Proper inside waistband holster designed for maximum concealment will keep a small like this Seecamp barely accessible above the belt.

WHAT’S BEST FOR

BACKUP?In years gone by, if a backup weapon were carried at all, it would often be a .38 Special “Snubby” or a .25 automatic. Above, .22LR Mini Revolver from NAA, shown n rural areas, perhaps an antique allowed and the officer has wide latitude in front pocket holster. Below, Seecamp Remington O/U in .41 in their selection—it is the officer’s obli- in more-or-less typical inside waistband IRimfire would be carried. The real gation, if the department does not man- holster featuring spring belt clip. cutting-edge, modern guys had a North date it, that he or she practice regularly American Arms .22 Short Mini Revolver with any backup firearm and document stoked with foreshortened .22 LRs such practice in the event a backup fire- (enough lead would be removed to make arm is actually used. Otherwise, the po- the bullet flat and short enough to fit in tential for liability-related consequences the cylinder), with the diminutive ord- could be significant. Private citizens nance hidden inside a pack of cigarettes. have more latitude in their selection of a Two-inch barreled .38 Special backup weapon, though the importance are still good backup guns,and there’s of regular training is the same for law nothing wrong with that Mini Revolver enforcement. as a backup to your backup, but today the choices for backup are vastly more SMALL-CALIBER diverse. What kind of backup weapon should Before selecting backup weapons, a be selected? Again, in days gone by, the law enforcement officer must confirm idea was that the little .38 Special snub his or her departmental policies, guide- used the same ammo as the uniform lines and the like. Assuming realistic duty weapon—standard velocity 158- backup weapon policies—backups are grain round-nosed lead. If you carry

80 S.W.A.T. » MAY 2008 Copyrighted material. Reprinted by permission of SWAT Magazine SWATMAG.COM Choose What’s Right for You!

Model 60 Smith & Wesson .38 Special sporting S&W Goncalo Alves Combat Stocks shown with 950BS—one of the best .25 automatics ever made. Guns such as these were classic backup or off-duty handguns before the era of larger calibers in smaller handguns.

ACP can make a satisfactory second gun service life than experience seems to and an even finer third gun, if one is so indicate is the case. Ballistic data con- inclined. cerning the .32 ACP, even as a solid, is The obvious choices in such a gun are surprisingly good. However, since such the Seecamp .32 or .380 (they are per- a would most likely be used in a fectly identical in external dimensions), life or death situation, and at extremely the Kel-Tec .32 or .380 (also identical in close range, choosing between these size), and the handguns comes down to nothing more Guardian .32 and the somewhat larger than subjective preference based upon Guardian .380. Seecamp .32s have be- gut feeling, the recommendation of a WHAT’S BEST FOR come more easily obtainable in the last friend or co-worker or even an article few years. The Seecamps and the NAA read in a magazine. guns are stainless steel; the Kel-Tecs are The larger .32s and .380s, such as the noticeably lighter to carry because of Walther PPK and the SIG 232, may be ex- their polymer frames. They are also larg- cellent handguns in their own right, but er than the Seecamp in either caliber or the same calibers and magazine capaci- the Guardian .32— about the size of the ties can be had in vastly smaller weap- Guardian .380. ons and, if a handgun of this size is cho- When Larry Seecamp originally intro- sen, caliber choice can be 9mm, .357 SIG, duced the .380 version of his pioneering .40 S&W or even .45 ACP. Why have a BACKUP? pocket pistol, he envisioned a shorter backup handgun in a small caliber when » BY JERRY AHERN Holster is crotch rig from Ken Null. » PHOTOS BY SHARON AHERN The Crimson Trace Laser Gripped a .38 Snubby for backup, the ammo in Model 640 it carries is accessed its cylinder will now probably be +P or by going through the fly. Knife is Benchmade Model 3550 Pardue Auto. +P+, ammo that just didn’t exist in the good ol’ days except in handloads. The majority of new two-inch bar- reled revolvers these days are in .357 Magnum, an idea of which I am in no way fond. When the guns themselves are made from super light metals, the com- bination of fly weight and .357 Magnum power creates a gun no one in his right mind would really want to shoot, thus discouraging practice. More likely than not, today’s backup gun (or guns) will be a semi-auto. To mention all the possibilities in backup ordnance would be impossible, but they can be examined by type. Although al- most no police officer these days would carry a .25 automatic for backup, that same size handgun in .32 ACP or .380

