ILLINOIS CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT HOLDER Intruder Once — Ending the Incident — and Called Police

SUB-COMPACT STARTING AT $19.99 CONTENTS

52 ACCURACY 58 IN ANY LIGHT FLASHLIGHTS Body-Position Shooting ❚BY BOB CAMPBELL

FEATURES ONE 64 REVOLVER IN THE LUCKY 7 The Smith & Wesson 686 Plus HAND? ❚BY MARK KAKKURI The ‘Modern Technique’ ❚BY CHRIS CERINO 76 SIGHTS GLOW UP Choosing the Right Night Sights ❚BY AIMEE GRANT 80 TRAINING BRIGHT IDEAS Tactical Movement in the Dark ❚BY CHRIS CERINO 92 KNIVES OPENING MOVES Getting Your Folding Knife 70 Into the Fight ❚ EVERYDAY CARRY BY MICHAEL JANICH 96 SAFES MAKING LOCKDOWN THE JUMP From Big-Box Safes to Stepping Up in Caliber Multi-Purpose Peace of Mind ❚ BY BOB CAMPBELL ❚BY KEVIN REESE

10 2 RUGER HARD HITTER Ruger’s GP100 .44 Special Revolver ❚ BY BOB CAMPBELL

86 VISION BLINDED BY THE LIGHT Muzzle Flash and Your Eyes ❚ BY RICK SAPP

4 www.USCCA.com | May/June MAY/JUNE 2018

COLUMNS 110

34 LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN THE OTHER LIGHT Alternative Sources ❚ BY ED COMBS

38 IT’S JUST THE LAW JACK SLADE Lessons From the Old West ❚BY K.L. JAMISON 24

May/June | www.USCCA.com 5 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE by Tim Schmidt

WRITE THAT DOWN POLYMER PALOOZA AND LOW-LIGHT SHOOTOUT HELP SELF-DEFENSE ADVOCATES SPREAD THE WORD

IN AUGUST 2017, the USCCA son and Kevin Michalowski — for a sec- CCA products. held its debut writers’ event — a plas- ond unique event called the “Low-Light “Although these events will be covered tic-focused affair fittingly called “Polymer Shootout.” The goal of the Low-Light in Concealed Carry Magazine, the writers Palooza” — at the Fireline Shooting and Shootout was to provide each of these are encouraged to write for other outlets Training Center in Appleton, Wisconsin. prominent self-defense writers the op- as well,” he said. “The goal is to increase Eight top writers in the firearms industry portunity to learn about the skills, tactics the collective knowledge level among — Beth Alcazar, Chris Cerino, Ed Combs, and gear needed to prevail in a low-light writers in the firearms industry and to George Harris, Tom McHale, Kevin Mich- shooting incident while moving through share that knowledge with as many peo- alowski, Rick Sapp and Jeremy Stafford a simulated residential location and en- ple as possible.” — gathered together at the range for a gaging a variety of targets using Ultimate I wholeheartedly concur with Kevin’s fun shooting competition that allowed Training Munitions. way of thinking. them to challenge their skills and test A few days after the event, Ed com- You see, a big part of the firearms in- and evaluate a variety of polymer-related mented, “One of the highlights was the dustry, and certainly a big part of our mis- gear, including firearms, holsters, targets, fact that we were shooting in as close to sion here at the USCCA, is helping peo- ammunition and more from some of the total darkness as I’ve ever been able to ple protect themselves and those they industry’s leading manufacturers. shoot in. Indoor range, no windows … love. Remember, we ALL win when the When I asked Associate Editor Ed when we’d kill the lights, it was just us and amount of accurate firearms and self-de- Combs about the experience, he told me our weapon-mounted lights.” fense-related information increases. that “it was an outstanding opportunity to I may be a little biased, but if Ed was Of course, the primary goal of the Poly- get some old faces as well as new friends pleased with the shooting conditions we mer Palooza and the Low-Light Shootout all in one place at one time for a little fun, created, we obviously did something right, was to create a unique experience for in- not to mention some T&E of a few excel- and word on the street is that the other dustry veterans in an effort to help them lent pieces of gear.” writers enjoyed the experience as well. provide YOU with interesting, enlighten- In fact, Polymer Palooza was such In exchange for his or her participation ing and potentially lifesaving information. a resounding success — all the writer in one or both of these events, each writ- Be on the lookout for this featured content feedback was overwhelmingly positive — er agreed to publish a story about either — starting in this issue — and for more that in March 2018, the USCCA brought event or the products featured during that exciting events in the near future. in another group of well-knowns in the event. Executive Editor Kevin Michalows- firearms and writing communities — Kat ki encouraged the wordsmiths to publish Ainsworth, Beth Alcazar, Ed Combs, Ai- the stories “anywhere” — not just within mee Grant, Jenn Jacques, Duncan John- Concealed Carry Magazine or other US-

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A SHOT IN THE DARK

THAT OLD CLICHÉ is almost no demands on the writers other than to target acquisition, target identification never used to describe something good. ask them to approach the event with an and target isolation are three key ele- More often than not, “a shot in the dark” open mind and to tell others what they ments surrounding a proper decision on means something is poorly planned and had seen and experienced. the use of deadly force. Typically, if you has little chance of success. I honestly don’t even care if our are missing even one of those, you have But predators lurk in dark places and guests write stories for this magazine, no business taking a shot. Going into a the majority of deadly force incidents as long as they write stories that end up dark alley without a flashlight means you occur in low light. Have you trained somewhere. This skill is that important. may have to guess at all three of those for that? Have you ever even been ex- With the help of some generous spon- elements until the person moving to- posed to shooting in reduced light? sors, including Ultimate Training Muni- ward you is so close that your chances Sadly, most gun owners have not en- tions (UTM), Streamlight and Glock, we of survival are greatly diminished. Some gaged in such training, and the results started with the simple goal of showing of the writers also realized how difficult can be catastrophic. the writers the differences between try- it can be to handle a gun and a hand- Thinking that the best way to get the ing to shoot in low light three distinct held flashlight under the stress and de- word out about the importance of im- ways: with only a gun; with a gun and mands that come with varying angles, proving low-light shooting skills was to a hand-held light; and with a gun, a corners and target locations. These are set up a circumstance in which people weapon-mounted light and a laser. The all factors very few of our attendees had could do so, Concealed Carry Maga- differences startled some of the partic- considered before. They will likely be zine decided to host a group of defen- ipants, and the stories that come from practicing them now. sive-minded magazine writers in early this event should be eye-opening. Remember your body cannot go March and let them literally shoot in the Moving through the UTM Portable where your mind has not been. If you dark. Well, it was nearly dark. But every- Training Facility caused some of the writ- are not thinking about training on and one got the idea. We chose not to cre- ers to rethink their everyday carry gear. building your low-light skills, you might ate a full-fledged training operation but Suddenly, a flashlight became just as just as well be taking a shot in the dark. rather give writers the opportunity to ex- important as a gun, and some thought perience the essence of fighting with a it to be even more important. Every re- handgun in reduced visibility. We made sponsibly armed American knows that

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FLASH POINT ■ MOST DEFENSIVE GUN USES HAPPEN in the dark. Though most of us train in comfortable, well-lit conditions, it is extremely important that we also train in the kinds of conditions we will likely have to face if we're ever forced to defend against an imminent deadly threat. Just as it is important to train in shooting with the off-hand and from a wide variety of physical positions, if at all possible, you should be training up on how to shoot in low-light circumstances. No violent assault is exactly like any other, but one thing you can count on is that you'll have to react quickly, and the better trained you are, the better chance you'll have of prevailing.

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ASK THE USCCA

DOWNSIZING DOWNSIZING

QUESTION: One of my favorite au- My question is this: How about a com- accord included the following: “A Dec- thors, John Ringo, frequently uses the parison study of the lethality of military laration concerning the Prohibition of the observation that our nation’s military ball ammo in these calibers? Is there re- Use of Bullets which can Easily Expand started going downhill when it switched ally any excuse for our military continu- or Change their Form inside the Human from small arms designed to kill the en- ing to purchase weapons chambered Body such as Bullets with a Hard Cov- emy to ones designed to piss them off. in 9mm and 5.56 instead of switching ering which does not Completely Cover He’s, of course, referring to the switch back to the older NATO rounds? the Core, or containing Indentations.” from .45 ACP and .308 NATO to 9mm Thank you. This declaration states that, in any war Para and 5.56 NATO. Respectfully, between signatory powers, the parties Recently, writers have been extolling James A. Turner will abstain from using “bullets which the “giant leaps forward” in lethali- SSgt USMC (ret) expand or flatten easily in the human ty of the projectiles loaded into these body.” This directly banned soft-point rounds, but the military isn’t allowed to ANSWER: Staff Sergeant Turner, bullets (which had partial metal jackets use these loads. The ridiculous restric- I think what you are referring to is the and exposed tips) and “cross-tipped” tions of the “Geneva Convention” won’t Hague Accord, ratified at the conven- bullets (which had cross-shaped inci- let them. tion of 1899. An interesting part of the sions in their tips to aid in expansion —

12 www.USCCA.com | May/June ❚ TO SUBMIT A QUESTION TO “ASK THE USCCA,” EMAIL US AT [email protected].

PRESIDENT & CEO Tim Schmidt EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kevin Michalowski MANAGING EDITOR Jared Blohm ASSOCIATE EDITOR ■ THOUGH THE 5.56 AND 9MM Ed Combs cartridges can look diminutive CREATIVE DIRECTOR and even ineffective when Ken Wangler placed beside their brawnier ART DIRECTOR predecessors, the reasons the Dusty Reid United States Military switched to them for most combat COPY EDITOR Carla Dickmann applications become clear in the context of evolving warfare. PROOFREADING AND CONTENT ASSISTANT Sarah Campisi PHOTOGRAPHERS the manufacture of other types of ammo. Ken Wangler • Dusty Reid • Daniel Acker Secondly, the switch from .45 ACP COLUMNISTS and 7.62 NATO to 9mm and 5.56 NATO John Caile • Ed Combs • George Harris has more do to with the amount of ammo K.L. Jamison, ESQ. • Mark Kakkuri Tamara Keel • Alan Korwin • Anthony Lambert a soldier can carry in the field than it Dan Marcou • Duncan Mackie does with the “knockdown power” of Kevin Michalowski • Rick Sapp • Tim Schmidt each individual projectile. Military lead- CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ers learned in WWII that a full 75 percent Bob Campbell • Chris Cerino of casualties were caused by artillery, Aimee Grant • Michael Janich Mark Kakkuri • Kevin Reese • Rick Sapp defined as “mortars, grenades, bombs or shells.” (J. Ellis, WWII Databook, table Published for USCCA by: 57, Page 257.) Small arms accounted for only 10 percent of the casualties in the war. Moving to smaller-caliber ammo could 1000 Freedom Way also be the result of the realization by West Bend, WI 53095 military leaders that it takes three peo- MEMBER SERVICES (877) 677-1919 ple to care for a wounded soldier and no [email protected] one to care for a dead soldier, but I can’t FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, find anything other than anecdotal evi- CONTACT: dence on that. Bruce Wolberg To sum up: Our military currently uses (715) 445-8722 or (715) 281-4075 smaller-caliber cartridges because of [email protected] basic math. A soldier can carry nearly ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Carol Busse twice as many rounds into battle. The (262) 806-0117 nicknamed “Dum Dums” from the Dum smaller rounds cost about 20 percent [email protected] Dum Arsenal in India). It was ratified less to purchase. Small arms do not ac- Concealed Carry Magazine (USPS: 022-302, by all major powers except the United count for a huge number of enemy casu- ISSN: 1550-7866), Volume 15, Issue 4, States. alties. It just makes sense to carry more May/June 2018 Issue. Published 8 times a year, monthly, except combined issues: Feb/Mar; May/June; Aug/Sept; First up, the U.S. never ratified or smaller-caliber ammo into battle, and the and Nov/Dec. By Delta Defense, LLC, 1000 Freedom signed on to that portion of the accord. same is true on the civilian side. If you Way, West Bend, WI 53095. Periodicals postage paid at We also did not sign on to the portion that have a choice between seven rounds of Jackson, WI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: banned the use of munitions dropped .45 ACP or 15 rounds of 9mm, go with Concealed Carry Magazine, from balloons or other aerial platforms, the 9mm every time. 1000 Freedom Way, West Bend, WI 53095 nor did we agree to refrain from using Stay safe and thank you for your ser- shells that would distribute chemical vice. Semper Fi. weapons on the battlefield. So, it is not Kevin Michalowski Signed articles in Concealed Carry Magazine reflect the the Hague Accord that inspired the U.S. Executive Editor views of the author, and are not necessarily the views of the editors at Delta Defense, LLC. Concealed Carry to use FMJ ammunition. It was likely the Magazine and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association are fact that manufacture of said ammuni- registered trademarks of Delta Defense, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2004-2018 by Delta Defense, LLC. tion is faster, easier and cheaper than Reproduction, copying, or distribution of Concealed Carry Magazine is prohibited without written permission. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

