p>wheninnocentlives–includingyourlifeandthelivesofthoseyoumost</p><p>love–willlikelybeatstakeifandwhentheshootingstarts.</p><p>Longerbarrelequalseasiertoshootaccurately,hardertocarry.Lefttoright:2”barrelS&WJ-</p><p>frameCentennialhasproduceda roughly4”group.S&WModel64andRugerGP100with4”</p><p>barrelshaveshotmuchtighter.Bestgroupofallcamewith6”barrelS&WK-38, farright.All</p><p>firedat25yardswithSpeerLawman158-grain+P.38Specialammo.</p><p>S&WM&P11-shot45ACPhasoptionalthumbsafety,comeswithrailstoholdthisStreamlight</p><p>whitelightattachment.Somewhereoutthereisahandgunwithexactlythefeatures</p><p>he has</p><p>invested so much of his time, effort, ego and self-image. It’s not</p><p>somethinghewantstosharewiththegeneralpublic.</p><p>Give him time. My experience has been that the great majority of</p><p>LEOs (law enforcement officers) in themiddle of those two ends, the</p><p>seasonedstreetcopswho’veseenthereality,haveamorerealisticview.</p><p>A great many of themmake sure they leave a gun at home for their</p><p>spouse to use to protect the household while they’re gone. They’ve</p><p>learnedthatpolicearereactivemorethanproactive,andthatthevictim</p><p>has to survive the violent criminal’s attack long enough for law</p><p>enforcementtobesummonedandarrive.</p><p>I’ve carried a concealed handgun since I was twelve years old. My</p><p>grandfather,thefirstgenerationofmyfamilytoarriveintheUSA,was</p><p>anarmedcitizenwhowentforhisgunwhenhewaspistol-whippedin</p><p>hiscitystorebyanarmedrobber.Heshotandwoundedtheman.The</p><p>suspectfled,onlytobekilledlaterthatnightinashootoutwiththecity</p><p>police.Thewoundmygrandfatherinflictedslowedhimdownwhenhe</p><p>triedtokillthearrestingofficer,andthecopsthankedhimforthat.My</p><p>dadhadbeen inhis twentieswhenhehad to resort todeadly force in</p><p>thesamecity’sstreets.Awould-bemurdererputarevolvertohishead</p><p>andpulled the trigger;mydadducked to the side enough tomiss the</p><p>bullet,butnotenoughtokeepthemuzzleblastfromdestroyinghisleft</p><p>eardrum.Momentslater,myfather’sreturnfirehadputthatmanonthe</p><p>grounddyingfroma38slug“centermass,”andthethug’saccomplicein</p><p>afetalpositionclutchinghimselfandscreaming.</p><p>It’snowonderthatgrowingupinthe1950s,gunswereapartofmy</p><p>life:inthehome,andinmyfather’sjewelrystore.WhenIwenttowork</p><p>there at age twelve, I carried a loaded gun concealed. There were</p><p>strategically placed handguns hidden throughout the area behind the</p><p>counterandinthebackroom,butDadwassmartenoughtoknowthatI</p><p>wouldn’talwaysbewithin reachofonewhen Ineeded it.The laws in</p><p>thattimeandplaceallowedthepractice.</p><p>I realized thiswassomeprettyseriousstuff,andset to learningall I</p><p>couldaboutthepractice.Mydad’scustomers includedlawyers, judges,</p><p>andhisfriendthechiefofpolice.Ipickedalltheirbrainsontheissue.</p><p>WhatIlearnedstunnedme.</p><p>If you carry, be competent with your gun. You don’t need to be able to shoot this perfect</p><p>qualificationscorewithaGlock30and45hardball,butyouwanttocomeascloseasyoucan.</p><p>Confidenceandcompetenceintertwine,saysAyoob.</p><p>Therewere books then on gunfighting: how to do it, what to do it</p><p>with,andhowtodevelopthemindsettodoit.Interestingly,therewere</p><p>noneonwhen toshoot.Mydad’s lawyerfriendstoldmethatevenkids</p><p>likemecouldusealegallibrary;wedidn’thavetobeattorneysorlaw</p><p>students to get in there, and the librarianwould showus how to find</p><p>whatwewerelookingfor.Ilivedinthestatecapital,andtheStateLegal</p><p>Libraryhadthesamerule.AsIbeganthatself-education,Ifoundmyself</p><p>thinking,“Somebodyoughttowriteabookaboutthisforregularpeople!</p><p>WhenIgrowup,ifnobody’swrittenthatbookyet,Iwannawriteit!”</p><p>AndIdid.“IntheGravestExtreme:theRoleoftheFirearminPersonal</p><p>Protection”hitprintin1979,andhasbeenabest-sellereversince.And</p><p>I’vebeencarryingaconcealedhandgunsincetheyear1960,inpublicon</p><p>apermitsincetheyear1969.By1973,Ihadbecomeapolicefirearms</p><p>instructor, and from then tonowhave taken training as avidly as I’ve</p><p>given it. I’ve been teaching and researching this stuff full time since</p><p>1981,whenIestablishedLethalForceInstitute(www.ayoob.com).That</p><p>hasincludedexpertwitnesstestimonyinweapons,shooting,andassault</p><p>cases since 1979. From 1987 through 2006, I served as chair of the</p><p>firearms committee for the American Society of Law Enforcement</p><p>Trainers,andhavebeenontheadvisoryboardfortheInternationalLaw</p><p>EnforcementEducatorsandTrainersAssociationsinceitsinception.I’ve</p><p>also had the privilege of teaching for the International Association of</p><p>Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors inside and outside the US, and</p><p>servedacoupleofyearsasco-vicechair,withMarkSeidenunderDrew</p><p>Findling,oftheforensicevidencecommitteeoftheNationalAssociation</p><p>of Criminal Defense Lawyers. I’ve had the privilege of studying the</p><p>firearms training of the DEA, NYPD, LAPD, numerous state police</p><p>agencies, andcountlessother lawenforcementorganizations. I’vebeen</p><p>able to study hands-on with such great shooting champions as Ray</p><p>Chapman,FrankGarcia,RobLeatham, andmanymore. I learnedone-</p><p>on-onefromlivinglegendslikeCharlieAskins,JimCirillo,JeffCooper,</p><p>BillJordan,FrankMcGeeandmore.Someofthe“more”haveaskedthat</p><p>theirnamesnotappearinprint,andIwillrespectthathere.</p><p>Ithasbeenalongandeducationalroad,andwithalittleluck,itwon’t</p><p>beoveranytimesoon.Thebottomlineis,I’mnotasuper-copassomany</p><p>ofthosemenliterallywere. Inall theseyears, thoughI’vehadmygun</p><p>onalotofpeopleandwasstartingtopullthetriggerafewtimes,I’ve</p><p>neverhadtoshootaman.Withalittleluck,thatwillstaythesame,too.</p><p>I seemy role – as an instructor and as thewriter of this book – as a</p><p>funnelofknowledge.You’reatthereceivingendofthefunnel.</p><p>http://www.ayoob.com</p><p>Manywhocarrygunshavelearnedtocarrytwo.Here,twinbabyGlocksrideindoubleshoulder</p><p>holsterbyMitchRosen.</p><p>Whenyoubecomeaccustomedtocarrying,youlearntohaveatleastoneweak-sideholsterand</p><p>ambidextrousgunsoyoucanprotectyourselfandyourlovedonesifyousustainaninjurytothe</p><p>dominantarm.Thisisoneofauthor’sSpringfieldArmory1911s,withambidextroussafetyand</p><p>left-handHighNoonconcealedcarryscabbard.</p><p>Therehavebeentremendousadvancesinthelastfiftyyearsinholster</p><p>design,handgundesign,andammunitiondesign.Wenowhavethefinest</p><p>concealedcarryfirearms,holsters,anddefensiveroundsthathaveever</p><p>beenavailable.Welikewisehavetechniquesthathavetakenadvantage</p><p>of modern knowledge of the human mind and body that was not</p><p>available to the famousgunfightersofold. (But theOldOneshave left</p><p>theirlessonstous,andmanyofthosearetimeless,too.)</p><p>“CCW”</p><p>Let’s sort out the alphabet soup for those readers new to concealed</p><p>carry. To those who practice it, CCW can describe the practice of</p><p>(lawfully)carryingaconcealedweapon.Itcanalsobeashorthandnoun,</p><p>e.g., “My CCW is a Colt Commander 45.” Unfortunately, to some the</p><p>lettershaveanegativeconnotation. Inmany jurisdictions,policeknow</p><p>themastheabbreviationforthecrimeof illegallyCarryingaConcealed</p><p>Weapon.</p><p>Insomepartsofthecountry,CCWreferstothepermittocarryitself,</p><p>asin:“IcarrymyCCWnexttomydriver’slicense,soIcanhandbothto</p><p>theofficer if I’mpulledover for speeding.”But each statehas itsown</p><p>terminology.ThatlittlelaminatedcardmightbeaCPL(ConcealedPistol</p><p>License),CWP (ConcealedWeaponsPermit), CHL (ConcealedHandgun</p><p>License), or some other acronym.We’re talking about the same thing.</p><p>Hell,inthestatewhereIgrewupandspentmostofmyadultlife,itwas</p><p>known simply as a “pistol permit.” (And, no, we’re not going to use</p><p>thesepagestodebatewhether“license”or“permit”istheproperterm.</p><p>Thebook isaboutconcealedcarry,notwhat I’vecome tocallCombat</p><p>Semantics.)</p><p>Concealed carrymeans several small changes of habit. If reaching to a high shelfmight raise</p><p>youroutergarmentandexposeholsterorgun…</p><p>The concealed carry lifestyle</p><p>youwant.</p><p>Evenguncolorisadebatableissue.Somelikematteblack,asintheKahrPM9above,becauseit</p><p>doesn’tcallattentiontothegun.Otherswantthebadguytorealizehe’satgunpoint,andlikethe</p><p>conspicuoussilvercolorofstainlessMK9,below,bythesamemaker.</p><p>D</p><p>DEFENSELOADSOFCHOICE:</p><p>TheWordFromTheStreet</p><p>Premiumlines fromfourbigmakers,coveringfourpopularcalibers.This, for themostpart, is</p><p>thetypeofroundtheauthorrecommends.</p><p>Sterilelabtestinginballisticgelatinisgreat,buttheultimatelaboratoryis</p><p>thestreet,theauthormaintains.Herearetheloadsthatseemtobedoingbest</p><p>there, input written in blood from gunfights police departments have</p><p>experiencedwiththisammunition.</p><p>efensiveammunitionchoiceisaboutpickingwhatworksbestto</p><p>neutralizearmedanddangeroushumanbeingsbefore theycan</p><p>maimormurder. Scientific testingof ammo inballistic gelatin</p><p>canhelp predict bullet performance in the field, but at the endof the</p><p>day,itistheperformanceandnotthepredictionthatwillmatter.</p><p>Thirty-fouryearsofcarryingaswornpoliceofficer’sbadge,20years</p><p>as chair of the firearms committee of the American Society of Law</p><p>Enforcement trainers, and several years now on the advisory board of</p><p>the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association</p><p>have combinedwith several trips tomajor seminarsof groups like the</p><p>InternationalLawEnforcementFirearmsInstructorsAssociationandthe</p><p>InternationalHomicideInvestigatorsSeminarstogivemeasolidbaseof</p><p>copswho’veinvestigatedalotofshootingsfortheirdepartments.These</p><p>aren’t “war stories,” they are full investigations of shootings including</p><p>evidence recovery, complete autopsy and forensic ballistic testing</p><p>protocols, and intensive debriefings of the shooters and thewitnesses.</p><p>Fromthatcollectivepoolofknowledgeemergesaprofileofwhichduty</p><p>cartridgesperformthebest.</p><p>OBVIOUSLY, POLICE ISSUE AMMUNITION IS USED IN A</p><p>SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY OF THESE SHOOTINGS. That’s why police</p><p>dutycalibersandloadshavethestrongest“databases”tolearnfrom.</p><p>Fortunatelyforarmedcitizens,theyandthepolicetendtochoosethe</p><p>same calibers. Picking a load that has proven itself on duty with the</p><p>police gives the armed citizen added confidence in what their chosen</p><p>gun/cartridge combination can deliver. As many have noted, using</p><p>ammunition that iswidely issued to police is a strong defense against</p><p>unmeritoriouscourtroomallegationssuchas,“Heusedevilhollowpoint</p><p>bulletsthatrendandtear,andthatshowshehadmaliceinhisheart!”</p><p>Let’slookatwhatthe“streetfeedback”isindicatingisworkingbestin</p><p>the“ultimatelaboratory”thesedays.</p><p>38Special</p><p>Concealed carry permit instructors tell me that the 38 Special</p><p>revolver, usually in compact short-barrel form, is one of the most</p><p>commongunsbroughttotheirclassesbystudents,andoftenthesingle</p><p>gunthattheirgraduatesmostcommonlycarryonthestreet.Formostof</p><p>the20thCentury,thiscaliberrevolverwasalsobyfarthemostpopular</p><p>in law enforcement, with plainclothes and off duty officers generally</p><p>carrying“snubbies,”anduniformedpersonnelgenerallycarrying larger</p><p>framed,longerbarrelmodels.</p><p>At this writing, there are still thousands of senior cops carrying</p><p>“grandfathered” 38 revolvers on duty in New York City and Chicago,</p><p>andmanymorewhocarrythemasbackuporoff-dutyguns.Infact,the</p><p>snub-nose 38 seems to be themost popular police backuphandgun to</p><p>thisday,andisstillwidelyusedforoffdutycarry.</p><p>Onlytwocartridgesreallystandoutasheadandshouldersabovethe</p><p>largepackofavailable38Specialrounds.Thesearethe“FBIload”and</p><p>the“NewYorkload.”</p><p>The FBI load gets its sobriquet from the fact that this round was</p><p>adopted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation circa 1972, right after</p><p>Winchester introduced it. Itwas also adopted by the Chicago PD, and</p><p>remainsthe38Specialloadofissuetheretothisday.Metro-Dade(now</p><p>Miami-Dade) police likewise found it to perform superbly, as did cops</p><p>throughouttheU.S.A.,anditcontinuestobeknownbysomelocallyas</p><p>the“Chicagoload”or“Metroload.”Thiscartridgecomprisesanall-lead,</p><p>semi-wadcuttershapedhollowpointbulletat+Pvelocity.</p><p>This 230-grain standard velocity Gold Dot 45 ACP bullet expanded to some 60-caliber after</p><p>strikingbone,keptongoing todelivermassivewound track.Expansionwasnot textbook,but</p><p>neitherarelivingthings.GoldDothasdoneverywellinofficer-involvedshootings.</p><p>It works particularly well out of a 4-inch barrel, but cops quickly</p><p>discovered that theprojectile generallyupset andexpandedat least to</p><p>some degree – even out of short barrels that reduced velocity. The</p><p>reasonwasthatwithnotoughcopperjackettopeelback,thesoftlead</p><p>expandedmoreeasilyinflesh.</p><p>HSTisFederal’scurrent topdefense load.Thesetwobulletsexpandeddifferentlybecausethey</p><p>met different resistance. The one on left went through a hog’s heavy skull before utterly</p><p>destroyingthebrain;theoneontherightenteredtheshoulderandtorealargewoundthrough</p><p>thechest.Bothanimalswerestopped instantly.+P230-grain45roundwasdoingbetter than</p><p>950fpsfrom5-inchbarrel.</p><p>Base-on view of expanded 45ACP FederalHST 230-grain+P bullet that instantly dropped a</p><p>man-size hog with a chest shot. Bullet destroyed both lungs and top of heart, expanded to</p><p>approximately90-caliber.</p><p>Seenfrombottom,thisWinchesterRanger127-grain+P+9mmroundexpandedtoslightlyover</p><p>60-caliber,andat1250footsecondsimpactvelocitydidmassiveandinstantlyfataldamagetoa</p><p>man-sizehog.</p><p>Base-on view of still-bloody HST 230/45 +P recovered from hog shot in skull and killed</p><p>instantly.Expandeddiameterisahairunderaninchatwidestpoint.Irregularexpansionwasdue</p><p>to striking heavy bone on slight angle, which did not deviate bullet from its trajectory.</p><p>Penetrationdepthwasoptimal.</p><p>Federal9BPLE,a115-grain+P+jacketedhollowpoint,shatteredskullofhogatentrypointfor</p><p>amore than 2-inch area,went on to virtually liquefy brain and lodge in base of skull. Truly</p><p>massivedamage,optimumpenetration.</p><p>RemingtonGoldenSaber124-grain+Pfrom4-inchbarrelGlock19killedman-sizehogcleanly</p><p>andinstantlywithoneshot,penetrateddeeply,andexpandedtoroughly50-caliber.</p><p>WinchesterandRemingtonbothproducethis158-grainLSWCHP+P</p><p>round. The Remington seems to have the softer lead of the two, and</p><p>therefore,opensabitmoredramatically.Thisisagoodthing.</p><p>A few years ago, NYPD realized it still had some three thousand</p><p>officerscarrying38Specialservicerevolversasprimaryhandguns,and</p><p>that the overwhelming majority of their plus/minus 35,000 sworn</p><p>personnel carried snub-38s as backup and off-duty guns. They</p><p>approached Speer to create a load that would optimize 38 Special</p><p>terminalballisticswhenfiredfromarevolverwithabarrelmeasuring1-</p><p>7/8 inches.ErnestDurhamatSpeer led theproject, and the resulthas</p><p>nowbecomeknowncolloquiallyastheNYPDload.Itcomprisesawide-</p><p>mouthed 135-grain Gold Dot bonded, jacketed hollowpoint at +P</p><p>velocity.</p><p>Innumerousshootingswithbothsnubsand4-inchservice revolvers,</p><p>NYPDofficialstellmethattheyaremorethansatisfied.Becauseofthe</p><p>lighterbullet,itkickslessthantheFBIload,andbecauseofthemodern</p><p>GoldDottechnology,itexpandswidelyandreliably.Theyhavefoundit</p><p>tobeagoodman-stopper.</p><p>Either will work well. In a snubby, I prefer the Gold Dot for</p><p>two</p><p>reasons. First, the lighter recoil is helpful in fast, accurate shooting.</p><p>Second,theall-leadFBIloadismorelightlycrimpedthantheGoldDot,</p><p>andwhenfiredinasuper-lightsnubbyinthetenorelevenounceweight</p><p>range, such as the Titanium or Scandium S&W AirLites, recoil is so</p><p>severe that after a shot or two, the projectiles can start pulling loose</p><p>fromthecasemouths.They“prairiedog”upoutofthechamberatthe</p><p>frontofthecylinder,wheretheycanstriketheforcingconeofthebarrel</p><p>andlockthegunupsolid.Whilethiscanhappenwithanymakeofthe</p><p>all-lead+PFBIload,itdoesnotoccurwiththeSpeerNYPDload.</p><p>9mmLuger</p><p>The9mmLuger(aka9X19,9mmParabellum,9mmNATO) isoneof</p><p>themostpopularamongarmedcitizens,andalsostillwidelyusedbythe</p><p>nation’spolice.Asaresult,wehaveahugeamountofstreetexperience</p><p>totapintoastowhatworkswellandwhatdoesn’tinthiscaliber.</p><p>Inthe late1980sthroughmostof the1990s,147-grainhollowpoints</p><p>of conventional copper jacketed construction were the trendy issue</p><p>rounds. They worked spottily – sometimes they expanded, and</p><p>sometimestheyjustpunchednarrowlittlethroughandthroughwounds</p><p>likeballammo–andasaresult,mostdepartmentsthatusedthisstuff</p><p>eitherswitchedtomorepowerfulcalibers,orwentto9mmammothat</p><p>wasgoingfaster,withlighterbullets.</p><p>Formanyyears,the“IllinoisStatePoliceload”–a115-grainstandard</p><p>JHPlaunchedatsome1300fps–proved itself tobe themostdecisive</p><p>man-stopperavailable.Itstillworksgreat.Federal’sversionofthisload,</p><p>the 9BPLE, is standard issue for the DeKalb County lawmen, on the</p><p>toughturfthatsurroundsandencompassesAtlanta,Georgia.Theseguys</p><p>get into so many firefights that they’ve drawn political heat for</p><p>“shooting toomany people.” They have proven that when they shoot</p><p>peoplewitha115-grainJHPdoing1300footsecondsoutoftheirissue</p><p>Beretta service pistols, the bad guys go down and stop trying to kill</p><p>them.ThisisAGoodThing.</p><p>Other loadings have emerged that have the same decisive stopping</p><p>powerin9mm.TheyincludeWinchester’s127-grainRangerseries+P+</p><p>at 1250 foot-seconds, and Speer’sGoldDot 124-grain+Pat the same</p><p>velocity.ChicagoPDswitchedtothe124-grain+Paftermultipledismal</p><p>stoppingfailureswith147-grainsubsonic,andNYPDhasusedthisround</p><p>with great effect for some fifteen years. Both are delighted with it.</p><p>OrlandocopsareissuedP226SIGsand127-grain+P+Winchester,and</p><p>manyshootingssince,they’vefoundittobeaseffectiveasanyhandgun</p><p>calibercouldbe.</p><p>Personally, I carry the9BPLE inoneparticularBeretta that shoots it</p><p>better than any other carry load, and Winchester Ranger 127 grain</p><p>+P+invirtuallyallmyother9mmpistols,longorshortbarrel.</p><p>Some folks have bought into the theory that the 147-grain subsonic</p><p>hasbeensowidelyrecommendedbyauthorityfigures,itmustbegood.</p><p>Thefactis,there’sanewgenerationof147-grainsubsonicthatispretty</p><p>darn good. It utilizes new-generation high-tech expanding bullet</p><p>technologyexpresslyengineeredtomakethebulletsopenupatvelocity</p><p>below the speed of sound. These include the CCI Speer Gold Dot, the</p><p>FederalHST,andtheWinchesterRanger.</p><p>Amarillo,TexasPolicereportexcellentresultswiththeirissueloadfor</p><p>thoseofficerswhochoose9mmpistols,the147-grainGoldDot.Amajor</p><p>department in the Pacific Northwest is now issuing Federal HST 147-</p><p>grain subsonic, and reports excellent results in numerous shootings.</p><p>LAPDandLACountySheriff’sDepartment find that fewerofficers and</p><p>deputies are opting for larger caliber guns bought out of their own</p><p>pockets,becausetheyarereassuredbyhowwellWinchesterRanger147-</p><p>grain9mmhasworkedfortheirbrothersandsistersinnumerouslineof</p><p>dutyshootings.</p><p>Still,thefasterbulletsseemtobethewaytogo.Thereismuchmore</p><p>corollary tissue damage around the wound channels with the faster</p><p>9mms,withmedicalexaminersdocumenting“macerated”flesh,that is,</p><p>tissuechoppedup likeburrito filling.Youdon’t see thatwith subsonic</p><p>rounds,eventhoughahigh-techmodern147grainmayactuallyexpand</p><p>very slightly more than a lighter 9mm bullet, simply because it has</p><p>“moreleadtospread.”</p><p>WinchesterRangerSXTisanexampleofmodern147-grain9mmsubsonichollowpointsthathave</p><p>proventhemselvessuitabletopoliceandcitizenself-defenseuse.Earlierversionsofthiscartridge</p><p>expandederraticallyandoftenover-penetrated.</p><p>Developedforthesnub-noserevolversofNYPD,SpeerGoldDot135-grain+Pisauthor’sloadof</p><p>choicein38Specialstoday.Thebulletswillnot“pull”fromrecoil insuper-lightrevolverslike</p><p>11-ounceS&W342,left,ashappenswith158-grainlead+Ps.</p><p>357Magnum</p><p>Onecartridgestandsaboveallothers inthiscaliber inthehistoryof</p><p>American law enforcement: the 125-grain semi-jacketed hollowpoint</p><p>loaded to a velocity in the 1400 foot-second range (from a 4-inch</p><p>barrel).Someexpertsarguewhetherthewide-mouthedFederalversion</p><p>of this load, or the scallop-jacket Remington version that originally</p><p>popularized the 125-grain 357 among cops, is the single best of the</p><p>breed.Itseemstobeanargumentakintohowmanyangelscandance</p><p>ontheheadofapin.TheWinchester125-grainMagnumloaddoesnot</p><p>have either of those features, but worked every bit as well for such</p><p>departmentsastheMaineStatePolicewhentheycarried357revolvers.</p><p>This round tends to create a wound channel that is nine to eleven</p><p>inchesdeep,butverywide,withtremendousdamagearoundtheradius</p><p>of thewound track. It also has a nastymuzzle blast and pretty sharp</p><p>recoil. The great combat shooting trainer and combat pistol champion</p><p>Ray Chapman used to say that the 125-grain Magnum load’s almost</p><p>magical stoppingpowerwas theonlyreasonto load357 insteadof38</p><p>Special +P ammunition into a fighting revolver chambered for the</p><p>Magnumround.Itendtoagree.</p><p>Affordably priced Classic line Federal 155-grain JHP has performed superbly in 40 S&W</p><p>shootingsbypoliceinthefield.Sometimesyoudon’tneedpremium-priceammoto“carrywith</p><p>confidence.”</p><p>This140-grain40S&WCor-BonDPX,usingall-copperBarnesXbullet,didasatisfactoryjobof</p><p>quicklykillingalargehog.</p><p>ThisSpeerGoldDot124grain+P9mmroundfrom4-inchGlock19instantlykilledalargehog,</p><p>didmassiveinternaldamage,andhadexpandedimpressivelybythetimeitstoppedatoptimum</p><p>penetration depth. This load has worked famously well for NYPD for several years in many</p><p>shootings.</p><p>Checkyourcarryammunitioncarefullybefore loading.Even thebestmanufacturerscanmake</p><p>mistakes.Thisvisiblydefective9mmballcartridgecameoutofafactorybox.</p><p>When departments such as City of Indianapolis Police Department,</p><p>and the state troopers ofKentucky and Indiana issued that load, there</p><p>wereliterallytonsofbadguysshotwith125-grainMagnums,andthey</p><p>tended to go down “right now.” Texas Department of Public Safety</p><p>personnelwereknowntorefertothisround’s“lightningbolteffect,”and</p><p>IknewKentuckytrooperswhocalledit“themagicbullet.”Eventhough</p><p>velocitydroppedconsiderablyfromthe2.5-inchbarrelsofIndianaState</p><p>Policedetectives’CombatMagnums,orfromthe3-inchMilitary&Police</p><p>357sofIndianapolisplainclothesmen,thebadguysseemtogodownjust</p><p>as fast.The125grain357Magnumsemi-jacketedhollowpointearned</p><p>itstitle,bestowedbyexpertEdSanow,as“KingoftheStreet,”andthis</p><p>remainstheMagnumloadofchoicetoday.Ihavenopersonalpreference</p><p>betweentheFederal,Remington,and</p><p>Winchesterbrands.</p><p>357SIG</p><p>Intheearly’90s,spurredbyTexastroopersandrangerswholovedthe</p><p>SIG45pistolbutmissed that “lightningbolt” stoppingpowereffectof</p><p>theirold357Magnumrevolvers,SIGworkedwithFederalCartridgeto</p><p>createthe357SIGround.Itresemblesa40S&Wneckeddownto9mm,</p><p>thoughtheactualconstructionissomewhatmorecomplicatedthanthat.</p><p>Differentcompaniesloadtodifferentvelocities,anddependingonpistol</p><p>andbarrel,factory125-grainJHPsaredelivering1325toover1400fps.</p><p>Relativebulletexpansion.Left,Winchester127-grainSXT9mm;centerand right,FederalHST</p><p>+P45bullets,each230-grains.Largerbulletshave“moreleadtospread,”butlighterbulletscan</p><p>beruntohighervelocities.Eachcreatesmassivewounds.</p><p>High-tech bullets that open rapidly but stay together seem to work</p><p>bestinthiscaliber.ThemostwidelyprovenistheGoldDot.FromTexas</p><p>toVirginia, ithasbeenkickingbuttwithnohorror storiesof stopping</p><p>failures.NewMexicoStateTroopersfellinlovewiththe357SIGafew</p><p>yearsago,andstayedwiththatcartridgewhentheyorderedtheirnew</p><p>S&W M&P auto pistols. North Carolina Highway Patrol gave up its</p><p>belovedBerettapistols aftermore than twentyyears to adopt theSIG-</p><p>Sauer,becausetheycouldgetitchamberedfor357SIG.</p><p>Gunfightsindicatethatthiscartridgeisparticularlygoodforshooting</p><p>throughautosheetmetalandwindowglass,yetdoesnotdeliveronthe</p><p>street the dangerous over-penetration that some gelatin tests had</p><p>indicated might happen. The spent, expanded bullets are normally</p><p>recoveredfromthefarsideofthecriminal’sbody,orfromhisclothing,</p><p>orfromthegroundwithinafewfeetbehindwherehewaslocatedwhen</p><p>shot.</p><p>Winchester Ranger in 125-grain 357 SIG has worked well in actual</p><p>shootings. Remington Bonded Golden Saber in 125-grain 357 SIG is</p><p>deliciously accurate, and performs superbly in FBI protocol gelatin</p><p>testing,thoughIhaven’trunacrossanyactualshootingswithityet.The</p><p>overwhelming majority of 357 SIG shootings by police have occurred</p><p>with the 125-grain Speer Gold Dot, and it has worked so well it is</p><p>unquestionablythemost“streetproven”loadinthiscaliber.</p><p>40Smith&Wesson</p><p>Introduced in 1990by S&WandWinchester, this 9mmLuger-length</p><p>10mmcartridgewasdesignedtosplitthedifferencebetweenthe9mm’s</p><p>higher round count in the gun, and the 45 auto’s larger caliber. It</p><p>succeeded hugely at that in police work, being chosen by more law</p><p>enforcement agencies today than any other. It has become popular</p><p>amongarmedcitizensforthatexactsamecompromisefactor.</p><p>Firstgenerationammo,a180-grainsubsonicwithaconventionalJHP</p><p>bullet, did better than expected, but still wasn’t spectacular. It pretty</p><p>much duplicates the ballistics of the old 38/40 blackpowder handgun</p><p>loadofthe19thcenturyfrontier.I’verunacrossalotofshoot-throughs</p><p>with 180-grain standard JHP,more thanwould be desirable for home</p><p>defense. Thosewho like the 180-grain subsonic’s ballisticswant to go</p><p>with high tech hollowpoints that openmore aggressively, penetrate a</p><p>littleless,andseemtoproduceamoredecisivestoppingeffect.The180-</p><p>grainGoldDothasearnedagoodreputationincitiessuchasBostonand</p><p>Milwaukee. The 180-grain Federal HST has produced some truly</p><p>impressive one-shot stops in the Pacific Northwest. The 180-grain</p><p>Winchester Ranger, particularly in its latest iteration, also works</p><p>distinctly better than a conventional copper-jacketed bullet of this</p><p>weightandvelocity.