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gun can work well for a uniformed of- ficer. With citation books and business cards and all the other gear police carry, seeing a hip pocket with what looks like an extra wallet profiling under the ma- terial isn’t an attention getter. The only problem with a hip pocket holster is sitting on it. Sitting on a wallet is some- times uncomfortable and can even cause skin irritation. A handgun, no matter how small, no matter how holstered, would certainly feel no better. A holster for any kind of pocket carry is a must, not only to help disguise the shape of the weapon, but also to keep the gun oriented as it should be for safe and reli- able access. Beyond the small .32s and .380s, pocket carry of any kind—certainly hip pocket—will likely be impractical for .45 autos come in all sizes. At top is Detonics Model 9-11-01 in natural stainless finish with the uniformed officer. The ankle holster Crimson Trace Laser Grips. Below it, a CombatMaster, also in .45 ACP, finished in “Detonics can be a practical solution. Some models Black.” Holster is from Grandfather Oak. Flashlight is SureFire L4 Digital LumaMax. from certain makers are available with ankle band extenders, which will al- you can have a backup in a medium or cylinder release catch on a Smith oper- low the holster to be worn over a pair large caliber? Often, weight is not even ates by pushing forward. With a Colt, it of boots, with the extender in place, and an issue. moves rearward. In a violent, perhaps with shoes, with the extender removed. potentially deadly, encounter, you want Ankle holsters, when properly worn, are LARGE-CALIBER HANDGUNS as much familiarity with your weapon positioned on the inside of the off-gun Taking a page from the days of the as possible, and as much confidence. ankle. In other words, a right-handed 158-grain RNL .38 Special, why not have Knowing that the controls on your back- person will wear the ankle holster on the both your duty and backup handguns up weapon are identical to those on your inside of the left ankle. Wear the gun on in the same caliber? Let’s suppose that duty weapon can be a terrific confidence the outside of the ankle and the weapon your department utilizes the 22, builder, and also a lifesaver. will bang into everything you walk near the full-size .40 S&W which is on the and be much more likely to be spotted. hip of many police officers in the United CORRECT CARRY If you are right handed and have a weak States. The logical choice in a backup How the backup weapon is carried or otherwise bothersome left ankle, wear gun, something which can easily serve is extremely important as well. For ex- the gun with the butt forward on the in- for off-duty carry as well, would be the ample, with a small semi-auto such as side of the right ankle as needed. Glock 27. come with one spare the Seecamp or the Guardian .32, I nor- There are specialty products that magazine, but for the duty belt a police mally recommend front pocket carry for can be utilized for concealed carry of a officer will normally carry two spares. private citizens or peace officers in civil- backup gun, specifically underwear-like Leave the Glock 27’s spare magazine at ian attire. But a front pocket holster for shirts with built-in holsters and belly home if you wish and, should your pri- a uniformed police officer is impractical. bands which incorporate holsters. The mary ordnance be lost, damaged or oth- When someone in civilian clothes keeps latter will likely interfere with the duty erwise out of commission, the Glock 22’s his or her hand in a front pocket, it looks gear, and the former will almost certain- magazines will work just fine—albeit, casual and won’t normally precipitate ly prove incompatible with body armor. hanging out the bottom of the magazine undue interest. On the contrary, no one There are holsters designed to attach to well—in your Glock 27. expects to see a uniformed law enforce- the protective vest, usually positioning Another advantage from the days of ment officer keeping his hand in a front the gun as if it were in a shoulder holster. .38 Special revolvers can be imported pocket. Looks notwithstanding, it is im- Depending on means of attachment, gun to today. If an officer carried a Smith & possible for many uniformed police of- weight, and ease and rapidity of access Wesson on duty, the officer frequently ficers to get their hands into their front to the gun, such holsters can either be carried a Smith & Wesson off duty. S&Ws pockets without a great deal of effort quite useful or not useful at all. roll their cylinders counter-clockwise, as because the gunbelt closes off access to seen from the operator’s perspective. these pockets. WHY BACKUP? Colts rotate clockwise. Similarly, the Hip pocket carry of a smallish hand- The role of the backup gun is basically