■PENCIL THIS IN I hear you, David, and I must admit that ing all safeties, and then holstering it and I’ve used traditional gun cleaning sol- most of the ranges where I shoot don’t keeping it on your person. vents and lubricants all my life on fire- allow rapid-fire or movement while shoot- As for whether the revolver is “more arms. I’m considering using a dry graph- ing or anything else that’s good for much viable as a defensive firearm” because ite film lube instead of drops of oil on of a laugh. This is where dry-fire training of the double-action cylinder cycling, I my Glock 19. First question: Will the dry and products like Laser Ammo can make would say that depends. The biggest graphite cause malfunctions? Second such a big difference, especially if you culprit in pistol malfunctions is limp-wrist- question: I was informed that graphite have a double-action-capable firearm. ing, but before you scoff and declare vic- doesn’t work out with aluminum, so does The repetitions you can get in at home tory, please remember that some Ameri- that create a parts-reliability problem on make an almost immeasurable differ- cans do not possess the finger strength my Generation 3 Glock? ence in skill-building, and they keep you to cycle a double-action revolver when Glen, via email in the good graces of the local rod-and- relaxed, let alone injured. gun club. Look, I don’t know how many times I’ve Interesting. Stay safe, had someone basically ask me to say, First of all, graphite and aluminum Ed Combs “You know what? Now that you’ve asked don’t mix; combining them can easily re- Associate Editor me that question, YES. The revolver IS sult in galvanic corrosion or the two met- better than the automatic.” Warren, my als combining with moisture to create a ■LOADED QUESTION friend, if you prefer revolvers, then I want messed-up piece of aluminum. You’ll see The article “A Shooting In My ‘Hood” you to carry one. Everyone else who re- graphite lubricants advertised for gun (Page 76, January 2018) was excellent at ally likes revolvers and wants me to tell use, especially for environments in which illustrating a couple of points that those of them to carry one, please listen to me: it’s extremely cold and in which tradition- us who carry every day need to ponder. CARRY A REVOLVER. al gun oils can gel up, but you will have to The first point can be found on Page 80 I own many but do not carry any revolv- ensure that there is no aluminum present when, during the attack, JC reaches for ers, as I find them to be under-capacity; on any part of your firearm if you’re look- a semi-auto he keeps in his toolbox. But I’m large enough to carry a full-sized duty ing to use it. he doesn’t keep a round in the chamber. pistol that, width-wise, is thinner than a For a Glock 19 that will be mostly used He is unable to jack a round because his five-shot J-frame. But if you’re looking for for everyday carry though, I would ad- hand is covered in blood after being shot justification to carry a revolver (or keep vise that you stick with a traditional-style and is too slippery. one in your toolbox, as dubious an idea (or even newfangled, if that’s more your Which brings us to Point No. 2: It’s as that may turn out to be), rest assured speed) gun oil. The tiniest dot at the man- the same discussion that’s been around that I am of the opinion that the only justi- ufacturer-suggested oil points does won- since the invention of the semi-auto fication you need for doing so is that you ders and lasts for months, and graphite handgun. Is the double-action revolver want to. offers no corrosion resistance like tradi- more viable as a defensive firearm be- Stay safe, tional oil. cause of the ease of use and because Ed Combs Equally importantly, field-stripping your a misfire is cleared by simply pulling the Associate Editor sidearm for its monthly (or weekly) clean- trigger? ing and lubrication is when you’ll have a Respectfully, ■CORRECTION chance to spot- and function-check all of Warren, via email In my report on the Walther PPQ SC the components to ensure nothing’s out and Inceptor ammunition in the previous of sorts. That’s quite a mouthful. First of all, JC’s (April 2018) issue (“Little Big Brother,” Best of luck and stay safe, plight does, indeed, reinforce the impor- Page 92), I mistakenly identified “RNP” Ed Combs tance of carrying a firearm fully loaded as “Round-Nosed Projectile” rather than Associate Editor with a round in the chamber and all safe- “Round Nose Precision.” I regret the error ties engaged. The issues arise when and will endeavor to better control myself ■RANGE WARS you’re leaving a gun somewhere, like in a around acronyms in the future. Many of the drills recommended by toolbox. If you’re loading a gun and then Ed Combs USCCA require rapid-fire. None of the setting it down, unsecured, and walking Associate Editor ranges in my area allow for this. Do you away, you’re begging for trouble. We have a recommendation? here at the USCCA are firm believers in David, via email loading your firearm all the way, engag-

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IN THE 10-RING

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18 www.USCCA.com | May/June

TRUE STORIES Compiled by Duncan Mackie

SOUTH CAROLINA ARMED CITIZENS STOP CUSTOMER’S RAMPAGE ■ When a disgruntled customer of a Rock Hill auto dealership took up a pipe wrench and began threatening to kill customers and damaging several cars, two local men with concealed carry permits intervened to stop the incident and held the miscreant at gunpoint for responding police. Customers and employees of the auto dealership were grateful for the presence of the concealed carriers. The subject will face charges of attempted murder, assault and WRENCH IN battery, and breach of the peace. This was the subject’s second such incident at the dealership in as many months. HIS PLANS WFYY News 4, Greenville, South Carolina

20 www.USCCA.com | May/June

TRUE STORIES Continued from Page 20

■CALIFORNIA HOMEOWNER SHOOTS ■GEORGIA HOMEOWNER DEFEATS ATTEMPTED HOME INVADER THREE HOME INVADERS IN GUN BATTLE When an Oroville man was confronted by a persistent A Lawrenceville man heard sounds of a break-in to his stranger banging on his door and demanding entry, the home- home about 3 a.m. Taking up a pistol for defense, he in- owner called police and took up a pistol in case he needed it. vestigated and found three strangers inside his house. On going to the door again, the stranger tried to force his way The homeowner and the bandits exchanged gunfire; the into the home, at which point the resident shot him. homeowner was wounded in the leg during the battle, but Chico Enterprise-Record, California he succeeded in driving off the invaders, one of whom died from a gunshot wound sustained in the fight. ■NORTH CAROLINA GROCER The Gwinnett Daily Post, Georgia FOILS ARMED ROBBERY WITH SHOTGUN A lone gunman threatened to kill a Winston-Salem grocer ■ARMED WEST VIRGINIA GRANDMOTHER unless the grocer handed over all the money in the store. When FOILS HOME INVASION the robber was distracted, the grocer drew a shotgun on the A Putnam County grandmother heard someone trying would-be bandit, driving him away empty-handed. No one was to pry open her bedroom window on Christmas Eve. Tak- injured in the incident. ing up a pistol she kept for defense, she raised the weap- WFMY-TV News 2, Greensboro, North Carolina on and ordered the burglar to leave, which he promptly did on seeing the armed and determined woman. ■ARIZONA COIN STORE OWNER DEFEATS ARMED ROBBER WSAZ-TV Channel 3, Huntington, West Virginia A Phoenix coin store owner was met shortly after opening one morning by a young man and woman. When they entered ■OHIO PHARMACIST STOPS TRIO OF ARMED ROBBERS the store, the man produced a pistol and demanded mon- An Akron pharmacist was opening his business about ey. The storeowner drew his own gun and fired on the man, 9 a.m. one day when three masked men dressed all in wounding him in the leg. The defending owner then held both black stormed his store, with two of them jumping the persons at gunpoint until police arrived. counter to accost him. The storeowner was armed, drew ABC Channel 15, Phoenix, Arizona his pistol and fired on the robbers, wounding one and putting all three to flight. ■TEXAS PIZZA PARLOR EMPLOYEE KILLS ARMED ROBBER TV News Channel 5, Cleveland, Ohio An Amarillo pizza store employee was confronted by two men, one of whom was armed, brandished a gun and demand- ■LOUISIANA WOMAN DEFENDS AGAINST ed money. The employee, who was legally armed, feared for EARLY-MORNING INTRUDER IN BEDROOM his life, drew his own gun and shot the armed robber, mortally A 76-year-old New Orleans woman awoke to a noise in wounding him. The robber’s pistol turned out to be a BB gun. her home. On investigating, she found a stranger in her KFDA News Channel 10, Amarillo, Texas bedroom with some type of object in his hand. Taking up a pistol she kept nearby for emergencies, she shot the ■ILLINOIS CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT HOLDER intruder once — ending the incident — and called police. STOPS ARMED ROBBER WWL-TV Channel 4, New Orleans, Louisiana A young, armed man approached a 58-year-old man in Chicago's Austin community and demanded the older man's ■TEXAS RESIDENT FOILS property. Unfortunately for the robber, the victim was legally ARMED ROBBERY BY JUVENILES armed and used his pistol to shoot the assailant once in the A Dallas man was approaching his home when he chest, mortally wounding him and ending the incident. was accosted by two juveniles who tried to rob him. The The Chicago Sun-Times, Illinois homeowner drew a gun and shot both of the juvenile assailants, putting them to flight. The young perpetrators ■ANOTHER ILLINOIS CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT HOLDER will face charges of aggravated robbery. STOPS ARMED ROBBER DFW Channel 11, Dallas, Texas A Chicago man was robbed at gunpoint one Sunday evening. After handing over his money, the victim drew his legally carried pistol and shot the robber in the chest, mortally wounding him and ending the encounter. The Chicago Sun-Times, Illinois

22 www.USCCA.com | May/June CBH_USCCA_MainStreetAd.pdf 1 9/1/16 3:38 PM BENCH REPORT by Mark Kakkuri