</p><p>It appears that the medium-weight bullets at higher velocities are</p><p>providing the best combination of penetration depth, expansion, and</p><p>overall decisiveness of ending encounters. Not the 165-grain</p><p>subsonic.40–theso-called“minus-P”–but165-grainJHPstravelingat</p><p>1140 or so feet per second, and 155-grainers at about 1200 fps. The</p><p>latterhasworkedverywell for theU.S.BorderPatrol,whichseems to</p><p>haveusedmostlytheRemingtonbrand.Othernon-high-tech.40caliber</p><p>JHPs in thisweight range that have delivered impressive performance</p><p>aretheFederalClassicandtheWinchesterSilvertip,both155-grainers.</p><p>Thesearealsolessexpensivethanthetop-linepremiumlines.</p><p>Whycarryspareammo?Somethingcouldmuckupthemagazineinyourgun.Ifthismuddy1911</p><p>9mmmagwasnotproperlycleaned,itwouldbeajamwaitingtohappenthenexttimeitwas</p><p>putinadefensivefirearm.</p><p>Withone17-roundmagazineinplace,twomoreinthebelt,andonemoreroundtoppedoffin</p><p>thechamber,thisGlock17puts52shotsatthewearer’simmediatedisposal.</p><p>High-techbulletsstilldowell inthisweightrange,though.The165-</p><p>grainWinchesterRangerandSpeerGoldDotseemtoleadthepackbya</p><p>narrowmargin.</p><p>45ACP</p><p>A standardpressure230-grain45ACPwith conventional JHPbullet</p><p>prettymuch duplicates the recoil and trajectory of GI hardball in the</p><p>sameweight,allowingcost-effectivetrainingoncetheuseriscertainthe</p><p>givenpistolwillfeedthehollowpointofchoice.The45’sbigbulletand</p><p>well-earned reputation for stopping power make it more forgiving of</p><p>less-than-optimum ammo choices, though you still want to stay away</p><p>fromfullmetaljacketbecauseofitstendencytogrosslyover-penetrate,</p><p>andtoricochet.</p><p>Inalow-pricedround,genericWinchester230-grainJHP“whitebox”</p><p>isa street-provenchoice. Itused tobe sold inboxesmarked“ForLaw</p><p>Enforcement Only,” if that tells you anything. For maximum effect,</p><p>though, a premium bullet is theway to go. Federal’s Hydra-Shok is a</p><p>well-proven man-stopper, long the “gold standard,” and still a good</p><p>choice today, but expansion characteristics (especially through</p><p>interveningsubstances)areenhancedinthenewHSTlinefromthesame</p><p>maker.CCIGoldDothasworkedwellfornumerousdepartmentsinboth</p><p>200-and 230-grain weights; Remington 230-grain Golden Saber has</p><p>worked quite well in the hands of certain units during the War on</p><p>Terror;andonestatepoliceagencyI’mawareofhasexperiencedastring</p><p>ofone-shotstopswiththeWinchesterSXT/Ranger230grain.Theseare</p><p>allstandardpressureloads.</p><p>Short barrel 45 ACPs are extremely popular among armed citizens</p><p>today.CCIoffersaGoldDotShortBarrel45load,especiallydesignedto</p><p>open to full effect at lower velocities. I haven’t run across any actual</p><p>shootingswithityet,butgeltestingindicatesthatithasmetitsdesign</p><p>parameters.</p><p>The +P 45 ACP has worked well in 185-, 200-, and 230-grain</p><p>loadings.The185-grain+Phasearnedagood“stoppingpower”repin</p><p>its conventional JHP loading from Remington and is also available in</p><p>Hydra-Shok and HST formats from Federal, and in Remington’s own</p><p>high-tech Golden Saber line. As a rule of thumb, the 185-grain +P</p><p>round will shoot pretty much to point of aim/point of impact out to</p><p>roughly100yardsinapistolsightedinfor230-grainstandardpressure</p><p>45ACPat25yards.Thatmakesitofspecialpurposeinteresttothosein</p><p>ruralareaswhocananticipateunusuallylongshotswiththeirpistols.</p><p>Kimber stainless 45, fully loaded and backed with two more eight-round ACT magazines of</p><p>Federal230-grainHydra-Shok,givesthewearera22-roundload-out.Elsewhereinthebook,read</p><p>thestoryofthemanwhogotintroubleforcarryingjustsuchanoutfit,butwasacquittedonce</p><p>rationaleforspareammowasexplainedtojury.</p><p>The45GAP,orGlockAutoPistol,isashortenedandstrengthened45</p><p>ACP round at standard pressure. Guns for it have been produced by</p><p>Glock, ParaOrdnance, and Springfield Armory. The state</p><p>troopers of</p><p>Georgia,NewYork,andPennsylvaniahaveadoptedtheGlockin45GAP</p><p>as standard,and shootingswith itusing200-grainSpeerGoldDotand</p><p>230-grainWinchesterRangerhavethusfarprovenittobetheabsolute</p><p>equalofthe45ACPwiththesamebullets.Lookforthisroundtogainin</p><p>popularityinyearstocome.</p><p>That concludes the feedback from the street,with the calibersmost</p><p>usedbycopsand, therefore,most thoroughlyevaluated in thewakeof</p><p>intensiveinvestigationofofficer-involvedshootings.</p><p>Atthetimeofthiswriting,it’sthebestthiswriterhastooffer.</p><p>Anotherreasontocarryspareammo.Topmostroundpositiononeachofthese1911magazines</p><p>hasbeencompromisedbyclearingextractionfailure/doublefeedmalfunction.Afreshmagazine</p><p>readytograbandreloadcanbealifesaverinsuchcircumstances.</p><p>THEDANGERSOFOVERPENETRATINGBULLETS</p><p>Onecritical ruleof firearms safety is that thebulletmust stay in its</p><p>intendedbackstop.Noresponsibleshooterwouldgotooneoftheolder</p><p>indoor shooting ranges that have a warning poster saying “LEAD</p><p>BULLETS ONLY, JACKETED BULLETS CAN PIERCE BACKSTOP” and</p><p>thenproceedtopumphard-jacketedbulletsintothatfrailbacking.</p><p>WinchesterRanger SXT127-grain+P+ammo inGlockmagazine, compared to hole through</p><p>muscletissuemadebysuchabulletonhog.Rememberthisthenexttimesomeonetellsyouthe</p><p>bulletcanonlydestroywhatitphysicallytouches.</p><p>Fullmetal jacket 9mm ammo like this has been known to be an impotentman-stopper for a</p><p>century, and it horrendously over-penetrates in living tissue. After many innocent over-</p><p>penetration casualties with it, NYPD dropped this ammo for hollowpoint, and solved the</p><p>problem.</p><p>On the street, the only safe backstop for the defensive handgun’s</p><p>bulletsisthebodyoftheoffender.Therefore,itisnotexactlyresponsible</p><p>to be firing bullets that are likely to shoot through and through the</p><p>assailant.Thisisoneofthemainreasonslawenforcementinitsvirtual</p><p>entirety has gone to expanding bullet handgun ammunition in this</p><p>country.Itwasalessonwritteninblood.</p><p>SevenCasesHighlighttheReality</p><p>In 1999, New York City became almost the last major police</p><p>departmenttoadopthollowpointammunition.Theydidsointheface</p><p>of huge, long-term opposition based on political correctness and the</p><p>erroneousperceptionofhollowpointsaswicked“dum-dumbullets.”One</p><p>reasontheywereabletopassitwasthatthecityfathershadbeenmade</p><p>to realize how much danger the supposedly “humane, Geneva</p><p>Convention-approved” ammunition previously used presented to</p><p>innocent bystanders and police officers when the duty weapons were</p><p>firedinself-defenseordefenseofothersbytheofficers.</p><p>Fromtheearly ’90sadoptionof16-shot9mmpistols(Glock19,SIG-</p><p>SAUER P226 DAO, and Smith & Wesson Model 5946) through 1999,</p><p>NYPD issueda fullmetal jacket“hardball” round,comprisinga round-</p><p>nose115grainbulletinthemid-1100fpsvelocityrange.TheNewYork</p><p>Timesexposedthefollowingfactsinitsstartlingreportonthematter:</p><p>Copshavelongunderstoodthathollowpointammoissaferforallconcerned.Thisis“FBIload,”</p><p>158-grain+P lead semi-wadcutter hollow point, in a 4-inchModel 15 S&W service revolver.</p><p>Thiswasthebulletthat“made”the38Specialintoafightinghandgunintheearly1970s,andis</p><p>stillagoodchoiceexceptinultra-lightsnubbies.</p><p>Even the U.S. military is looking at switching from ball ammo to expanding bullets. This is</p><p>Federal’s“LimitedPenetrationFMJ”…</p><p>…andcausingbullettoexpandto50-caliberorbetter.</p><p>“According to statistics released by the department, 15 innocent</p><p>bystanderswerestruckbypoliceofficersusingfullmetal jacketbullets</p><p>during1995and1996,thepolicesaid.Eightwerehitdirectly,fivewere</p><p>hitbybulletsthathadpassedthroughotherpeopleandtwowerehitby</p><p>bulletsthathadpassedthroughobjects,”statedtheTimes.</p><p>In other words, in rough numbers, 53 percent of these tragic</p><p>occurrences were apparently missed shots, while 33 percent were</p><p>“shoot-throughs”of violent felony suspects.Countingbullets thatwent</p><p>throughobjectstohitpresumablyunseeninnocentvictims(13percent),</p><p>that tellsus thatroughly46percentof these innocentbystanderswere</p><p>shotbyover-penetratingbulletsthat“piercedtheirbackstops.”Let’scall</p><p>thosevictimsCasesOneThroughSeven.</p><p>17OfficersShotDueto</p><p>Over-Penetration</p><p>The Times continued, “In that same period, 44 police officers were</p><p>struckbygunfireusingtheoldammunition:21werehitdirectly,2were</p><p>struck by bullets that ricocheted and 17 were struck by bullets that</p><p>passed through other people.” In round numbers, 52 percent of those</p><p>“friendlyfire”casualtieswerehitbybulletsthatapparentlymissedtheir</p><p>intendedtargets.42percentpassedthroughthebodiesof the intended</p><p>targetsafterthebulletsstruckthepeopletheywereaimedat.Let’stally</p><p>thosevictimsofover-penetrationasCasesEightthroughTwenty-Four.</p><p>Why would officers hit more of their own brethren than “civilian”</p><p>bystandersinthisfashion?Forthesimplereasonthatwhilevictimsand</p><p>potential innocent bystanders tend to flee danger scenes, the cops are</p><p>conditioned to “ride to the sound of the guns.” In a close-quarters</p><p>situationwhereaviolentcriminalisattemptingtoharmorevenmurder</p><p>anotherofficer,copstrytograbhimorstophimorevenmaneuverinto</p><p>apositionfromwhichtoshoothim.Alltheseactionscanputtheminthe</p><p>lineoffireofbrotherofficers.</p><p>Tunnelvisionoccursinamajorityoflife-threateningencounters.This</p><p>is theperceptualphenomenonofbeingable to seeonly the threatand</p><p>beingunabletocognitivelyrecognizeotherpeopleorobjectsthatmight</p><p>beinthelineoffire.Moreover,thebodyoftheoffendermaysimplyblock</p><p>theshooter’sviewofthebrotherofficerwhoistryingtoapprehendorrestrain</p><p>theattackerfrombehind. Inthesesituations,a“shoot-through”ishighly</p><p>likelytokillorcrippleoneoftheGoodGuysandGals.</p><p>What does this have to do with private citizens’ use of CCW</p><p>handguns?Only this:Where the cops jump in toprotect theirbrotherand</p><p>sisterofficers,bravecitizensmaystepintoprotecttheiractualbrothersand</p><p>sisters,husbandsandwives,sonsanddaughters,orfathersandmothers.Now</p><p>itisyourlovedoneswhoarebehindtheoffender–unseenbyyou–whenyou</p><p>dischargeyourCCWweapon.</p><p>Those115-grainjacketedball9mmroundswillpiercemorethantwo</p><p>feet ofmuscle tissue simulating ballistic gelatin. Sowill 230-grain full</p><p>metal jacket 45 hardball. By contrast, the depth of the average adult</p><p>malethoraxisprobablynomorethanteninches,fromfrontofchestto</p><p>back.Nor is it solidmuscle: the spongy tissueand largeairvolumeof</p><p>thehumanlungofferlittleresistancetoabullet.It’snotjustaboutNew</p><p>YorkCityand9mms.InArizonasomeyearsago,apeaceofficerfiredhis</p><p>45serviceautomaticatalargemaleoffenderrushinghimwithaknife.</p><p>He couldn’t see that a brother officer was running up behind the</p><p>offender to grab and restrain him.His gunfire dropped the offender…</p><p>and passed through his body with enough force to deeply pierce the</p><p>abdomenofthesecondcop,whohadbeentryingtorescuetheonewho</p><p>fired. That wounded officer almost died from those injuries, inflicted</p><p>unintentionally by shoot-through with 230-grain full metal jacket 45</p><p>ACP.CallthatincidentCaseTwenty-Five.</p><p>Many years ago in Los Angeles, an Aryan Brotherhood thug took</p><p>severalpeoplehostageinanoffice.Hedemandedanescapevehicleand</p><p>threatened</p><p>tostartshootinghostagesifhedidn’tgetone.Avehiclewas</p><p>provided, and he got into the car with the victims. At this point, the</p><p>LAPDSWATteamlaunchedsmoke,andtwomembersoftheteamwhom</p><p>Ihappenedtoknowmovedforwardthroughthegraycloud,theirissue</p><p>Colt45automaticsupandready.Whentheperpetratorreachedforhis</p><p>pistol, thecopsopenedfire,usingdepartment-issue230-grainhardball.</p><p>They fired four shots between them, and killed the offender before he</p><p>couldlaunchasinglebulletofhisown.Autopsyshowedanyofthefour</p><p>hitswouldhavebeenquickly fatal.However,onlyoneof thosebullets</p><p>stayedintheoffender’sbody.Oneofthethreeexitingslugsstruckoneof</p><p>the hostages. Fortunately, the wound was not in a life-threatening</p><p>location.LAPDquicklyswitchedtohollowpoints,whichiswhattheyuse</p><p>today.Lessonlearned.CallitCaseTwenty-Six.</p><p>Federal 158-grain lead hollowpoint+P, fired from 2-inch S&W into chest of hog. The bullet</p><p>killedquickly,expandedtoapproximately50-caliber.</p><p>BallStopsPoorly</p><p>Particularlyinthesmallcalibers,ballammunitionisinfamousforits</p><p>poorstoppingpower.WhentheIllinoisStatePoliceissuedballfortheir</p><p>9mmS&Wpistols from1967 through the early 1970s, theirOrdnance</p><p>Sectiontoldme,theyneverhadasingleone-shotstoponanarmedfelon</p><p>unless he was hit in the brain or spinal cord. This led the ISP on an</p><p>odyssey in search of more effective ammo, which culminated in the</p><p>famouslyeffective“IllinoisStatePoliceload,”a115-grainjacketed9mm</p><p>hollowpoint at +P+ pressure and 1300 fps velocity. Today, Illinois</p><p>troopers carry 180-grain high-tech hollowpoint in 40 S&W caliber</p><p>servicepistols.</p><p>In Case Twenty-Seven, NYPD’s last high-profile shooting incident</p><p>with9mmball ammo, fourplainclothesofficers engagedayoungman</p><p>namedAmadouDiallowhenhe turnedon thempulling anobject that</p><p>appeared, in the poor light, to be a small automatic pistol. All four</p><p>opened fire,andsomefiveseconds later theyhad firedsome41shots.</p><p>NineteenofthosebulletsstruckDiallobeforehewentdownanddropped</p><p>theobjecthewasholding,whichturnedouttobeablacknylonwallet.</p><p>Sixteen of the nineteen bullets had over-penetrated. Diallo died of his</p><p>wounds.Afteralongandarduoustrial,allfourofficerswereacquitted.</p><p>Had these officers been issued the department’s new 124-grain Speer</p><p>GoldDot+Phollowpointsintime,thereisanexcellentchancethathe</p><p>would have gone down much sooner, perhaps with as little as one</p><p>gunshotwound, givingDiallo a far better chance of survival.No such</p><p>horrorstorieshavehappenedonNYPDsincethehollowpointammohas</p><p>beengeneralissue.</p><p>MicroKahr9mmcomeswithsparemagazinewithfingerextensionthatholdssevenrounds,not</p><p>countingeighthinchamber.Withthiskindofcartridgecapacity,carryingspareammoisallthe</p><p>moreimportant.</p><p>Anotherreasonforcarryingspareammoisthefactthattoday’ssmallcarrygunsdon’tcarrythat</p><p>manyrounds“onboard.”S&WJ-frame,left,holds538Specialcartridges,andKahrMK9atright</p><p>holds79mms.</p><p>ForensicConcerns</p><p>When a bullet goes through and through a human body, it is not</p><p>alwayspossibletocorrectlydetermineentryfromexit,particularlyifthe</p><p>gunshot victim lives long enough for the healing process to begin.</p><p>Consider Case Twenty-Eight, in which the O.J. Simpson lawyers</p><p>defending him against charges of murdering his wife and her young</p><p>male acquaintance laid plans to impeach one of the state’s medical</p><p>examiners bybringingup a previous case inwhichhehadmistakenly</p><p>diagnosed a through and through gunshot wound, confusing back-to-</p><p>frontandfront-to-back.</p><p>In late 2007, this writer was involved in a murder case in</p><p>Massachusetts where it was alleged that the defendant had shot his</p><p>opponent in the back of the neck, with the bullet exiting his face,</p><p>implyingthathewasinnodangerandthereforecouldnothaveactedin</p><p>self-defense.ThedeathweaponwasaBerettaModel96Fpistol,andthe</p><p>deathbulletwasa180-grainroundoffullmetaljacketUMC40-caliber</p><p>practice ammunition. In fact, the bullet had entered the face of the</p><p>attackingman,andcoursedrearwardanddownwardbeforeexitingthe</p><p>neck. However, the assailant lived for a week before he succumbed.</p><p>During that time,hewas lying supine in ahospital bedwithhis body</p><p>weightpressingtheexitholedownagainstdressingsandbedclothesas</p><p>his body worked to heal the injury. This gave the wound a puckered</p><p>appearanceconsistentwithanentrywound.At the same time,doctors</p><p>and nurses were treating the open wound in the face, debriding it to</p><p>prevent necrosis, so by the time he finally died, thatwoundhad been</p><p>crateredoutwardandmimickedanexitinsteadofanentry.Themedical</p><p>examinerhad,apparentlyforthesereasons,determinedafterdeaththat</p><p>entrywas in thebackandexitwas in the front.Notuntil trial,aftera</p><p>three-yearordeal,didtreatingphysiciansfamiliarwithgunshotwounds</p><p>testify that when the “victim” came in, they diagnosed the wound as</p><p>frontentry/rearexit.Defenseexpertsconcurred,andthejuryacquitted,</p><p>as they should have. But Case Twenty-Nine probably wouldn’t have</p><p>gone to trial at all if the defendant had loaded his gun with proper</p><p>hollowpoints,whichalmostcertainlywouldhaveleftthemushroomed</p><p>bullet embedded inside the back of the neck and shown beyond a</p><p>shadowofadoubtthattheattackerwasinfactshotfromthefront.</p><p>Yearsbefore,intheTampaarea,Ihadbeeninvolvedinasimilarcase</p><p>that showedeven thewronghollowpointcanover-penetrateandcause</p><p>the same confusion. InCaseThirty, a young undercover narc became</p><p>involvedinastrugglewithanarmeddopedealerwhotriedtokillhim.</p><p>The copwas able to turn the suspect’s owngunonhim, a snub-nosed</p><p>ColtLawman357Magnumrevolverloadedwith158-grainsemi-jacketed</p><p>Magnum hollow points, which have a history of frequently over-</p><p>penetrating.Atverycloserange,thehighvelocitybulletcausedalarge,</p><p>“explosivewoundof entry” in the soft tissuesof the throat, andbeing</p><p>largelyspentwhenitexitedthebackoftheneck,leftasmallerwoundat</p><p>thatpoint.Onceagain,thesuspectlivedformanydays,lyingsupineand</p><p>undergoing treatment. After he died, the state’s pathologist concluded</p><p>thatthesmallwoundinthebackoftheneckmusthavebeentheentry,</p><p>andthelargeroneinfrontmusthavebeentheexit,leadingtothetheory</p><p>thathehadbeen“shot in thebackof theneck inapoliceexecution.”</p><p>Fortunately,thepathologisthadthepresenceofmindtosectionoutthe</p><p>woundtrackandpreservethefleshinFormalin,anditwassenttothe</p><p>SouthwestInstituteofPathologyfordeeperexamination.There,gunshot</p><p>residue embedded in the throat area of the wound track conclusively</p><p>proved the bullet had come in from the front, exonerating the</p><p>wrongfullyaccusedyoungofficer.But if thedistancehadbeenanother</p><p>couple of feet apart at the time the shot was fired, that critical</p><p>exculpatoryevidencewouldnothavebeenthere.Thisisanotherreason</p><p>whyit’sbesttouseabulletdesignedtostayinsidethehumanbody.</p><p>IrresponsibleAttitudes</p><p>Some people either just don’t get it, or have a totally irresponsible</p><p>attitude. A popular Internet gun forum recently had a thread in its</p><p>Caliber Corner section titled, “Why is over-penetration bad?” Most of</p><p>those who posted had a pretty good grasp on the issue. One or two</p><p>responsible, gun-wise participants even posted a link to theNew</p><p>York</p><p>Timesstoryandstatisticsabove.</p><p>Yet, even after thatwas posted, one participantwrote (the caps are</p><p>his):“IhaveNEVERreadANYarticleorreportaddressingIDENTIFIED</p><p>andactuallyoccurringsecondaryvictims.”Now,youcanputthatdown</p><p>to simple ignorance, or haste in posting an opinion in a discussion he</p><p>hadnotreadandbroughthimselfuptospeedwith.Buthowwouldyou</p><p>explainthefollowing?</p><p>Onefellowpostedinthesamediscussionthread,“…andshouldover-</p><p>penetration occur, oh well. The chances of it hitting someone else is</p><p>practicallynon-existent.”</p><p>Well, let’s do themath. 46 percent ofwounded innocent bystanders</p><p>being hit by bullets that went through offenders’ bodies or through</p><p>objectsthathopefullyshouldhaveactedasbackstops,isnot“practically</p><p>non-existent”byanystretchoftheimagination.42percentofcopsshot</p><p>byfriendlyfiretakingbulletsthatpassedthroughthefelonysuspectfirst</p><p>are not “practically non-existent.” On the contrary, they are hugely</p><p>significant.</p><p>Inthatsamethread,onepostercallouslysaid,“It’stoobadaboutthe</p><p>bystanders.Icallitgenepoolcleansing.”</p><p>Idon’tthinkanycommentisnecessaryonthatone.</p><p>Never forget thatwe live ina timewhenpolicedetectivesaresmart</p><p>enoughtogetawarranttoseizethecomputersofthosetheyinvestigate.</p><p>Technologyoriginallydevelopedtotrackpornographers,childmolesters,</p><p>andwhite collar criminals will be applied to determinewhat Internet</p><p>boardsyoumayhavepostedto.Whenstatementslike“It’stoobadabout</p><p>thebystanders.Icallitgenepoolcleansing,”arediscoveredandtracked</p><p>to the suspect, his conviction for something from attempted murder</p><p>upwardisalmostaslam-dunk.</p><p>Ignorancewon’tsaveyou.You’veheardandreadpeoplesaythatover-</p><p>penetrationisirrelevantbecausemissedshotsareamorelikelydanger.</p><p>First,adefensethatsaysinessence,“Youmustforgiveme thismistake</p><p>becauseIfiguredI’dprobablymakeamuchworsemistake”isafrailreed</p><p>that will not withstand the gale-force winds of cross-examination.</p><p>Second, 53 percent misses versus 46 percent shoot-throughs in the</p><p>unintentionalbystandershootings inNewYorkhardlymakes the latter</p><p>“irrelevant.” 52% misses versus 42 percent shoot-throughs in the</p><p>friendly fire shootings of cops in the same study obviously shows that</p><p>theover-penetratingbulletisnotan“irrelevant”danger.</p><p>ThenexttimesomeInternetninjaadvisesyoutoloadballammofor</p><p>home or public defense, think of the above thirty cases. They are</p><p>documentedreality.Andtheyarenottheonlysuchcases.</p><p>Collectiverealityhasgivenusamessage,anditisthis:Savetheover-</p><p>penetrating“hardball”forrangepractice.Loadyourconcealedcarryor</p><p>home defense handgun with ammunition designed, and proven to be</p><p>likely, to stay inside thebodyof theoffenderwho forcesyou to shoot</p><p>him.It’stheresponsiblethingtodo.</p><p>Thepracticeofcarryingspareammunitionisalong-standingone.This1960svintageColtAgent</p><p>six-shot38revolverwascarriedfordecadesbynow-retiredChicagocopJamesMoore.Bianchi</p><p>“spillpouch”withsixspareroundsof38Specialwascommonpracticetocarryevenoffdutyby</p><p>Chicagocoppersoftheday.</p><p>T</p><p>Chapter8</p><p>CONCEALEDCARRYANDSPAREAMMO</p><p>Youneedmorethanjustaguntodealwiththeentireself-defensespectrum.Here’stheKubotan-</p><p>like DeJammer keychain the author developed decades ago, and pepper spray. They are two</p><p>usefuloptionsfordifferentintermediatedefenseneeds.</p><p>he extra space in this second edition of Gun Digest Book of</p><p>Concealed Carry allows me to get into something I barely had</p><p>room to touch on in the first edition: concealed carry of spare</p><p>ammunition.</p><p>An amazing number of people who carry loaded guns carry them</p><p>withouta reload. I’mnotgoing todumpon themhere—inmy(much)</p><p>youngerdays,Iusedtobeamongtheirnumber.Hell,Ihadagun,didn’t</p><p>I?AndIwasagoodshot,right?HowmuchammowasIlikelytoneed,</p><p>anyway?</p><p>Theyearstaughtmethefallacyofthosearguments,aswellasothers</p><p>that I hear from folks in gun discussions, particularly those on the</p><p>Internet.Thereseemstobeastrange“Interwebz”ethosthatsays,“Ifyou</p><p>carrymore (ormorepowerful) guns andammo than I, youmust be a</p><p>paranoidmallninja…andifyoucarry less,youmustbeasheeple.” I</p><p>dunnoabout that. Let’s look at someof the excusesnot to carry extra</p><p>ammunition.</p><p>OddsareI’mnotgonnahavetofirethisthingatall,letalonerun</p><p>itdryandstillbeinagunfight.</p><p>Trueenough.Trouble is,wedon’tcarrygunsbecauseof theoddsof</p><p>needing one, ormost of uswouldn’t carry at all.We carry because if,</p><p>against the odds,wedo need one and don’t have it, the cost of being</p><p>unable to saveourown lifeand the livesof thosewhocountonus to</p><p>protectthemissocatastrophicastobesimplyunacceptable.Ifyouare</p><p>intheuncommonsituationwhereyourunthegundryandthedangeris</p><p>still present, you’re back to not having a loaded gun when you</p><p>desperatelyneedone.</p><p>IfIneedmorethanthefiveshotsinmysnub-nose38,Icouldn’t</p><p>havewonthefightwithmore.</p><p>No. Ifyouhaven’twonthe fightwith fiveshots,all itmeans is,you</p><p>needmore than five shots to win the fight. In the 1970s, the Illinois</p><p>State Police gave me free rein to poll their troopers and study their</p><p>gunfights, back when they were the only troopers in the country</p><p>carrying autoloading pistols. I was able to identify 13 troopers who</p><p>almost certainly survived because they had autoloaders (single-stack</p><p>9mm S&W Model 39s) instead of the six-shot revolvers they carried</p><p>before.Nine of thosewere survivors of “snatch the cop’s gun and kill</p><p>himwithit”assaults,andprevailedwhentheyfeltthemselveslosingthe</p><p>struggleforthepistoleitherbecausethebadguycouldn’tgetthegunoff</p><p>safe,orbecausethetrooperhadpressedthemagazinereleasebuttonand</p><p>activated the disconnector safety that kept the chambered round from</p><p>firing.Moregermanetothetopicathand,however,fouroftheseofficers</p><p>survived because they hadmore firepower remainingwhen theywent</p><p>pastfiveorsixshots.TrooperKenKaas,withtheseventhshotfromhis</p><p>9mm,droppedashotgun-wieldingattackerwhowasrushinghim.(The</p><p>gunman survived and reportedly told his attorney that he had been</p><p>countingandwassurethecophadfired“allsix”andemptiedhisservice</p><p>revolverwhentheperpbrokecoverandchargedthetrooper;hedidn’t</p><p>know Illinois trooperscarried semi-automaticpistols.)SargentGlessner</p><p>Davisshotandkilledashotgun-armedmurdererwitheithertheseventh</p><p>or the eighth shot in his department issue Model 39. Troopers Bob</p><p>KolowskiandLloydBurchetteshotitoutwithahomicidaloutlawbiker</p><p>andboth emptied their9mms,withKolowski reloadingand sustaining</p><p>fire before the gunman fell dying. They had fired 20-some rounds</p><p>between themandhit him13 timesbeforehewasunable to continue</p><p>thefight.IllinoistroopersinuniformtodaycarryGlock22pistolsloaded</p><p>withsixteen40-caliberhollowpointsandbackedupwithtwomore15-</p><p>roundmagazinesontheirdutybelts.