82 S.W.A.T. » MAY 2008 Copyrighted material. Reprinted by permission of SWAT Magazine SWATMAG.COM WHAT’S BEST FOR BACKUP? two-fold: If the primary ordnance is dis- terial. But, just as there are the primary even features a lanyard hole in the butt. abled, etc., the backup comes into play. handgun and the backup handgun, the This could allow the knife to be worn in If a person has, for some reason, been concept may be just as useful when it some rather non-obvious places. disarmed, the backup weapon might comes to knives. A larger knife as a backup weapon mean the difference between stopping The Mel Pardue automatic knife from may have added versatility and be used the perpetrator and being murdered. Benchmade—the Model 3550 Pardue like a yarawa stick or kuboton. For this latter reason, concealment is Auto—is a fine case in point (no pun in- As the role of law enforcement contin- extremely important. Some may scoff at tended). It weighs 2.9 ounces, including ues to expand in this post-9/11 world, the idea of an ultimate last-ditch weap- the attachment clip. The blade is a spear police officers and private citizens have on, but it never hurts to be prepared for point, available with a straight or combo to be concerned with much more than the worst. edge. The knife features an extremely all the usual hazards. The guy behind KNIVES reliable and easy-to-use lock, and when the wheel of your very next traffic stop Being prepared doesn’t just mean with activated guards against accidental could be a terrorist killer. Call for backup a backup gun. In the same spirit of pre- opening or closing. When closed, it mea- when it makes sense to do so, but carry paredness, the knife can be considered a sures 4.2 inches. Open, length overall is backup as well. § vital accessory. A police officer may need 7.1 inches and the blade itself is 2.9 to cut away seat belts, etc., but a reliable inches. knife that can be quickly accessed from This knife can be hidden concealment can have other uses. almost anywhere and Knives are more easily concealed than is so small and flat that handguns, especially when there is care- it might well be missed ful selection of a knife for size, weight in a hurried, amateurish and speed into operation. A knife with search. Clip it anywhere a “combo” edge, incorporating a stan- that can be conveniently dard edge as well as useable serrations, reached from a variety of is a good first choice, as serrations are an positions, depending upon asset when cutting through tough ma- circumstances at the time. It

SOURCES: Benchmade Knife Company L.W. Seecamp Co., Inc. Dept. S.W.A.T. Dept. S.W.A.T. 300 Beavercreek Road 280 Rock Lane Oregon City, OR 97045-4142 Milford, CT 06460 (800) 800-7427 (203) 877-3429 (fax) www.benchmade.com www.seecamp.com

Crimson Trace Corporation North American Arms Dept. S.W.A.T. Dept. S.W.A.T. 8089 SW Cirrus Drive 2150 South 950 East Beaverton, OR 97008 Provo, UT 84606-6285 (800) 442-2406 (800) 821-5783 www.crimsontrace.com www.NorthAmericanArms.com

Grandfather Oak Custom Carry Sure-Fire, LLC Dept. S.W.A.T. Dept. S.W.A.T. 76 Grandfather Oak Road 18300 Mount Baldy Circle Roxboro, NC 27574 Fountain Valley, CA 92708 (919) 612-8924 (800) 828-8809 www.grandfatheroak.com www.surefire.com

K.L. Null Holsters Pocket holster at top is author’s Dept. S.W.A.T. own design, the Pocket Natural, 161 School Street, N.W. with Seecamp .32. At right is right- Resaca, GA 30753 handed hip pocket holster with North (706) 625-5643 American Arms Guardian .32. www.klnullholsters.com

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