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May/June | www.USCCA.com 25 hen you choose a snubbie as your the best you can buy for concealed car- many who carry similar sidearms. W concealed carry piece, you’re ry, not merely for well-executed simplicity As for carrying the LCRx, the overall likely going more for simplicity than for but also for surprising comfort when car- dimensions translate into it being one of shooting comfort. A snub-nosed revolver rying and shooting. the larger snub-nosed revolvers meant almost defines defensive simplicity: After for the concealed carry market today. the chambers of its cylinder are loaded NOTHING NEW? Other snubbies are smaller, so if size is and the cylinder is indexed in place, While snub-nosed .357 Magnum re- your No. 1 issue, this might not be the it’s ready to fire. And, to fire, you simply volvers have been around a long time gun for you. If simplicity, comfort and ac- squeeze the trigger. There’s no slide to and have been given scant attention by curacy are primary, this gun is definitely rack, no safety to manipulate, no maga- innovators, Ruger ensured the LCRx ex- concealable enough. I like it in Ruger’s zines to fuss with. If, for whatever reason, udes modern engineering — not just in own IWB holster — a leather carrier with a round fails to fire, simply squeeze the the overall look and feel but especially a steel clip that goes on and off my per- trigger again. Simple. in the design of the fire control system. son very quickly. And the best location Simple, indeed, but not always the Employing a patented, friction-reducing for concealing the LCRx is at 1 o’clock most comfortable to shoot. The lack of cam results in a super-smooth trigger (or appendix). a spring-loaded reciprocating slide, typ- travel equal to the best out there. And the Ruger also offers other grip options ical on an auto-loader, means a revolv- fire control system resides in a patented for the LCRx, including a longer grip to er’s recoil channels through the gun and polymer housing, saving weight. Ruger accommodate a full-handed grasp. (If directly into your hand, wrist and arm, fluted the stainless-steel cylinder, finish- you prefer this setup, you might also ap- often via direct contact between steel ing it via physical vapor deposition, an preciate an OWB holster and strong-side frame and skin. Moreover, shooting a re- environmentally friendly, vacuum-coating carry.) volver yields a bit more drama with each process resulting in two key characteris- shot. Depending on the caliber you fire, tics: good looks and durability. BUILT FOR COMFORT there is, of course, a measure of recoil. Other than a few other dimensional If there’s one thing today’s snubbies But regardless of which caliber you fire, design cues that set the LCRx off from get dinged for, it’s the five-shot capacity. hot gases, smoke and sometimes flames other snubbies, one of the most strik- While it’s “five for sure,” it’s still only five, emit not just from the short barrel but ing features about the gun is the grip. A and reloading takes more time than with from the tiny gap between the cylinder Hogue Tamer Monogrip not only looks box-magazine-fed pistols. But the philos- and the barrel, very close to your hands great but also serves multiple function- ophy behind carrying a gun such as an and certainly in your line of sight. al roles. First, you can’t beat the textur- LCRx is that you prefer simplicity and re- Revolvers have other pros and cons, ized rubber grip for overall quality of liability in a gun that you’ll actually carry. of course. They’re outrageously reliable, purchase. Second, add the two finger I tend to choose the LCRx more regularly actually quite accurate and eminently grooves and the perfect side swells and than a larger or higher-capacity pistol be- accessorizable. But revolvers can be dif- you have a very solid feeling in hand that cause its features, overall, meet my crite- ficult for some people to shoot and, these instills confidence. Third, and best of all, ria and preferences for a daily carry gun. days, with the number of remarkable au- this Hogue grip puts a soft spot right in There’s just something very appealing to to-loading pistols available, they’re not the web of your hand, the place that oth- me about the simplicity of a revolver, its necessarily a best first choice. As with er not-so-well-equipped revolvers offer a inherent reliability and even being able automobiles, today’s automatic trans- strip of steel. Grab the LCRx and you’ll to see the rims of the loaded cartridges missions are so reliable, fast and fu- feel it. Shoot the LCRx — even with .357 in the cylinder. I’m OK with five rounds el-efficient that the number of reasons to Magnums rather than the .38 Specials so on board, but I always carry additional choose a manual transmission is quickly many shooters run through their Mag cyl- rounds on a speed strip or speedloader. diminishing. Still, auto enthusiasts have inders — and you’ll fall in love with it. Regardless, this is a comfortable gun their reasons for choosing sticks, and so not only to carry but also to shoot. It con- do shooters who prefer revolvers. PACKING A PUNCH ceals well, doesn’t drag you down with Sturm, Ruger & Co., one of the Make no mistake: Firing a .357 Mag- its weight and presents a harmony of long-heralded names in revolver manu- num out of any revolver, let alone a snub- features you won’t even think about while facturing, currently offers 10 categories bie, is a quick lesson in physics. But the shooting. of revolvers, which comprise no fewer LCRx’s Tamer grip tames the bark and Ruger’s lightweight, compact revolver than 18 different models. The LCR (Light- makes firing more tolerable, if not enjoy- proves even the most familiar of firearm weight Compact Revolver) category di- able. As such, firing .38 Specials from designs can be improved upon to in- vides into LCR and LCRx — hidden ham- this gun feels like something you could crease simplicity and comfort. Available mer and external hammer, respectively do all day. As for accuracy, this gun is in multiple calibers and configurations, — and boasts some innovative features combat-effective at ranges beyond 7 the LCR and LCRx truly do demonstrate that Ruger touts as the “evolution of the yards, but it’s best inside that distance. the evolution of the revolver. revolver.” And with a grip like this one, you’ll actu- Spoiler alert: The LCR/LCRx is one of ally practice more, which will leave you Ruger’s best revolvers ever and one of more accurate and more effective than

26 www.USCCA.com | May/June

DRILL OF THE MONTH by Ed Combs

n some defensive gun uses, all that the would- numbers 1 through 6. As you shoot that sixth Ibe victim needs to do is display a firearm and circle, immediately reverse order and shoot the the threat presented by the would-be predator sixth through the first. ceases. In some others, the victim need only fire Like all drills in this series, the “par” time is once and the attacker is persuaded to stop or is only of concern to those who feel they’ve ad- forced to through injurious disruption. vanced to such a point that it’s even worth think- All that aside, anyone who carries a gun ing about time-related scores. After you can fire should train in rapid target acquisition and en- this drill at your leisure and score nothing but gagement. The “Typewriter Drill” — Drill D-014 hits, speed up. When you can press yourself — described here and credited to prolific on- and still make sure each shot is at least touch- line drill creator “CCT125US” forces the shooter ing the edge of the circle at which you aimed, to shoot fast and think faster. you can then introduce a shot timer and see You can use Target T-001 on the Live Fire Drill what you can do under that kind of stress. Cards website or create one of your own with Always remember that nothing is more im- six circles, approximately 2 to 4 inches in diam- portant than your training remaining something eter (depending on your skill level), arranged you want to do and will regularly do. No one similarly to the six dots on traditional six-sided ever won a gunfight by unnecessarily frustrat- dice. This drill is best shot from approximately 7 ing himself, and training that doesn’t improve yards, but anywhere from 5 to 10 will be excel- the shooter is worse than no training at all. lent practice for shooters who know from about Follow Live Fire Drill Cards on Facebook what distance they can reliably land hits. or Instagram @livefiredrillcards. To use the Hanging the target so you’re facing two col- complete selection of drills and targets in the umns of three dots, at the signal to begin, draw Handgun Training Log System, visit livefire- and fire one round into each circle, following drillcards.com. KEYS TO SUCCESS THE TYPEWRITER DRILL

28 www.USCCA.com | May/June FOR MORE INFO, VISIT: livefiredrillcards.com/downloads DOTM-JAN-2018.pdf 1 12/11/17 1:15 PM

CMY

May/June | www.USCCA.com 29 LEGISLATIVE NEWS by Rick Sapp

■FLORIDA: GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS new mental health programs for schools and begging the government’s per- We deeply mourn the 17 people mur- and establishes an anonymous tip line mission to do so. Despite automobiles dered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas where students and others can report claiming 10 times as many lives in Vir- High School in Parkland, Florida, on threats. It also seeks to improve commu- ginia, Northam has no anti-auto agenda. Valentine’s Day. We are angry that, after nication between schools, law enforce- Northam and his fellow Virginia Dem- repeated warnings, police, politicians ment and state agencies. ocrats oppose permitless carry, want to and social service officials failed in their A concession by state lawmakers to ban many commonly owned semi-auto- duties to protect and serve, failed to Scott’s stance, this legislation does not matic firearms and magazines, want to see and take action against (or for) the put guns in the hands of teachers whose “expand background check laws,” and disturbed 19-year-old murderer. We are sole responsibilities lie in the classroom want to limit the number of handguns a incredulous that they would blame re- unless they have military or law enforce- person may purchase. A pediatric phy- sponsibly armed American citizens for ment experience. It permits those who sician, Northam says this is all “common this tragedy. primarily have non-teaching roles — li- sense.” When running for office, by the The Florida State House (67-50) and brarians, counselors, football coaches, way, Northam took $1.5 million in cash Senate (20-18) have passed legislation principals — to carry concealed. It also from Michael Bloomberg. to address the school-shooting issue, leaves the final decision about arming National Rifle Association and Governor Rick Scott has signed it. staff to the local school board in each of Institute for Legislative Action, It’s a far cry from what leftist America — Florida’s 67 counties, thus guaranteeing ABCNews.go.com that same leftist America that believes a quaint hodgepodge of safety across it’s a crime to spank or chastise or iso- the Sunshine State. The plan requires ■KANSAS: ABANDONMENT ISSUES? late young people who are “acting out” employees to volunteer and receive at Lawrence, Kansas, has sent a law- — wants. That same leftist America that least 132 hours of training, undergo psy- maker named “Boog” to the legislature, sues for millions of dollars when their chological testing and a background specifically Dennis “Boog” Highberger feelings are hurt. The same leftist Amer- check, and submit to a drug test. (D, 46). Boog feels it is a bad idea for ica that coddles criminals but ignores The legislation appropriates $400 mil- people to abandon firearms in public victims; that says a crime is society’s lion and goes far beyond arming teach- and has said so. In fact, he has intro- fault — your fault. ers. It also raises the minimum age to duced legislation to make that very thing Although in the end, 10 of them voted purchase firearms — now including rifles a crime in the state of Kansas. to pass it, Florida’s 41 House Democrats and shotguns — from 18 to 21. (The NRA It scared Boog that a student at the of course opposed the bill because it al- has already filed a lawsuit against this.) It University of Kansas found a loaded lows for armed “educational personnel.” imposes a three-day waiting period on all .38-caliber handgun in a toilet stall of a Members of the Democrat-controlled gun purchases and funds school police men’s room, a gun that was later found to Florida Education Association had called officers and mental health counselors. have been stolen. Boog says that if this on Scott to use his line-item veto pow- It bans “bump stocks,” which can allow bill passes, he will next introduce legisla- er to zero out the $67 million set aside certain rifles to fire faster, and gives law tion to make it a crime to steal someone for the “guardian program” to train and enforcement additional authority to insti- else’s handgun. arm school employees. According to tutionalize a person deemed a “threat.” Of course, this comes on the heels of the union, only trained law enforcement Florida lawmakers rejected a statewide a loaded handgun found in a legislative officers should have guns in schools ban on “assault weapons” and limits on committee room in Topeka in 2017. That … officers presumably such as those “high-capacity magazines.” gun belonged to Bonner Springs Repre- who huddled outside the Parkland high OrlandoSentinel.com, 13abc.com, sentative Willie Dove (R, 38). Dove said school while children died. CNN.com, TheGuardian.com, he had a concealed carry permit and Although President Donald Trump has NPR.org that he took the gun out of his leg holster supported the practical plan of arming because of a swollen ankle. teachers, this is a state issue and it was ■BLOOMBERG’S BOY IN VIRGINIA Gun control was a major issue during not a certainty that Scott would sign the Former Virginia Governor Terry the 2017 legislative session because a legislation. He has gone on record op- McAuliffe and Ralph Northam, the new new law took effect in July allowing peo- posing arming teachers. Democrat in the Governor’s mansion, ple to carry concealed handguns in al- Inside schools, this Florida statute want mandated universal background most all government buildings, including creates a “guardian program,” enabling checks. This means that you could not college campus buildings. Lawmakers staff with law enforcement training and sell — or, in their world, even loan — your eventually passed a bill allowing public school district approval to carry con- personal property — a firearm — without hospitals and other healthcare facilities cealed handguns on campus. It creates going to a licensed broker or gun store to ban concealed weapons, but they