</p><p>Softbodyarmorcoststhepriceofagoodgun,isconcealable,anddefeatstheotherguy’sgunat</p><p>hismostlikelypointofaim.</p><p>Butthoseguysareallcops!I’mnotacop!</p><p>Doesn’tmatter. You’re facing the same scumbags they face. I’ve run</p><p>across the occasional case where the private citizen has run dry,</p><p>reloaded, and prevailed. I’ve also run into cases where they emptied</p><p>theirgunandthedangerwasstillthere.Agoodfriendofmine,Richard</p><p>Davis,</p><p>shot it outwith threearmed robbery suspects inaDetroit alley</p><p>manyyearsago.Whenthelastroundinhissix-shotrevolverwentoff,he</p><p>hadseverelywoundedoneopponent, seriouslywoundedasecond,and</p><p>slightlywoundedathird.Withnospareammohehadnothingtodobut</p><p>run,atwhich timeoneof theperps shothim twice.He survived—and</p><p>learnedtocarrypowerfulsemi-automaticpistolswithspareammunition.</p><p>Consider two famous armed citizen cases on opposite sides of the</p><p>nation.LanceThomas,awatchrepairmaninLosAngeles,wasinvolved</p><p>in four gunfights against a total of 11 perpetrators. Hewon them all,</p><p>shooting sixmen and killing five of them. He evolved the practice of</p><p>havingmultiplegunsalwayswithinreachandsimplygrabbinganother</p><p>iftheonehewasholdingranempty.Inoneshootout,heemptiedthree</p><p>38 and 357 revolvers. In Richmond,Virginia, two brotherswho ran a</p><p>jewelrystorefilledtheshopwith38sbehindthecounter,soonewould</p><p>beinreachofalmostanyemployeeshouldtherebearobbery.Theday</p><p>camewhen theywere hit by two old proswho belonged to theDixie</p><p>Mafia,onewieldinga191145autoandtheotherasawed-offshotgun.</p><p>Intheblazinggunbattlethatfollowed,onebrotherhadneedtofireboth</p><p>a357MagnumrevolverandaRemington87012-gaugepumpshotgun,</p><p>whiletheotherwentthroughseveralRossi38Specialrevolvers,before</p><p>thetwogunmenweredeadonthefloor.(Oneofthestoreemployeesgot</p><p>alickinwithaRuger44Magnum,too.)Sufficeittosay,ifthesegood</p><p>armedcitizenshadgonewithanattitudeof“IfIcan’tdoitwithfiveor</p><p>six shots, I can’t do it at all,” they—and innocent customers an d/or</p><p>employees—wouldalmostcertainlybedeadnow.</p><p>Butthoseguyshadgunsallovertheplacetheycouldreach.I’m</p><p>anarmedcitizen,outandabout—Ican’tdowhattheydid.</p><p>No.Andifthey’dhadjusthadonegunwithnospareammunitionthey</p><p>couldn’thave,either.WhichiswhyI’vecometorecommendthatifyou</p><p>carryagun, it’sanawfullygoodideatocarryspareammunitionfor it.</p><p>Whydoyousupposeeveryuniformedstreetcopyouseehasthatammo</p><p>pouch on the duty belt? Remember, you’re preparing yourself to face,</p><p>alone, the exact same violent criminals for which society has armed</p><p>thosepoliceofficersinanticipationoffacing.Thatequipagecomesfrom</p><p>a long institutional history of gunfights with criminals, a history well</p><p>understoodbymodernpolice.Thelawfullyarmedcitizencanlearnfrom</p><p>it.</p><p>I carry an 18-shot auto pistol, so I don’t have to worry about</p><p>runningoutofammunition.</p><p>While that’sdebatable,youdohave toworryaboutyourautopistol</p><p>malfunctioning. It happens to the best of them, and any gunsmith or</p><p>armorer will tell you that assuming you’re using good quality</p><p>ammunition,thesinglemostcommoncauseofanautoloader’sstoppage</p><p>issomethinggoingwrongwiththemagazine.Clearingthestoppageand</p><p>getting back to fighting may require replacing the defective or</p><p>compromisedmagazinewithafreshone.Itwouldbenicetohavethat</p><p>instantlyaccessibleonyourperson,insteadofhomeinyourgunsafeor</p><p>ablockawayinyourvehicle’sglovebox.</p><p>Anotherpredictableoccurrenceisthestruggleforthegun.Asnotedin</p><p>my study of Illinois Troopers with Smith &WessonModel 39 pistols,</p><p>that one department alone had several “saves,” when the trooper</p><p>deliberately “killed the gun” by pressing the mag release during the</p><p>struggle.Supposeyou’vedone that successfullyand retainedcontrolof</p><p>thegun—andthebadguynowpullsaknife.Withyourmagazineloston</p><p>thegroundinthedark,youhave,atbest,asingle-shotpistolwithwhich</p><p>todefendyourself, andnoteven that ifyourgunhas thedisconnector</p><p>safety feature. Because their departments have had saves in this</p><p>circumstance, I can point out police agencies from California to New</p><p>Hampshirethatinsistonthisfeatureintheirservicepistols.Departments</p><p>soequippedandtrainedusuallyalsomandatethattheirpersonnelcarry</p><p>at least one spare magazine on plainclothes duty and two when on</p><p>uniformed patrol, in part so that, in such a situation, they can slap a</p><p>freshmagazineintothedutypistoland“bringitbacktolife.”</p><p>Theothersideofthisisthatinthestruggleforthegun,theoffending</p><p>hands on the pistol may accidentally release themagazine.When the</p><p>good guy regains control of the pistol, itwould be awfully good if he</p><p>couldgetafreshmagintothegunand“makeitwhole”again.</p><p>Well,ifmyfiveshotsorsixshotsorwhatevershotsaren’tenough</p><p>andI’moutofammo,I’lljustrunaway.</p><p>Anamusing suggestion, but if you couldhave runaway,whydidn’t</p><p>you do so before? The very fact that you’re in a situation that has</p><p>required you to empty a gun at one or more human beings probably</p><p>indicates that if you turn and run, you’ll just get a few bullets in the</p><p>back.Prettytoughtooutrunthose.</p><p>TheSnagMag,developedbyacareerplainclotheslawman,yieldsaspareGlockmagazinefroma</p><p>trouserpocket.</p><p>ConcealingSpareAmmunition</p><p>Let’s lookseparatelyat the twoprimary typesofdefensivehandgun.</p><p>One is the ubiquitous semi-automatic pistol. The other is the double-</p><p>action revolver, which, for very good reasons, refuses to die. Their</p><p>“ammo feeders” are differently shaped and differently inserted, hence</p><p>theneedtocarrythemdifferently.</p><p>Autoloaders</p><p>The sparemagazine is relatively flat and, inmy experience, is best</p><p>carried in a belt pouch on the side of the body opposite the holster.</p><p>Vertical carry is best for concealment and fastest for access, and</p><p>reloading will be more positive if each magazine is carried with the</p><p>bulletnosesforward.Forconcealedcarry,Idon’tseeanyneedatallfor</p><p>aflappedmagpouch.Itslowsdownaccess,andtheextraflapofleather</p><p>ornylonaddsunnecessarybulkandbulge. Justmake sureyouhavea</p><p>good, friction-tight fit and you’ll have all the security you need, with</p><p>maximumspeedandaccess.</p><p>Mostofuscarrythemagpouchjustbehindthelefthipifwe’reright-</p><p>handed,viceversaifwe’resouthpaws.Withanopen-frontconcealment</p><p>garment,suchasavestorasportcoatoranunbuttonedsportshirt,this</p><p>minimizesthelikelihoodofthemagazinebecomingvisible.Too,weight</p><p>on the corresponding point at the opposite side of the body seems to</p><p>“balance” theweight of the holstered pistol and increase overall body</p><p>comfortonceyouareusedtothepresenceoftheobject.</p><p>Here’stheSnagMagwithafull-lengthGlockmagazine,seenfromtheoutside.</p><p>The SnagMag again, and from the side that faces thewearer’s legwhen it’sworn in the side</p><p>trouserpocket.</p><p>Thisprinciple isone thing thatmadeRichardGallagher’s conceptof</p><p>theOriginalJackassShoulderSystem,theforerunnerofhisGalcobrand,</p><p>sofamouslypopularandsowidelyimitated.Theweightofthegunhung</p><p>suspended in one armpit, with the weight of the twomagazines (and</p><p>perhapsalsohandcuffs),undertheother.Anotheradvantage,ofcourse,</p><p>wasthattheuser’scriticalgearwasallononeharnessthathecouldbe</p><p>quicklythrowonifadangercalltookhimfromtheConditionWhiteof</p><p>totalrelaxationtothebrightercolorsof“suddencalltoarms.”</p><p>Anumberof thepeoplehavegonewith thecurrentlypopularAIWB</p><p>(appendix/inside-the-waistband)carry,whichplacestheholsteredpistol</p><p>onthedominant-handsideoftheirnavel.Thosewhocarrythepistollike</p><p>thiswilloftenplacethesparemagazinepouchatacorrespondingpoint</p><p>ontheothersideofthenavel.Again,it’samatterof“balance,”andalso</p><p>keysinalittlebitwiththehandsreachingtocorresponding</p><p>partsofthe</p><p>body during crisis, assuming that practice and training have drilled in</p><p>thegameplanwell.</p><p>Some people carry their spare magazines in their pockets. I did so</p><p>whenIwasveryyounganddiscoveredthatagenericeyeglasscasewith</p><p>pocket clip that cost 29 cents at Woolworth’s would hold a 1911</p><p>magazine in a trouser pocket without revealing its shape (though I</p><p>neededa folded-upmatchbookcoveror two in thebottomof it toget</p><p>themagazineuphighenoughinthepouchthatIcouldretrieveit).By</p><p>the time I hit my twenties, though, decent, concealable magazine</p><p>poucheswereavailableandIcouldaffordtobuythem.</p><p>(topleft)Atrest,theSnagMaglookslikeapocketknife…</p><p>(left)…andthemagazineiswithdrawnthus.</p><p>(above)Here’sanotherviewoftheSnagMagmagazinecarrier,incasualpants.</p><p>There are a fewpocketmagazine carriers available, but none are as</p><p>fasttoaccessassimplyreachingunderthesamegarmentthatconcealed</p><p>thepistol and snatchingoneout of abelt-mountedpouch. Inordinary</p><p>clothing,amagazinewillmakeacoatpocketorcardigansweaterpocket</p><p>sagabit.Manydedicatedgunconcealmentvestshaveelasticpocketsto</p><p>holdmagazinesupright.Theyconceal the shapewell,but they tend to</p><p>sag a bit. If the elastic is tight, the garment tends to rise with the</p><p>magazine you’re pulling on, and this also prevents it from coming</p><p>cleanlyawayfromthepocketinsomeiterations.</p><p>This writer wears BDU pants as default casual wear, and when</p><p>carryingamaginapocketprefersthededicated“magazinepocket,”also</p><p>knownas“cellphonepocket,”onthenon-dominanthandside.Withjust</p><p>themagazine in there, it tends to shift around a little bit.However, I</p><p>discoveredthatifIputacompact,high-intensityflashlightwithapocket</p><p>clipinthefrontofthatpocket/pouchandthepistolmagazinebehindit,</p><p>itconcealslikeacharmandtheflashlightinfrontholdsthemagazinein</p><p>averticalposition thatdoesnot shift appreciably.TheBDU-typepants</p><p>normally have a Velcro-closing pocket flap. I close down the rear</p><p>portion,whichhides themagazineperfectly.One endof the flashlight</p><p>protrudes visibly upward, and that’s fine; it’s only a flashlight and</p><p>doesn’t need to be concealed. I find that the flashlight goes unnoticed</p><p>fromsupermarketstobankstoairports.</p><p>The“BabyGlock”isseenasahideoutorbackupgun,buthere’sMikeRossshowingtheformthat</p><p>haswonmultipleGlockmatchesforhimwithhislittleG269mm.</p><p>MikeRosshaswonmultiplematchesagainst full sizeGlockswithhis“baby”Glock26,shown</p><p>here.Notethatitisloadedwithfull-length17-roundGlock17magazine.</p><p>When concealment is the highest priority and thewearer is dressed</p><p>lightly, aswith anun-tuckedpolo shirt or t-shirt (one size larger than</p><p>normal, remember, with straight drape instead of waist taper!), an</p><p>inside-the-waistband magazine carrier will be just as much more</p><p>concealableasan inside-the-waistbandgunholster.Ofcourse,youstill</p><p>havetorememberthatifthepantswereboughttofitjustyou,nowthe</p><p>waistbandhas toencompass justyouandaholsteredgun,anda spare</p><p>magazineanditscarrier.Thismeansthatyou’llneedalargerwaistband</p><p>sizethanwhatyouwouldnormallywear.</p><p>An inside-the-waistband magazine pouch brings some of the same</p><p>concernsasaninside-the-waistbandholsterandsomeofitsown.Certain</p><p>pistolmagazines—earlySmith&Wessons,earlyH&Kdesigns,anddamn</p><p>nearalltheserious-caliberSIGswhentheyhadsheet-metalfloorplates—</p><p>have sharp edges thatwill digmercilessly into skin, all themore so if</p><p>you’re a bit fleshy about the waist. Way back in the ’80s, when I</p><p>collaboratedwithTedBlockerontheLFIConcealmentRig,theoriginal</p><p>inside-the-waistbandmagpouchleftthewholefloorplateandlowerpart</p><p>ofthemagazineexposedtothereachinghand.Itwasveryfasttoreload</p><p>from. However, some folks with some magazines—myself included, I</p><p>admit—found sharp-edged protruding floorplates digging into us so</p><p>uncomfortablywecouldn’twearthedarnthings.Tedrevisedthedesign</p><p>toincorporateashieldbetweentheentiremagazineandthebody.This</p><p>greatlyincreasedcomfort,butalsosomewhatsloweddownthespeedof</p><p>getting themagazine out of the pouch. That’s always going to be the</p><p>tradeoffhere.</p><p>Autoloadersarefasttoreload.ThisMAGstudent’sejectedmagazineisfalling,asheisaboutto</p><p>thrustfreshmagazineintobuttofpistol.</p><p>Glock 30magazine rides comfortably and discreetly next to SureFire E2D light in cell phone</p><p>pocketofthesecargopants.</p><p>Outsidethewaistband,thepouchtendstobemorecomfortable.You</p><p>still want it to ride tight to the body for concealment, though. These</p><p>days,myfavoritesofthattypearetheKydexunitsproducedbyBlade-</p><p>Tech in double pouches, and by Ky-Tac in single-mag pouches. For</p><p>Glocks (bargain alert here!) I’ve honestly found nothing better than</p><p>Glock’s own simple, super-cheap magazine pouch, which is also</p><p>ambidextrous.Itcomeswithlittleladder-stepsinthebeltloopsthatcan</p><p>beeasilycutbytheownertofitnarroworwidebeltswithoutflopping</p><p>or wobbling, and to also ride high or low. I’ve won IDPA matches</p><p>reloading fromthesepouches.Theyare fast, theyare tight-to-the-body</p><p>concealable,theyarecomfortable,andtheyaresecure.Helluvadeal.</p><p>Howmanysparemagstocarry?Itdepends.I’vemetcopswhocarry</p><p>four double-stack magazines when on duty. My department issues a</p><p>single-stack.45auto,andwhenI’minuniformIcarrythreetofourspare</p><p>eight-roundmagazineson thedutybelt.Onmyown time, I carry two</p><p>sparemagazines fora single-stackpistolandat leastone foradouble-</p><p>stack. I also normally carry a backup handgun, and on patrol I have</p><p>a.223semi-automaticriflewithmultiplemagazinesandashotgunwith</p><p>anamplesupplyofshellsonboardinthevehicle.Ourmilitarypersonnel</p><p>in combat zones, of course, carry more—and those who don’t really</p><p>believethey’lleverneedtofiretheirdefensivefirearm,carryless.</p><p>It’snotricktocarrytwosparemagazines…</p><p>…andauthorrecommendsyoucarryatleastone.TheseareforGlock30,carriedinGlock’sown</p><p>inexpensive,efficientmagpouches.</p><p>Propergraspofautopistolmagazineforreload.</p><p>Revolvers</p><p>Whilewe do have seven-and eight-shot revolvers in combat calibers</p><p>today,yourtypicaldouble-actionrevolver isstillasix-shooter,andthe</p><p>singlemostpopularconcealedcarryformatforwheel-gunsisthesmall-</p><p>framefive-shooter.Thelattermayalsostillbethesinglemostcommonly</p><p>carriedbackupgun forpolice,armedsecurity,and law-abidingprivate</p><p>citizens.</p><p>When you’re traveling and living out of hotels and rental cars, the</p><p>fewergunsyouneedtoberesponsiblefor,thebetter.</p><p>IknowthatearlyinthischapterImadeitclearthatthemorerounds</p><p>youhaveinyourgun,thebetteroffyouareoncetheshootingstarts.At</p><p>thesametime,inallcandor,I’lltellyouthatinthe52weeksoftheyear</p><p>precedingmywritingof thischapter, IcarriedoneoranotherSmith&</p><p>Wesson 357Magnum revolver asmy primaryweapon for 12 of them.</p><p>Eachpractitionerhashisorherreasonsforcarryingtheguntheychoose</p><p>onagivendayorweekormonth. Inmycase, I’mbotha competitive</p><p>handgunshooterandafirearmsinstructor.Onthematchshootingside</p><p>ofit,mostofmyteammatesareyoungerthanmeandconsiderrevolvers</p><p>tobequaintmuseumartifacts.However,ifourteamwantstosweepall</p><p>the five categoriesof an IDPAmatchand, say, twoof those categories</p><p>areforrevolvers,wegeezerswhoarepracticedintheancient,arcaneart</p><p>of</p><p>double-actionrevolvershootingandreloadingare,therefore,askedto</p><p>shoot inoneof thosedivisionsatsuchmatches.Whenyou’re traveling</p><p>andlivingoutofhotelsandrentalcars,thefewergunsyouneedtobe</p><p>responsible for, the better. On one five-week trip and another seven-</p><p>week tour last year, there was a state championship among other</p><p>matchesfortheone,andatitledefenseinStockServiceRevolverclass</p><p>ataregionalchampionship,alongwithlocalIDPAandSteelmatcheson</p><p>theother.Fromtheinstructorsideofit,mostofmystaffinstructors,like</p><p>most ofmy shooting teammates, are younger thanme and into autos,</p><p>andso somebodyhad tohave thehardware to teach the studentswho</p><p>camewithrevolvers.Theresidentgeezer(me)getselectedagain.</p><p>Onthefirsttrip,ItookatrioofS&W357Mags,includingalittlefive-</p><p>shotMilitary&Police340pocketgunthatneverneededtobefired,and</p><p>twosix-shotCombatMagnums,a3-inchanda4-inch.Ireasonedthatit</p><p>would be a good idea to have a backup match gun anyway, and I</p><p>broughtleft-andright-handBianchiholsters.FormostofthetripIwore</p><p>justoneCombatMagbehindthelefthipandonebehindtheright.Sure</p><p>enough,aModel19developedproblemsandgotsidelineduntilIcould</p><p>send it for repair,but the3-inchModel66backupearnedmedivision</p><p>winner in one match and First Master/second overall Stock Service</p><p>Revolveratthestateshoot.</p><p>On the other trip, I brought a Bob Lloyd-tuned 4-inch S&W 686 as</p><p>primary,with the 340M&P and a 9mmGlock 26 as backup.Nothing</p><p>wentwrongwith the guns, and the 686won all threematches I shot</p><p>withit, includingtheStockServiceRevolverclassandthetitledefense</p><p>atthe2011SouthMountainShowdowninPhoenix.</p><p>Spareammoduringthose12weeks?Quiteapartfromtheadditional</p><p>guns,IalwayshadatleastonespeedloaderathandplusaBianchiSpeed</p><p>Stripanda2x2x2pouchofrevolverammoonmyperson.It’ssimplynot</p><p>thatheavyandnotthathardtocarry.TheSpeedStripwasintheright</p><p>cargo pocket on the thigh ofmyBDUpants, the speedloader(s) in the</p><p>rightsidepocketofmyconcealmentvest,andthecartridgepouchonthe</p><p>leftofmybeltinfrontofthehip(I’mright-handed).</p><p>HKSspeedloaderandBianchiSpeedStriparelong-provenspareammocarriersforJ-frameS&W</p><p>snub-noserevolverslikethisone,hereequippedwithCrimsonTraceLaserGrips.AmmoisSpeer’s</p><p>excellent135-grainGoldDot+P38Special.</p><p>Speedloaders greatly improve revolver firepower. Here, en route to taking First Master and</p><p>secondplacebehindsoontobeWorldChampCraigBucklandatthe2010EastCoastU.S.IDPA</p><p>championship, the author is closing the cylinder of his Reichard-tuned S&WModel 15 as the</p><p>speedloaderfallsawayatkneelevel.Notethateyesaredownrangeonthe“threat.”</p><p>Istronglysuggestthat,whilewecarryourspareautopistolmagazines</p><p>placedforthenon-dominanthand,mostpeoplearebetterofftoputtheir</p><p>sparerevolverammoonthegunhandside,wherethedominanthandcan</p><p>reachit.Thereasoningforthisissimple.Insertingalargeobject(pistol</p><p>magazine) into a large receptacle (auto pistol butt) is a simple gross</p><p>motorskillandcanbeaccomplishedeasilywiththelessdexteroushand.</p><p>Reloadinganautothatwaysavestimeandmotion,anditisasclosetoa</p><p>universally taught technique as exists in the world of pistolcraft.</p><p>However, inserting multiple small objects (cartridges) simultaneously</p><p>intomultiplesmallreceptacles(thechambersinarevolver’scylinder)is</p><p>unquestionablyafinemotorskill,andnaturedecreesthatmostofuswill</p><p>performthistaskmoreefficientlybyusingthemoredexteroushandto</p><p>doit.</p><p>Thereareahandfulofaceshooterswhocankeeptherevolverinthe</p><p>dominanthandandquickly reload thecylinderwith thenon-dominant</p><p>hand, but this requires either tremendous natural dexterity with the</p><p>loadinghandorconstant(readdaily)practice.Mostofuswillgetfaster,</p><p>morepositiveresults,andsooner,usingthedominanthandtoinsertthe</p><p>cartridgesintoarevolver.Thisisparticularlytruewhenloadingoneor</p><p>twocartridgesatatimebyhandoutofanammopouch,beltloops,ora</p><p>SpeedStriporTuffStrip.</p><p>Speedloaders, which hold a gun-load of cartridges for a particular</p><p>revolver, are the fastest way to reload this type of handgun. The full</p><p>moonclipisthefastestofspeedloaders,sincethewholethinggoesinto</p><p>the gun. This saves an extra movement, to wit, discarding the empty</p><p>loaderafterithasdroppeditspayloadintothecylinder.Themoonclip</p><p>alsoexpeditesthefirststepyoutaketoreloadarevolverafteropening</p><p>its cylinder, that of ejecting the spent cartridges from the chambers.</p><p>Withallsixorhowevermanyclippedtogether,nooneofthemcanhang</p><p>upundertheejectorstarandjamthegun.</p><p>J-frame HKS speedloaders carry comfortably, discreetly, and accessibly in the business card</p><p>pocket-within-pocketofthisblazer.</p><p>However,moonclipsaredelicateandcanbebentinordinarypocket</p><p>carryorridinginasoftpouch.Abentloadermaynotallowthecylinder</p><p>tocloseor,perhapsmoretreacherously,mayallowthecylindertoclose</p><p>but now fit so tightly that the cylinder can’t rotate, which of course</p><p>preventsthegunfromfiring.</p><p>Mostrevolveruserswhorelyonspeedloadersdoitwithconventional</p><p>loaders, themostpopularofwhichare thepush-releaseSafarilandand</p><p>theHKS,whichreleasesthecartridgesviaaknobthatturnsclockwise.</p><p>I’ve foundpersonallyover theyears that theSafariland is faster,while</p><p>theHKSissturdierandstandsuptolongeruse.Forthatreason,ifI’llbe</p><p>keepingtheloaderinapocketorautomobileglovebox,I’llgowiththe</p><p>HKS, and if I’m shooting for speed in amatch, I’ll use the Safariland,</p><p>specificallytheirlargebutveryfastCompIII.</p><p>Forconcealedcarry,theproblemisthattheloaderisaboutthesame</p><p>diameterasthecylinderoftherevolveritself,whichmanyfindthemost</p><p>difficult part of that type of gun to conceal, since it’s generally the</p><p>widest part. Speedloaders tend to bulge and sag in jacket pockets and</p><p>front trouser pockets. One exception is the “business card pocket”</p><p>generally found inside the right front pocket ofmanymen’s suit-coats</p><p>andblazers. It’s just the right size for a five-shot J-frame speedloader,</p><p>andsomemanufacturerscutthemabitlarger,whichwillfitaK-frame</p><p>loader. (Of course, any such coat can have one custom-tailored in.)</p><p>Beingsuspendedbya“pocketwithinapocket,”I’vefoundthatthissags</p><p>andbulgesmuchlessthanjustdroppingoneintoajacketpocket.</p><p>Another “pocket exception” is foundwith the cell phone pockets on</p><p>thesidesofsomeBDU/cargopants.Justasasparepistolmagazinefits</p><p>nicelyintotheoff-sidepocket,I’vefoundthatthelongSafarilandComp</p><p>IIIspeedloader(amoreruggedunit,inmyexperience,thanthesmaller</p><p>Safarilands more commonly encountered in concealed carry), will fit</p><p>perfectlyinthecellphonepocketonthegunhandside.It’sreasonably</p><p>fast,andthoughadedicatedeyecoulddiscernthatthere’ssomethingin</p><p>thatpocket,thesmallbulgedoesn’tresembleaweaponandtendstogo</p><p>completelyunnoticed.I likethelongCompIIIforthis,becauseitstays</p><p>orientedinpositionandisthefastesttobringoutofthepocketandinto</p><p>action.</p><p>(top)Author’srecommendedgraspofspeedloader.Fingertipsaheadofbulletnosesshapehandto</p><p>findcylinderbyfeelinthedark.Loaderis5-shotHKS.</p><p>(above) Author’s recommended grasp of Bianchi Speed Strip. Index finger holds strip like a</p><p>scalpelforaccurateplacement,middlefingersecurelyholdsemptyspacebelow5thround.</p><p>Author’s</p><p>recommendedgraspofspeedloader.Fingertipsaheadofbulletnosesshapehandtofind</p><p>cylinderbyfeelinthedark.Loaderis5-shotHKS.</p><p>Withloosefittingtrousers(cargopants,ortheDockers-typepopularat</p><p>this writing), the hip pockets are often capacious enough to carry a</p><p>speedloader. The smaller ones in my experience will roll around,</p><p>bringingthemtouncomfortableandbulgingpositionsandcausingthem</p><p>tobecomemorevisible toonlookers, not tomention they’reharder to</p><p>getholdofwhenyouneedthem.Onceagain,counterintuitivethoughit</p><p>seems, the big Safariland Comp III comes to the rescue. Being right-</p><p>handed,Iputmineintherightoutercorneroftherighthippocket,with</p><p>a folded handkerchief occupying the rest of that pocket’s space. The</p><p>handkerchiefisenoughtokeeptheloaderverticalandthereforealways</p><p>inthesameplace,alwaysquicklyaccessible.Itsroundededgegoesinto</p><p>thehollowontheoutersideofthegluteus,whichreducesbulge(some</p><p>folks’ mileage may vary on this), and being at the outer edge of the</p><p>pockettowardthehip,Idon’tendupsittingonit.</p><p>For the belt, there are a couple of very fast speedloader pouches</p><p>suitable for concealment. I generally wear them right in front of the</p><p>holster.OneistheloaderclipfromTedBlockerHolstersanddesignedby</p><p>thelegendaryTedBlockerhimself.Madeofwirecoatedwithsoftplastic,</p><p>it holds an HKS loader with spring tension between the body of the</p><p>loader and the release knob. Half the cartridges ride inside the</p><p>waistband,halfoutside,dramatically reducing theprofileof the loader</p><p>andthereforeminimizingbulge.</p><p>Before the Ted Blocker clip, there was another carrier which, if</p><p>memory serves, was originally designed by another holster-making</p><p>legend,GeneDeSantis.Openonthesides, italsoholdstheloaderwith</p><p>threeroundsinsidethebeltandthreeout,butitsretainingmechanismis</p><p>aleatherflapthatgoesoverthetopoftheloaderandsnapstotheflip-</p><p>downfrontofthepouch.Toaccesstheloaderinthispouch,theshooter</p><p>bringsthehanddowntothebeltand,reachingthroughtheopensides,</p><p>grasps thebodyof the loaderbetween the thumbonone sideand the</p><p>middle fingeron theother.Thispositions the index finger to flipopen</p><p>theretainingflap,allowingtheloadertocomefreeandgetonitswayto</p><p>the gun. It has become one of the most widely copied pieces of</p><p>gunleather on the market, and many makers now offer this type of</p><p>pouch.Withthisstyle,IdefinitelyprefertousetheHKS.Thereasonis</p><p>that the Safariland releases when its center-pin hits the axis of the</p><p>revolver’scylinder,and that samecenter-pin is incontactwith the top</p><p>edge of the beltwhen riding in this type of pouch. It is possible—not</p><p>everyday likely, but possible—to bend over sharply enough during</p><p>strenuousactivitytoforcetheSafarilandloaderdownhardenoughonto</p><p>thebelttoreleasethecartridgesintothepouch.</p><p>ThisladycarriesSpeedStripinwatchpocketofjeanstobackupherS&WAirweight.38Special.