Would You Really?

This is 'The' question for the concealed carrier. We get it in many forms, almost whenever someone finds out, which, fortunately, is not too often.

"Would you really be able to shoot someone?"

I'm going to be honest.

I don't know.

Ah. Don't jump on me just yet. I have thought about it. I expect I would. I have decided that surviving and protecting are worth the consequences. I could. I have trained rather extensively to be able to use my weapon if necessary. (I hope it never is.) But would I?

I really can't say. Maybe in the moment I would panic and be unable to do anything but stand helplessly. Maybe I would faint dead away. Maybe I would draw and fire, just like I have practiced so many times. Maybe I would find I am capable of some amazing feat of strength or speed and not even need to draw. But any of these things might happen.

So the hard truth is: I simply don't know. I know what I would want myself to do. I know what I have trained to do. I know what I could live with. I know what I expect I would do. I might even go so far as to say I know what I hope I would do. But would I?

I don't know that. I pray to god I never have to find that out.

Breaking in the 'Cheap' Holster

Lots of talk about holsters out there, and most of it's good. We especially hear wonderful things about custom made holsters and they really are that good (more on that later). But what about a holster for someone on a budget, or as a backup, in case the nice one gets damaged?

I am by no means an expert on the subject, but here are my five cents worth on 'cheap' holsters*.

For this article, I'm actually reviewing and using a leather pancake by Bulldog Cases: $20 at my local gun shop. It fits the gun alright out of the package and is quite nicely concealable. A few steps to break it in and mold it a little better:

1) Oil up the gun and wrap her in plastic wrap. Shove firmly into the holster.

2) Get out some leather conditioner (any handbag/jacket/belt treatment works) and apply liberally to front and back of holster. You may need a couple of coats in order to really make a difference. Wipe off any excess conditioner. During this step, don't draw and reholster your gun too many times or it will need to be rewrapped in plastic.

Leave the gun wrapped and in the treated holster several hours to overnight to let the leather mold. Then slide it on the belt and wear it.

I like to wear it around the house with an unloaded gun for a few days to get used to the fit and feel of a new holster and give the leather time to mold a little more.

During this break in process, you can take some time to see if any wardrobe alterations need to be made to maintain concealment and how it stands up to daily abuse. A few quick excercises will help prepare the holster for duty.

With an unloaded gun (or training 'bluegun') find a zone with a safe backstop. Is the gun unloaded? Good. Check it again. Still unloaded? Good. Where's the ammo? Next room? Next state? Good. Check it again. Now try a few of the following: (Check it again.)

1) Practice drawing from concealment. Make sure the muzzle doesn't cross something you don't want to destroy. Adjust your draw stroke or reposition the holster if necessary.

2) Lay on the ground and practice reaching your gun and drawing from the floor. Is it where you expect it to be? Practice until it you're not fumbling too much. (Yes, for this one it's ok to make sure the curtains are closed and nobody's watching.)

3) Sit down. Sit in a chair, type on the computer, write a check, reach for your gun. You may find you'll have to adjust the position a bit for comfort or reach.

4) Sit in the car. (Find a safe zone. Gun unloaded? Good. Check again.) Drivers side, passenger side, back seat if you spend time there. Draw from behind the wheel. Someone is carjacking you with a gun, can you reach yours?

5) Draw with your other hand. For this one: grasp with 'wrong' hand, draw, give the gun a half turn, replace in holster, take a proper grip, draw again, and bring sights on target. Watch that muzzle!

So you've tried a few exercises and fixed any trouble spots, now take it out to the range for one of your standard practice sessions. Be Safe!

After all that, your 'cheap' holster (or any other holster) is ready for action.

*No matter what, the holster must cover the trigger!

On the Caliber War

I think we all hear a lot about the caliber war. What is best? Does (fill in the blank) have enough 'stopping power'? Does (fill in the blank) have too much kick? Will (fill in the blank) be better than (fill in the blank)? Does it even matter?

I'll admit it: I'm a 9mm person, myself. Oh, I know that .45ACP or 10mm might have a 'better' reputation as defense rounds and I can't tell you the number of times someone has said: 'you should get a .44 magnum for your carry gun'. Well, maybe. But I have my reasons for sticking with 9mm. Just as others have their reasons for whatever caliber they are sporting. Here's what it really boils down to for me:

Is my chosen round is used by military and/or police?