30 www.USCCA.com | May/June were unable to repeal the provision al- require legislative approval. While the the DNR to ban lead in the near-term. lowing concealed carry on college and law currently requires the use of steel It did, however, include $30,000 for the university campuses. shot when hunting waterfowl on federal DNR to study “lead shot deposition on House Majority Leader Don Hineman lands, it is not currently mandatory on state lands.” The Minnesota House and (R-Dighton, 118) has said that he thinks state upland properties when grouse or Senate then passed a bill prohibiting the it’s unlikely that any more gun legislation wild turkey or pheasant hunting. DNR from enacting restrictions on lead will get serious consideration in 2018. Hunters have by-and-large supported shot — meaning ammo from shotguns National Rifle Association the lead-shot ban for waterfowl, though it — before July 1, 2019. Institute for Legislative Action, took years of convincing and arm-twist- TwinCities.com KCur.org, LJWorld.com ing, but the current emphasis by biologists is to expand that ban to other spe- ■MISSOURI: SHHHHHHHHHHH! ■COLORADO: REPEAL IS IN THE AIR cies, even upland game. For example, Following a dedicated and partisan SB18-052 has been filed in the Col- Dr. Barnett Rattner, a U.S. Geological fight during the 2016 legislative session, orado Legislature to “Repeal [the] Am- Survey contaminant expert, said, “The SB-656 was enacted into law in Missou- munition Magazine Prohibition.” This bill magnitude of poisoning in some species ri. The provision that recognized the right repeals statutory provisions: such as waterfowl, eagles, California to permitless (or “constitutional”) carry • Prohibiting the possession of certain condors, swans and loons is daunting. went into effect on Jan. 1, 2017. “high-capacity” ammunition magazines. For this reason, on July 1, 2008, the state Now, however, libraries that are mem- • Requiring each of certain ammuni- of California put restrictions on the use bers of the Missouri Library Association tion magazines that are manufactured of lead ammunition in parts of the range (MLA) are seeking to restrict the right to in Colorado on or after July 1, 2013, to of the endangered California condor be- carry among their books and magazines include a permanent stamp or marking cause the element poses such a threat and computers. They are seeking an ex- indicating that the magazine was man- to this endangered species.” Legislation emption from SB-656. ufactured or assembled after that date. recently passed to extend the restric- These days, librarians have moved Colorado Springs Senator Owen Hill tions statewide. Thus, California became beyond the card-catalog-era image of (R, 10) joined with Representatives Lori the first state to entirely prohibit the use meek, quiet, bifocal-wearing servants of Saine (R, 63) from Firestone and Ste- of lead hunting ammunition, which is to the people. Today, librarians are militant, phen Humphrey (R, 48) from Windsor to be phased out by July 2019. sign-carrying folks who have “legislative introduce SB18-052. These legislators Certainly, some hunters already use agendas.” call the 2013 law that limits the amount non-toxic steel or other shot exclusively. During their annual conference in Oc- of ammunition a firearm magazine can While prices fluctuate on the internation- tober 2017, the MLA voted to pressure hold “misguided.” al metals market and hence prices for lawmakers to allow member libraries Senate Bill 52 would remove this re- quality ammo slide up or down at the lo- to become “gun-free zones.” In other striction so that law-abiding citizens of cal gun store, steel shot is now about the words, some librarians, such as MLA Colorado are no longer limited in their same price as lead shot (though other al- president Vicky Baker and Daniel Boone ability to protect themselves and their ternatives can be pricey). The arguable Regional Library Director Melissa Carr, loved ones, said Senator Hill. difference has always been the inferior “want to have individual conversations National Rifle Association ballistics of the lower-density steel. with legislators. We want to let local li- Institute for Legislative Action Such ammunition restrictions are little brary boards make the decision about more than a slippery slope by New Age what might be appropriate for their com- ■DIVIDE AND CONQUER IN MINNESOTA biologists toward further restrictions in munity.” Last year, the Minnesota DNR attempt- bear or moose hunting or bowhunting Public libraries often have many chil- ed to slide a steel shot mandate into law or even concealed carry. Propose a rule dren inside, and, Carr said, ignoring the without going through the state legisla- or statute that “seems eminently rea- obvious lessons of Newtown, Connecti- ture. sonable;” convince a few well-meaning cut, or Columbine, Colorado, “It’s import- The idea of the “wildlife professionals” members of the gun and hunting com- ant to protect them.” was to force all shotgunners on state munities to support it; and slide the rule Baker, of course, agreed. wildlife areas in southern and western forward as “a compromise solution” to a National Rifle Association Minnesota — farm country — to use problem that does not exist, leaving the Institute for Legislative Action, steel shot; it was a simple but quietly gun and hunting communities to fight it MOLib.org consequential coda to their massive, out among themselves. annual all-species hunting rulemaking The final budget measure Minneso- ability. Normal DNR rulemaking does not ta lawmakers approved does not allow

May/June | www.USCCA.com 31 GEAR WE LOVE

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32 www.USCCA.com | May/June ELITE SURVIVAL SYSTEMS DISCREET ESCAPE BAG MSRP: $89.95 A larger soft-sided way to carry a firearm and several magazines is especially important for range work and travel, and this unit from Elite Survival accomplishes all of that with discretion bordering on extreme understatement. With more than enough room for additional lifesaving gear, it makes for an excellent vehicle or travel emergency kit. LEADOFF WIPES They’re available at elitesurvival.com. MSRP: $12/40 WIPES These hand wipes from Hygenall are proven to remove toxic lead MTM CASE-GARD from skin, and they’re handy AMMO RACKS enough to keep in your vehicle or MSRP: $18.49 FOR .223 range bag. They’re manufactured OR $20.99 FOR 9MM under license from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Whether you hand-load or simply buy Prevention and are available at ammunition in loose bulk packs, these hygenall.com. American-made ammo racks from MTM STEEL Case-Gard allow you to organize and store loose ammunition PATRIOT with greater control and SP200 order than with other MSRP: $399-$599 methods. They can be The 16-gauge steel construction stored flat, standing or will keep your gun secured against easily hung on a wall and unauthorized access, and the precision- are available in 9mm and machined locking components will 5.56/.223 variations at HIGH thwart the tricks that can defeat many mtmcase-gard.com. NOON other handgun safes. Choose your color WAR HAMMER at steelpatriot.com. MSRP: $109.95 This OWB holster is available in a straight-drop or cant configuration, and you can take your pick of cowhide or horsehide for the retention strap. Apart from being a very comfortable and close-riding holster, it is available in a dizzying array of combinations, from shell pattern to leather embossment, at highnoonholsters.com.

RCBS ULTRASONIC CLEANER MSRP: $399.95-$429.95 Though designed to clean brass for reloading, this unit also makes quick work of tough soiling on small parts and barrels. Just submerge the parts to be cleaned in your favorite ultrasonic cleaning solution and let it run for a programmable period of time. Learn more at rcbs.com.

May/June | www.USCCA.com 33 ❚ BY ED COMBS THE OTHER LIGHT ALTERNATIVE SOURCES

34 www.USCCA.com | May/June e’ve pretty much ham- fense, second only to photograph- Wmered the concept of never ing the scene with your phone. If leaving your residence without at the scene is obviously safe, mark least one flashlight into the ground that footprint; mark that knife, club here at Concealed Carry Maga- or gun the assailant dropped; and zine and the USCCA. This goes for mark that spent case, bullet hole whether you carry a sidearm or not. or whatever else wound up being I can’t think of any modern tool that part of the altercation. If you’re still has the ability to affect the outcome completely overwhelmed with the of an emergency greater than your adrenaline dump from the event — ability to see what in the world is and you may well be — ask a family going on. member or neighbor to help. That said, there’s no shortage of Even more importantly, one of the information in these pages about tensest and highest-stake parts of flashlights and weapon-mounted a deadly force encounter is waiting lights and lasers and all of the oth- for the police to arrive. You don’t er tactical items you might expect. want to reholster too soon and put That’s fine by me; shoot, that’s yourself at risk on the chance your what the editorial staff pays its writ- attacker has buddies, but you also ers to do. But that also means that don’t want to be standing there there’s no reason for me to write holding a loaded gun when the about them here, so I’ll be focus- cops show up. ing on other tactical lighting con- Many law enforcement agencies siderations. instruct their officers to hold their departmental identification — not STICKY SITUATION their badges, but their identification Some of the lesser-known light- cards — over their heads with both ing tools I encourage individuals hands if they’re involved in a plain- to keep in their vehicles and purs- clothes shooting and other cops es are light sticks. You might know are arriving. them from military service or trick- That works for private citizens or-treating. A light stick is a plastic too, though there’s a better option. cylinder filled with some kind of flu- A glow stick cracked to life and id that, when a small capsule con- waved over your head is about as tained within is broken, mixes the clear a signal as you can send to chemicals to make the whole works responding officers that you are not glow bright green, red, yellow or a threat to them. You’re literally wav- whichever color it’s designed to. ing them in on a scene, and you’re Now, even though these may not going out of your way to signal your necessarily seem like an important position to them. Violent criminals part of your everyday loadout, I do not do such things. deem them essential gear to keep As with any other technique for on hand for several reasons. First, alerting law enforcement to your as inexpensive nighttime markers, status as a good guy, do not make they’re about as good as you’re go- the mistake of attempting to en- ing to get. If you’re involved in an gage in any kind of elaborate ac- incident — lethal or not, shots fired tivity while there might still be dan- ■ “Tactical lights” can or otherwise — and it’s near your ger present. After you’re certain take many forms, so residence, vehicle or wherever you you are no longer facing a threat, don’t become myopic as soon as you have a few keep a few light sticks, your ability you can get to work making sure flashlights on-board. to mark evidence is one of the most you’ll be able to reassure respond- positive, proactive measures you ing law enforcement that you’re the can take as part of your own de- victim and of no threat to them. It’ll

May/June | www.USCCA.com 35 LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN

make the entire process easier on all yellow-green, self-adhesive reflective here — that you’re wearing a head- involved. strips normally seen in sporting goods lamp. stores. When I asked him what, spe- First of all, outside of a military or KEEP IT LOW cifically, he did with them, he told me law enforcement context, headlamps The current flavor-of-the-month of- that he basically framed the corners are not for private-citizen concealed ten changes in the tactical-light world, of the doors and windows in his home carry. They’re for emergency and rec- but it’s usually lumens (the insanely with them and then placed a 6-inch reational use, and when you might higher, the better) or modes (employ- piece right at doorknob level on each have to shoot (and, let us never forget, ing a system of clicks and twists to get door. Though the tape is basically in- might get shot at), wearing a bright your flashlight to shoot a high beam, visible to the naked eye under normal light on your forehead is not a particu- a low beam, strobe, etc.). Sometimes, circumstances, during an emergency larly good idea. Chuckle all you want, the most popular option is a light that such as a fire, in which the room would but I’ve met more than one person will only momentarily activate via be filled with smoke and otherwise dif- who considered a headlamp stuffed thumb switch. Sometimes, it’s a light ficult to navigate, he and his family into a cargo pocket his “EDC light.” that can be set and reset to do any members would be able to negotiate That headlamp is for wearing while number of a half a dozen preset func- the rooms and hallways far more easily pitching a tent, changing a tire or ban- tions. But the common denominator is with the flashlight each of them keeps daging an appendage; it is not for that most of the settings will be excep- by his or her bedside — and even with wearing while addressing a threat. tionally bright. nothing but any ambient light. Come to think of it, the only time a For most of your flashlight needs, As odd as such an arrangement headlamp ends up getting used in an I will quote my April 2016 Legally might sound to some, it’s a good exam- offensive capacity is accidental: How Armed Citizen column: ple of the kind of thinking that doesn’t often have you approached a friend or “I’m not a huge believer in there be- get done in many homes because the family member wearing a headlamp ing a strict lumen limit on EDC flash- occupants don’t want to entertain the only to have that friend or family mem- lights, but I will go on record that I be- idea of something as unpleasant as a ber turn to greet you and shoot that lieve brighter is better. The only time house fire or other crisis. Heading out lamp’s beam directly into your eye- that dimmer is better is if you will be to the gun shop to buy firearms and balls? spending a decent amount of time ammunition is almost ceremonial for reading off of white sheets of paper — some Americans — “Well, problem SHINE ON ask any military vet or LEO what hap- solved; I’ve got THAT situation han- The name of the game isn’t neces- pens when you shine a 100-plus-lumen dled now.” Applying reflective tape sarily who has the brightest or small- light onto a packing manifest or ticket around the corners of door frames est or newest flashlight. The name of book and they’ll laugh, squint their and next to doorknobs is a far more the game is stacking the odds in your eyes and then feel around like they’re physical reminder that danger lurks in favor as much as legally possible in blind. For such lighter-duty lighting the world and that we can only do so the unfortunate event of you being duty, even the glow of a cellphone is much to ready ourselves against it. forced to defend yourself against an preferable to a tactical light. Your night unavoidable, imminent deadly attack. vision will be spared and you won’t HEADS UP Step back and look at light not just as immediately broadcast your personal All right, this isn’t as much a con- something you can conjure from your position like a lightning strike.” cealed carry concept as it is a general hand with the hyper-modern pock- The more you take your night vision safety and emergency preparedness et-torches available today but as an into account, the more you’ll realize concept. Headlamps are new to a entity that is to be harnessed and bent that you really ought to be carrying decent number of folks; if you were to your will. some kind of non-tactical light. Even raised just after the era of carbide Most important of all, I would ask the little keychain squeeze number lamps hanging on the front of wool that you remember how I closed that that the AARP sends out by the mil- hunting hats, you might have never April 2016 column. I’d even go so far lions every year will do for this kind of even worn one. They’re common ad- as to say that if I had to sum up this use. If it’s up close and non-fight-re- ditions to emergency kits and are al- entire issue in one sentence, I wouldn’t lated, opt for the dimmer, smaller unit. most ubiquitous in the outdoor world be able to improve upon what I said The batteries are cheaper and your these days, but there can be a major then and repeat now: “Predators pre- night vision will thank you. learning curve. fers darkness; deny them of it.” While a headlamp is an extremely SELF-REFLECTION important component of emergency I once knew an EMS/Firefighter who gear, it’s imperative to remember — purchased a few sheets of those pale and I hate to use so droll a phrase