</p><p>Still,many combinations of body shape anddress codewillmake it</p><p>simply impossible for the revolver user to carry a speedloader</p><p>comfortably,accessibly,anddiscreetlyconcealed.Thatuser isgoing to</p><p>needanotherspareammocarrysystem.Someoftheoldwaysstillwork,</p><p>and some work better than others. The oldest system for carrying</p><p>revolver cartridges goes back to the 19th century, those being the</p><p>individual cartridge loops. They mount on a leather “slide,” and for</p><p>concealmentyoudon’twantcowboygear,youwantasix-loopslide.The</p><p>key is to have the loops at the top edge of the unit. This allows your</p><p>fingerstocomeinunderthebulletnosesandpushthemup,wherethe</p><p>thumband the two first fingers cangrab them firmlyby the rims and</p><p>guidethemintotherevolverchambers.(Hint:“Slant”theminonaslight</p><p>angle, which guides hollowpoint bullets more surely into those tight-</p><p>fittingrestingplaces.)It’snothardtolearntodoittworoundsatatime,</p><p>thoughitobviouslytakessomepractice.I’veseenaveryfewpeoplewho</p><p>candothreecartridgesatatime,andtheoperativetermthereis“very</p><p>few.”My good friend of 30-some years, the late Jim Cirillo, came up</p><p>with a belt-loop system that set the loops out away from the leather</p><p>slide.Thiswascertainlyfaster,andwasadoptedbyDonHumeleather,</p><p>among others, but was not really ideal for concealment for the very</p><p>reason that it pushed the ammo forward, increasing bulge under</p><p>concealinggarments.Jimdesignedthoseloopsforbothcompetitionand</p><p>dutywear,neitherofwhichinvolvedconcealment.Ihadtheprivilegeof</p><p>seeing Cirillowear them on duty, in NewYork, andwinningmatches</p><p>withtheminotherplaces,intheearly1970s.</p><p>With spill pouch, author uses left palm as “loading tray.” Ejector rod of J-frame S&W is slid</p><p>betweenfirsttwofingers,dominanthandloadscartridgesoneor(asshown)twoatatime.</p><p>Becausethecartridgesareexposed,it’simportanttokeepthecartridge</p><p>loop slide back from the front of an open front garment to maintain</p><p>concealment. They work well under closed-front garments. Under the</p><p>open-fronttype,youwantthembacktowardthehip—butnotbehindthe</p><p>hip,becausethey’remuchmoredifficulttoreachfromthere.</p><p>Another old concept is the dump pouch, sometimes called a spill</p><p>pouch.Flipopenthe flap,andthepayloadofcartridges falls intoyour</p><p>hand. This leaves you holding five or six or howevermany cartridges</p><p>andtryingtogetthemintothegun.Ifyoudumpthemintothedominant</p><p>hand, you have to literally juggle them, trying to get one or two at a</p><p>time into the gun, while hoping to keep the rest from falling to the</p><p>ground.Overtheyears,during“therevolverdays,” I, forone, foundit</p><p>mucheasiertodumpthemintothepalmofmy(left)supporthandafter</p><p>ejecting the empties out of the cylinder, then slide the ejector rod</p><p>betweentheindexandmiddlefingersofmylefthand,whosepalmheld</p><p>the cartridges like a loading tray. The right handwould thenpick the</p><p>cartridgesfromthepalmandinsertthemintothegun.Whicheverway</p><p>youdidit,weallfound,thedumppouchwasfarfromthefastestwayto</p><p>reloadarevolver.</p><p>Inthelatterhalfofthe20thcenturyandbeforespeedloadersbecame</p><p>popular,JohnBianchidevelopedtheBianchiSpeedStrip.Itcouldridein</p><p>oneofthosedumppouchesandwasandiswayfasterthanlooserounds</p><p>in the self-same pouch. More important for the concealed carrier, the</p><p>Speed Strip and the later Tuff Strip are amenable to hiding in other</p><p>places.One such spot is the traditionalwatchpocket, that littlehidey-</p><p>holewhichridesinsidetheright-sidefrontpocketofmostjeans.Another</p><p>is the low-riding cargo pocket on cargo pants and shorts. The round</p><p>speedloader and the rigid auto pistol magazine tends to bounce</p><p>uncomfortablyagainstthelegwhencarriedinthatpocket,butthelittle</p><p>cartridgestripseemstogounnoticedthere.</p><p>Being both flat and slightly flexible, speed strips ride more</p><p>comfortablyandmoreconcealablyinthefrontpocketsofmosttrousers</p><p>and in coat pockets. Remember that business card “pocket within a</p><p>pocket” in blazers and suit-coats? I discovered early on that Bianchi’s</p><p>strip fit there perfectly,with great comfort and a concealability factor</p><p>thatapproachedinvisibility.</p><p>Nothing isperfect. Idiscoveredover theyears that leadhollowpoint</p><p>bullets would become deformed from constant pocket carry in strips.</p><p>changes you. Most of the changes are</p><p>positive. If you’re new to the practice, what this book says will be</p><p>helpful toyou. If you’vebeendoing it foras longas Ihaveor longer,</p><p>youmightfindanewtrickortwo,andatworstwillhaveabooktoback</p><p>upyouradvicewhenyou’resharingthisknowledgewithyourstudents.</p><p>Changes</p><p>Peoplewhodon’tunderstandthelifestylethinkagunonyourhipwill</p><p>turnyoufromDr.JekylltoMr.Hyde,ormakeyou“gowhereangelsfear</p><p>totread.”Aucontraire.Thosewho’veactuallylivedtheCCWlifestylecan</p><p>tellyouthatit’sjusttheopposite.</p><p>When you carry a gun, you no longer have the option of starting</p><p>fights,orevenkeeping theball rollingwhenanotherpersonstartsone</p><p>with you. When you are armed with a lethal weapon, you carry the</p><p>burdenofwhattheCourtscalla“higherstandardofcare.”Becauseyou</p><p>knowadeadlyweaponispresent,andyouknowthatayellingmatchor</p><p>“merefisticuffs”cannowdegradeintoakillingsituation,lawandethics</p><p>alikewillsaythatyouofallpeopleshouldhaveknownenoughtoabjure</p><p>fromaviolentconflict.Thisiswhyaphrasefromscience-fictionwriter</p><p>RobertHeinlein,popularizedbyCol.JeffCooper,hasbecomeaguiding</p><p>light for CCW practitioners: “An armed society is a polite society.”</p><p>Answeringacursewithacurse,oranobscenegesturewithaone-finger</p><p>salute,isnolongeryouroptionwhenyoucarryagun.</p><p>…you learn to reachwith the otherhand. Similarly, to pickup anobject on the ground, you</p><p>learn to bend at knees instead of waist so the gun at your hip won’t “print” through your</p><p>concealinggarment.</p><p>Another sayingamongCCWpeople is, “Concealedmeansconcealed.”</p><p>Only the rankest rookie cop or first-time permit-holder will allow the</p><p>handgun to become visible in anything less than an emergency. In</p><p>professional circles, people who don’t follow this rule are sometimes</p><p>knownasgun-flashers,andarelookeddownuponwithonlyslightlyless</p><p>opprobriumthantheotherkindof“flashers.”</p><p>ResponsibilitycomeswithCCW.Theresponsibilitytokeepthatdeadly</p><p>weaponsecured fromunauthorizedchildren, incompetentguests in the</p><p>household, and burglars. The responsibility to use the weapon as</p><p>judiciously as, in the words of the Courts, “a reasonable and prudent</p><p>personwoulddo,inthesamesituation…”</p><p>If the gunmust be drawnand fired to save your life or the lives of</p><p>others,thereisaresponsibilitytomakecertainthatyourshotsflytrue.</p><p>Didyoulearntoshoot,perhapseven“qualify”withyourweaponlikea</p><p>police officer? Or did you just buy it, strap it on, and think it would</p><p>somehowprotectyoubyitself?Didyoubecomesufficientlyskilledwith</p><p>it that, in a state of stress, you could be reasonably and prudently</p><p>confidentofhittingyourtargetandnotaninnocentbystander?Didyou</p><p>carefullychooseammunitiondesignedtoincapacitateaviolentattacker,</p><p>and designed not to shoot through and through him and strike a</p><p>bystanderhidden fromyourviewbehindhim?Didyoubecome familiar</p><p>withthelawsofyourjurisdictionthatgovernthecarryingoffirearmsandthe</p><p>lawfuluseofdeadlyforce?</p><p>It’scriticalthatyoulearntodrawexpeditiouslyandsafely.Alegalgun</p><p>carrier not instantly recognizable as a Good Guy or Gal, the way a</p><p>uniformed cop or security guard would be, risks starting a panic if</p><p>drawinginpublic.Anonlookerperceptionof“thecophashisgunout,</p><p>getoutoftheway”becomes“goodLord,thatpsychojustpulledagun!”</p><p>This means that in “iffy circumstances,” the plainclothes carrier may</p><p>havetowaitlongertoreact,puttingapremiumondrawingspeed.Inthe</p><p>following pages, we’ll emphasize discreet “surreptitious draw”</p><p>techniques that let you sneak your hand onto the still-hidden gun</p><p>without frightening the crowds. For the same reason, lack of</p><p>identifiability, youwant to be able to holster that gun smoothly, one-</p><p>handed,byfeelwithouttakingyoureyesoffthedangerinfrontofyouif</p><p>cops are arriving, because you don’t want those tensely responding</p><p>officersseeing“manwithagun,therenow.”</p><p>Going out and drinking to the point of intoxication in public is not</p><p>youroptionifyou’recarryingagun.ThereareplacesinAmericawhere</p><p>settingfootinabarstonesober–or,hell,evenaliquorstore–cancost</p><p>youyourpermitand“buyyousometime,”thelatterphrasenotinthe</p><p>good sense. There are also places where it’s technically legal to get</p><p>smashed in a ginmill while packing a piece. But there is no place in</p><p>Americawherethatwon’tgetyouintoverydeeptroubleifyouhaveto</p><p>drawtheguninself-defenseinthatcondition.</p><p>Wewho carry guns in public are aminority.Wehave an unwritten</p><p>covenantwiththerestofsociety:“Youcanbeassuredthatwewillnot</p><p>endangeryou.”It’sacovenantwemustliveuptoineveryway,ifwe’re</p><p>goingtokeeptheattendantrightsandprivilegesandpreservethemfor</p><p>ourchildrenandgrandchildren.</p><p>ThepracticeofCCWcomeswithacommitment,ifyou’reserious,and</p><p>thatcommitmentisthatyouwillactuallycarrythedamnthing!Criminal</p><p>attackersdon’tmakeappointments.Themindsetof“I’llonlycarryitwhen</p><p>I think I’ll need it” is a false one. I, and anyone my age who’s been</p><p>carryinggunsas longas Ihave,cantellyoustoriesallnightofpeople</p><p>whoselivesweresavedbecausetheywerecarryinggunsinplaceswhere</p><p>theydidn’tthinkthey’dneedthem.Criminalsattackyoupreciselywhen</p><p>youdon’t think you’re in a situation where you’ll be ready for them.</p><p>That’swhattheydoforaliving.Ifyouareserious,you’llcarryyourgun</p><p>likeyoucarryyourwallet:daily,constantly,unlessit’sillegaltodoso.</p><p>Which brings us to another responsibility:make sure you’re carrying</p><p>legally! As you’ll see later in these pages, today’s situation makes</p><p>concealedcarrylegalformorepeopleinmoreplacesthanatanytimein</p><p>the memory of any living American. If you’re in one of those places</p><p>wherelegalcarryisnotpossible,Ihavetoadviseyou,don’tcarrythere.</p><p>Yes, there are peoplewhose lives have been saved by guns theywere</p><p>carryingwithoutbenefitofpermit. Ibecame,atage23,oneofthem.I</p><p>knowmorenow than I knewat 23, and today, I eitherwouldn’t have</p><p>beeninthatplace,orwouldhavefoundawaytolegallycarrythere.</p><p>“Theywon’tfindoutI’mcarryingillegallyunlessIneedtouseit,and</p><p>ifIneedtouseit,gettingbustedforitistheleastofmyworries.”You’ve</p><p>heardthat,right?Well,it’samyth!Thelikelihoodofthegunbeingfound</p><p>onyouafteracarcrashormedicalemergency,thelikelihoodofitbeing</p><p>spottedorfeltbysomeoneincontactwithyou,maybegreaterthanthe</p><p>likelihoodofyourneedingtodrawitinself-defense.Rememberthatin</p><p>manyjurisdictionsthefirstoffenseofillegallycarryingagunisafelony,</p><p>often bringing a minimum/mandatory one year imprisonment. And</p><p>whereit’s“onlyamisdemeanor,”rememberthat“onlyamisdemeanor”</p><p>means“only364days in jail.”Not tomentiona firearms-relatedcrime</p><p>onyourrecord.</p><p>Besmart.Belegal.Carryonlywherethelawallowsyoutodoso.</p><p>ThePriceoftheWardrobes</p><p>Youdon’tjustgotothepawnshop,buythecheapesthandgunthey’ve</p><p>got,stuffitinyourpocketandgo.Ifyouareseriousaboutthis,thereare</p><p>wardrobesyou’llhavetoacquire.Threewardrobes,infact.</p><p>The wardrobe of clothing. This will be discussed at length in</p><p>followingchapters,butyouwillfindyourselfchangingyourclothingto</p><p>“dress around thegun” if you’re seriousaboutCCW. Ididn’t get abig</p><p>charge out of bringingmy gun and holster into</p><p>Thiscanhaveadeleteriouseffectonbothaccuracyandbulletexpansion,</p><p>if they have to be used for their intended purposes. Jacketed</p><p>hollowpoints survive pocket carrymuch better. They can still pick up</p><p>pocket lint in theirhollowcavities, though, and foreignmatter in that</p><p>cavitywill never help the bullet. A separate location dedicated to the</p><p>cartridgestrip—ammopouch,watchpocket,whatever—seemstobethe</p><p>bestplacetoputthisparticularspareammodevice.</p><p>Ofcourse,onecanalwaysjustdumplooseammointhepockets.The</p><p>trouble with that is that it’s evenmore awkward to get to when you</p><p>needitthantheworstoftheancientdumppouches.Withtightclothing,</p><p>theoutlinesofthecartridgeswillbeobviouslyvisible,anditwilltakean</p><p>agonizinglylongtimetodigeachroundoutofitsrepository.Itwillalso</p><p>takeprehensilefingerstoclawloosecartridgesoutofthefrontpocketin</p><p>atightpairofjeansifyouarecrouchingorkneelingbehindcoverwhile</p><p>underfire.</p><p>TheBottomLine</p><p>Asthe late,greatmaster firearms instructorJeffCooperpointedout,</p><p>the function of the gun is to launch bullets. Back as far as the 1970s,</p><p>anothergreatmaster,JohnFarnam,quantifiablyprovedthattheaverage</p><p>personcanfirefiveshotsinasecondfromasemi-automaticpistolwitha</p><p>short trigger reset, and four shots per second with a double-action</p><p>revolver.AGoodPersonfightingfortheirortheirfamily’sliveswillvery</p><p>likely fire as fast as is humanly possible. Some will fire faster than</p><p>average.Consider those factsanddo themath.Remember that it’snot</p><p>abouttheodds,it’saboutbeingpreparedfortheworstcasescenario.A</p><p>gun without ammunition is a very poor weapon—and a gun without</p><p>spareammunitionisaverytemporarygun.</p><p>Fullmoonclip,seenherewithPerformanceCenterS&WModel625in.45ACP,isthefastestway</p><p>toreloadarevolver.</p><p>M</p><p>Chapter9</p><p>LIGHTS</p><p>FORCONCEALEDCARRY</p><p>Wehaveawidevarietyofgun-mountedlightsavailabletoday.Thesearesomeoftheonesthe</p><p>authorusesregularly.</p><p>ostofuswho’vebeeninthegun-carryingbusiness fora long</p><p>timecarryartificialilluminationasregularlyandreligiouslyas</p><p>wecarryfirearms.Letmetellyouwhy.</p><p>First,unlikethegun,it’ssomethingyou’llfindyourselfactuallyusing</p><p>everyday.Asabonus,whenthosearoundyouknowyoualwayshaveit</p><p>withyou,theyreactwithappreciationinsteadofthefearthatsometimes</p><p>comeswhen they learn you’re armed. The day rarely goes bywhen I</p><p>don’t utilize one of my pocket flashlights for some mundane chore,</p><p>whichoftenbeginswhen someone says, “Hey,Mas, can Iborrowyour</p><p>flashlight?”</p><p>At thenext levelup,a flashlightcanbean injuryprevention tool in</p><p>anynumberofways.Everwalkthroughanicyparkinglotorapatchof</p><p>woods innear-totaldarkness?The light canpreventeverything froma</p><p>harmlessbutannoyingandmessyfallinthemud,toatwistedankle,to</p><p>astep intonowherethatcouldhavedroppedyoutenfeetand leftyou</p><p>withabrokenspineorfracturedskull.</p><p>Third, there are more emergencies that require light than require</p><p>gunfire. Even if you consider yourself a night owl (inwhich case you</p><p>need to carry illumination all the more), homo sapiens is a diurnal</p><p>species,notanocturnalone.Wesimplydon’tseewellinthedark.Ithas</p><p>been said that on amoonlessnight, ahumanbeingwith20/20vision</p><p>andnoartificial illumination can seenobetter thanapersondeclared</p><p>“legallyblind”canseeinbroaddaylight.Fromsearchingforsignsoflife</p><p>under thesmokepallata firescene, tocheckingpupil response in the</p><p>eyesofapossiblehead injuryvictimto–well,useyour imagination–</p><p>there are countless emergencies in which a good light source can</p><p>literallybealifesaver.</p><p>Oneofmygraduateswas in theTwinTowerswhentheunspeakable</p><p>disasteroccurred.Hewasoneofthesurvivors.Hewillneverforgetthe</p><p>mass terrorofpeople trying togetdownthe interminablestairwells in</p><p>pitchdarkness.Hehasmadeapointofneverbeingwithoutatleastone</p><p>powerful,pocketsize“tacticalflashlight”eversince,whetherornothe</p><p>happenstobearmed.</p><p>Fourth,therearecountlessself-protectionsituationsthatdon’triseto</p><p>thelevelofthegun,butcanbebettercontrolledifyouhaveapowerful</p><p>lightimmediatelyathand.Isthatawildanimalbehindthetree,asyou</p><p>walkyourdogdownthecountrylaneinthedark?Theflashlightwilltell</p><p>you in time toavoidyouoryourpetbeingbittenbywhatmightbea</p><p>rabidbeast.Countlesspoliceofficers,andprobablyafewcivilians,have</p><p>forestalledviolencewithaquicksweepofapowerfullightbeamacross</p><p>the eyes that swept the suspect’s night vision awaywith it, leading to</p><p>non-violentresolutionwhenthingsmighthaveturnedoutotherwise.</p><p>Fifth,ifyouknowhowtouseit,somepocketsizelightscanserveasan</p><p>impacttool,anintermediateforceweapon,inahand-to-handfightthat</p><p>does not yet rise to the level of deadly force.We’ll discuss thatmore</p><p>shortly, but suffice to say that training is essential to make this</p><p>applicationworkeffectivelyandendwell.</p><p>We’ve come a longway, baby. 20 years ago this big SureFireWeaponlight on Jarvis Custom</p><p>Beretta92wasstateoftheart…stillfunctionaltodayforoutsidewearorhomedefense,buttoo</p><p>bigforconcealedcarry.</p><p>Finally, illumination that is always, instantly available is an essential</p><p>complementtoadefensivefirearmthatisalways,instantlyavailable.</p><p>WhenTheGunNeedsLight</p><p>There are several reasonswhy the personwho carries a gun is best</p><p>servedbyalsocarryingalight.</p><p>Theflashlightletsyoufindyourwaytotheencounterandback.</p><p>A huge percentage of gunfights occur in less thanHighNoon lighting</p><p>conditions.Totaldarknessisfairlyrareingunfights,butitcancertainly</p><p>happen. Under some circumstances, the light can show you a lurking</p><p>felon in time tokeepyourdistanceandavoidaconfrontationatall. If</p><p>you’reonunfamiliarground,inthemomentsbeforetheencounterwhen</p><p>you’reataConditionOrange levelofknowingsomething iswrongbut</p><p>not exactlywhat it is, the lightmay have shown youwhere cover is:</p><p>cover you can take to save your life, and cover your opponentmight</p><p>alreadybelurkingbehind,waitinginambush.Ifitturnsoutthatyoudo</p><p>get into a gunfight, andwin, the flashlight can show youwhere your</p><p>dropped cell phone is to call 9-1-1…show you where your downed</p><p>opponent’saccompliceiswaitingtoavengehishenchmanassoonasyou</p><p>drop your guard…and allow you to wave responding police and</p><p>paramedicstothesceneastheybegintoarrive.</p><p>Andmore…onceagain,useyourownimagination.</p><p>Theflashlightallowsyoutoidentifyathreat.Whenyou’vehadto</p><p>takethatshortcutthroughacityalleytogettoyourcarinthepouring</p><p>rain,thesmallbutpowerfulpersonalcarryflashlightallowsyoutosee</p><p>whether that person suddenly emerging from the shadows in front of</p><p>you is a restaurant employee coming out the back door to dump the</p><p>garbage,ora rapistormuggerwhohasbeen lying inwait.Whenyou</p><p>arrive after nightfall at the family cabin for a vacation you and your</p><p>spousearesharingwithyourbrotherandhiswife,andthepowerisout,</p><p>and a human figuremoves suddenly in front of you in the dark, that</p><p>flashlight lets you see whether it’s a potentially violent burglar you</p><p>surprised in the act…or your own brother, who unexpectedly arrived</p><p>aheadofyou.</p><p>The flashlight allows you to harmlessly, temporarily blind a</p><p>personwhothreatensyou,ortodistractapersonwhoisattacking</p><p>someone else, and buy you</p><p>time to save your life or that of the</p><p>otherinnocentpotentialvictim.No,thatlittlepocketthingyhanging</p><p>from your keychain won’t do it. But since the time of the classic old</p><p>SureFire6Pwe’vehadpersonal-size lights thatcangeneratethateffect</p><p>indeepdarkness.Thelongerthecriminalhasbeenwaitinginthedark</p><p>forhischancetopounce,themorehispupilswillhavedilatedandthe</p><p>moreblindingeffectyourlightwillcreate.</p><p>We’ll look shortly at the techniques that have evolved over the</p><p>decadesforpoliceandotherGoodGuysandGalstoilluminateahuman</p><p>targetwhile firing a gun to save innocent life. All of these techniques</p><p>assumethatthepersonwhohasbecomethetargetisdoingsomethingso</p><p>horrible that hemust be stopped instantly frompulling the trigger of</p><p>thegunhe’saimingatavictim,orstoppedfromplunginghisknifeinto</p><p>thethroatofaninnocentperson.</p><p>If that were the situation, wouldn’t it be kind of nice if something</p><p>happenedthatcausedthatcriminaltosuddenlyturnhisheadaway?Any</p><p>physiologist or martial artist can tell you, “Where the head goes, the</p><p>body follows.”Something thatpulls theBadGuy’sbody–andwith it,</p><p>theBadGuy’sknifeorgun–offtheintendedtarget,buystheGoodGuy</p><p>time tomake the shot thatwillhopefully end thedeadlydangermore</p><p>decisively.</p><p>DevelopingARepertoireofCCWLights</p><p>Thereisnoonegunthatfulfillseveryconcealedcarryneedwithevery</p><p>conceivablewardrobe, and the same is true of what some like to call</p><p>“tactical illuminationtools.”There’shardwareyoucancarry inthecar</p><p>withaviewtowardunlimberinginanemergency.There’shardwareyou</p><p>can have in the master bedroom for self-defense that would be</p><p>impossibletowalkaroundcarryinginpublic.Butthere’salsostuffyou</p><p>cancarrywithprettymuchanydress code this sideof anudist camp,</p><p>andthat’sequallytrueofbothlightingtoolsanddefensivefirearms.</p><p>It’seasiertohaveawholelotofflashlightsthanawholelotofguns.</p><p>No one is likely to kill someonewith a stolen flashlight, so you don’t</p><p>needtobuyasafetokeepitin.They’rewaycheaperthanguns.Youcan</p><p>give them to anyone you want without doing paperwork, a “pass it</p><p>forward”kindofrecyclingwhenyoufindsomethingbetterforyourself,</p><p>butrealizethatyourolderunitisstillbetterthanwhatthegifteehas.In</p><p>mycircleoffriendsandlovedonesandassociates,I’velosttrackofhow</p><p>manygunsI’vegivenaspresentsovertheyears…butIcantellyou,I’ve</p><p>givenoutawholelotmoreflashlights.</p><p>Somepeoplehavea lifestyleathomewhere theycanhavea loaded</p><p>guninstantlyaccessibleineveryroom.Somedon’t.EVERYONEthisside</p><p>ofprisonhasa lifestylewhere therecanbea flashlight ineveryroom,</p><p>and that’s a pretty handy thingwhen the power and the lights go out</p><p>andyoudon’tknowwhen they’recomingbackon. Indulgeyourself. If</p><p>yourunacrossaflashlightyoulike,buyit.Ifyoudon’tendupcarrying</p><p>itnextyear,itwillstilldoyouorsomeoneelsesomegoodbybeingona</p><p>shelf,inadeskdrawer,orinanautomobilegloveboxsomewhere.</p><p>Eachlightperformsasometimesdramaticallydifferent,sometimesslightlydifferentfunction.</p><p>Let’s look at one small array, in which each light performs a</p><p>sometimesdramaticallydifferent,sometimesslightlydifferentfunction.</p><p>Topmostinthephotoisatwo-cellMagLitefrommysignificantother’s</p><p>car. She has owned it since before we met. Yep, it’s old tech: D-cell</p><p>batteries. But she can replenish the batteries at any gas station or</p><p>convenience store. If you have to get out of the car on the proverbial</p><p>darkandstormynighttoassistastrangerinanunknownsituation,and</p><p>you have some background in self-defensewith short stick techniques</p><p>(ordedicated flashlight self-defense), you’reholdinga toolwithwhich</p><p>you can block, parry, strike, and more. No, you’re not going to have</p><p>muchluckwalkingaroundcarryingitconcealed.</p><p>Next down in the photo is SureFire’s lowest priced flashlight at this</p><p>writing, the hugely popular Nitrolon. It’s essentially a 6P model with</p><p>lighter, less expensive construction, but the same reliability as the old</p><p>standbythatprecededit.Veryhandyforall-arounduse,andconcealable</p><p>ifneedbe.</p><p>Below that is the flashlight I carrieddaily for about adecade and a</p><p>half,theclassicSureFire6P.Itcanbecarriedinanyofseveralways.My</p><p>feelingwas,“It’saflashlight,sowhythehelldoIhavetoconcealitin</p><p>the first place?” I came upwithwhat I believe to have been the first</p><p>horizontal carrier, which put the light at the front of the belt. Being</p><p>right-handed,Icarrieditwiththelenstotheleft,somylefthandcould</p><p>quickly draw it and flow into a Harries pistol/flashlight technique. I</p><p>evenworeitwithsuits.Ninety-ninepercentoftheworldnevernoticed,</p><p>andtheotheronepercentonlysaidsomethinglike,“Coolwaytocarrya</p><p>flashlight.Whydidn’tIthinkofthat?”Blade-Techandothersnowmake</p><p>thistypeofcarrierasaregularcatalogitem.Itcomesquicklyoffthebelt</p><p>andslides intoabriefcase ifone feels theyneed tobutton the frontof</p><p>thesuitcoattolookmoreformal.</p><p>Fourthdownintheimageisthenextgame-changerfromSureFire,the</p><p>E2D Executive Defender. It’s equipped with a pocket clip and narrow</p><p>enoughforatrouserpocket.Ipersonallyfinditidealforthecellphone</p><p>pocketintheBDUpantsthatreplacedjeansinmypersonalwardrobefor</p><p>casualwear.No one notices its lamp protruding from the front of the</p><p>flappedpocketonupperthigh–remember,it’sonlyaflashlight!–andit</p><p>gives a light output comparable to the big police flashlights of</p><p>yesteryear.</p><p>Below that, slightly larger, is one of the Brite-Strikes, still small</p><p>enoughtobecarriedinthesamefashionastheE2D.I’lloftencarrythis</p><p>onewhenI’moutinplainclotheswithbrotherofficers,becauseithasa</p><p>strobe option that, as we’ll see shortly, is particularly useful when</p><p>employedbetweencooperatingpartners.</p><p>Sixth down in the photo is another Brite-Strike product, the slender</p><p>EPLI (Executive Protection Lighting Instrument). The size of a fat</p><p>fountainpen,thisconcealswellwhenwardroberequiresatailoredsuit</p><p>orsuper-lightbeachwear.It’smycurrentdefaultlightontheraredaysin</p><p>mylifetodaywhen“concealment”isanabsolutepriority.</p><p>SeventhinthepictureisaStreamlight100C.Verybrightforitssize,it</p><p>fitsintosmallpockets.</p><p>At the bottom we close as we began, with old-school MagLite</p><p>technology, the classic and ubiquitous Mini-MagLite. A game-changer</p><p>when it first came out (back when most cops still carried service</p><p>revolvers), it doesn’t have enough light output to blind. It does,</p><p>however, let you see stuff you couldn’t see without a flashlight. It’s</p><p>cheap and expendable, but remarkably reliable. Its AA batteries are</p><p>cheapandeasytoreplace.It’swhatyouhandtothepersonintheoffice</p><p>whosays,“CanIborrowyourflashlighttofindmypenthatrolledunder</p><p>the file cabinet?” TheMini-Mag saveswastingmore expensive battery</p><p>lifewithyourprimarytacticalconcealedcarryflashlight.