If so, it probably has enough power for any situation I'm going to get into.

Am I comfortable shooting this load?

.44magnum might be great, but the last time I shot one of those, it kicked like a mule and my hand was sore for a week. I won't practice if it's no fun.

Does my chosen ammo come priced reasonably enough that I can afford to practice?

For some, this is not a big deal, for anyone on a budget, it is. If your ammo is too expensive for you to practice with it, then you might be better off shooting a .22 at the bad guy. At least you'd hit him.

Do I have reasonably good performance with this ammo?

Facing the facts, sometimes we just don't shoot as well with certain loads/guns. Those shouldn't be our primary defensive tools.

If you answer yes to all of these, then whatever you picked is just about fine. Maybe the holes aren't as large as some, but they will end up where they need to be and that's what really matters.

Review: NRA Women on Target

NRA Women on Target Course

Taken: mid July.

Level:                    Beginner, entry, never handled a gun before.

Lecture:         (4)   Solid 3+- hours providing a good grounding in safety, operating mechanisms of firearms, and some very basic fundamentals of sight picture and alignment, grip, and the like. The lecture portion could have used a little more time.

Range:          (5)   A full afternoon of gun handling time. Each shooter has a personal coach to ensure a smooth experience. Shooters rotated stations, allowing them to try many types of guns.

Materials:      (3)  Ours were photocopied handouts. They served the purpose but are not conducive to flipping through at a later date.

Equipment:    (5)   A very nice assortment of firearms available to try. Ammunition provided. All are in .22lr caliber, although at the end of the afternoon a .38 special revolver was brought out for anyone interested.

Value:            (5)   Tuition was $10. An excellent value for everything that was included.

Recommended For: Women who have never handled a gun before, or have not done so in many, many years. If you've shot in the past, you may want to consider another course.

Total Score: 22/25  (88% for those who prefer things that way)

Opinion: Back when I took it, it was exactly the right thing for me. I wanted to handle as many different firearms as possible and this class provided that opportunity. The environment was very safety conscious but otherwise relaxed and low key. A good introductory experience for first time firearm handlers. If you want to introduce your damsel to shooting, this isn't a bad option, especially since she won't be intimidated by the pistol champ at the next bench.

Oh yeah: This is not a self defense course by any means. It's simply an introduction to firearms. Concealed carry doesn't come up. 

A new month, a new series of articles.

In an effort to make myself slightly useful to the community that reads these rambles, I am planning on writing small reviews of the classes I take. When I was starting on this quest to concealed carry, I did a lot of reading and wondering about what classes to take first. Most everything I read was good but it didn't really help me decide what to start with or where to go from there. Hopefully, these small reviews will provide something of a trail to anyone else in a similar position.

I will review each course based upon the following 7 criteria, with a score of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent and 1 being below expectations. A course may receive a score of N/A in a category if it is not applicable. In my reviews, I will attempt to keep focused on the material presented, as different places and instructors may heavily color the overall impression of the course. So, without further ado, my system:

Level: entry, intermediate, advanced, etc.

Lecture: what material is covered in the class via speaking or presentation. Higher scores for material that is clear, practical, and relevant to firearms and safety.

Range Time: the time, number of rounds, coaching, and so on. Higher scores for safe, skill building time.

Materials Provided: Texts, manuals, handouts, useful things to take home. Higher scores for materials that are useful for future reference.

Equipment Provided: ammo, weapons, holsters, variety of equipment, etc.

Value: cost versus returns, I'll try to list the price of the course here as well, but these can vary depending on season, location, and registration discounts.

Recommended For: who I would recommend the class for.

Opinion: my personal rant and rave about the class, not included in scoring.

Excluding Level and Recommendation, this gives us a maximum of 25 points.

In my rating scheme, I will take into account how accurately the advertising reflects the course. For example, if a course says you must provide your own handgun and 200 rounds of ammo, then they might get a 5 in equipment provided, even though they didn't provide anything.

Hopefully this all makes good sense.

Reviews will appear the first week of each month, if there is to be one that month.

I try to attend several courses every year but if there is one in particular that you would like reviewed, let me know and I'll see what I can do. 

Similarly, if you offer courses and want me to review yours; a tuition break would be a great incentive!

If you have any questions about my reviews, comment or e-mail me and I'll do my best to answer them.