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LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN IT’S IT’S J UST THE LAW | LAW THE UST BALLISTIC BASICS | AFTER THE AFTER SHOT |

❚ BY K.L. JAMISON DEFCON 1 DEFCON JACK LESSONS FROM SLADE THE OLD WEST 38 www.USCCA.com | May/June ack Slade was in the best Beni ambushed an unarmed J position of his life and facing Slade, emptying two .36-caliber death. He was married to a beau- revolvers and two shotgun barrels tiful woman who loved him, he was into him, but Slade lived to take famous, he was rich, he was ad- the lesson to keep his weapons mired and he was feared. That last readily at hand. Many speculated part was where things went bad. that Slade did not die because Be- Slade ran freighting and stage ni’s gunpowder was damp, which companies west of the Missouri could have been the case, but he River before the Civil War. In this still managed to deposit a sub- era, finding a place to build a stantial quantity of lead into Slade’s road came before the first wagon body. The fact that Slade survived was loaded. With a loaded wag- such damage put many contempo- on, Slade faced prairie fire, flood, raries in awe and some in fear. drought and snow, though through A recovered Slade sent a mes- it all, he kept a close schedule. sage to Beni that if he left the ter- One of Slade’s drivers brought ritory, he would not be pursued. a coach in six hours late. As the Beni saw the advantage in this ad- driver tried to explain that the snow vice and moved away but not ter- was belly-deep on the horses and ribly far away. Slade was famous six hours late was the best that for being a tough guy, and anyone could be done, he was interrupted who could put him at death’s door by Slade knocking him flat in the was also a tough guy. Tough or street with a warning that further not, Beni confused his right to free late arrivals would be punished. speech with his right to remain si- Slade was a serious person. lent and could not stop bragging. Slade killed one man for cer- Beni’s bragging made other tain, but he was known for killing hard cases believe that they could many men by reputation. He rode get away with stealing from Slade’s against outlaws and Indians in business. Slade’s business part- order to protect his interests, and ner, safely elsewhere, sent Slade men who died at the hands of his specific instructions to kill Beni. employees were often credited to Slade had a low melting point to Slade. At one time, he was taken begin with, and stories of Beni’s by outlaws himself, but his wife bragging triggered an order for the buckled on revolvers and took him braggart to be brought to him. back. This did not diminish his rep- Two of his employees exceeded utation; moreover, it indicates that their instructions and killed their he held some value as a husband. intended hostage. They then re- Slade’s staff was composed of alized that they had denied their rough men of limited sobriety and employer a certain closure, not to even more limited tolerance for dif- mention the satisfaction — or even fering political views. Many were also pleasure — of killing Beni. of limited honesty. By force of will, he When Slade arrived, they tried to kept them together and on time. convince him that Beni was alive and ready to be killed, but this A GENTLEMEN’S DISAGREEMENT was an era in which death was a Slade had a business disagree- close acquaintance, and Slade ment with a man named Jules could recognize death without the Beni, who thought he could steal assistance of a medical examiner. from Slade. Slade disagreed and He did not take out his disappoint- ordered him exiled from the terri- ment on his over-enthusiastic em- tory — an order other wiser men ployees, though he did take both would have obeyed. of the dead man’s ears. He kept

May/June | www.USCCA.com 39 IT’S JUST THE LAW them in his vest pocket and displayed was known to take revenge and mete they are afraid to back down. them as the alcoholic impulse moved out disproportionate punishment to per- • If demons from old battles gnaw on him, which became increasingly often. sons who offended him. He was famous the brain, alcohol might dull the pain, The distinction over who actually killed as a killer even when sober, and they all but it also surrenders control. Beni began to blur and a legend grew remembered the human ears he kept in • Don’t put yourself or group in a po- that Slade had tortured him to death. his vest pocket. sition in which you can’t back down. The legend of brutal revenge stuck to The Vigilantes did not sentence de- • Tolerance of bad behavior can snap Slade; the ears made it so. fendants without some semblance of a in a moment; don’t push your luck. For reasons known only to alcoholics, trial. Defendants were allowed to speak • If you can’t control your alcohol, Slade began drinking more and more. on their own behalf, something formal have a friend control your guns.3 He might have drank to drown his de- courts did not allow until the 1890s. • Bad ammunition gives bad results. mons, but whiskey only served to set Some Vigilante defendants were acquit- • Groveling before the finder of facts them free. Saloonkeepers were accus- ted, but the Vigilantes normally did not creates contempt, not mercy. tomed to a boisterous clientele, such become involved unless the crime was • If threatened, keep an eye out and as men riding horses onto the premises flagrant, public and obvious. Slade’s a gun handy. and giving six-gun salutes to celebrate crimes were all three. • A master gunfighter cannot stare no more than the fact it was a Saturday Slade did not argue his case well. He down an army. night. Slade graduated to threatening might have suffered from a hangover. He • It is good to have someone avail- friends, shooting at inoffensive parties might have suffered from an alcoholic able to speak on your behalf. and destroying property. When sober, thirst. He did complain that men had been • If you’ve shot someone, shut up. he would return to the offended parties banished from the area for more serious • If persons safely away from the full of apologies and restitution, and a crimes, but the Vigilantes knew that Beni, scene demand violence, ignore them. certain amount of this conduct was ex- who had been banished on Slade’s order, • Don’t confuse your right to remain cused in light of this restitution, his rep- complied with the banishment and was silent with your right to free speech. utation and contributions to the com- killed anyway. They were afraid that Slade • If forced to kill, leave the ears alone. munity. However, Slade got worse, and might return some lonely, vengeful night. eventually the law became involved. Slade might have argued his remorse Kevin L. Jamison is an attorney in the and restitution, but he did not. Rather he Kansas City, Missouri, area concentrating VIGILANCE COMMITTEES begged, pleaded and crawled. The man in the area of weapons and self-defense. In 1864, any law’s hand was light on who had bullied and intimidated rough Please send questions to Kevin L. Nevada. The federal government was men was reduced to a weeping mess. Jamison, 2614 NE 56th Ter, Gladstone, preoccupied with enforcing its law in the He asked that his wife be summoned, MO 64119-2311 or KLJamisonLaw@ southern states, and vigilante law kept a though the message had already been earthlink.net. Individual answers are certain level of order. Vigilantes were not sent to his wife, who threw on a revolver not usually possible but might be ad- always a result of a lack of law but rather and rode hard. The Vigilantes knew his dressed in future columns. often a reaction to corrupted law. Where wife and hurried things along. This information is for legal informa- the sheriff was found to be the leader of Slade was dead minutes before her tion purposes and does not constitute the outlaws or ballot boxes were found arrival and the Vigilantes safely dis- legal advice. For specific questions, to have false bottoms, vigilante societies persed. The lady rode through town you should consult a qualified attorney. qualified as an insurgency.1 denouncing the Vigilantes, and no one In Nevada, the local “Vigilance Com- dared dispute her opinion. ENDNOTES mittee” had replaced local law enforce- (1) At one time, the warden of San ment and, after one of Slade’s most ex- THE TAKEAWAYS Quentin prison was not able to visit treme alcoholic bouts, it organized 600 There are several important lessons San Francisco by order of the Vigilance members to subdue him. The number from Jack Slade’s life and trial: Committee. (2) From The Man Who Shot was considered adequate, though other • People shot to pieces can survive Liberty Valance. (3) The Temperance precautions were taken to prevent Slade’s to seek revenge. Societies of the time were more interest- friends from appealing the Vigilance ver- • A great reputation can be destroyed ed in condemning alcoholics than cur- dict, which might have turned out to be by bad behavior. ing them. Period photos of sanctimo- problematic. Vigilantes are famous for • Lurid rumors become facts. In the nious women bearing signs that read speedy hangings but relied more on ban- spirit of the Old West, “When the legend “The lips that touch liquor shall never ishment to keep the peace. Slade was becomes fact, print the legend.”2 touch mine” might have driven young arrested for disturbing the peace. • It is very good to have a strong men to drink as a prophylactic measure. Men had been banished for worse woman who is inclined to back you, but crimes, but Slade presented an unusu- timing is everything. al problem: They were afraid of him. He • Don’t put people in a position where

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| THEY EFFECTIVE? ❚ BY TAMARA KEEL IT’S IT’S J | LAW THE UST BALLISTIC BASICS

AFTER THE AFTER SHOT CALLING ON A

DEFCON 1 DEFCON HIGHER POWER 42 www.USCCA.com | May/June he vast majority of semi-automatic pis- projectile at 1,100 to 1,200 feet per second T tols intended for concealed carry (or in- in offerings from the major manufacturers. deed, self-defense use in general) are cham- (The same bullet in .40 S&W is decidedly bered for one of a handful of cartridges: .380 subsonic.) Even hotter loads are available ACP, 9x19mm, .40 S&W or .45 ACP. from specialty houses. There are always folks for whom the or- The 10mm’s heyday with law enforce- dinary is not satisfying, however. When it ment is long past, but the cartridge is en- comes to handgun power, some operate by joying something of a renaissance right the principle of “if some is good, then more now, with multiple manufacturers having is better and too much is just enough.” launched new pistols recently. Most of Since this is the Ballistic Basics column, it’s these are of the long-slide variety, with an as good a place as any to do a quick sur- eye toward hunting or woods carry, but vey of what’s available in the “more power” Glock, SIG Sauer and Colt all offer carry- department for pistol rounds. and/or duty-sized guns in the caliber. .357 SIG 9 IS FINE One cartridge that fits this description There are other higher-powered pistol is the .357 SIG, developed in the mid ’90s calibers, but most are only available in by SIG Sauer and Federal Cartridge with whamdigeous huge pistols, like .50 Action an eye toward duplicating the ballistics of Express, or are wildcat or proprietary cali- the legendary .357 Magnum 125-grain hol- bers — .45 Super or 9x25 Dillon, for exam- low-point loadings in a self-loading pistol. ple — only available from boutique manu- The intent is even reflected in the name, facturers. since the cartridge actually uses .355-inch Understand that your humble correspon- projectiles. dent is a huge fan of the .357 SIG and the Best described as a .40 case necked 10mm Auto when I say this though: The to take a 9mm bullet, .357 SIG launches fascination with power in defensive au- 125-grain projectiles at more than 1,400 to-pistol cartridges is based on a misun- feet per second from a duty-sized hand- derstanding of how handgun bullets cause gun, which works out to more than 500 damage. Handgun bullets are not general- foot-pounds of muzzle energy. It enjoyed ly fast enough to cause the sort of second- a solid decade of success, being used by ary wounding effects from velocity that rifle multiple state and federal LE organizations. bullets do. But it never achieved quite the level of wide- All a handgun bullet does is drill a hole. spread acceptance as its parent cartridge, As long as that hole is deep enough to hit and most of its users have since transi- something important, the bullet has done tioned to the more conventional 9mm. Of its job. The 9mm 124-grain +P Speer Gold the higher-powered rounds in this column, Dot and Federal HST bullets currently used it’s one of the easiest to try out since, if one in law enforcement are usually found fully already has a .40 S&W handgun, then .357 expanded in the clothes on the far side of SIG is normally just a barrel swap away. the bad guy or laying on the ground 3 feet behind him. You literally cannot ask for bet- 10MM AUTO ter performance from a pistol bullet. Probably the second most commonly The migration away from higher-pow- encountered higher-powered pistol cham- ered cartridges like 10mm Auto and .357 bering is the 10mm Auto. This cartridge, TIPSSIG and FROM toward TAMARA the 9mm is understand- whose development was encouraged by able. The bigger cartridges are harder to none other than Jeff Cooper in the early maintain proficiency with and harder on the ’80s, was envisioned as offering greater guns they’re fired out of, while the 9x19mm magazine capacity and a flatter trajectory works just fine. than .45 ACP with more power than 9mm. Pretty basic, I guess. Briefly used as the standard cartridge of the FBI, the 10mm Auto, in its most common form, fires a 180-grain .40-caliber