</p><p>No, it’snot theonly light Icarryconcealed(though itwas,“back in</p><p>theday,”whenitwas“theonlygameintown”forthat).TheMini-Mag</p><p>was designed by Don Kellner, the original Kel-Lite police flashlight</p><p>designer, when he was approached by Tak Kubota’s associate John</p><p>Peters.KubotahaddevelopedthebrilliantKubotan™self-defensedevice,</p><p>awand-shapedkeychainthatcouldbeusedforstrikes,key-slashes,and</p><p>wristlocks and</p><p>pressure point takedowns for self-defense. Kubota and</p><p>Peters were interested in a flashlight that could be used with their</p><p>techniquesandalsobeutilitarian.Theresultwaswhatmaybethemost</p><p>popular“personalcarryflashlight”ofmoderntimes.</p><p>TheMini-MagLiteismydailycarry“backupflashlight.”Tailoredsuit,</p><p>BDUsorwhatever,itsitsverticaltotheoutsideofthewalletinmyhip</p><p>pocket,alwaysinpositiontoreach,andcomfortable24-7.</p><p>Let’slookatsomehardwarethathasbecomecontroversialandtryto</p><p>makesomesenseofthecontroversy.</p><p>StrobeFlashlights</p><p>Beginning with the Blackhawk Gladius a few years ago, compact</p><p>flashlightswithanoptionalstrobefeaturehavebecomepopularinsome</p><p>quarters,andtendtobeeitherlovedorhated.Personally,Idon’tuseone</p><p>forEDC(everydaycarry),butifworkingintandemwithapartner,Ilike</p><p>tohaveoneofusequippedwiththestrobeoption.Here’swhy.</p><p>The SureFire Academy, when I went there before the Gladius came</p><p>out,wasalreadyteachingarapidmanipulationoftheconventionalhigh-</p><p>intensityflashlighttocreateastrobeeffect,aimedat thesuspect’s face</p><p>todisorienthim.Itworks.Hewon’tfalltothegroundinconvulsionsor</p><p>throw up or anything, but it does indeed interfere with his visual</p><p>processing,particularlyontheouterpartsofhisscanningfield.Thatis,</p><p>ifpartnerAisstrobinghimintheface, itwilltakehimalot longerto</p><p>see partner B approaching on his flank, and hemight even fail to see</p><p>thatpartnerintimetomounteffectiveresistancetoarrest.</p><p>That’sthegoodnewswiththestrobeoption.Theothergoodnewsis</p><p>thatyoucanturnittosolidbeaminstead.</p><p>Thebadnewsis,justasthebright,rapidlyflashinglightdisorientsthe</p><p>manyou’rebeamingitat,itcandisorientyou,albeittoalesserextent.</p><p>NoticeIsaiditcan,notthatitnecessarilywill.Visionitself,andhowour</p><p>brainprocesseswhatwesee,seemstobeaveryindividualthing.Backin</p><p>thetimeofdiscotheques, Icouldn’tbeartobeinthoseplaceswiththe</p><p>stroboscopic lighting, but some folks practically lived in that</p><p>environment in the 1970s. It was during that same decade that I</p><p>developedmylong-lasting love/haterelationshipwithstrobesaspolice</p><p>carrooflights.Iappreciatedthefactthatonasnowy,curvyroadinthe</p><p>darkofnight, the strobeswould literally lightup the skyandkeepan</p><p>innocent driver from coming around a corner too fast and rear-ending</p><p>mypatrolcarduringatrafficstop.ButIhatedthefactthat,thoughthey</p><p>affectedtheunknowndriverIhadstoppedinfrontofmypolicevehicle,</p><p>theyhadsomedegreeofthateffectonme.</p><p>Theeffectinquestionisthis:youreyeseeswhat’shappeningwhenthe</p><p>lightisonwhatyou’relookingat.Then,foraninstantwhenthelightis</p><p>off,youcan’tseewhatthepersonisactuallydoing.However,theimage</p><p>burned in your brain is telling you what it saw an instant ago. That</p><p>slowsyourabilitytorecognizeathreatandreacttoit.</p><p>Thenwhydo I think itmight be a handy option to have if you are</p><p>workingwithapartner?Becauseonecanput the strobe in the faceof</p><p>theopponentwhiletheotherholdsaconventional,solidlightbeamon</p><p>that suspect’s hands. This allows them to be seen constantly, even</p><p>thoughtheviewwilldimslightlybetweeneachstrobeoftheotherlight.</p><p>Theysay,“Youpaysyourmoneyandyoutakesyourchoice.”Isayyou</p><p>try the equipment under as close as you can get to the conditions in</p><p>whichyou’llactuallybedoingtheemergencywork,andthenyou’llhave</p><p>the knowledge to take the right choicewhen you pay yourmoney. To</p><p>eachtheirown…wisely.</p><p>TheGun-MountedLight</p><p>Crude flashlights attached to guns have been around since the early</p><p>1900s.Theydidn’tbecomereallyviableuntil the1980s,withSureFire</p><p>leadingtheway.Inthelawenforcementsector,itwastothebestofmy</p><p>knowledge the pioneering, trend-setting LAPD SWAT Team that first</p><p>used them, found them good, and spread their doctrine to other such</p><p>teams.</p><p>Therationalewasobvious:youcanseetoidentifyyourtarget,youcan</p><p>getasightpicturesoperfectlysilhouetteditlookslikesomethingoutof</p><p>amarksmanshipmanual,andyoucanapplybothhandstocontrolyour</p><p>weaponwithspeedandaccuracysinceyoudon’tneedaseparatehand</p><p>toholdtheilluminationdevice.</p><p>Buttherewasandisonehugedownside.Withthetwohandsonthe</p><p>gun,theonlylightyouhaveistheoneonthegun…andthismeansthat</p><p>everythingyouilluminate,youarepointingaloadedgunat!</p><p>(top)ForsmallerhandgunslikethisXD(m)Compact,wehavestill-powerful,properlysizedwhite</p><p>lightunitsliketheInSightX2.</p><p>(above)Allwhitelightunitsarenotcreatedequal.Thisone,onaRugerSR9Compact,proved</p><p>nexttouselessinauthor’sopinion.</p><p>Forthisreasonandforaverylongtime,ItoldstudentsthatIwasn’t</p><p>comfortable with a light mounted on a gun unless in the legal and</p><p>ethicalprinciple called “TheDoctrineofCompetingHarms,” therewas</p><p>some compelling danger that outweighed this one. For instance, the</p><p>SWATcop,whocouldbeexpected tohavebothhandson theweapon</p><p>whengoinginwheretherewasgreatreasontobelieveaknownarmed</p><p>anddangerous felon lay inwait, or aK9officerwhohad to keepone</p><p>handonhisdog’s leadandonlyhadonehandleft tocontrolbothgun</p><p>andilluminationdevicesimultaneously.</p><p>Overtheyears,Icametomodifymypositiononthat.Experienceboth</p><p>inthefieldandinteachingtaughtmetheadvantageofhavingthelight</p><p>on the gun in certain situations. In the early 1990s, I was serving as</p><p>chair of the firearms committee of the American Society of Law</p><p>Enforcement Trainers (ASLET)whenwe held our annual international</p><p>conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, hosted by the Palm Beach</p><p>County Sheriff’s Office, an agency which has long been a role-model</p><p>leaderinlawenforcementuseofforcetraining.BillTesta,commanderof</p><p>a SWAT team there, invited me along on a raid after class. I quickly</p><p>accepted; I had known Bill from previous shared training experiences,</p><p>andknewhimandhisteamtobetop-notchprofessionals.</p><p>AstheSWATteamrolledfromthevanandmovedrapidlytowardthe</p><p>house, aman appeared behind a frontwindowof the target premises,</p><p>pullingthecurtainopen.Asmyhandwent tomyownColt .45auto, I</p><p>sawBillTestasnaphisBenelliSuper9012gaugesemiautomaticshotgun</p><p>to his shoulder and put the beamof the SureFire light on its fore-end</p><p>rightinthesuspect’seyes.Themanraisedhishandstohiseyesandspun</p><p>away. Entrywas swiftly accomplished and arrestsweremadewith no</p><p>bloodshed.</p><p>Somepeople,undersomeothercircumstances,mighthaveshothim.</p><p>Thepowerful lighthadnotonly showedBill themanhadnogun,but</p><p>had caused the man to turn away and cease to present himself as a</p><p>threat.</p><p>Before long I had a SureFire light-equipped fore-end on my own</p><p>department issueHKMP5 submachinegun, and another for one ofmy</p><p>870shotguns.AlongaboutthenIalsoputoneofthethen-bigandbulky</p><p>dedicatedSureFirelightsonacustomhomedefensepistol,aBeretta92</p><p>withextendedMagna-Portedbarrel,extended20-roundmagazine,night</p><p>sights,andaBillJarvisaction.</p><p>So,wheredoesall this fit inaconcealedcarrybook? I feel it fitsas</p><p>follows.</p><p>For concealed carry per se, over the years gun-mounted lights by</p><p>SureFire, Streamlight, InSight, and other manufacturers became small</p><p>enough to fit in holsters. First, there were the big lights on the big</p><p>holsters that K9 officers hadworn, and by the early 2000s, hadmade</p><p>greatpopularity inroadswith rankand</p><p>filepolicepatrolofficers. Inan</p><p>emergency,wheretheofficerhadtodrawtheservicepistolinan“iffy”</p><p>situation, they allowed a last-minute verification before the officer</p><p>pulledthetriggerthatthiswasindeedadeadlythreat,anditwasindeed</p><p>aknifeinsteadofacarkeyintheopponent’shand,andtherefore,itwas</p><p>indeedasituationwheretheofficerneededtoshoot.</p><p>Thatexactsamedynamiccanbealifesaveroneithersideofthegun</p><p>whentheprivatecitizenhastodrawhisorherconcealedhandguninan</p><p>emergencysituation.</p><p>The first non-uniformholsters for flashlight-mountedhandgunswere</p><p>bulkythings…concealableholsters,butnotconcealmentholsters.BythatI</p><p>mean,yes,youcouldconcealthemunderaLondonFogovercoatoran</p><p>oversize shooter’s vest, but youweren’t going tohide that rigunder a</p><p>well-fittingsuitoranuntucked,one-sizelargepoloshirt.</p><p>Seen from the front, Concealment SolutionsMamba holster conceals IWB a full sizeGlock 17</p><p>withAdvantageSightsandmountedSureFirewhitelightunit…</p><p>…seenfromside,thefullsizegunisconcealableonaveragesizeadultmale…</p><p>…thefullsizeGlockwithSureFireX200lightdrawsquicklyandcleanlyfromIWBConcealment</p><p>SolutionsMambaholster.</p><p>Timewent on. Holstermakers figured how to conceal these bulkier</p><p>objects.Bylastwinter,whenIwasonhometurf,Ifoundmyselfcarrying</p><p>dailya full-sizeGlock31 in .357SIGwithaSureFire lightattached. It</p><p>rode in an inside the waistband holster from Concealment Solutions.</p><p>Therewasaslightbumpfromtheflashlightpart thatmighthavebeen</p><p>visible just overmy right hip pocket, but no one seemed to notice. If</p><p>theydid, theyprobably just thought Ihada fatbutt.Onunseasonably</p><p>warm days,when I could gowithout a coat, it all concealed just fine</p><p>underanuntuckedpoloshirtonesizelargerthanInormallywear.</p><p>Why was “winter” mentioned? Simply because when the earth tilts</p><p>awayfromthesunonitsaxisfarenoughtochangetheclimate,italso</p><p>changeshowmanyhoursofsunlightweget.Thereissimplymore“night</p><p>time”inwinter,andwhenyou’reoutandabout,there’sthatmuchmore</p><p>likelihood that your emergencywill occur in poor light.Moreover, no</p><p>one needs to buy a book such as this one to figure out that in colder</p><p>weather you’re wearing more clothing and bulkier clothing, which</p><p>meansthatyoucanhidebiggerhardwarediscreetly.Hell,theBadGuys</p><p>havealreadyfigureditout.Backinthe1970s,RichardDavisquantified</p><p>it.Richardwasthearmedcitizenwho“bullet-proofedAmerica’spolice”</p><p>whenhegotintoashootoutwiththreearmedrobbers,shot‘emall,and</p><p>took a couple of bullets himself in the process. Sitting in the hospital</p><p>being treated for two gunshot wounds, this brilliant man not only</p><p>figured out that there had to be something better to stop bulletswith</p><p>thanyourownbody,he introducedthesoftbodyarmor thathassince</p><p>saved thousandsof lives.As theentrepreneur/inventor runningSecond</p><p>ChanceBodyArmorCompany,hedidstudies inwhichhenoticed that</p><p>not only didmore bad guys carry gunswithwhich to shoot arresting</p><p>officers during winter than in summer, but also that more of them</p><p>carriedbiggergunsduringthecoolerseasons.IftheBadGuyscantake</p><p>thatadvantage,socanweGoodGuysandGals.</p><p>Aflashlightmountedbelowtheframeofthepistolgenerallyextends</p><p>beyondthefrontofthemuzzle.Thereisgoodnewsandbadnewshere,</p><p>andinthiswriter’sopinionthegoodnewsoutweighsthebad.Thebad</p><p>news ismuzzleblastandheataregoingtohammerthe flashlight.You</p><p>willwant to clean gunpowder residue off the lens after every practice</p><p>shooting session. Fortunately,most such “white light” units have been</p><p>engineeredtostanduptothis.</p><p>Thegoodnewsistheprotrudinglampofthelightunitcreates“stand-</p><p>off capability.” This is critical because when the muzzles of most</p><p>semiautomatic pistols are pressed against a firm surface – such as a</p><p>humanbody–thepressureforcesthebarrel/slideassemblytotherear</p><p>andpushesit“outofbattery.”Thatis,itmovestheworkingpartsoutof</p><p>the alignment required for the gun to fire…and it will no longer</p><p>dischargewhenthetriggerispulled.</p><p>It isnotatalluncommonforacriminal’s lethalassaulttohappenso</p><p>“upcloseandpersonal”thattheonlyoptionexcepttodieistoshootthe</p><p>attackeratmuzzlecontactdistance,sometimesusingadegreeofforward</p><p>pushthatisknownas“press-contact.”Thisconcernisonereasonsome</p><p>streetwisepeoplestillcarryrevolversinthetimeofsemiautomaticpistol</p><p>dominanceintheworldofthehandgun.</p><p>Different flashlight/gun holsters perform different functions. For open carry on his rural</p><p>property,authorlikesthisveryfastBlade-Tech…</p><p>…which,seenherefromthefront,protrudesfromthebodymorethansomeotherdesigns…</p><p>…and whose outer edge can lean a full two inches away from the body. Draw is very fast,</p><p>however.</p><p>The flashlight protruding from below the muzzle and in front of it</p><p>createsthe“stand-offeffect”:itisthelightthat’sincontact,notthegun.</p><p>Thepartsremain“inbattery”andthegunwillstillfire.</p><p>Itcan literallybe thedifferencebetween lifeanddeath. Inacase in</p><p>Florida, a law enforcement officer was murderously attacked by two</p><p>criminalsandhadtofireinself-defense.Heshotthefirstoneatmuzzle</p><p>contactwithhisnon-flashlight-equippeddoubleaction9mm.Thebullet</p><p>killed that one assailant, but “blowback effect” sent enough flesh and</p><p>bloodintothemuzzleareaofhispistolthatitdidnotreturntobattery</p><p>afterthefirstshot.Heswungtheguntothesecondmanandpulledthe</p><p>trigger, but nothing happened; his gun was out of battery. Before he</p><p>could clear the malfunction he was shot and killed by the second</p><p>assailant.</p><p>InMinnesota,anofficer losinga fightandknowinghewasabout to</p><p>die shoved his striker-fired duty pistol against his attacker’s body and</p><p>pulled the trigger.Nothing happened. The pistol, not equippedwith a</p><p>flashlight, was now out of battery. A near-miracle that was not</p><p>mechanicallygun-relatedwasallthatsavedthisofficer’slife.</p><p>InJacksonville,Florida,asuspectshotacourageousyoungcopnamed</p><p>JaredRestoninthefacewitha.45automatic.Restonfellbackwardinto</p><p>adryretentionpond,andthewould-becop-killerstoodabovehimand</p><p>shot him several more times, with multiple potentially fatal bullets</p><p>fortunatelystoppingontheofficer’sballisticvest.HedrewhisGlock22</p><p>and returned fire, hitting the opponent several times.The attacker fell</p><p>forwardandlandedontopofhim,stillcapableofkillinghim,andJared</p><p>pressed his .40 caliber pistol against the man’s head and pulled the</p><p>triggerthreetimes,endingthefight.Hesurvivedtoreturntofullduty,</p><p>onbothpatrolandSWATassignments.</p><p>JaredRestonsurvived, inmyopinion, inpartbecausehisGlockwas</p><p>fittedwithaTLR-1whitelightunit.Whenheputitforcefullyagainstthe</p><p>homicidal attacker’s head and pulled the trigger for the first of those</p><p>three shots, the bullet shattered themaxillo-facial structure but didn’t</p><p>reachthebrain,andwouldn’thavestoppedthemanfromshootinghim</p><p>again.However,while a non-light-equipped gunmight verywell have</p><p>failed to functionafter the first shotoreven for the first, the stand-off</p><p>effect of the TLR light allowed Jared to keep shooting when his</p><p>opponentdidn’tstopfighting,andallowhimto“brain”thegunmanand</p><p>bring the death battle his opponent had initiated to a righteous</p><p>conclusion.</p><p>Asarule,thosewholawfullycarry</p><p>aconcealedfirearminpublicalso</p><p>keep firearms readily available in the home for family protection. The</p><p>lighton thehomedefensegunservesa limitedpurpose:when thebad</p><p>guysarekickingdownthedoorandall thefamilymembershavebeen</p><p>marshaledintothesaferoom,andyou’vecountednosesanddetermined</p><p>that whatever is kicking down the door is something that is going to</p><p>severelyharmyourfamily,thatisdefinitelytimetoapplybothhandsto</p><p>thegunforaccurate,fastshooting.Andyes,it’sallthebetterifyouhave</p><p>those hands on a suitably loaded home defense carbine or shotgun.</p><p>THEN, the light can give you the final verification that it is truly</p><p>someonewhoneedstobeshot,beforeyoustartpressingthetrigger.</p><p>But,please,hearmeonthis:Anytimeyouneedtosearchwithalightto</p><p>findoutwhat isgoingon, forheaven’ssakePLEASEuseaseparate light to</p><p>search, so you don’t point the gun at everything illuminated by yourwhite</p><p>lightbeam!Ifthepistol’smuzzleisdownandthepersonyouilluminate</p><p>in your separately hand-held light turns out to be someone you don’t</p><p>needtoshoot–whichhappensmoreoftenthanyoumightthink,inreal</p><p>life–atleastyouhaven’tbeenpointingagunatthem.</p><p>Pointing a lethal weapon at someone you have no right to take at</p><p>gunpoint fits the description of the very serious felony of Aggravated</p><p>Assault. Even if the person you erroneously pointed the gun at during</p><p>your“housesearch”isamemberofyourfamilyorextendedfamilyand</p><p>not likely topress charges,youwillhave still inflictedapsychological</p><p>woundthatwillneverentirelyheal.</p><p>ThebestwayIcanexplainitis,treatthelightmountedonyourgun</p><p>thewaya responsiblehunter treats the telescopic sightonhishunting</p><p>gun.Youdon’tuseyourriflescopetoscanforthequarry,becausethere</p><p>isaveryhighlikelihoodthatyou’llenduplookingthroughthatscopeat</p><p>anotherhunterorahikerinthewoods.Pointingthegunatthatperson</p><p>stillconstitutesAggravatedAssault,andifyouarereportedfordoingso</p><p>you can expect that charge in criminal court atworst, and the loss of</p><p>yourhuntinglicenseatbest,evenifnoshotisfired.</p><p>LasersightsarepopularonsmallframerevolversliketheseS&Ws.Top,CrimsonTraceLaserGrip;</p><p>below,LaserMaxunit.</p><p>The latest TLR-4 flashlight from Streamlight encompasses both white light and laser dot, in</p><p>tandemorseparate.</p><p>TLR light system from Streamlight rolls onto the frame sideways, keeping hand behind the</p><p>muzzleofaloadedpistol.</p><p>This iswhy the responsiblehunterusesbinoculars to scan forgame,</p><p>and the scoped rifle to aimat the recognizedquarry.At thatmoment,</p><p>the magnified and improved vision afforded by the telescopic sight</p><p>allowsthehuntertoverifythatheisindeedaimingatadeerinsteadofa</p><p>human being or a domestic sheep, that he is indeed aiming at a legal</p><p>buckinsteadofanillegaldoe.</p><p>I respectfully submit that it is very much the same thing with the</p><p>lightingdeviceandthegun.Youuseaseparatehand-heldlighttosearch</p><p>andidentify,thesamewaytheresponsiblehunterusesbinocularstoscan</p><p>and determine a target, and you use the lightmounted on the gun to</p><p>verifythatthisisindeeda“shoot”targetbeforeyoupullthetrigger.</p><p>Lights that slide onto the front goon andoff faster, but put thehand in front of themuzzle,</p><p>whichgivespolicechiefsandfirearmsinstructorsnightmares.</p><p>Authoremphaticallysuggeststhatgun-mountedlightbebackedupwithseparatehand-heldlight</p><p>forsearchfunctions.</p><p>“Grommets”onthese lights facilitate theRogers techniqueofmatinghand-held flashlightwith</p><p>handgun.</p><p>Properlyused,thishardwaregivesallinvolvedonemoresafetynetto</p><p>preventtragedy.Improperlyused,itcanleaddirectlytosuchtragedy.</p><p>The hunter with his finger on the trigger as he searches for a deer</p><p>through his riflescope may be so startled by seeing a buck that the</p><p>“startle response” pulls the trigger for him before he is certain of his</p><p>target.The exact same thing canhappenwhen the light on thegun is</p><p>used for searching. Yeah, yeah, I know: we’re supposed to keep our</p><p>finger off the trigger until we’ve decided to shoot. However, that</p><p>requiresaperfecthumanbeingatthecontrols,onewhoisincapableof</p><p>makingamistake.NeitheryounorIareperfecthumanbeingsincapable</p><p>ofmakingamistake.Therehasn’tbeensuchahumanbeingforatleasta</p><p>coupleofthousandyears.However,theotherelementofthecomparison</p><p>also holds true: in the last instant before a tragic bullet ismistakenly</p><p>launched,thegun-mountedlightcanprovidealifesavingverificationof</p><p>targetidentity.</p><p>My take:use thegun-mounted light, butuse itwiselyandcarefully,</p><p>and in tandemwith a separate, dedicated flashlight to perform search</p><p>functions.</p><p>LaserSighting</p><p>Some of the white light units discussed above, which attach to</p><p>firearms, also come with laser attachments. Laser sights have been</p><p>around since the 1980s, though itwasn’t until later that they became</p><p>smallenoughtoadapttoconcealablefirearms.Usablelasersightswere</p><p>actuallyonthemarketbeforegun-mountedlightsgotsmallenoughfor</p><p>CCWwork.</p><p>Thelasershavetheirplace,solongasonedoesn’tallowoneselftobe</p><p>oversold on the concept. They need to be checked regularly to verify</p><p>thatthebeamisontarget,andofcourse,theyarebatterydependent.</p><p>Most of us find the projected laser dot slower to get on target than</p><p>regularsights,assumingthatwecanseethoseconventionalsights.It’sa</p><p>matterofgeometry.Gettingtheredlinethatprojectsfromtheguntothe</p><p>aiming point on a target a distance away, is a little like wielding a</p><p>weightlesswandofa lengththatequals thatdistanceandtouchingthe</p><p>spotwewanttohit.</p><p>Some proponents of the concept assure us that the BadGuywill be</p><p>terrified into peaceful surrenderwhen he perceives the red dot on his</p><p>chest.While this has doubtless happened, itwould be a stretch of the</p><p>imagination to expect that it would happen every time the laser dot</p><p>centeredonasuspect’sbody.Iwaspresentatoneincidentwhereithad</p><p>theoppositeeffect,andprovokedahomicidalresponse.Youdon’tspend</p><p>yourdayslookingdownatyourchestforlaserdots;whywouldtheBad</p><p>Guysbelookingthere?</p><p>Don’t focusonquestionableattributesof the laser-equippedhandgun</p><p>when it has multiple real advantages. There are many people,</p><p>particularlythosewitholdereyes,whocanseewellenoughatadistance</p><p>toidentifyathreattarget,butareunabletofocussharplyontheirgun</p><p>sights.Theprojectedred(orgreen)dotmayworkverywellforsomeone</p><p>insuchasituation.</p><p>The laser has proven to be a tremendous training tool for shooters.</p><p>Whentheyrefusetoacceptthatthey’rejerkingthetrigger,watchingthe</p><p>laserdoton targetduringdry fire tells the taledecisively.Conversely,</p><p>oneofthefewshortcutstolearningtriggercontrolistowatchthedoton</p><p>thepoint of aim, andhold it therewithout itmovingas the trigger is</p><p>slowlybroughtbackuntil thedry-fire“click”oftheunloadedgun.The</p><p>non-shootablededicatedlaserpistolknownastheSIRTisquiteusefulin</p><p>thisrespect,andhasprovenitselfinthetrainingenvironmentinthelast</p><p>couple of years before this Second Edition of the Gun Digest Book of</p><p>ConcealedCarrywaswritten.ResemblingaGlockpistol(othertypesare</p><p>believed tobe in thepipeline), it projectsonedoton the target like a</p><p>regularlasersight,andthenanotherfromtheboreaxisasthe</p><p>“shot”is</p><p>fired,toshowwhereitwouldhavehit.Thetriggerresetsitself.</p><p>Lasersightsareparticularlyusefulonsmallpocketsizehandgunswith</p><p>tiny,hard-to-seeconventionalsights.ThinkintermsoftheJ-frameS&W,</p><p>Ruger, and Taurus small frame revolvers, and the super-small .380</p><p>pistols suchas theKel-TecP3AT,Ruger LCP, andKahrP380.Crimson</p><p>Trace makes LaserGrips for small to large revolvers and for full-size</p><p>service autos, and their LaserGuard for the smaller autoloaders.</p><p>LaserMax,which came outwith a popular laser unit that replaces the</p><p>recoilspringguiderodinsemiautos,alsohasalaserunitthatattachesto</p><p>thesideofaJ-framerevolver.Laser-Lytemakesonethataffixes to the</p><p>sideoftherearsightonsomecompacttoservice-sizeautos.Finally, in</p><p>2010,Smith&WessonmadeproprietaryInSightlaserunitsintegralwith</p><p>theirnewly introducedBodyguardseries,apolymer-framed.38Special</p><p>five-shotandadoubleactiononly.380pocketpistol.</p><p>Crimson Trace sent a great many LaserGrips for the Beretta M9 to</p><p>America’s armed service personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the</p><p>dimnessofhouse-to-housecombatintheoneplaceandinsearchingthe</p><p>darkcavesof theother, the lasersightsmademanyfriendsamongour</p><p>troops. Standard issueUSmilitary servicepistols arenotusually fitted</p><p>withnightsights.</p><p>How effective are the laser sights in poor light? That’s where they</p><p>comeintotheirown–solongastheusercanseethetargetwellenough</p><p>to identify it.Workingwith a groupof very experienced colleagues in</p><p>LiveOak,Florida,wetestedthevarioussystemsintensivelyduringnight</p><p>shootsoneight-inchsteelplates.Shootingwithconventionalsightsand</p><p>no illumination on a dark night resulted in slow and relatively dismal</p><p>performance.Shootingwiththeguninthefiringhandandtheflashlight</p><p>in the support hand proved distinctly better.Gun-mountedwhite light</p><p>gaveevenbetterresults.However,solongastherewasenoughlightto</p><p>seethetarget,thelasersightprovedfasterandmoreaccuratethanany</p><p>of the previous systems. Best of all, by a slight margin, was the</p><p>combinationlightandlasersight.</p><p>Whenshootingwithalaser-equippedhandgun,bearinmindthatthe</p><p>boreisnotinperfectalignmentwiththelasersight,andyoumayneed</p><p>some“Kentuckywindage”accordingly.Withalasersightonlybelowthe</p><p>bore,andattachedtothegun’slightrail–notmyownideaofthebest</p><p>laser sighting system, because for that amount of bulk, I’dwant some</p><p>whitelight–wefoundthebestbetwasdetermininghowfarabovethe</p><p>underslunglaser’sdotthebulletwouldhit,andusingasixo’clockhold</p><p>proportionaltothedistance.Thesameistruewiththewhite/lightlaser</p><p>combinations,andyoucanexpectadifferenceofasmuchastwoinches</p><p>ormorewithsomeunits,becausewiththelasergenerallylocatedbelow</p><p>the light’s lamp, it is that far below the barrel axis.With the popular</p><p>CrimsonTraceLaserGrips,thelasermoduleis locatedontherightgrip</p><p>panel.Iadjustittoprojectthebeamparalleltothebore,andacceptthe</p><p>fact that thebulletwill goaboutahalf an inch leftof thedotand,at</p><p>mostreasonabledistances,aboutaninchhigh.</p><p>WithlasttwofingersFIRMLYholdingglobeofthelamp,thumbandindexfingerturnonaMini-</p><p>MagLiteone-handed.Techniquerequiresrelativelystrongfingers…andpractice.</p><p>Tryingtoadjustalasersightsothebulletstrikesexactly“onthedot”</p><p>isanexerciseinfrustration.Onceagain,geometryisatwork.Thebullet</p><p>willonly“hitthedot”attheexactdistanceforwhichitwassightedin.</p><p>WithLaserGrips,atshorterdistancesthedotwillbelowrightoftheline</p><p>ofthebullet,andatlongeryardagesthanthedistanceforwhichitwas</p><p>sighted, the dot will be progressively more high and left of the</p><p>trajectory.Byadjustingthebeamtorunparalleltothebore,you’llhave</p><p>aconsistent,easilyrememberedpointofimpactthat’soneinchhighand</p><p>halfaninchleftofthebullet’strajectoryline.</p><p>TheversatileHarriesflashlight/pistoltechniquerequiresbackofhandtobackofhandlock-in…</p><p>…andputstheshooterinabent-elbowsclassicWeaverstance…</p><p>Are laser sightsworth it?So longasyouplay to their strengthsand</p><p>avoidtheirweaknesses,Ithinktheyare.Usethemasauxiliarysightsfor</p><p>special purposes instead of yourmain default, unless you simply can’t</p><p>see your sights even under normal conditions, and I think you’ll find</p><p>themworth themoney.My regular backup gun is a J-frame Smith &</p><p>WessonequippedwithLaserGrips,andI foronehavebeenveryhappy</p><p>withit.</p><p>CoordinatingtheHandgunWithaSeparateFlashlight</p><p>Mostconcealedcarrygunsatthewritingofthissecondeditionwon’t</p><p>have lightsattached, thoughthatmaychangeas technologyprogresses</p><p>and the light units become smaller and relatively more powerful. For</p><p>now,itstillmakesalotofsensetobeabletocoordinateaconventional</p><p>flashlightinthesupporthandwiththefirearminthegunhand.Several</p><p>techniquesdeveloped for thishaveproven themselves in the fieldover</p><p>thedecades.</p><p>The firstwas theFBI technique, going back to the first half of the</p><p>20th century, and developed by the eponymous agency. The shooter</p><p>firesone-handed,astheflashlightisheldouttothesideoftheshooterat</p><p>arm’slength,andsometimesheldhighaswell.Thetheorywasthatthe</p><p>opponentwouldseethelightandshootat it,notrealizingthathewas</p><p>aimingawayfromthetorsoandheadoftheGoodGuyholdingthelight.</p><p>While that might have been true of weak, early flashlights of the</p><p>Eveready variety, the ploy is somewhat compromised by the powerful</p><p>lightsof today.Particularly indoors,all that lightreflectsoffwallsand</p><p>particularlyfromceilings,whicharegenerallywhite.Theresultcanbe</p><p>thattheGoodGuy,whothinkshe’sactuallyinvisibletothesideofthe</p><p>light beam, is actually illuminated by the reflected light, and from an</p><p>opponent’seyeviewisinfactasvisibleasifalow-watt lightbulbhad</p><p>beenturnedonovertheGoodGuy’shead.TheFBItechniquecomesinto</p><p>its own, however, if the user can duck behind a tree, with the light</p><p>projectingfromoneside,andaimingeyeandgunhandemergingfrom</p><p>theotherside.</p><p>GoingbacktotheearlydaysofJeffCooper’sgroupandthedawnof</p><p>what the Colonel called The Modern Technique of the Pistol is the</p><p>Harriestechnique.Cooper’scolleagueMichaelHarriesdevelopedwhat</p><p>is perhaps the most versatile such technique in terms of use with</p><p>different types of flashlight. The handgun is held in the conventional</p><p>manner. The support hand, holding the flashlight with the lens</p><p>protruding from the bottomof the fist, goes “back of hand to back of</p><p>hand”withthefiringhand.It’sprimarilyasearchtechnique;thatis,you</p><p>assume the position before you startmoving, not as a reaction to the</p><p>threatasyoudrawthegun.Thethumboperatesabuttcaplightswitch,</p><p>andthemiddlefingeroperatestheswitchifit’smountedonthesideof</p><p>theflashlight.</p><p>The Harries technique can be fatiguing over the long term. As</p><p>originally taught, the backs of the hands press against each other, an</p><p>unnatural action that we don’t do any other time in life, resulting in</p><p>fatigue.Someinstructorsteachtousethistechniquebypressingthegun</p><p>buttdownagainstthewristofthefiringhand.Itworkswellaroundthe</p><p>rightsideofabarricadeforaright-handedshooter,butisawkwardand</p><p>carries the upper body out too far on the left side of the wall. The</p><p>oppositewillbetrueforleft-handedshooters.</p><p>…whichlookslikethisfrom“thebusinessend.”</p><p>The Harries technique prettymuch forces the shooter into a classic</p><p>Weaverstance,withbothelbowsbent.</p><p>Another Cooper associate, Ray Chapman, developed the Chapman</p><p>techniqueshortlyaftertheHarries.Ray,thefirstworldchampionofthe</p><p>combat pistol and theman Cooper himself nicknamed “TheMaestro,”</p><p>preferred to hold the pistol in the conventionalmanner and grasp the</p><p>light in a conventional hold with the support hand, the lens of the</p><p>flashlight on the thumb side. Designed for the flashlights of the day,</p><p>whichwereoperatedby sliding switches or buttonson the sideof the</p><p>light,theChapmanmethodstartswiththesupporthandconfiguredlike</p><p>an“OK”sign.Thumbandforefingerencircle the light,with the thumb</p><p>ontheswitch.Thelowerthreefingersofthesupporthandwraparound</p><p>thefiringhand,reinforcingtheshooter’sholdonthepistol.</p><p>TheChapmanflashlight/pistoltechnique.Flashlighthandforms“OK”sign,withthumbrunning</p><p>side-mountedlightswitch,andthreebottomfingerssupportingfiringhand.</p><p>With a heavy flashlight, Ray’s technique can be fatiguing at arm’s</p><p>length, but fatigue is relieved with a long light by simply resting the</p><p>buttcapagainsttheupperabdomenwiththeguninatacticalhighready</p><p>position.Itlooksalittlelikethewaytheflagbearercarriestheflagpole</p><p>inaparade.LiketheHarries,thisisasearchtechnique,andisdesigned</p><p>to be assumed before the shooter starts moving, not suddenly as a</p><p>reaction.ItcanbeusedwithaWeaverstance,anIsosceles,orRay’sown</p><p>modifiedWeaverstance.Itworkswelloneithersideofthebarricade.It</p><p>does not, however, translate well to the short, butt-button lights of</p><p>today.</p><p>Author’stechnique,designedforsudden,reactiveshooting.Supporthandholdsonlylight,firing</p><p>handholdsonlygun…</p><p>…andfromthisperspective,wecanseethatlightisangledupwardtogointoopponent’seyes,</p><p>whilegunislevelonopponent’scenterchest.</p><p>Authorlikesthistechniqueforshortbutt-switchflashlight,butbehindcover,thebarricadecan</p><p>blocktheflashlightbeam.</p><p>IdevelopedtheAyoobtechniqueinthe‘70s,backwhenourprimary</p><p>flashlights were the big Kel-Lites with side buttons. I intended it as a</p><p>reactiontechnique,forwhentheflashlightwasbeingheldforordinary</p><p>illuminationtaskswiththeglobeprotrudingfromthethumb-sideofthe</p><p>hand,andthegunwasstillintheholster.Withthismethod,onesimply</p><p>draws the gun and extends it full length toward the threat, with the</p><p>firing hand dedicated to the pistol, and thrusts the flashlight arm</p><p>forward to full extension, too.Bothelbows lock inan Isosceles stance,</p><p>with “baseof thumbagainst baseof thumb” forhand-to-hand contact.</p><p>Withnaturalwristangle,thisslantsthelineofthelightbeamsomewhat</p><p>upward. From near-contact to about seven yards, this puts the light</p><p>directly in theopponent’seyes (Iwantedmaximumblindingpotential)</p><p>andthemuzzleinlinewiththecenteroftheopponent’schest.</p><p>Downsides?Developedfortheolderstylelights,itdoesnotadaptwell</p><p>to buttcap switches. Beyond seven yards, geometry being what it is,</p><p>eitherthelightwillgohighortheshotswillgolow.</p><p>The Rogers “cigar” technique came next, if I recall correctly,</p><p>developedbythebrilliantholsterdesigner,shootingchampion,andFBI</p><p>alumnus Bill Rogers. He built it around the SureFire 6P with butt-</p><p>mounted pressure switch. The light is held between index andmiddle</p><p>fingerslikeacigar.Themiddlefingerandtwolowerdigitswraparound</p><p>thegunhand for two-hand firing support, and the top fingerspull the</p><p>buttofthelightbackintothedrumstickofthethumb,whichactivates</p><p>the button. This is an accurate, effective, fatigue-free technique. The</p><p>flashlightindustrysawsomuchpotentialinitthatSureFirebroughtout</p><p>their Z-model with a rubber grommet placed to facilitate it, a feature</p><p>widelycopiedbyothermakers.Ifthelightiscarriedbutt-upinpocketor</p><p>belt, it can actually be drawn simultaneouswith the gun, a technique</p><p>thatrequirespracticebutisworthdeveloping.</p><p>This is how the support hand manages the “cigar” or “syringe” technique, developed by Bill</p><p>Rogers.</p><p>TheRogerstechnique,asseenfromthefront…</p><p>…andfromtheside.</p><p>Thenecktechnique isassociatedwithSureFireAcademy.Theshort</p><p>light is held with the thumb on the end-cap button and the lamp</p><p>projectingfromthebottomofthesupport-sidefist.Itisthenbroughtup</p><p>tothesideoftheneckorthejawline.Thisputsthebeaminarelatively</p><p>naturalposition to lookwhere thehead is looking.Firing isdoneone-</p><p>handed. Some like it because it can light up the gun and the sights. I</p><p>personallydislikeitforthesamereason:Ifindlightglaringonthegun</p><p>and particularly the sights in the dark distracts me too much from</p><p>identifying the target and aiming at it.With the beamon target only,</p><p>yougetthesilhouetteofthesightpicture,whichIforonefindeasierto</p><p>index. Vision being a highly individual thing, so obviously is the</p><p>preferenceforflashlighttechniques.</p><p>Finally,when the bigMagLites gaveway to the pocketsize SureFire</p><p>anditsmanycopies,Ifounditusefultosimplyquick-drawthelightwith</p><p>thelefthand,theglobeprotrudingfromthebottomofthefist,andbring</p><p>ittocenterchest.Thispointedthelightwheretheheadandupperbody</p><p>were pointing. It centered the beamverywell and didn’t glare onmy</p><p>gunandsights.Adownside:whenyou’rebehindcover, thatcovercan</p><p>blockthelightunlessyou’remoreexposedthanyouwanttobe.</p><p>Trythedifferenttechniques.Findatleastonethatworkswellforyou</p><p>whenyou setupbeforehand to search, andone that canallowyou to</p><p>quickly draw the gun and bring it up to coordinate with the light in</p><p>suddenreactivesituations.Theydaymaycomewhenyou’llbegladyou</p><p>did.</p><p>Neckplacementofflashlightworkswellforsome,butnotforeveryone.</p><p>FlashlightasWeapon</p><p>Whether as a less-lethal option to thegunor theonly thing inyour</p><p>possession that can serveasaweapon,a flashlight canbeaneffective</p><p>defense tool if you know what to do with it. The long police-style</p><p>flashlight shouldn’t be used like a Cro-Magnon’s club; the overhand</p><p>swingcansmasha skullandaccidentallykillormaimsomeoneyou’re</p><p>merely trying to subdue, and in any case is easy for a streetwise</p><p>opponent to block or evade a downward swing. Spend some time</p><p>learning flashlight defensive techniques from a qualified instructor, or</p><p>shortstickfightingtechniquesfromsomeonewhoteachesamartialart</p><p>thatincorporatesthatsortofweaponry.Intheconventionalillumination</p><p>grasp, a four-or five-cell light along the lower edge of the forearm</p><p>becomes a formidable blocking (and striking) tool. A few hours of</p><p>trainingwill showyouavarietyofblocks, less-lethal strikes,andeven</p><p>grappling techniques. Pick the lengthdependingon the lengthof your</p><p>forearm:whenheldnormally,youwant its lengthto truncatebefore it</p><p>reachestoyourownelbow.AC-celllightisslimmertograsp,andlighter</p><p>andfastertoswingformostpeople, thantheheavyD-size lights.Look</p><p>forthebookDefensiveTacticsWithFlashlightsbyJohnPeters.</p><p>The old FBI technique does not work as well with butt-activated lights projecting from the</p><p>bottomof the fist,as itdoes fromolderstyleside-switch lights,whichproject fromthethumb</p><p>sideofthehand.</p><p>EventhehumbleMini-MagLitecanbecomeaneffectivedefensetool.</p><p>Look for The Kubotan Manual by Takayuki Kubota. Both books were</p><p>availablefromPoliceBookshelf,POBox122,Concord,NH03302atthis</p><p>writing.KubotadevelopedhisnamesakeKubotan,asmallkeychain-size</p><p>plasticwand,todeliveravarietyofpressurepointattacksandcounters,</p><p>strikes, andwristlocks and takedowns.Every singleKubotan technique</p><p>willworkwiththeMini-Mag,whichislegaltocarryanywhere,evenin</p><p>courtrooms,schools,andcommercialaircraft.</p><p>The bottom line? For the person who carries a gun, a small but</p><p>powerfulflashlightisanessentialcomplementtotheequipment.</p><p>Hewhocontrolsthelightneednotfearthedarkness.</p><p>First Light flashlight straps onto hand, leaving palms and fingers free for two hand shooting,</p><p>graspingandfighting,orwhatever.Ausefultool!</p><p>CARRYMETHODS</p><p>T</p><p>Chapter10</p><p>HIPHOLSTERS</p><p>hestrong-sidehip– i.e., thegunhand-sidehip– is theodds-on</p><p>choice for weapon placement for most of those who carry</p><p>concealedhandgunstoday.Itisalsothestandardlocationforlaw</p><p>enforcementofficersinuniform.Thisisprobablynotcoincidental.</p><p>Many ranges,policeacademies, and shooting schoolswill allowonly</p><p>strong-sideholsters.Thetheorybehindthisisthatcrossdraw(including</p><p>shoulder and fanny pack carries) will cause the gun muzzles to cross</p><p>othershootersandrangeofficerswhenweaponsaredrawnorholstered.</p><p>Somealsoworryaboutthesafetyofpocketdrawandankledraw.There</p><p>are action shooting sports – PPC and IDPA, to name two – where</p><p>anything but a strong-side belt holster is expressly forbidden. Once</p><p>again,safetyisthecitedreason.</p><p>Itisworthwhiletolookatothersuchsportswherecrossdrawholsters</p><p>areallowed…butareseldomseen.IntheearlydaysofIPSC,crossdraws</p><p>actuallydominated thewinner’scircle forawhile.RayChapmanwore</p><p>onewhenhecapturedthefirstworldchampionshipofthesport.Today,</p><p>however, even though it’s still allowed, the cross draw has all but</p><p>disappeared from that sport. A little history is in order. In the mid-</p><p>1970s,acommonIPSCstartpositionwasstandingwithhandsclaspedat</p><p>centerline of the torso.With a front cross draw, this allowed the gun</p><p>hand to be positioned barely above the pistol grip at themoment the</p><p>start signal went off. IPSC started to gomore toward hands-shoulder-</p><p>highstartpositions(togiveeveryoneamorelevelplayingfield,andto</p><p>betterallowrangeofficerstoseeifahandwentprematurelytothegun),</p><p>and the last suchmatch I shot usedmostly start positionswith hands</p><p>relaxedatthesides.Thesepositionsfavoredagunonthesamesideas</p><p>thedominanthand.Inanycase,astrong-sideholsterbringsthegunon</p><p>target faster because, standing properly, theweapon is already in line</p><p>withthemarkanddoesnothavetobesweptacrossthetarget.</p><p>Quality concealed-carry hip holsters aren’t new. This one, carrying a period S&W Model 39</p><p>9mm…</p><p>…wasmadecirca1974bySeventrees,theinnovativecompanyledbythelateParisTheodore.</p><p>We saw the same inNRAAction Shooting.MickeyFowler formany</p><p>years had a monopoly on the Bianchi Cup, using a front cross draw,</p><p>specificallyanISICompetitionRigheandhiscolleagueMikeDaltonhad</p><p>designedwithTedBlocker.However,inlateryears,theCuphasalways</p><p>beenwonwithastraight-drawhipholster.</p><p>Becausetheybeginattheacademywithhandgunsontheirdominant</p><p>hand side, cops tend to stay with the same location for plainclothes</p><p>wear. Habituation is a powerful thing. Master holster maker and</p><p>historianJohnBianchiinvokesBianchi’sLaw:thesamegun,inthesame</p><p>place,allthetime.Itmakesthereactivedrawsecondnature.</p><p>We saw this in action in the IPSC world in the late Seventies. The</p><p>second American to become IPSCworld championwas the great Ross</p><p>Seyfried.RossshotaPachmayrCustomColtGovernmentModel45from</p><p>ahigh-ridingMiltSparks#1ATholsterthatrodeatanFBItiltbehindhis</p><p>righthip.HewasaworkingcattlemaninColoradoandadiscipleofboth</p><p>ElmerKeithandJeffCooper.Itwasatimewhentheseriouscompetitors</p><p>mostlyeitherwentcrossdraw,orworeelaboratespeedrigslowonthe</p><p>hip.OnewhochosethelatterwasamultimillionaireforwhomIPSCwas</p><p>purely sport. Frustrated that Ross had beaten him at the national</p><p>championships in Denver, this fellow hired a sports physiologist to</p><p>explain to him how Seyfried had managed to beat him. “I don’t</p><p>understandit,”thefrustratedprofessionaltoldthewealthysportsmanin</p><p>essenceafterviewingtapesofSeyfried.“Yourwayisfasterthanhis.The</p><p>waythisSeyfriedfellowcarrieshisgunismechanicallyslower.”</p><p>Aclassicfromoneofthegreatholsterauthoritiesofalltime,thisleft-handedIWBholstercarries</p><p>aDanWessoncloneoftheBrowningHi-Power…</p><p>BianchiBlackWidowhaseither-sidebeltloopsfortightcarryofthisRugerGP100357against</p><p>body,andfastthumb-breaksafetystrap.ItridesonamatedBianchidressgunbelt.Holsterand</p><p>beltaremorethan20yearsoldandinexcellentcondition,atributetoBianchiquality.</p><p>…andwasmadebythegreatChicGaylord,whosetimelessdesignsarenowreproducedbyBell</p><p>CharterOak.</p><p>Whatphysiologistandrichguyalikehadmissedwasonesimplefact:</p><p>themultimillionaire only strapped on his fancy quick-draw holster on</p><p>match day and at practice sessions. Ross Seyfried wore a #1AT Milt</p><p>Sparksholsterbehindhishipeverydayofhislife,thoughinthesaddle</p><p>ontheranchhecarrieda4-inchSmith&WessonModel2944Magnum.</p><p>Rossandthatholsterhaddevelopedasymbioticrelationship.Reaching</p><p>tothatspothadbecomesecondnature,andmadehimfasterfromthere</p><p>thanapart-timepistolpackerwithamoresophisticated,moreexpensive</p><p>“speedrig.”</p><p>Strong-SideHipAdvantages</p><p>If the navel is 12 o’clock, a properly worn concealment hip holster</p><p>putsaright-handedman’sgunat3:30.Inthisposition, justbehindthe</p><p>ileaccrestofthepelvis,clothingcomesdowninanaturaldrapefromthe</p><p>latissimus dorsi to cover the gunwithout bulge. On a guy of average</p><p>build,theholsteredgunfindsitselfnestledinanaturalhollowbelowthe</p><p>kidney area. With the jacket opened in the front, the gun is usually</p><p>invisible from the front. Being just behind the hip, a holstered gun in</p><p>this locationdoesnot seemtoget in thewayofbucket seatsnormost</p><p>furniture, anddoesn’tpress into thebodywhen thewearer leansback</p><p>againstachairsurface.</p><p>Because of its proximity to the gun hand, and because the gun can</p><p>come directly up on target from the holster, the strong-side draw is</p><p>naturallyfast.Formales,simplybringingtheelbowstraightbackbrings</p><p>thehandalmostautomaticallytothegun.</p><p>Disadvantages</p><p>The hip draw does not lend itself to a surreptitious draw – that is,</p><p>starting with the hand already on the gun, unnoticed – unless the</p><p>practitioner can get the gun-side third of his body behind some</p><p>concealingobjectorstructure.Becauseofthehigher,moreflaringpelvis</p><p>andshortertorso,womendon’tfindthiscarrynearlyascomfortableor</p><p>asfastasmen.Asnotedelsewhereinthisbook,crossdrawandshoulder</p><p>carryseemmoreeffectiveformanywomen.</p><p>DesignedbythelateBruceNelson,theserough-outSummerSpecialIWBholsterswereproduced</p><p>byMiltSparks.Left,standardversionforMorrisCustomColt45automatic.Right,narrowbelt</p><p>loopmodeltogowithcorrespondingthickbutnarrowdressbeltforsuits,alsobySparks,here</p><p>withBrowningHi-Power.</p><p>Author says at least one ambidextrous model is imperative to the holster wardrobe. This is</p><p>Glock’sown,inveryeconomicalpolymer,withaGlock3045auto.</p><p>ThePagerPalcarriesthegun,inthiscase</p><p>aKahrPM9,notonlyinsidethewaistbandbutbelow</p><p>it.Fakepager(shown)orknifepouchorcellphonecarrierdisguisestheconcealmentsystem.</p><p>Women’shipsdon’tadaptwell tomale-orientedholsters.NotewhereJulieGoloski carriesher</p><p>S&WM&P9mmasshepauseswhilewinning2006NationalWomanIDPAChampiontitle..</p><p>MitchRosen’sWorkmanholster,namedafterdesignerDaveWorkman,wasthefirstanddefining</p><p>“tuckable.”Notice“V”ofleatherbetweengunandbeltloop.Shirt,tuckedintotheVandinside</p><p>thewaistband,hidesthisGlock26.Beltloopcanbedisguisedbyputtingakeyringonit.</p><p>Galco’saffordableTuckableissuede-out(a.k.a.“rough-out”)andsecurestobeltwithlowprofile</p><p>polymerJ-clip.PistolisGlock269mm.</p><p>ThisSafarilandsyntheticOWBholdsGlock39subcompact45GAPtighttothebodyofastate</p><p>policeinstructor.</p><p>“Deep Concealment Special” IWB holster designed by Elmer McEvoy at Leather Arsenal has</p><p>rearwardflangetohelpkeepholsterfromdiggingintobody,orshifting.PistolisGlock30in45</p><p>ACP.</p><p>Exotic leathers have become a status symbol among CCW people. This ParaOrdnance SSP 45</p><p>automaticlivesinthissharkskinOWBholster/beltcombobyAker.</p><p>“Plastic” CQC holster for Glock 17 here holds a longer Glock 34, which works fine in this</p><p>instancedespiteexposedportionofbarrelandfrontsight.Itholdstheguntighttothebody,and</p><p>isveryfastforIDPA-typecompetition.</p><p>Oneof the great classic IWBholsters is the#3Pistol Pocket designed byRichardNichols for</p><p>Bianchi.HereholdingasquarebuttS&W357CombatMagnum,ithaswide,handyone-way-snap</p><p>foreasyon-off,leatherreinforcedmouthforeasyreholstering,andfast,securethumbbreak.This</p><p>onehasbeeninservicefordecadesandstillworksfine.</p><p>STREETTIP:Ifweightofgunispullingpantsdown,don’tpullitbackuplikethis.Itlooksasif</p><p>you’regoingforagun.INSTEAD…</p><p>…pull whole belt up, with both hands, like this. Now, you’re just another guy “doing a guy</p><p>thing”and“hitchinguphispants,”anddon’tbroadcastthefactthatyou’re“carrying.”</p><p>AuthordesignedthepopularAyoobRearGuard(ARG)holsterforMitchRosen.Itridesinsidethe</p><p>waistband,weight of gun levered forwardby rear-placedbelt loop to prevent “printing.” This</p><p>exampleisinsharkskinandcarriesS&W191145auto.</p><p>Replaceablebelt-clipmodulesofKydexIWBholsterbyMach2,theHonorman,“flex”andhelp</p><p>conceal thisGlock27without shifting.Notealso“bodyshield” tokeepsweataway fromgun,</p><p>andsharpgunedgesawayfromunderlyingskinandclothing.</p><p>Authordemonstrateshis “fingertipdraw,”whichhecalls “ReachOutandTouchYourself.”As</p><p>drawfromunderopen-frontgarmentbegins,allfourfingertipstouchabdomen’scenterline…</p><p>…and,fingertipsmaintainingtorsocontact,handsweepsbacktogun.Notethatknifeedgeofhand</p><p>hasbeguntosweeptheWoolrichElitevesttotherear…</p><p>…andwillinstantlyandpositivelysweepitallthewaytotherear,andholditoutofthewayuntil</p><p>hand has taken its drawing grasp, shown. Carry combo is Beretta 92G 9mm in Milt Sparks</p><p>ExecutiveCompanionIWBholster.</p><p>Authorexplainswhyhedoesn’tlikepaddleholsters,butwhytheycanworkforsomepeoplein</p><p>some situations. This is one of the best of the breed, by Aker, carrying Ruger GP100 357</p><p>Magnum.</p><p>STREETTIP:Whenyoufeelthegunbuttmovingtotherearand“printing,”DON’Tadjustitlike</p><p>this.Itwillbeobvioustoanyoneinlineofsightthatyou’re“carrying.”INSTEAD…</p><p>…useyourforearmbehindyourbacktopushthegunforward,stretchbackalittle,andyoulook</p><p>totheworldlikesomeonewithasoreback,notsomeonecarryingagun.</p><p>BlackhawkSERPAisasnatch-resistant,concealablerigthateffectivelyhidesthisS&WM&P9mm</p><p>underacoat.Ithasbeenadjustedtodesirableforwardtiltangle.Fingerpaddleiseasilyreleased</p><p>byowner’ssafelyextendedtriggerfingerwhendrawbegins.</p><p>ConcealmentRigbyTedBlockermakes this full-sizeGlock17 concealable for its average-size</p><p>maleowner.</p><p>Christine Cunningham, an instructor and competitor in the Pacific</p><p>Northwest, is also a holster-maker. She specializes in “by women, for</p><p>women”concealedcarrygear.Herstuffistopsinqualityandfunction,</p><p>and very well thought out. You’ll find much good advice, as well as</p><p>manyusefulproducts,atherwebsite,www.womenshooters.com.</p><p>Thegunbehindthehipispositionedsoastobesensitivetoexposure</p><p>andbulgewhen thewearerbendsdownor leans forward.This simply</p><p>means the practitioner has to learn different ways to perform these</p><p>motionsinpublic.Seephotos.</p><p>http://www.womenshooters.com</p><p>Ayoobdesigned theLFIConcealmentRigwithTedBlocker,whosenamesakecompanynow in</p><p>otherhandsstillfindsitagoodseller.Velcrotabonholster(andsparemagcarrier,shown)mates</p><p>withVelcrolininginsidethedressgunbelttosecuresolidly,andallowwideoptionstoweareras</p><p>toheight,angle,andlocation.PistolisSIGP220ST45,withHoguestocks.</p><p>Author demonstrates proper hip draw continuum while winning Wisconsin State Service</p><p>RevolverChampionship,IDPA2007.GP100isblurringasitcomesuptopectoralisposition,in</p><p>linetoalreadyhitafast-coming,closerangethreat…</p><p>…andthenextendsforpreciseaimwithmandatoryone-handhead-shotsfrombehindsimulated</p><p>cover.</p><p>STREETTIP:When driving, you don’twant your hip holstered gun trapped by seat belt and</p><p>concealinggarment.Here,safetybeltisfastened…</p><p>…butthendrivershouldreachunderseatbeltandgrabtheconcealinggarment…</p><p>…andpullitfreeoftheseatbelt!It’snottheseatbeltthatusuallytrapsahipholsteredgun,it’s</p><p>thecoatthatistrappedbytheseatbelt.Now…</p><p>BeltHolsterOptions</p><p>Continuingwith the “clock” concept, let’s look at different spots on</p><p>the belt for holster placement. 12 o’clock, centerline of the abdomen,</p><p>willbecomfortableonlywithasmall,short-barrelgun.It’saquickand</p><p>naturalposition,particularlyforwomenthankstotheirrelativelyhigher</p><p>beltlines.Myolderdaughter,tallandslender,preferstocarryherS&W</p><p>Model39139mmhere,inanAlessiTaloninsidethewaistbandholster,</p><p>or a belly-band. It disappears under an untucked blouse, shirt, or</p><p>sweater,butprovidesveryfastaccess.</p><p>1o’clock to2o’clockbecomes the so-called“appendixposition.”An</p><p>openfrontgarmentmustbekeptfastenedtokeepithidden,butashort-</p><p>barrelgunworksgreathereforaccessduringfightingandgrappling.A</p><p>top trainer who is still active in undercover police work and teaches</p><p>under the nickname “Southnarc” favors this location, with his retired</p><p>cop father’s hammer-shrouded Colt Cobra 38 snub-nose inside the</p><p>waistbandattheappendix.Itisveryfast.SometopIPSCspeeddemons,</p><p>such as Jerry “the Burner” Barnhart carry their competition guns in</p><p>speed rigs at the same location.A small gun concealswell here under</p><p>untuckedclosed-frontgarments.However,theappendixcarrycausesall</p><p>but the shortestguns todig into the junctureof thighandgroinwhen</p><p>seated,andthemuzzleispointingatgenitalsandfemoralartery.There</p><p>are those of us who find this incongruous with our purposes for</p><p>concealed carry, one of which is to prevent weapons being pointed at</p><p>suchvulnerablepartsofourbodies.</p><p>…you’re“readytoride,”andyourhandcanquicklygettoyoursidearm.</p><p>The Yaqui Slide is extremely popular for concealed carry. Here, the Galco version carries a</p><p>custom .40 cal. Glock 23 with Caspian slide, BoMar sights, and Hybrid-Port recoil reduction</p><p>system.