May/June | www.USCCA.com 43

LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN

WHY DON’T GUN OWNERS SHOOT EACH OTHER IN THE STREETS?❚ BY ALAN KORWIN

| IT’S IT’S J

UST THE LAW | LAW THE UST BLOOD BATH? BALLISTIC BASICS

AFTER THE AFTER SHOT

DEFCON 1 DEFCON

44 www.USCCA.com | May/June s readers of this magazine our politicians and the medical A are well aware, it’s far easi- community want to treat as a gun er to handle the events after you issue. They distract attention from shoot someone … by not shooting where blame actually belongs. in the first place. Step 1 in pro- America’s inner cities are re- tecting yourself from the unde- sponsible for a murder rate as sirable effects of using any force bad or worse than any Third- in self-defense is having enough World country.1 Suicide and in- awareness to avoid the effects al- ner-city murders — primarily gang together. violence — account for the huge Despite this self-evident fact, I percentage of media-fueled gun BLOOD suspect some people on the left “controversy.” In reality, we have really want to shoot someone. 100 million gun owners and a per They make all these movies about capita firearm-murder rate that is it, after all. Each time, they feature 126th worldwide.2 more non-stop senseless mur- So why do we hold fire? Why BATH? der and more intense gore. They should you? What you’ve read so get fiercely angry and constantly far can be summed up this way: fantasize that, when we here in Most malevolent gunfire in Amer- the armed community get carry ica comes from miscreants and permits, we’ll shoot each other. It troubled souls unaffected by law, hasn’t fazed them that those fan- reason or rules of civilized be- tasies haven’t come true. havior. Nothing we vocalize will Leftists running mass media change that. Social forces larger outlets believe criminals commit- than the concealed carry universe ting murder are “shooters,” never have to change for that to change. murderers, killers, criminals, psy- chotics or jihadis. Look closely; LONG LASTING you’ll notice. Long after any story Within the concealed carry uni- should have died as old news, verse, we’re aware of a different, murders command space in our very long time frame: The effect media. News “coverage” treats of a self-defense gunshot lasts crime stats like Guinness-book re- long after the ringing in your ears cords set to be beaten by the next stops. From that trigger pull, your murder spree. It’s perverse. life careens in a new direction. It’s So here we are, Americans bris- a prime reason to hold fire. tling with guns, but We The People Where are you right now? No don’t shoot each other. It mystifies matter what you’re doing, if you pundits, sociologists and media fire a gun at someone “who needs types if they think about that anom- shooting,” life as you know it is aly at all. Why, it’s miraculous! We over — and for a long time to have a magazine here that does come. Everything you know and nothing but help people in their love changes — your surround- pursuit to legally arm and defend ings, your routine, your mental themselves, and we don’t shoot state, your diet — and it doesn’t each other. Statistically speaking, get back to straight for a long, we only shoot criminals. Why? long time (and maybe not ever). The mortality figures you get Yes, it’s better to live to tell about from mass media are deceptions. it, but, hey, why were you there in America definitely has a problem the first place? You will never stop with suicides — a medical issue asking yourself that.

May/June | www.USCCA.com 45 AFTER THE SHOT

YOUR DAY IN COURT hot seat is the best — and only — al- pocket pistol standing 30 feet away. Can Let’s say that, like most folks, you’ve ternative. you make that shot? No, I didn’t say what never been to court. Here’s an ex- type of pistol you are holding. Your worst ercise: Go to court. Really. Find out GETTING SUED BY CRIMINALS nightmare or your best choice … you where it is, which can be an interesting Arizona faced down this horrible pick. Ten yards, turbulent crowd, moving chore by itself. Go sit in the gallery and abuse of lawyers and the legal system target, could be armored, unseen ac- watch some proceedings. with a ban on frivolous lawsuits. We complice … do you take the shot? If all you know is Perry Mason and stopped despicable criminals who were Wouldn’t you be tempted, maybe, to Judge Judy, you’re in for a roller coast- harmed while trying to kill or maim inno- sneak close and try for a point-blank er in slow motion. If you can figure out cent persons from suing their victims. We shot? Or find a pillar for cover and to sta- how to pick an interesting court, that’s stopped the kin of those criminals from bilize the gun? Or just escape? Even in a complicated but better. Imagine if the suing the victims too. But it’s tricky. The best-case scenario — close range, best court has you coming out from a cage bad guy must have been harmed while gun, you get the drop — everyone miss- while your loved ones find the gallery. committing a felony, which is a reason- es sometimes. The best gunfight is the You’ll want to avoid it like the plague. able requirement, but it can be difficult one you miss, not the shot you miss. to prove. FEAR THE SYSTEM Do you even know if your state offers ENDNOTES Let me guess: You’re one of those you this protection? (Hint: Tell your state (1) gunlaws.com/GunshotDemograph- folks who loves government and sup- gun owners group to lobby for a ban on ics.htm. (2) United Nations Office on ports expanding its role in your life. frivolous lawsuits.) Drugs and Crime, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ No? Then why would you want to fire List_of_countries_by_intentional_homi- that shot and join people inside the MISSING YOUR TARGET cide_rate. system? There is no way off that side I really wish this item wasn’t on the list. of the ledger sheet. Ever. “Not guilty” It’s so easy to imagine some jihadi in a doesn’t even do it. Never being in the crowded room and some good guy with a

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| IT’S IT’S J UST THE LAW | LAW THE UST BALLISTIC BASICS

| GET

AFTER THE AFTER SHOT

REAL❚ BY JOHN CAILE KEEP THINGS SIMPLE s a firearms instructor for many decades,

I’ve found discussions about the “ultimate” A |

gun for carry to be interesting, sometimes argu-

DEFCON 1 DEFCON mentative and often fun. The same holds true when it comes to discussing ammunition. However, with all of the gun and ammo choices out there and more arriving every week, the entire situation can quickly become overly complicated, leading to overthinking and “paralysis by analysis.”

48 www.USCCA.com | May/June ■ YOU NAME THE SPECIAL operations force, and the reality will invariably be that they’re so respected and regarded because they train — and train constantly.

Instead, it might simplify things if you adopt some of the principles lived by military professionals. While their responsibilities (and rules of engagement) are very different from yours and mine, they can still teach us a few things. I just finished reading The Killing School by retired Navy SEAL sniper Brandon Webb, who also helped redesign and improve the sniper course for SEALs and other Tier 1 personnel. What struck me was how he and other SEALs kept three essential principles in mind. 1. THE MISSION DETERMINES THE TOOL Operators take great pains to understand and consider their mission before deciding what weapons and gear to carry with them. Depending on whether the mission is jungle patrol, a house-to-house search in an urban combat zone or long-range interdiction of a terrorist mortar team, the choice of weaponry will vary dramatically, from handguns to M4s to .50-caliber sniper rifles. Think about your “mission” when deciding what firearm fits your needs. 2. TRAINING IS CRITICAL Even when a trip “downrange” is not imminent, all highly skilled warriors are constantly training, practicing and hon- ing their skills. I shouldn’t have to remind you how important practice and training are for civilians who carry. Having a gun and not having sufficient training or practice is a recipe for tragedy. We should train and practice as often as possible. 3. NO BATTLE PLAN SURVIVES GET CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY That old military axiom is absolutely true, and most police officers will nod in agreement as well. But the same unpredict- ability will probably also be part of any self-defense scenario we might encounter. Nothing will go the way we envisioned it, which is why I stress situational awareness and mental pre- REAL paredness. Being able to notice something wrong and react quickly before things get out of control is essential. Even then, expect the unexpected. OUR MISSION IS DIFFERENT You and I are not military snipers, although some of you might have been at some point in your lives. While every soldier fully expects — and often initiates — “contact” with the enemy, we do not. On the contrary, we generally go out of our way to avoid violent encounters or even places or situations that might lead to such an encounter. We’re not law enforcement officers either. Cops are required to do things, like chase down bad guys, and we are