</p><p>STREETTIP:Here’showtodrawfromhipholsterwhileseatbeltedbehindasteeringwheel.Gun</p><p>handdoes“fingertipdraw,”whichclearscovergarmenteveninstaticposition…</p><p>…andauthorrocksupperbodysharplytolefttocreatemorerangeofmovementforrightarm,</p><p>whichdrawsBlackhawkdummyofBeretta92usedfordemo,liftingitupandoversteeringwheelto</p><p>preventsnaggingthere…</p><p>…anddriverisquicklyinaready-to-shootposture.</p><p>Movingmoretotheside,thetrue3o’clockpositionisnotidealforall</p><p>day concealed wear. Riding on the protuberance of the hip, the gun</p><p>protrudes accordingly, callingattention to itself evenunderbig,heavy</p><p>coats.Theholsteredgunat3o’clockwillgratemercilesslyon thehip-</p><p>bone. Cops get away with it in uniform because their holsters have</p><p>orthopedically curved shanks, and the weight is distributed on their</p><p>wideSamBrownebelts.Neithermitigating factorwillbeatwork ina</p><p>concealmentholster.</p><p>Holster-makersarekeepingupwith tactical trends.This southpawcopcarrieshisdepartment-</p><p>issueGlock22withwhitelightunitalreadymounted,inconcealableBlade-Techholsteroffduty.</p><p>…butsamegunistightertothebodyinElmerMcEvoyQuadConcealmentholsterworn“inthe</p><p>belt”(ITB),betweenbeltandtrousers.However…</p><p>Comparisonsinconcealability.DaveLauckCustomfull-size191145leansouta littlefromthe</p><p>bodyinLauckoutside-the-waistband(OWB)Kydexholster…</p><p>…inside-the-waistbandholsterbySecretSquirrel carries samegunevencloser, andconcealing</p><p>garmentcancomeallthewayuptobeltwithoutrevealingholsteredgun.</p><p>Withtunnelloopatbackandrear-mountedbeltloop,thisDerryGallagherscabbardcarriesanN-</p><p>frame (.44 size) S&W Model 27-2 357 Magnum with 4-inch barrel with surprisingly good</p><p>concealment.</p><p>3:30, just behind the hip, seems to be optimum for comfort,</p><p>concealment, and speed. It’s wheremost professionals end up parking</p><p>theirholsters.</p><p>By the time you hit 4 o’clock, there is more likelihood of the butt</p><p>protruding.Whenyouhit6o’clock, the trueMOB(middleofback)or</p><p>SOB(smallofback)position,you’regettingintodangerousterritory.The</p><p>SOBisanSOBinmorewaysthanone.Whileaccessibletoeitherhand,it</p><p>canbemercilesslyuncomfortablewhenyouareseated.Therearcenter</p><p>hem is the first part of an outer garment that lifts when you bend</p><p>forward or sit down. The gun butt can catch the hem and completely</p><p>expose the holstered gun. You can’t see it and usually can’t feel it,</p><p>meaningyou’retheonlyoneintheshoppingmallwhowon’tknowthat</p><p>yourweaponisexposed.</p><p>Anotherextremedangerofthiscarryisthatanyfallthatlandsyouflat</p><p>on your back will be the equivalent of landing on a rock with your</p><p>lumbarspine.Veryseriousinjurycanresult.</p><p>Yet another problem with SOB carry is that you can’t exert any</p><p>significantdownwardpressure tohold thegun inplacewhentryingto</p><p>counteragunsnatchattempt.Moreover,biomechanically,youarepretty</p><p>muchputtingyourselfinanarmlockwhendrawing.Asaruleofthumb,</p><p>any technique that requires you to put yourself in an armlock when</p><p>defendingyourselfisatechniqueyoushouldprobablyre-evaluate.</p><p>InsideorOutsidetheBelt</p><p>An inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster will conceal the gun better.</p><p>Simpleasthat.Thedrapeofthepantsfromthewaistdownblendsthe</p><p>shape of the holstered gun with that of the body. The hem of the</p><p>concealing garment has to rise above the belt to reveal the hidden</p><p>weapon. This carry allows average size guys likeme to carry full-size</p><p>service handguns concealed under nothing more than an opaque,</p><p>untuckedteeorpoloshirt,onesizelarge.Heldtighttothebodybybelt</p><p>pressure,thisdesignminimizesbulge.</p><p>MiltSparksSummerSpecialholster,wornfromdecadesofservice,stillworksfine.Thisclassic</p><p>IWBcarriesanequallywell-wornSmith&WessonModel5841Magnumservicerevolver.</p><p>Author demonstrates “Hackathorn Rip,” his preferred technique for drawing from hip holster</p><p>underclosed-frontgarment.Supporthandgrabshemofshirtatappendixposition…</p><p>…aspistol“rocksandlocks”upwardintodraw,supporthandreleasesgarment,and…</p><p>…and jerks it upward toward shoulder, as gun hand goes for sidearm, in this case full-size</p><p>customBeretta92inMiltSparksIWBholster…</p><p>…shooterisontargetinstrongfiringstancewithmaximumspeed.</p><p>STREETTIP:Rockinghiptosideawayfromholster(i.e.,toleftwithright-handeddraw)speeds</p><p>drawfromunderclosedfrontgarmentbecauseithelpspullholsteroutfromunderpistol.</p><p>SomehavetriedIWBandfoundituncomfortable.Thisisbecausetheir</p><p>pantsweresizedforthem,andnowcontainthem–plusaholsteredgun.</p><p>Forpreliminarycomforttesting,unbuttonthepantsatthewaistandlet</p><p>outthebeltanotch,andtryitagain.If it’scomfortablenow,natureis</p><p>tellingyouto letout thepants ifpossible,orstartbuyingtrousers two</p><p>incheslargerinthewaist.Asnotedelsewherehere,thispractice“keeps</p><p>youhonest” (i.e., keeps you carrying)becausenow thepantswon’t fit</p><p>rightwithouttheguninitsIWBholster.</p><p>Beltclipsdon’tsecureaswellasleatherloops,forthemostpart.There</p><p>areexceptions, suchas theappropriatelynamedAlessiTalon, theclips</p><p>used by Blocker on their DA-2, and the modular Kydex clips on the</p><p>Mach-2Honormanholster.CheaperIWBholstersarenotoriousfortheir</p><p>poorclips.</p><p>The IWBholster stays in place largely throughbelt pressure, so you</p><p>want a rigid holster mouth to keep the opening from collapsing and</p><p>interfering with reholstering. The classic Bianchi #3 Pistol Pocket, a</p><p>Richard Nichols design, used stiff leather reinforcement for this. Most</p><p>othersfollowedtheleadofthelateBruceNelsoninhisfamousSummer</p><p>Specialdesign,andusedleather-coveredsteelinsertstokeeptheholster</p><p>mouthopen.OnrigidKydex,ofcourse,thematerialdoesthisbyitself.</p><p>…andpullsitstraightupward.Handnowdropsintodrawinggrasp…</p><p>One-hand-only draw from under closed front garment is critical to know, says author,</p><p>demonstratinghisowntechnique.Supporthandrisesinclose-rangeblockpositionasthumbof</p><p>gunhandcatchesshirthem…</p><p>…andguncomesupontargetin“rockandlock”motionforone-handedfiringifnecessary,from</p><p>close-range“protectedgunposition.”</p><p>Thisexecutive’swhitedressshirtisjustslightlyblousedabovehispinstripesuitpants…</p><p>Inside thewaistband, slimness becomesmore important, one reason</p><p>theflatBrowningHi-Powerand1911pistolsaresopopularwiththose</p><p>who prefer this carry format. The fatter the gun, themore the belt is</p><p>pushedoutfromthebody.Thisallowsthepantstostartslidingdownin</p><p>theholsterarea,causingfrequentneedforreadjustment.</p><p>Because thegun is tight to thebody, sometimesagainstbareskinor</p><p>sweat-soakedshirts,manymakershavebuilt“shielding”intothedesign</p><p>to protect the gun from sweat, and bare skin from sharp edges. This</p><p>worksprettywell,butcanslowthethumb’saccesstoaperfectpre-draw</p><p>grasp,dependingongundesignandhandsize.</p><p>I’veonlydesigned twoholsters inmy life.Bothwere IWB.The first,</p><p>designedwithTedBlocker,istheLFIConcealmentRig.It’scomprisedof</p><p>a dress gun belt lined with Velcro, and your choice of open top or</p><p>thumb-break safety strapholsterwithcoordinatedVelcro tab.This lets</p><p>the concealing garment ride all the way to the top edge of your belt</p><p>withoutrevealinganything,andperhapsmoreimportant,letsyouadjust</p><p>theholster almost infinitely for yourparticularneeds:high, low, exact</p><p>degreeofrake(orientationofmuzzle)andtilt(orientationofbutt)that</p><p>youwant.Highversuslowisimportant</p><p>the tailor shop to get</p><p>“courtsuits”madethatwouldconcealafull-sizehandgun…butI’mglad</p><p>Idid.Idon’tespeciallylikethelookofDockers-typesportslacks,atleast</p><p>onmybody,buttheydoagreatjobofhidingguns,andthey’vebecome</p><p>astapleofthe“sportcoatandtie”sectionofmywardrobe.WhenIsee</p><p>myself in themirrorwearing a vestwith a short sleeve shirt, I seeEd</p><p>Norton from the old TV show “The Honeymooners”… but when you</p><p>carryafull-sizepistolandspareammoinhotweather,believeme,these</p><p>garmentsbecomeyournewbestfriend.Youlearntoappreciatetheextra</p><p>pockets,too.</p><p>Whenit’ssohotyouneedtotakeyourjacketoffandhaveanice-creamcone,youdoitlikethis.</p><p>(Notethatpaperishelduptoread,soheadanddangerscanaren’t“buried.”)Unlessyouneedto</p><p>standandreachforit,noonewillnotice…</p><p>You’lldiscoverthe“two-inchwaistrangefactor.”Ifyourwaistsizeis</p><p>38, and you carry a handgun inside the waistband, you’ll quickly</p><p>gravitatetowardsize40forcomfort.Thiswillalsokeepyoucarryingthe</p><p>gun,sincewithoutthatholster,yourpantswillfeelasifthey’regoingto</p><p>falldown toyourankles.And thedaywill comewhenyougain some</p><p>weight, and decide that an outside-the-belt holster is cheaper than a</p><p>wholenewwardrobeoftrousers…</p><p>The wardrobe of holsters. This book will explain why different</p><p>holstersworkbetter indifferentsituations.WhenIpackasuitcaseand</p><p>goontheroadforafewweeksofteachingand/ortestifying,therewill</p><p>bemorethanoneholsterperguninthesuitcase.Thepocketholsterfor</p><p>thesnub-nosed38maybulgeobviouslyinthesidepocketofthetailored</p><p>suit-pants, but that same gun may disappear under the “classic suit</p><p>straight cuff” of the same trousers in an ankle holster.One inside-the-</p><p>waistbandandoneoutside-the-waistbandhipholsterwillaccompanythe</p><p>primaryhandgun,andifneitherofthoseisambidextrous,therewillalso</p><p>be aweak-side holster in case I sustain an armor hand injury on the</p><p>roadandcan’tusethedominanthand.(Beenthere,donethat.)Abelly-</p><p>bandholsterthatdoublesasamoneybeltwillgointhesuitcasetoo,and</p><p>I’vebeenknowntotossinashoulderrigtoallowforlowerbackinjuries</p><p>where Iwon’twantweighton thehips,ora caseof intestinal flu that</p><p>might have me dropping my pants constantly in public rest rooms, a</p><p>situation where hip holsters are tough (though not impossible) to</p><p>accommodate.</p><p>Thewardrobeofguns. I’ve gottenpretty good at gun concealment</p><p>overtheyears,butI’velearnedthatIcan’thideafull-size45automatic</p><p>inaswimsuit.AgoodfriendofminecarriesalittleSmith&WessonJ-</p><p>frameAirweight38snub-noserevolverinhis,though.</p><p>Asnub-nose38isagreatlittlecarrygun,andit’sastapleofanyCCW</p><p>“gunwardrobe.”However,I’vebeeninalotofplaceswhereIwasway</p><p>morecomfortablewithsomethingbigger,easiertoshootaccuratelyand</p><p>fast,thatheldmore–andmorepowerful–ammunition.</p><p>You’ll find yourself buying more firearms as you get into CCW</p><p>seriously. Somewill suit you, andyouwill keep them for carry. Some</p><p>willturnouttobegreatgunsbutjusttoobigandheavy,andyoumay</p><p>keep them as home defense or even recreational weapons. Some will</p><p>turnouttonotbeforyou,andyou’lltradetheminforsomethingthat</p><p>worksbetter.That’sallOK.</p><p>Asmallgun thatwillbe there incircumstanceswhereyou justcan’t</p><p>carryabiggeronemaystillsaveyour life.Therewillbetimeswhena</p><p>largergunwillgiveyounotonlymoreconfidence,butmorecapability.</p><p>I’vedebriefedgunfightsurvivorswhowouldhavediedifthey’dhadonly</p><p>a five-shot 38, but survived because they had something that carried</p><p>moreammoandletthemstayinthefightlongenoughtowinit.So,as</p><p>time goes on, you’ll want at least one small CCW handgun and one</p><p>larger one. Don’t be surprised if, like somany professionals, you find</p><p>yourselfcarryingbothatonce. It’sabelt-and-suspenders,“samereason</p><p>there’sasparetireinmycar”kindofthing.</p><p>…thatyouhavedrapedthegarmentstrategicallytocoverafull-sizeBerettapoliceservicepistol</p><p>inaquick-accessDillonholster.</p><p>AboutThisBook</p><p>This book is not about when you can shoot. That would be In the</p><p>GravestExtreme.It’snotabouthowtoshootahandgununderstress.That</p><p>wouldbeStressFire.It’snotaboutatotalapproachtopersonalsafetyand</p><p>crime prevention. That would be The Truth About Self-Protection. All</p><p>three are available from Police Bookshelf, PO Box 122, Concord, NH</p><p>03302,(www.ayoob.com).Irecommendthem,buthell,Iwrotethem,so</p><p>taketherecommendationfromwhenceitcomes.</p><p>Thechaptersongunsandholstersaregeneric.IfIdon’trecommenda</p><p>particularbrand,itdoesn’tnecessarilymeanit’sapieceofcrap;itmay</p><p>just mean that I haven’t worked with it long enough to give it a</p><p>recommendation.AnythingIrecommendinherebynameissomething</p><p>http://www.ayoob.com</p><p>I’vetestedsufficientlytotrustmyownlifeto;Ican’tdothatwithevery</p><p>product. I’ve tested guns thatwere obviously designed by peoplewho</p><p>didn’t carry them and didn’t know how to shoot them, and holsters</p><p>obviously designed by people who didn’t carry concealed handguns. I</p><p>don’thavetimetolistthejunk,nordoIhavethetimeorthefinancial</p><p>resources to fight nuisance suits by junk-makers who sue people for</p><p>tellingthetruthabouttheirproducts. If Isay it’sgood, I’mputtingmy</p><p>nameandreputationonthatfact.IfIdon’tmentionit,well,I’mjustnot</p><p>mentioningit,butremember,there’sgoodstuffouttherethatIprobably</p><p>justhaven’ttestedyet.</p><p>Imaybeafunnel,butIcan’tfunnelthewholeindustry.</p><p>Some points will be repeated in different chapters. I suppose that</p><p>reflectsa littleof the instructor’smantra, “Tell ‘emwhatyou’regonna</p><p>tell ‘em; tell ‘em; then tell ‘emwhat you told ‘em.” I think it reflects</p><p>morethesimplerealitythatinanadultlifetimeasanauthor,I’vefound</p><p>that folks readnovels straight front toback,butnon-fictionbooks like</p><p>this a chapter at a time, piece-meal, jumping back and forth. Some</p><p>pointsneedtobemadeincontextforthesporadicreader.</p><p>TV and movie characters are mentioned here a lot. That’s because</p><p>suchthingshavelargelydefinedpublicperceptionaboutconcealedcarry</p><p>methods.Itneededtobeaddressed.</p><p>In some chapters, you’ll see me drawing from under a transparent</p><p>raincoat. No, I’m not recommending “transparent concealment”! It’s a</p><p>deviceIhitontodemonstrateconcealeddrawwithouthandandweapon</p><p>beinghiddenfromthelearner’sview.</p><p>Inreadingthisbook,it’simportanttomaintainsomeperspectives.</p><p>Theraisond’etreisimportant.Carryingaconcealedhandgunreflects</p><p>serious understandings about predictable danger in Life, and it brings</p><p>moreseriousunderstandingswithit.We’lltalkaboutthat.</p><p>Thisbookislaidoutthewayitisforareason.RulesoftheRoadare</p><p>important.We’ll talkaboutwhereyoucancarry,andwhereyoucan’t.</p><p>Whenyoushould,andwhenyoushouldn’t.</p><p>Hardware is important. We’ll discuss which handguns have proven</p><p>themselves best suited for concealed carry for different purposes in</p><p>different “dress code” situations. Hardware encompasses not only the</p><p>gunsbuttheholsters,theammunition,thereloadingdevices,andother</p><p>accessories.</p><p>Deployment is important. It’s amazing, for instance, how many</p><p>people have designed and sold belly-band holsters but obviously don’t</p><p>knowthemosteffectivewaysofeithercarrying themordrawing from</p><p>them…nottomentionhowmanypeoplehavecarriedankleholstersfor</p><p>acareerasan</p><p>if, likeme,youhavetoswitch</p><p>betweensuitpantsanduniformpantsthattendtorideatthewaist,and</p><p>jeans/cords/BDUs that tend to ride slightly lowerat thehips.Nowthe</p><p>gunisinexactlythesamewhere-you-want-itspotnomatterwhatyou’re</p><p>wearing.ThecombinationofVelcroshearfactorandbelttensionholdsit</p><p>inplace.It’sverysecure,andI’vetaughtweaponretentionclasseswith</p><p>onewithoutitcomingloose.Matchingmagazinepouchesareavailable,</p><p>andtheLFIConcealmentRigalsoworksasacrossdraw.</p><p>…butpressinghand reveals thepresenceof a full-sizeGlock servicepistol, completelyhidden</p><p>beneathinabellybandholsterinstrong-sidehipdrawposition.</p><p>TheotherwasdesignedforMitchRosen,athisrequest.Hewantedan</p><p>open-top rig that would carry a heavy, full-size fighting handgun</p><p>withouttheweightoftheloadedmagazineinitsbutttiltingitbackward</p><p>to“print,”orexpose itself throughclothing. IdesignedanFBI-tilt IWB</p><p>scabbard with a single strong belt loop at the rear, behind the gun,</p><p>wheretheloop’sbulkwouldn’taddtotheholster’s.Inthisposition,the</p><p>holster “levered” the gun forward and prevented it from tilting</p><p>backwards. I called it the Rear Guard, because the loop at the rear</p><p>guardedagainstrearwardholstershifting.Mitchwaskindenoughtocall</p><p>it theAyoobRearGuard. Itwas shortened toARG,which I’ve always</p><p>pronouncedasAy-Arr-Gee.Unfortunately,folksstartedpronouncingthe</p><p>acronym in one syllable, which sounded like “Arrgghh.” I suppose I</p><p>shouldjustbegladIdidn’tnameitSuperHolsterInsideTrousers.After</p><p>9/11/01, Mitch changed the name to American Rear Guard. Still the</p><p>sameexcellentholster,though.</p><p>The belly-band is a variation of inside-the-waistband carry,</p><p>approximately four inches of elastic strappingwith a gun pouch. It is</p><p>wornbestatbeltlevel,“overtheunderwearandundertheover-wear.”</p><p>ThefirstoftheseIeversawwasaJohnBianchiprototypeinGunWorld</p><p>magazine,circa1960.Bianchididn’tbringitoutbackthen,butinafew</p><p>years, a firm in Brooklyn namedMMGR did. I wore anMMGR belly-</p><p>bandtomygradschooltestsonehotsummerdaywhenIwas21,and</p><p>noticed the day I got home that the beautiful blue finish ofmy S&W</p><p>Model36ChiefSpecialhadturnedbrownonthesidenexttomybody.</p><p>Some later belly-band designs, such as the Gould & Goodrich, used a</p><p>separateplasticshieldonthegunpouchtoprotecttheweaponfromthis,</p><p>butexpect somedegreeof sweatexposurewith this typeofcarry.The</p><p>Tenifer finish of the Glock pistols seems to stand up to this best,</p><p>followed by the similar Mellonite finish used on S&W M&P autos,</p><p>followed by industrial hard chrome finishes and stainless. The Glocks</p><p>willdiscolorafterlongcarryinthisfashion,butwon’tactuallyrust.</p><p>ThisDonHumeIWBholster,hereinleftyversionholdingGlock19,isanexcellentvalue.</p><p>WhileIpreferthebelly-bandinthefrontcrossdrawpositionfora2-</p><p>inch 38, larger guns work best behind the hip. They’re a great</p><p>alternativeundera tucked-in shirt for thosewhowork inbusiness suit</p><p>environments and must take the suit coat off in the office, but can’t</p><p>afford for thegun tobecomevisible.A “Hackathorn rip”movement is</p><p>thebestdrawingoptionhere.Ialsoknowmedicalprofessionalsingun-</p><p>freezonesinhighcrimeareas,whowearsmallhandgunsthiswayunder</p><p>theirscrubs.</p><p>There are many good belly-bands. My personal favorite has always</p><p>been the unfortunately discontinued Bianchi Ranger, with built-in</p><p>moneybelt. Ithasbeenmycompanionallover theworld. I’vecarried</p><p>S&W4-inch44Magnumsinit,perfectlyconcealedonthestreetsincities</p><p>fromSouthAfricatoEurope.</p><p>Sincetheyofferlittleprotectionagainstsharpedges,belly-bandswork</p><p>best with edge-free guns. That said, properly adjusted they can be</p><p>incredibly comfortable. One downside to them, though, is that you</p><p>practically need a shoe-horn to get the gun back in. The near-</p><p>impossibilityofquicklyreholsteringmeansthatregularrangepracticeis</p><p>outof thequestion,andyouhavetohaveanactionplanthat includes</p><p>puttingthegunawayinpocketorwaistbandaftermakingabelly-band</p><p>drawonthestreet.</p><p>The “tuckable” is a different breed, the latest development in this</p><p>areaandoneofthemostwidelycopied.ItgoesbacktoDaveWorkman,</p><p>aholster-makerwhoisalsoaleadingSecondAmendmentadvocateand</p><p>gun author. For those with office dress codes, Dave came upwith an</p><p>insidethewaistbandholsterthathadaseparatepaddlethatsecuredon</p><p>the belt, creating a deep “V” between the holster and that securing</p><p>portion,intowhichadressshirtcouldbetucked.Wornat3:30,orinthe</p><p>appendixposition,orat11o’clockinafrontcrossdraw,ithidthegun</p><p>perfectly. The snap-on belt loop could be disguised as a key holder</p><p>simply by putting a small key ring in the loop.When he looked for a</p><p>largermanufacturertohandlethedesign,IsteeredDavetoMitchRosen,</p><p>whointroducedittotheworldasTheWorkman.Itinstantlybecamethe</p><p>most copied new rig in the holster field. This style also functions</p><p>perfectlywellasanordinaryinsidethewaistbandholster.</p><p>AnotherIWBvariationthatgoesdeepinsidethewaistbandisthePager</p><p>Pal. A flat semi-disk of leather contains a small revolver or auto that</p><p>rides inside the pants and below the belt, hooked onto the belt by a</p><p>camouflaged pager, cell phone carrier, knife pouch, etc.When carried</p><p>cross draw, the support hand grabs the pager or whatever and pulls</p><p>upward,exposingtheholsterforthegunhand’sdraw.Ifoundthatifyou</p><p>don’thavealargebutt,youcancarryitonyourstrongsidebehindthe</p><p>hipandknifethehanddowninsidethepantstogetatthegun.Notmy</p><p>firstchoice,butaninterestingoptionthatsomehavefounduseful.</p><p>Authoronlytrustsafewmetalbeltclip-typeIWBholsterstostayinplace.OneisthisDonHume,</p><p>hereholdinga4-inchcustomKimber.</p><p>OutsidetheBelt</p><p>Outside-the-waistband(OWB)ismorecomfortable,butrequiresmore</p><p>effort for concealment. The most concealable designs copy to some</p><p>degree the Pancake holsters of Roy Baker. Rounded, thus their</p><p>eponymousshape,Baker’sholstersandsomeoftoday’scopieshavethree</p><p>beltslots,oneintherearandtwointhefront.Thisallowstheshooterto</p><p>setup for forward“FBI” tilt, straightuphip-draw,or straightupcross</p><p>draw. With the belt tensioning the holster fore and aft of the actual</p><p>scabbard body, the gun is pulled in tighter to the hip for better</p><p>concealment.</p><p>The Yaqui Slide holster, a “skeleton” design popularized by Milt</p><p>Sparks, ishandyinthat it fitsanumberofdifferentbarrel lengthguns</p><p>with the same frame.Points tonotewith it, though:1) If sitting inan</p><p>armchairandthearmofthechairbumpsthegunmuzzle,thewholegun</p><p>canbepushedupandoutoftheholster.2)Carbonanddirtonthegun</p><p>afterfiringcan,whileit’sholstered,transfertotheunderlyingtrousers.</p><p>3) Sharp-edged sights, or deep Picatinny-style rails on the dust cover</p><p>(lower front of frame) of somemodernmilitary style auto pistols, can</p><p>snag on the bottom edge of the Yaqui Slide, dangerously stalling the</p><p>draw.4)Backinthe’70s,asellingpointofthisdesignwasthatitcould</p><p>stayonthebeltwiththegunremoved,andwouldoftengounrecognized</p><p>asaholster.Thisisprobablynotthecasetoday.TheDonHumeversion</p><p>is certainly a best buy for quality vis-à-vis price today, and a key</p><p>objectionablepointtothisparticularstyleisremovedwithmodelsthat</p><p>havethumb-breaksafety</p><p>armedprofessionalandneverlearnedhowtomostquickly</p><p>andefficientlydrawfromone.Let’sseeifwecan’tfixthat…</p><p>Iknowitsoundscomplicated.That’sbecauseitiscomplicated.Bythe</p><p>timeyoufinishthisbook,youwillhavenoticedthatI’veneverinvoked</p><p>the currently popular weapons training buzzword that is the “KISS</p><p>principle.”KISSstandsfor“KeepItSimple,Stupid.”</p><p>Ican’tutterthatingoodconscience,fortworeasons.</p><p>Foronething,Idon’tthinkyou’restupid.</p><p>Foranother,Iknowfordamnsureitain’tsimple.</p><p>Ifanybodywants“simple,”thesimplefactis,alotofpeoplediedfor</p><p>thelessonsthatwerefunneledintothisbook.Someofthemweregood</p><p>guys and galswho died only because they didn’t know the things the</p><p>gunfight survivors and master gunfighters gave me to funnel into the</p><p>words that follow. And we’ll never know howmany innocent victims</p><p>diedbecausetheydidn’thaveagun,rightthereandrightthenthattheycould</p><p>havedrawnfromconcealmentandusedtosavetheirlivesandothers.</p><p>AndIthinkyouknowthat,too,oryouwouldn’tbereadingthis.</p><p>Withina fewdaysofmydeadline for thisbook,amassmurderer in</p><p>Coloradohittworeligiousinstitutions,andkilledpeopleatboth.Atthe</p><p>firstlocation,hekilledinnocentpeopleandsaunteredaway.Therewas</p><p>noonetherewiththewherewithaltostophim.</p><p>Attheseconddeathscene,heopenedfireintheparkinglot,andthen</p><p>enteredthebuilding.Hedidn’tgetthirtyfeetbeforehewasinterdicted</p><p>by one Jeanne Assam, a member of the church who was licensed to</p><p>CCW,hadherowngun,andknewhowtouseit.Sheshothimdownlike</p><p>the mad dog he was, and in his last bullet-riddled moments the only</p><p>person he could still shoot was himself. He died. No more innocent</p><p>peopledid.JeanneAssamhadtaughtalessontousall.</p><p>Onthepro-gunside,peoplestartedpostingontheInternetthestoryof</p><p>CharlvanWyck,astoryIhadputintothismanuscriptmonthsbefore.I</p><p>canonlyhopethatthegeneralpublicwilllookatbothAssam’sstoryand</p><p>VanWyck’s,andthelessonsthatcamebefore.Iamsure–sadlysure–</p><p>thatsimilarlessonswillbewritteninbloodafterthisbookispublished.</p><p>Thank you for taking the time to readwhat follows. Thank you for</p><p>havingthecouragetobethesheepdogpreparedtofightthewolvesback</p><p>awayfromthelambs.Ihopeyoufindthefollowingpagesuseful.</p><p>Useyourpowerwisely.Keepyourgoodpeoplesafe.</p><p>F</p><p>Chapter2</p><p>WHYWECARRY</p><p>Whydowecarry?AskDr.SuzannaGratia-Hupp,photographedhere</p><p>whiletestifyingforconcealedcarrylegislation.Shewatchedher</p><p>parentsmurderedduringtheLuby’sCafeteriamassacreinKilleen,</p><p>Texas,helplesstostopthegunmanonlyafewfeetaway,because</p><p>lawoftheperiodforcedhertoleaveherrevolveroutsideinher</p><p>car.</p><p>Thequestionisconstantlyasked,“Whydoyouwanttocarryagun?”Here</p><p>areseveralprovenanswers.</p><p>orty-eight of America’s fifty states now have at least some</p><p>provision for law-abiding private citizens to carry loaded,</p><p>concealed handguns in public. This comes as a shock to many</p><p>people in American society. Those responsible adults who choose to</p><p>avail themselves of the concealed carry privilege will constantly be</p><p>challengedastothisdecisionbyfriends,family,co-workers,andothers</p><p>whohavenotbeeneducatedontheissuesinvolved.Thisisonereasonit</p><p>isalwayssensibletobeextremelydiscreetaboutconcealedcarry,andto</p><p>notbroadcastthefactthatonegoeslegallyarmed.</p><p>Atthesametime,theoldphrase“forewarnedisforearmed”appliesto</p><p>the argument aswell as the practice itself. Those of uswho’vehad to</p><p>debatetheissuerepeatedly,inforumsrangingfromStateHouseswhere</p><p>reform concealed carry legislation was on the floor to radio, TV, and</p><p>printmedia,havelearnedthatthebestresponseisoftena“soundbite.”</p><p>Agoodsoundbite is short,memorable,andso logical that the listener</p><p>tendstoaskhimself,“Whydidn’tIthinkofthat?”</p><p>The following effective sound bite answers to the most common</p><p>challengesagainstconcealedcarryhavebeenproventoworktimeand</p><p>again.Asdonehere,alwaysbeabletobackthemupwithmoredetail.</p><p>Keepitlogical,andalways,alwaysapplycommonsense.</p><p>AmuchyoungerAyoobwithoneofhis kids, today an adult andaparentherself.Here, she’s</p><p>learningaboutammunition.Inherlateteens,shewonanationalhandgunchampionshiptitle…</p><p>andnot longafter,usedher legally-carriedhandgun todefendherself successfullyagainst two</p><p>largemalerapesuspectsonacitystreet.</p><p>It is generally accepted that the population of this country is</p><p>approximatelythreehundredmillion,andthatthereareonlyabitover</p><p>700,000currentlyservingpoliceofficers.Bytheirnature,wolvesattack</p><p>sheepwhenthesheepdogisn’tthere,andcriminalsarecarefultomake</p><p>suretherearenopoliceofficersinsightwhentheyattacktheirvictims.</p><p>Thisleavesthevictimalonetofendforhimselforherself.</p><p>“Whydoyoucarryagun?”</p><p>Kathy Jackson said it best on her website</p><p>(www.corneredcat.com):“IcarryagunbecauseIcan’tcarrya</p><p>policeman.”</p><p>Carryingaconcealedhandgun inpublic isverymuch likekeepinga</p><p>smallfireextinguisherinyourcar.Neithermeansthatbypossessingit,</p><p>youbecomeanofficialmemberofthepublicsafetycommunity.Neither</p><p>means that you don’t need public safety personnel from the fire</p><p>departmentorthepolicedepartment.</p><p>But the concealed handgun and the fire extinguisher are each</p><p>emergency rescue tools designed to allow first responders to crisis to</p><p>holdthelineagainstdeathandinjury,tocontrolthingsandsavelives,</p><p>untilthedesignatedprofessionalscangettothescenetodowhatthey’re</p><p>paid to do. That’s all the responsibly carried concealed handgun is:</p><p>emergency rescue equipment for use by a competent first responder,</p><p>whointhiscase,oftenturnsouttobetheintendedvictimofintentional,</p><p>violentcrime.</p><p>“But aren’t you worried that if more people carry guns, more</p><p>argumentswillescalateintopeoplebeingshotandkilled?”</p><p>No.Responsiblegunownersaretoopracticaltoworryabout</p><p>thingsthatdon’thappen.</p><p>Ever since the 1980s, when Florida started the trend of reform</p><p>legislation that replaced the elitism and cronyism of the old</p><p>“discretionary”permitsystemwiththemodern,enlightened“shallissue”</p><p>http://www.corneredcat.com</p><p>model, opponents of self-protection and civil liberties have made the</p><p>argumentthat“bloodwouldruninthestreets.”Ithasn’thappenedyet.</p><p>Ifanything,statisticsshowthatviolentcrimeagainstthepersonseemsto</p><p>godownaftershall-issuelegislationispassed.</p><p>In the wake of the recent confirmation of this by Minnesota’s</p><p>experiencewiththeirfledglingshall-issuepermitsystem,myoldfriend</p><p>JoeWaldronoftheCitizens’CommitteefortheRighttoKeepandBear</p><p>Arms(CCRKBA)putitaswellasit’severbeensaid.TheCommitteehad</p><p>noted,“Accordingtothe(MinneapolisStarTribune)newspaper,people</p><p>withgunpermitsarefarlesslikelytobeinvolvedinacrime,whetherit</p><p>isaphysicalassault,adrugcrimeorevendrunkendriving.Authorities</p><p>haveconfirmedthatthehystericalpredictionsaboutgunfightsattraffic</p><p>stopsanddangertochildrensimplyhavenotmaterialized.”</p><p>CommentedWaldron,executivedirectoroftheCCRKBA,“Youwillnot</p><p>hear an apology or any kind of acknowledgement from the anti-self-</p><p>defensecrowdaboutthestatistics.Nodoubttheywill trytoblamethe</p><p>law for crimes committed by people carrying guns illegally. But the</p><p>newspaper did a good job of sorting out fact from fiction, and it has</p><p>found that only a miniscule number of licensed citizens have been</p><p>involved</p><p>in serious crimes, and a tiny fraction of armed citizens have</p><p>hadtheirpermitsrevoked.</p><p>“Weknewall alongwhatHennepinCounty SheriffRich Stanek told</p><p>the newspaper: the worst predictions of gun control advocates who</p><p>bitterly fought to keep this law off the books just haven’t come true.</p><p>We’re delighted that the press, which did not support the law, has at</p><p>leastacknowledgedthepublic’srighttoknowhowthelawisworking.</p><p>“Minnesota is justonemorestatewherepeoplehavebeengiven the</p><p>opportunity to pass a law and see how it really works. The state’s</p><p>legally-armed citizens have proven not only that they are</p><p>overwhelminglyresponsiblewithfirearms,thedatashowsthatproviding</p><p>themeansforcitizenstogoarmedisnotathreattopublicsafety,and</p><p>neverhasbeen.”</p><p>ConcludedWaldron,“ThePersonalProtectionAct(inMinnesota)has</p><p>succeeded in destroying the myth that legally-armed citizens are</p><p>somehowathreattothegeneralpublic.Weknewtheywerewrong,and</p><p>noweverybodyelseknowsit,too.”</p><p>“Whyshouldapersonwholivesinalowcrimeareafeeltheyhadto</p><p>carryagun?”</p><p>Famed combat small arms instructor John Farnam said it</p><p>best.Hewas teachinganofficer survival class to ruralpolice</p><p>whenoneofficeraskedhim,“Hey,howoftendoyouthinkcops</p><p>get killed aroundhere, anyway?” Farnam’s replywas classic:</p><p>“Sameasanywhere.Justonce.”</p><p>In the 19th century, Coffeyville, Kansas and Northfield, Minnesota</p><p>were quiet, safe towns where no one might have thought ordinary</p><p>citizens needed guns…until they were robbed by violent, professional</p><p>robberygangsfrom“outoftown.”OneofthosegangswasledbyJesse</p><p>James and Cole Younger, and the other consisted primarily of the</p><p>infamous Dalton brothers. Both gangs were shot to pieces by armed</p><p>townsfolkactingindefenseofthemselvesandtheircommunities.</p><p>In theearly20th century, theautomobileallowedcriminals to range</p><p>evenmorewidely.TheJohnDillinger/BabyFaceNelsongangsmadea</p><p>specialtyofrobbingsmalltownbanksandescapingintheirhigh-speed</p><p>Hudsons and Ford V8s. They, too, felt the sting of armed citizens’</p><p>gunfire.WhenrobbingabankinSouthBend,Indiana,BabyFaceNelson</p><p>and Homer Van Meter, both hardened cop-killers, were shot and</p><p>woundedbyajewelerwitha.22targethandgun.Nelsonwassavedby</p><p>his bullet proof vest, and Van Meter, while knocked senseless by the</p><p>bullet that ricocheted off his skull, would have been killed if the</p><p>shooter’s aim had been truer by an inch, or if the armed citizen had</p><p>launched a more appropriate round. In another bank robbery, John</p><p>Dillinger and accomplice John Hamilton were each shot in the right</p><p>shoulderbyaretired judge,armedwithanantiquerevolverand firing</p><p>fromawindowacrossthestreet.</p><p>Now, in the 21st century, little has changed. Criminals are highly</p><p>mobile. They have learned that “the thin blue line” is thinnest in the</p><p>hinterlands.Policeinruralcommunitiescantellyouthatmanyoftheir</p><p>majorcrimesarecommittedbycriminalsfromcitieswho“commuteto</p><p>the crime scene.” And any small town cop can tell you that even</p><p>“Mayberry,RFD”cangrowitsownviolentcriminalswithoutanyoutside</p><p>help.</p><p>The smaller the town, the more rural your location, the longer it</p><p>generally takespolice to respond to an emergency call. Thus,while in</p><p>the big picture there may be fewer crimes committed in “low crime</p><p>communities,” that doesn’tmake them safe by anymeans…and,more</p><p>remote frompoliceassistance, thepotentialvictim insuchanareahas</p><p>all themoreneedtobeself-sufficient in termsofbeingable toprotect</p><p>selfandlovedonesfromnomadiccriminals.</p><p>Whycarryagun?Supposeyou’reapetitefemale,cominghomealone,andareconfrontedbya</p><p>knife-armedattacker…</p><p>“Whycan’tyoufacethefactthatastudyhasproventhataguninthe</p><p>homeis43timesmorelikelytokillamemberofthehouseholdthana</p><p>burglar?”</p><p>Probablybecause,beinglogicalpeople,mostofuswhocarry</p><p>guns detest having to look at such fact-twisting exercises in</p><p>sophistry.</p><p>“Discredited”isastrongword,butthestudyinquestionisindeedone</p><p>of themost thoroughlydiscreditedexercises in twisted statisticsof the</p><p>late20thcentury.Itcomparedalldeathsbygunfireintwocommunities</p><p>ofsimilarsize,oneinCanadaandoneintheUnitedStates.Under“guns</p><p>killinghouseholders,” it includedsuicides,manyofwhichtypicallyare</p><p>theso-called“rationalsuicide.”Thisiswhathappenswhenanindividual</p><p>diagnosedwith a terminal disease that brings a long, agonizing death</p><p>chooses to depart life with dignity. (In some foreign countries, this</p><p>process is assisted by state-approved euthanasia, not an option in the</p><p>USA.)</p><p>That study’s use of human body count as the ultimate arbiter of a</p><p>complicatedsocial issuepoisoneditsresults inandof itself.Thefact is</p><p>thatmostlaw-abidingcitizenswhoconfrontcriminalsandtakethemat</p><p>gunpoint,don’thave tokill them.The latest studies,byProfessorJohn</p><p>Lott, indicate that inwell over 90 percent of such incidents, the felon</p><p>eitherfleesorsubmitstocitizen’sarrestwhentakenatgunpointbyhis</p><p>intended victim, and none of his blood is shed. The oft-quoted bogus</p><p>study interprets this benevolent lack of bloodshed 180 degrees away</p><p>fromreality,asiftheobjectoftheexercisehadbeentokillintrudersand</p><p>anything less than a “kill” didn’t count for the “good guys.” How</p><p>ironic…ahypocritical attempt tomeasure safety frommurderbybody</p><p>count.</p><p>…doyouthinkamartialartsstancewillwardhimoff?Or…</p><p>TheFederalgovernment’sownstatistics,atthiswriting,showthatthe</p><p>UnitedStatesisatanall-timelowingun-relatedfatalaccidents.</p><p>Gunownershipquiteaside,theculturalmoresofeachcountryinthe</p><p>“study”werenot taken into consideration.There is simply less violent</p><p>crime in Canada than in the US, by virtually every measurement,</p><p>includingmeasurementsthatfactoroutpossessionoffirearms.</p><p>Alltold,then,the“43timesmorelikely”storywillberememberedby</p><p>history as a classic example of how to lie with statistics, how to</p><p>convenientlymanipulate the truth, andhow tomisinterpret reality. Its</p><p>proper place would be in a book of “Dirty Debate Tricks That Won’t</p><p>WorkintheLongRun,”notinanylogicaldiscussionofconcealedcarry</p><p>thatissubjectedtocriticalthinkingandhonest,fact-baseddebate.</p><p>“A review of strategy discussions on Internet gun boards reveals the</p><p>fact thatmanypeoplewhoare licensed tocarrygunscarrymore than</p><p>one. If this isnotan indicationof two-guncowboymentality,howelse</p><p>canitbeexplained?”</p><p>FirearmsinstructorandauthorDavidKenikwasonceasked,</p><p>“Whydo you carry three guns?”He calmly replied, “Because</p><p>fourwouldbeostentatious.”</p><p>Thesimplefactis,armedcitizenstoalargedegreemaketheirchoice</p><p>of defensive firearms based on the model of the domestic law</p><p>enforcement sector.Forgenerations,when the38Special revolverwas</p><p>the overwhelming choice of American police, it was also the</p><p>overwhelming choice of armed citizens. Though freedom of choice</p><p>allowed the citizenry to carry autoloading pistols before those guns</p><p>became popular with police, the general replacement of the service</p><p>revolver with the service pistol in American police work greatly</p><p>increased the popularity of the semiautomatic pistol in the private</p><p>sector.</p><p>Similarly, the last several decades have seen a vast increase in the</p><p>number of police officers who carry</p><p>backup handguns on duty. A</p><p>numberofpolicedepartmentsevenissueasecondhandguntoallsworn</p><p>personnelforjustthispurpose.Notsurprisingly,thearmedcitizenryhas</p><p>modeledonthisaswell,andforthesamegoodreasons.</p><p>Anyfirearmcanrunoutofammunition,malfunction,bedroppedbya</p><p>wounded “good guy,” or be snatched from its legitimate user. In all</p><p>those cases, recourse to a second handgun is the fastest avenue – and</p><p>oftentheonlyavenue–tolast-ditchsurvival.</p><p>Justoffthetopofmyhead,Icanthinkofatleastsevencaseswhere</p><p>recourse to another immediately-available weapon saved the life of a</p><p>privatecitizencaughtupinagunfight.Inthreeofthoseseveninstances,</p><p>theprimarydefensivehandgunhadbeensnatchedawaybyahomicidal</p><p>criminal, and the secondgun saved the life of the law-abiding citizen,</p><p>who in each casewas able to deploy the backupweapon quickly and</p><p>effectively.Ineachoftheotherfourinstances,theprimaryhandgunhad</p><p>run dry while shooting it out with armed criminals, and because</p><p>reloading theemptygunwas impracticaloreven impossibleunder the</p><p>circumstances, the ability to instantly transition to a second loaded</p><p>handgunliterallymadethedifferencebetweenlifeanddeath.</p><p>…perhapsthiscanofpepperspray?Ordoyouthinkjustmaybe…</p><p>There is another area in which having a second weapon on one’s</p><p>personcanmakeahugedifferencetolaw-abidingarmedcitizenswhen</p><p>deadlydangerthreatens.Inthe“concealedcarrycommunity,”thereare</p><p>agreatmanypeoplewhoonlyactuallycarrygunspartofthetime.The</p><p>carryingof a back-uphandgun allowsone competent armed citizen to</p><p>arm another citizen, who might be equally competent but, at the</p><p>moment,unarmedinthefaceofsuddenlybreakingdanger.</p><p>Forexample,atthiswritingIamspendingtimewithmygirlfriendin</p><p>one of America’s largest cities. This particular metropolis has many</p><p>attractions, but it is also a notoriously high crime area. The lady in</p><p>question is highly competent with a handgun, in fact is a current</p><p>regionalIDPA(InternationalDefensivePistolAssociation)champion,but</p><p>asithappens,whileIamlegaltocarryinthisparticularjurisdiction,she</p><p>isnot.</p><p>Iamcarryinga9mmSIG-Sauerpistolonmydominantsidehip,anda</p><p>38Special snub-noserevolver inapocketholsteronmynon-dominant</p><p>side.Sheisperfectlycompetentwitheither.Shoulddangerthreaten,the</p><p>common law principle as recognized by state law in this particular</p><p>jurisdictionwould allowme to arm her due to exigent circumstances.</p><p>Thus, there would be two trained and equipped “threat managers”</p><p>capableofdealingwiththesituation,insteadofjustone.</p><p>“Youbloodthirstygunpeopleonlycarryweaponsbecauseyouwanta</p><p>chancetohurtorkillsomeone!”</p><p>On the contrary,we carry guns sowewill be less likely to</p><p>have to kill or cripple someone. It’s called “Peace Through</p><p>SuperiorFirepower.”</p><p>Historyhasshownthatthegreatestpowerof thegunis itspowerto</p><p>deter.Bearinmindthatcriminals,bydefinition,targetonlyvictimsthey</p><p>believetheycanoverpower.Whentheintendedvictimdrawsagun,the</p><p>predator realizes that theirerstwhile targethas theability tokill them</p><p>instantly. This tends to modify their behavior immediately, without a</p><p>shotbeingfired.</p><p>Remember the Lott study, referenced above, which showed in the</p><p>1990sthattheoverwhelmingmajorityoftimesacitizendrewagunto</p><p>ward off a criminal, the incident ended with no blood being shed on</p><p>either side of the encounter. The studies of famed criminologist Gary</p><p>Kleck showed the same thing in the 1980s. A study by the California</p><p>AttorneyGeneral’sOfficeinthe1970sshowedit,too.</p><p>Anotherwaytoseeitistosimplytakethegunoutofthepicture,and</p><p>examine the remaining alternatives.When asked about self-protection,</p><p>opponentsofgunownershiprightswilltypicallysuggestpeppersprayor</p><p>anunarmedcombatclass.Let’slookathowwellthathasworkedonthe</p><p>street forpolice,whohavethestrongestpeppersprayandsomeof the</p><p>bestunarmedcombattraining.</p><p>Whilepepper spray certainlyhas its place at the lower levels of the</p><p>forcecontinuum,ithasneverbeenseriouslyputforthbypoliceorother</p><p>protection professionals as adequate for dealing with an armed</p><p>antagonist. In fact, law enforcement history is rife with criminals so</p><p>violentthatpeppersprayhadnoeffectonthem,andtheydidnotstop</p><p>theirviolentaggressionafterbeingsprayeduntilafterofficershadbeen</p><p>forcedtoshootthem,orstrikethemwithbatonssomanytimesthatthey</p><p>hadbeenpermanentlyinjured.</p><p>Attending any women’s rape prevention class or basic self-defense</p><p>class,onewillbetaughttoattacktheassailant’sgenitals,eyes,orthroat,</p><p>ortopickupsomeobjectandstrikehimrepeatedlyinthehead.Weare</p><p>talking about crushed testicles, eyes gouged out, suffocation, and</p><p>fracturedskullsresultinginprofoundbraininjuries.Alltheseresultsfit</p><p>in thecategoryof life-threatening traumaand/orgravebodilyharm:a</p><p>deadly force level of injury. Deadly force is deadly force, whether</p><p>deliveredwithbarehands,clubbedobjects,oradeadlyweaponperse.</p><p>…this9mmSIGP239isthelikeliestofalltodeterhimwithnobloodshedoneitherside,orat</p><p>worst,stophimdecisivelybeforehereachesherwithhisknife?</p><p>“You don’t have any right to carry guns anyway! The Second</p><p>AmendmentisabouttheNationalGuard,notpersonalprotection!”</p><p>The Bill of Rights was framed shortly after the American</p><p>Revolution.A “NationalGuard” in the time of the revolution</p><p>wouldhavebeenTories loyal toKingGeorgeandduty-bound</p><p>to crush the American patriots. Do you really think thiswas</p><p>whattheframersintendedtoempowerandenable?</p><p>Thebigdifferenceisdeterrenteffect.Itisgreatlylackingwith“lesser</p><p>weapons.”Inonenotoriouscase,arapistmurderedtwowomenbecause,</p><p>hesaidlater,hebecameenragedwhenoneofthemsprayedhimwitha</p><p>Mace-likesubstance.Aviolentaggressorislikelytodolittlemorethan</p><p>laugh if an intendedvictimheperceives tobe smaller orweaker than</p><p>himselfsquaresoffinamartialartsstance.</p><p>Contrastthiswithavictimwhodrawsagunandisobviouslyprepared</p><p>to immediately open fire. The difference in deterrent effect is literally</p><p>night and day. In terms of body language, a shooting stance with a</p><p>drawnfirearmistheultimateexclamationpoint.</p><p>Thus,wehaveanironicreality.Thepersonwhoisnotarmedwitha</p><p>deadly weapon will very likely have to kill or cripple a determined</p><p>attackertodefeatthethreat.Bycontrast,thepersonwhoisarmedwith</p><p>adeadlyweaponishugelymorelikelytobeabletoendthethreatwith</p><p>nophysicalinjuryoneitherside,duetothetremendousdeterrenteffect</p><p>offeredbytheirlegallycarriedfirearm.</p><p>The American Bill of Rights may be the most carefully crafted</p><p>delineationofindividualrightsinthehistoryofthehumanexperience.It</p><p>strainscredibilitytothebreakingpointtoaskthinkingpeopletobelieve</p><p>thatsomehow,thosewhowroteitaccidentallyincludeda“state’srights”</p><p>issuenearthetopofthelist.TheBillofRightswasdrawnlargelyfrom</p><p>theconstitutionsoftheexistingcoloniesthatprecededit,manyofwhich</p><p>areabsolutelyexplicitabouttherighttobeararmsbeinganindividual</p><p>right,notacollectiveone,andmanyofwhichexpresslyincludepersonal</p><p>andfamilyprotectionamongthereasonsforensuringthatright.Anyone</p><p>who doubts this has not done his homework. Even opponents of</p><p>individual firearms ownership have admitted, after reviewing the vast</p><p>body</p><p>of Constitutional scholarship, that the Second Amendment was</p><p>indeedoriginallyintendedtobeanindividualright.</p><p>The argumentswill not be concludedwithin the lifetimes of anyone</p><p>reading this. The debate has become too emotional and too polarized.</p><p>Thosepersonswhohaveacceptedtheresponsibilityfortheirsafetyand</p><p>the safety of those who count on them can only stand prepared to</p><p>defend, not only innocent lives, but the very practice of carrying</p><p>weaponstofulfillthoseresponsibilities.</p><p>W</p><p>Chapter3</p><p>WHEREYOUCAN(ANDCAN’T) CARRY</p><p>henandwheretocarryagunisalittlelikewhenandwhere</p><p>to go nude. In either case, there will be times and places</p><p>where you’ll find it comfortable, and even times and places</p><p>whereotherswillbehappythatyou’reinthatcondition.However,there</p><p>arealsotimesandplaceswhereitwillbeinappropriate,offensive,and</p><p>evenillegal.</p><p>HousesofWorship</p><p>IremembergoingtochurchoneSundaywithmyoldersisterwhenI</p><p>was a little kid, and being shocked and even outraged when a state</p><p>trooperwhoworkedthatareacameinandsatinthepewinfrontofus,</p><p>with his big 6 ½” barrel Smith & Wesson Model 27 357 Magnum</p><p>swinginginplainviewinitsflappedswivelholster.Howdarehebringa</p><p>deadlyweaponintoahouseofworship!</p><p>TherehasbeenalotofwaterunderthebridgesincethatSunday,and</p><p>Ihavetotallychangedmyviewonthetopic.</p><p>Afewyearsago,amaniacwalkedintoareligiousservicebeingheld</p><p>inahotelconferenceroominWisconsin.Heopenedfire,andcommitted</p><p>massmurder before killing himself. He apparently assumed, correctly,</p><p>that in a state which had no provision for private citizens to carry</p><p>concealedhandgunsinpublic,noonecouldstophimfromcarryingout</p><p>hismonstrousplan.Thatwasexactlyhowthingsturnedout.</p><p>Inrecentyears,greatadvanceshavebeenmadeforconcealedcarryrightsinMidwesternstates,</p><p>butthetwoworststatesforCCWareinthatregionalso.Pistolisthehandy,effective9mmEMP</p><p>fromSpringfieldArmory.</p><p>InTexas,not longafter then-GovernorGeorgeW.Bush signed shall-</p><p>issue concealed carry into law, the lawwasmodified to allowpermit-</p><p>holders to be armed in places ofworship. Amassmurderer entered a</p><p>church inFortWorth, scoutedarounduntilhe foundaprayermeeting</p><p>peopled exclusively by teenagers, and opened fire there, exacting a</p><p>terribletollinhumantragedy.Heapparentlyknewthatelsewhereinthe</p><p>church,therejustmightbearmed,responsibleadultswhowouldshoot</p><p>backandputhiminjeopardy.Hecarefullyselectedtheonesub-groupof</p><p>victimswho,tooyoungtohavecarrypermitsunderTexaslaw,wouldbe</p><p>helpless.</p><p>OntheWestCoast,arabidanti-SemitelookedforJewstomurder.He</p><p>later admitted that he thought about hitting a synagogue, but feared</p><p>someone might be armed and shoot back. So, instead, he committed</p><p>massmurderinaJewishdaycarecenter.Thisistypicalofcowards:they</p><p>seekunarmed,helplessvictims.</p><p>Allovertheworld,terroristshavelearnedthattostriketerrorliterally</p><p>into the souls of those they intend to intimidate, mass murder at a</p><p>religiouscentercangetthemorbidattentiontheyseek.MilitantIslamists</p><p>havemurderedthoseofotherbeliefsystemsathousesofworshipfrom</p><p>theMiddleEast toPakistan, andamad Israelimilitary reservist killed</p><p>severalinnocentMuslimswhenheopenedfireatamosque.Clergyman</p><p>PeterHammond of SouthAfrica lists the following series of terroristic</p><p>mass murders at churches in his foreword to Charl van Wyk’s book,</p><p>ShootingBack.(ChristianLibertyBooks,CapeTown,SouthAfrica,2001.)</p><p>“WhenIsawtheshockingcarnageatSt.JamesChurch(inKenilworth,</p><p>South Africa), it immediately brought similar bloody scenes flooding</p><p>back into my mind,” wrote Hammond. “Over the last 19 years of</p><p>missionary work I have personally come across scores of similar</p><p>atrocities,inAngola,Mozambique,RwandaandSudan.InAugust1983,</p><p>Frelimotroopskilled5pastorsandburntdownall5churchesinMaskito</p><p>Village, Zambezia Province,Mozambique. In September 1983, Frelimo</p><p>troopskilledover50ChristiansandburnedachurchinPasuravillage.</p><p>At Chilleso Evangelical Church, in Angola, Cuban troops shot 150</p><p>Christiansduringachurch service.AtNewAdamsFarm inZimbabwe,</p><p>16missionariesandtheirchildrenweremurderedinNovember1987…</p><p>On 23 June 1978, terrorists who supported Robert Mugabemurdered</p><p>nine British missionaries and four young children, including a three-</p><p>weekoldbaby,attheElimMissionStation.”</p><p>Wherethelawsaren’tright,workforchange!AuthorleavesWisconsinStateHouseinMadison</p><p>after testifying for shall-issue concealed carry. Bill passed Legislature, but when anti-gun</p><p>governorvetoedit,gunowners’civilrightsforcesfellonevoteshortofover-ride.</p><p>AddedHammond,“ItisworthnotingthattheonlyBritishmissionary</p><p>attheElimMissionStationwhohadafirearm–heowneda38revolver</p><p>–wasalsotheonlysurvivor!Beingcowards,theterroristslefthimalone,</p><p>preferringdefencelessvictims.Thefirstthearmedmanknewaboutthe</p><p>attack,waswhenhewokeupthenextmorningtofindthebasedeserted.</p><p>He later discovered thebodies of his fellowmissionaries on the sports</p><p>field.Gun-freeisnoguarantee.”</p><p>The author of the book Shooting Back: The Right and Duty of Self-</p><p>Defence, Charl vanWyk,was in the St. James church that terribleday</p><p>whentheterroristsopenedfire.Hereishisownaccount:</p><p>Hewrote,“Grenadeswereexplodinginflashesoflight.Pewsshattered</p><p>undertheblasts,sendingsplintersflyingthroughtheair.Anautomatic</p><p>assault rifle was being fired and was fast ripping the pews – and</p><p>whomever, whatever was in its trajectory – to pieces.Wewere being</p><p>attacked!</p><p>“Instinctively,Ikneltdownbehindthebenchinfrontofmeandpulled</p><p>outmy38Specialsnub-nosedrevolver,whichIalwayscarriedwithme.</p><p>I would have felt undressed without it. Many people could not</p><p>understand why I would carry a firearm into a church service, but I</p><p>arguedthatthiswasaparticularlydangeroustimeinSouthAfrica…</p><p>“…Well my moment of truth had arrived, I thought, as my hands</p><p>steadiedaroundtherevolver.Thecongregationhadthrownthemselves</p><p>down–inordertoprotectthemselvesasfaraspossiblefromthedeluge</p><p>offlyingbulletsandshrapnel.ByGod’sgrace,theviewoftheterrorists</p><p>frommyseat,fourthrowfromthebackofthechurch,wasperfect.The</p><p>buildingwasbuiltlikeacinemawiththefloorslopingtowardsthestage</p><p>infront.Sowithoutanyhesitation,Ikneltandaimed,firingtwoshotsat</p><p>theattackers.Thisappearedineffective,asmypositionwastoofarfrom</p><p>mytargetstotakepreciseaimwithasnub-nosedrevolver.Ihadtoget</p><p>closertotheterrorists.</p><p>“So I started moving to the end of the pew on my haunches and</p><p>leopard-crawledtherestofthewaywhenIrealizedthatmypositionwas</p><p>toohighup.TheonlywayIcouldmakethoseheartlessthugsstoptheir</p><p>viciousattackwastotryandmoveinbehindthemandthenshootthem</p><p>inthebackatcloserange.</p><p>“Isprintedtothebackdoorofthechurch,pushingaladyoutofthe</p><p>way,sothatIcouldkickthedooropenandnotbehinderedasIsought</p><p>to get behind the gunmen to neutralize their attack. As I desperately</p><p>roundedthecornerofthebuilding,outsideintheparkingarea,Isawa</p><p>manstandingnexttowhatwasthe‘getaway’car.Restingonhishipwas</p><p>hisautomaticrifle.Hehaditpointeduptotheheavensasifindefiance</p><p>oftheLordshipofJesusChrist!</p><p>“Themanwaslookinginthedirectionofthedoorthroughwhichthey</p><p>hadlaunchedtheirattack.Washe</p>