May/June | www.USCCA.com 49 DEFCON 1 not. Except in very specific “exigent cir- In revolvers, the most popular defen- AMMO REALITY cumstances” (kidnapping, active shoot- sive calibers are .38 Special and .357 There will always be differing views er, etc.), we should not pursue suspects. Magnum, and some newcomers, like the on defensive ammo. First, there are the In fact, doing so can get us into serious .327 Federal Magnum, are certainly fine “I don’t carry any gun that doesn’t start legal trouble; to a jury, it can make us for defense as well. Even a .22 pistol or with a 4” folks. For some, capacity is ev- appear to be the predominant aggressor revolver, when loaded with hot jacketed erything — “more is always better.” Then and thus potentially damage or destroy hollow-points, can stop a would-be rap- there are those who seem obsessed with our self-defense claim. ist or mugger. There’s a wise old saying: “energy” numbers. Those of us who carry do not “play “Nobody wants to get shot, even a little What a bullet actually does is expend cop.” We don’t walk around in tactical bit.” energy performing work: penetrating vests, carrying enough firepower to fit in However, one area where caliber clothing, skin and flesh and smashing on the streets of Fallujah. We are not — especially matters is defense against through bones and organs of varying nor should we be — “looking for trouble” non-human threats; even urban, resi- densities and elasticities. Some bullets in any way. We just want to be prepared dential neighborhoods can have nasty just do it better than others, regardless of in case trouble finds us. Our mission is four-legged critters. In most cases, your “energy” figures. For example, a “low-en- deterrence and defense: protecting our- regular defensive pistol or revolver is ergy” .45 Colt 250-grain plain lead bullet selves, our loved ones and even strang- probably adequate to deal with coyotes performs better against a bear than a ers should the situation call for it. or wild dogs. But, if large hogs or bears “high-energy” 115-grain JHP 9mm +P. (especially brown bears) enter the pic- Effectiveness and balance of mission CHOOSING THE RIGHT TOOLS ture, a .44 Magnum revolver might be a matter more than “energy” numbers. I won’t be recommending any partic- better choice. You can load 300-grain ular gun in this column. Contrary to your “bear loads” for nature walks, and lighter IN SUMMARY buddy’s claims, there is no single “best” (200-grain) hollow-point defensive loads Whatever you do, don’t agonize over carry gun. Everyone’s physiology is dif- for city duty. ammo. Whatever gun you carry, any ferent, from hand size to tolerance for re- quality name-brand bullet will do the coil. Instead, I’ll go over some of the ba- ‘HOW MANY GUNS DO job. JHPs or expanding bullets are pre- sic principles that experts suggest you YOU REALLY NEED?’ ferred, though, ideally labeled “Personal follow. You’ve likely heard most of them. OK, many of us (myself included) own Protection” or “Self-Defense” on the box. Find a gun that fits your hand properly. more than one gun — sometimes a lot Speaking of which, a word of warning Can you reach the trigger without having more. We can easily go with a Glock or about “exotic” or “magic” ammo, often to move your hand halfway around the M&P Shield for everyday carry and save featuring ultra-light, super-fast bullets (to grip to do so? Is it easy for you to load, the .44 Magnum for hiking in the woods. generate those high “energy” numbers) unload, shoot, field-strip and clean? If But, even then, the principle remains the and claiming miraculous effectiveness. the gun you choose is an auto-pistol, same: “Let the mission determine the They are usually expensive, sometimes can you rack the slide? Whether an au- tool.” feed or eject unreliably and are seldom to-pistol or revolver, can you easily press And don’t overlook used guns. A “pre- as effective as promised. Additionally, the trigger multiple times? If you make owned,” high-end SIG or H&K might prosecutors love showing horrified jurors sure it’s a gun that you can shoot well cost less than a new so-so gun. Just pictures of bizarre-looking bullets and and that you enjoy shooting, you’ll shoot make sure you work with a trusted deal- ads proclaiming “the most lethal round more. And that’s a good thing. er, as he or she often gets trade-ins that on the planet.” Stick with proven, reli- Do you really need a full-sized com- have never been fired or were fired very able, name-brand ammo. bat pistol or a 6-inch-barreled .357 Mag- little. Police “turn-ins” are a perfect ex- After carrying for most of my adult life, num? A mid-sized or even sub-compact ample. There might be cosmetic holster I have concluded that what most of us pocket pistol might fit your lifestyle bet- wear, but barrels and internals are often really need is simply a solid, reliable gun ter. Consider how you normally dress, like new — carried a lot but seldom fired. that we can shoot well and carry com- your concealment requirements, acces- I picked one up — a duty Smith & Wes- fortably. The cartridge should allow us sibility, etc. son M&P .40 — for $350. It’s barely used to train frequently without going broke or Remember: In 92 percent of all suc- and works perfectly. coming home from the range with hands cessful armed-defense confrontations, Finally, when it comes to everyday or wrists throbbing with pain. That’s it. no shots are fired. The attackers simply carry, I strongly recommend you stick The bottom line? Keep things simple, retreat, so caliber never comes into play. with one gun as much as possible. Oth- choose your tools wisely and train regu- Even if you do have to shoot, the plain er than the aforementioned “bear gun” larly. Above all, be safe. fact is that just about any of the typical or other special “missions” requiring a defensive calibers will do the job. In pis- change, carrying the gun you know well tols, those would be .380, 9mm, .40 and and train with is the most reliable and the venerable .45. safest way to go.

50 www.USCCA.com | May/June

■ IF YOU TRAIN IN PROPER shooting technique, those skills will be there for you regardless of light levels.

52 www.USCCA.com | May/June uring a class a few years Dago, the subject of firing at night came up. It was not an advanced course of study, but the interested student had di- gested quite a bit of information on the topic from many sources, and, frankly, most of it needed to be regurgitated. I replied that, in my personal experience, there might be sufficient time for a light to come into play and for the shooter to use special and particular tactics, but, in my opinion, body positioning would carry the day more so than any other special technique. I went on to explain that, after you’ve become a competent shooter, you’ll use the same skills on demand at all times, regardless of lighting. The stance, grip, sight picture, sight alignment, trigger press, recoil control and follow-through are always the IN ANY same, regardless of the problem faced. You will fire more quickly at short range with a coarse sight picture, and you will fire with more deliberation at longer range. You will “move off the X” when possible and you will seek cover if you can. But the main component of any combat tactic will always be body positioning. I’ve never subscribed to “point shooting” or “instinctive shooting” but rather always use my sights or some form of aiming, and I teach as much. Even when firing at very close BODY-POSITION SHOOTING range, the handgun itself is LIGHT❚ BY BOB CAMPBELL used as a firing reference, and

May/June | www.USCCA.com 53 ■ REGARDLESS OF YOUR preferred technique, as usual, the most important factor will be whether you actually train on it. “Man-marking” rounds, such as those from UTM shown here, make for an outstanding training resource, day or night.

BODY POSITIONING WILL ALLOW YOU TO DIRECT ACCURATE FIRE WHEN STANDING, BUT THAT’S JUST THE BEGINNING. CORRECT“ BODY POSITION WILL ALSO ALLOW YOU TO HIT WHEN YOU’RE ON THE MOVE OR EVEN IN DIM LIGHT.

when firing from retention, the body target you’re addressing; the solid alignment and then top it all off with position itself is an index. But if you’re platform of your body position is es- a trigger press that doesn’t disturb caught in a low-light situation and are sential. The art” of the process is to your sight picture. You may be caught forced to fire, you will get a hit inside keep the body pointed toward the flat-footed when the attack is initially of 10 yards (even if you cannot quite target, and the more practice you get sprung on you, but you’d best quick- get a perfect sight picture or even see at forming such a solid platform, the ly get into the correct body position. the sights) so long as you fire from the greater the likelihood of a hit and not a You may be lucky enough to have the normal firing position which you’ve miss. Remember: The more solid your chance to take cover and fire from a learned and from which you’ve prac- position, the more easily you will be solid barricade firing position or you ticed. Of course, you must aim as if able to control recoil. may even be kneeling beside your ve- you are going to get a hit. It isn’t sim- You can’t figure this stuff out under hicle. But your body position remains ple, but body positioning is the most fire or just kind of guess your way all-important. important framework of marksman- through it; you have to have these ship. In short, your body positioning skills squared away before the balloon CENTER YOURSELF leads to getting the sight picture, and goes up. Every movement must be When the handgun is presented to- your sight picture — in a physical geared toward getting the handgun ward the target, the goal is to have the sense — leads to getting a hit. into position for a clean shot. You’ll center mass of your body balanced It doesn’t matter how quickly or need a good sight picture and you’ll and directly behind the handgun so slowly you’re firing or what type of need to somehow ensure proper sight that you’re firmly in control of the gun

54 www.USCCA.com | May/June (and yourself) and are presenting a muscular tension present in your body solid firing platform. Body position- will be transferred to the handgun — ing will allow you to direct accurate and from there to your shooting, which fire when standing, but that’s just the can cause a miss even at short range. beginning. Correct body position will Practice the correct body position so also allow you to hit when you’re on that you go into it every time you fire. the move or even in dim light. No matter how physically powerful TRAIN IT IN or how great a runner you are, most With time and proper practice, your of the control of the handgun and the body will learn and adapt and you will strength of a firing position come from develop the foundation for successful the upper body. The lower body is shooting. You’ll also find that you’ll re- important for movement and for sta- cover after each shot far more quickly bility, but the upper body is where and easily. With time, you won’t even movement of the firearm comes into think about post-recovery; it will sim- play. (An instructor will sometimes ply become what happens after you ask students to think of the body as shoot. a tank: The top half is the “turret,” As you train, you need to stand and the bottom half is the “treads.”) back and look hard at your shooting By the same token, no matter how as well as observe others. I have been highly developed your muscles are, privileged to observe some of the your bones are your true foundation. best shots in action. Shooting books The muscles and muscle memory are tend to have chapters on shooting important, but the bones provide the and are worthwhile to study, but you platform for the musculature and are have to meet the author halfway and not as subject to fatigue. Similarly, any add your own experience and hands-

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May/June | www.USCCA.com 55 on training. Shooting books should ural ability, which is fine but only goes hips, with the upper body supporting have a few lines on how to evaluate so far. Like it or not, you’ll have to learn the gun. Though the Weaver stance your own body and how you move. how to conduct yourself through prov- is still employed by many shooters, When I teach advanced skills, some en technique. When researching this you’ll have to be careful not to step students groove in more quickly; they report, I looked at athletics and learned too lightly with the rear foot; it must be become alive in their skills and com- a new term that applies to shooting: as solidly planted as the forward foot. fortable with their ability levels even “kinesthetic awareness,” which is sim- Body position is important when though they may be novices. They are ply being aware of your limbs and their shooting, especially when shooting willing to learn and have learned to position without actually looking at while moving. A good IDPA match learn, which makes them teachable. them. When moving, standing, firing will sharpen these skills and is high- Those who play ball or have some and reloading, this is as important as ly recommended. When firing against martial arts experience are usual- any other aspect of combat shooting. moving targets while also being on ly the finest students, as they’ve set Some have it and some don’t, but all the move, all too often, a student will goals and met them in the past. Many must develop and cultivate it. move his or her hands and arms in- years ago, during a reserve officer stead of his or her whole upper body. class, a fine young man, already a SQUARE UP Keep the solid shooting platform and trained paramedic, had a particularly Shooting for personal defense is do not break the shoulders, elbows or difficult time with his handgun. He felt deadly serious business, and train- wrists; move the entire upper body as that everyone in the class was per- ing must be relevant and demanding. the “turret” and use the lower body as forming better than he, and perhaps The primary focus in learning the cor- the “treads” when addressing targets. they were. But he and I got with the rect shooting position for any given With practice, repetition and a little program; he got squared away and circumstance is that the body must thought, you’ll eventually understand he qualified with a high score. More point toward the target and the cen- body positioning and use it to your importantly, this initial setback sent ter of gravity must be maintained. The advantage. him to the practice range more often. classic Weaver stance, for example, Others have a certain amount of nat- is taken with the weight forward of the

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Save 22% On Your Defensive Shooting Fundamentals Book Today... www.USCCA.com/DefensiveShooting ■ IT’S NO LONGER SO MUCH an argument of whether hand-held flashlights are better or less optimal than weapon-mounted lights. Today, it’s much more a question of which better suits the task at hand.

ONE IN THE

THE ‘MODERN TECHNIQUE’ HAND?❚ BY CHRIS CERINO 58 www.USCCA.com | May/June any years ago, the argu- in 9mm with the CrimsonTrace Mment over whether to use Laserguard Pro. There are also hand-held or weapon-mounted days when I still carry a five- lights was an entirely legitimate shot revolver with a pocket-car- one, if for no other reason than ried flashlight; each method of the sizes (and price tags) of the carry is valid and each has pros available bolt-on models were and cons. so large. Today, the argument is No one can deny that keep- no longer one of price or prac- ing a flashlight in your pocket ticality but rather one of which rather than attached to your option would work best for an in- gun can be of great service in dividual shooter. Equipment has daily life. The demand for cell- advanced amazingly over the phone flashlight apps is a per- years, and not only in the con- fect example of this, and there figurations and options found on have been countless times I’ve hand-held lights. The ones you needed that pocket light for hang right on the front of pistols some odd job: searching my have come a long way too. car for a dropped item, looking Whether in personal defense in my wife’s purse for something or competition, time is always I’ve been asked to retrieve or of the essence, and when it trying to read a menu in a dim- comes to shooting in the dark, ly lit restaurant. It’s likely you’ve the lights you choose can make used a cellphone for the same. or break you. As a police offi- If you’re in a store and the cer, I’ve used firearms in low- lights go out, it’s a comfort to light conditions on traffic stops, know that you have portable building searches and tactical light at hand. Now I know what operations. As a competitive plenty of you are thinking: “I can shooter, I’ve shot in total dark- use my cellphone flashlight.” ness, against the enemy of time, Well, you can, but you may be using weapon-mounted lights in a situation in which you’d be on rifles, pistols and shotguns. far better off using it as a phone There really is no debate over than as a flashlight. (Think “dire weapon-mounted versus hand- emergency” if you haven’t al- held lights anymore, at least ready.) not in the context of one clear- A cellphone really isn’t easy ly being superior to another. to switch on and off, which With everything available on the makes it unreasonably difficult modern market, everyday carry to maintain discipline with its options are complemented by light. At the same time, it’s usu- equally as many lighting options. ally quite bright, making it hard Hyper-modern or not, though, to mute or subdue. Even worse, the general concerns haven’t with all those factors dinging changed: It’s still all about size, your phone’s performance as carry technique and personal an emergency light source, a comfort, and options abound. cellphone “flashlight” usually doesn’t have a concentrated OUT AND ABOUT beam, and without that kind of My daily carry is a small pock- powerful focus, how far do you et flashlight and a single-stack think a cellphone “flashlight” 9mm Glock 43. Previously, I will penetrate into dust, haze, carried a Springfield XDS 4.0 smoke and chaos?

May/June | www.USCCA.com 59 KNOW YOUR STUFF ■ 1. The “FBI TECHNIQUE” keeps the light out away from your head and body, hopefully drawing fire away from you. ■ 2. The “ROGERS TECHNIQUE” became popular as smaller flashlights with end-cap-activation capabilities became more widely available. ■ 3. The “NECK INDEX” points the beam wherever your eyes are looking, which means wherever you might have to shoot. ■ 4. The “HARRIES TECHNIQUE” was developed for side-button-activated flashlights, like MagLites, and keeps the hands locked together.

mode. The paddles control the momentary and constant modes, and the switch is there for a failsafe constant when needed. Most rail-mounted lights are large and designed for police duty or to be stowed for home-defense and, as such, are generally too big to carry UNDER THE GUN way to light up targets on which you concealed. SureFire offers an intuitive Having a weapon-mounted light is need to put accurate fire. Having shot pressure pad that can be attached to a convenient, but you can’t (or at least targets and performed operations in the larger, rail-mounted light for easier op- really, really shouldn’t) use your pistol dark, I can tell you that coordinating a eration. The pad curves around the trig- to find your way through a darkened flashlight in one hand and a gun in the ger guard to the front of the grip and is building or peruse a menu in a bistro. other does not beat the speed and sta- activated when you grip the pistol firmly In that same vein, when weapon-mount- bility of weapon-mounted units. with your strong hand. Despite being ed lights became available and popu- There are a variety of rail-mount- a momentary-on-only unit, it is my pre- lar with law enforcement officers, they ed lights that do the job. Many weap- ferred option. brought with them a certain level of on-mounted lights require a section of Since my Glock 43 does not have a convenience — convenience that, un- Picatinny rail on the dustcover under the rail section, I carry a pocket flashlight, fortunately, found some officers using barrel of a handgun. For me, the draw- but I recently learned that Crimson- their duty weapons to illuminate drivers backs of many of the rail-mounted lights Trace designed a Laserguard Pro for licenses during traffic stops or lighting are usually their sizes and methods of the G43. It’s a combination light and areas where field interviews were taking operation; you generally stretch a finger laser and does not require a Picatinny place. Pulling your gun for such tasks or thumb to switch them on and off. rail to mount on the G43. The Pro is op- can, to put it mildly, alarm your fellow SureFire has a new light that appeals erated with an intuitive pressure pad — citizens in the area. to me in that it’s pretty small and has am- located in the front of the grip — and With all that said, weapon-mounted bidextrous activation paddles, as well as activates when you achieve a firing grip lights, without a doubt, are the easiest a mechanical switch for a constant-on on the pistol.

60 www.USCCA.com | May/June You can set the Pro for light-only, laser-only or light-and-laser upon activation. Options are always a good thing and, with a little practice time, you’ll have the hang of running it. Whether hand-held or weapon-mounted, most lights are capable of varying levels of intensity and feature switches for constant- on or momentary-on, both of which are invaluable in the realms of self-defense. There could be times when you OPTIONS ARE ALWAYS A GOOD THING AND, simply need a “quick peek” with a WITH A LITTLE PRACTICE TIME, YOU’LL HAVE low-power beam to identify an object “ THE HANG OF RUNNING IT. or avenue of travel, and being able to do so without robbing yourself of pre- cious night vision is imperative. Keep in mind that it takes minutes for your eyes to adjust to low-light conditions yet only a moment to lose that night ” vision after it’s developed. Converse- ly, there will be times when you need a strong, powerful light to illuminate a threat or to penetrate fog or smoke — circumstances under which your night vision is no longer a priority. STAY ON THE SUNNY SIDE Whether you prefer a hand-held or a weapon-mounted light, either will require training for you to be proficient and, of course, for you to maintain that proficiency. Training in low-light conditions is necessary to acquire skills like light discipline techniques (not expos- ing the light when you don’t want it to be exposed), not tracking the light back to yourself and/or who you’re trying to defend, when to go momentary and when not to, and managing the unit’s activation features. All hand-held flashlight training should include instruction on the most common techniques that have proven themselves over the years. There are several new techniques that you should research and try out as well.

May/June | www.USCCA.com 61 THE HARRIES TECHNIQUE NECK INDEX CARRY BOTH This technique is best used with a Holding the pistol in your strong The question of a hand-held versus side-button-activated flashlight. Hold hand, grip the light with your weak hand a weapon-mounted light is actually the pistol in your strong hand and the and press your knuckles into your neck easy to answer. Carry both if you can. A flashlight in your weak hand. Bring your or jaw area. This technique works with weapon-mounted light is easiest to use weak hand under your strong hand and most lights, and you’ll find that your light and there is no coordination to consid- place your wrists back-to-back. Ac- points wherever it is you’re looking. er, but having a hand-held light is handy tivate the light with your pinky, ring or and it can be used for non-shooting middle finger. FBI TECHNIQUE tasks that are equally important. We live This method can feel a bit awkward and die by the decisions we make, and THE ROGERS TECHNIQUE but is one that you absolutely need to it’s up to you to decide. If you haven’t This technique is used with a rear-but- know. Hold the pistol in your strong already, it’s high time to acquire an EDC ton-activated flashlight. Hold the pistol hand and the flashlight in your weak flashlight and get to training. It’s a lot in your strong hand and the light in your hand. Keep the flashlight out and away harder to defend yourself and the ones weak hand, between your ring and mid- from your body at arm’s length; this is you love when you can’t see who’s who. dle fingers. Bring your hands together crucial in keeping the light — which is (gun hand and light hand) and activate almost always the natural point of aim the light with your weak-side palm as if for an attacker — out and away from depressing a syringe. your body.

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62 www.USCCA.com | May/June CONCEALED CARRY EXPO 2019 SEE YOU NEXT YEAR IN PITTSBURGH MAY 17–19, 2019

THANK YOU 2018 SPONSORS THE SMITH & WESSON 686 PLUS LUCKY❚ BY MARK KAKKURI 7

64 www.USCCA.com | May/June May/June | www.USCCA.com 65 SMITH & WESSON onventional concealed carry wis- on the importance scale too, but even 686 PLUS Cdom calls for choosing a gun with these are more of a function of reliability. SPECIFICATIONS the right combination of reliability, Many handguns fit the threefold accuracy and carryability. Reliability criteria of reliable, accurate and car- CALIBERS: .357 Magnum, means that, with proper maintenance ryable. But some excel while adding .38 S&W Special +P and care, the gun functions as it additional facets of performance often 7 CAPACITY: should every time, all the time. Accu- overlooked by today’s concealed car- ACTION: SA/DA racy means that, with proper shooting ry market. Smith & Wesson revolvers WEIGHT: 36.8 ounces technique, you can put rounds on tar- have been around for well over a cen- BARREL LENGTH: 3 inches get every time, all the time. Carryabil- tury, with J-frames leading the way in OVERALL LENGTH: 8.2 inches FRONT SIGHT: Red Ramp ity means you can carry the gun con- the concealed carry category since the REAR SIGHT: Adjustable White Outline cealed well and thus will actually do so ’50s, but in certain configurations, the CYLINDER, BARREL & FRAME all the time, whenever you can legally company’s larger K-frame and L-frame MATERIAL: Stainless Steel carry it. revolvers are viable concealed carry FRAME FINISH: Satin Stainless Of course, other factors play into the pieces too. GRIP MATERIAL: Synthetic “which-gun-to-carry?” decision, includ- One of the best examples of a larg- SUGGESTED RETAIL: $849 ing cost. More subjective factors, such er-framed but still-concealable revolv- as fit and feel, are important, but you er is Smith & Wesson’s 686 Plus with a can also “train into” a gun if needed. 3-inch barrel. Being an L-frame, it’s not Durability or ruggedness ranks highly exactly a snubbie, but when it comes

66 www.USCCA.com | May/June to concealment, barrel length is not systems have achieved near-perfec- the controls of an unloaded 686 Plus even the most important dimensional tion. Shooting a double-action-capable (or most Smith & Wesson revolvers, factor. revolver requires a simple squeeze of for that matter) and you’ll appreciate Here’s the key: The L-sized, stain- the trigger. That’s true of auto-loading an even higher level of fit, finish and less-steel-framed 686 Plus offers a sev- pistols too, though subsequent shots feel. The exercise of pulling back the en-chamber cylinder and the ability to require very different processes. hammer, listening to and feeling the handle a steady diet of .357 Magnum Squeeze the trigger of an auto-load- gun click and finally stop as it holds the rounds with excellent reliability and ac- ing pistol and there’s a lot going on: hammer back for a single-action shot curacy. All this in a package capable of recoil, sure, but also a slide traveling is one of those “gun things” that should daily concealed carry. backward against the pressure of a put a smile on your face. There, in your spring in order to eject the spent case, hand, is an engineering marvel. THERE FOR YOU then traveling forward, picking up a Reliability continues to be the fresh round and seating it in the cham- ON TARGET hallmark trait of revolvers, de- ber. Squeeze the trigger of a revolver Revolvers, including snub-nosed re- spite the proliferation of very and there’s a lot less going on: trigger volvers, are inherently accurate-shoot- reliable auto-loading pistols pressure, the cylinder cycling and then ing handguns. Any rumors of inaccura- on the market today. Be- recoil. After the shooter allows the trig- cy probably derive from those who have cause they’ve been ger to reset, another squeeze of the fired larger-caliber rounds without much in development for trigger will rotate the cylinder and … practice or from smaller-framed guns (or more than 150 that’s it. Granted, the complexity of the both). To be clear, firing a .357 Magnum years, revolver auto-loader doesn’t necessarily dimin- cartridge from a 14-ounce J-frame is an fire-control ish reliability, but the simplicity of the exercise in physics not soon forgotten. revolver maximizes it. There’s just less The feeling would be similar to smack- that can go wrong, and that can be a ing your palm very hard on a solid oak great advantage. table … repeatedly. After the feeling Reliability’s close cousin is simplici- registers in your brain, follow-up shots ty, another facet of performance where or range sessions can easily be accom- revolvers outshine other guns. The panied by an anticipation marked by double-action revolver is not only me- flinching, over-compensating, shaking, chanically reliable but also eminently reluctance and smirks from friends, and simple. Squeeze the trigger and the re- when you finally take the next shot, an- volver fires. Need to fire another shot? other dose of pain will travel from gun Squeeze the trigger again. Reload frame to back strap, directly into your and squeeze the trigger to keep hand and wrist. firing rounds. While there’s usual- But I was trying to make a point about ly a cylinder release, there’s no accuracy. Reverse the physics — shoot slide release. There’s no exter- a .22 LR from a steel-framed revolver nal safety. There’s no magazine with a 6-inch barrel — and the point release (and, of course, no becomes clear: The revolver can be a magazine). It’s just cartridges very accurate handgun. Further proving and gun. To shoot, just draw, this point, professional shooter Jerry aim and squeeze the trigger. Miculek shoots a J-frame upside down, Simple. pressing the trigger with his pinky, and But reliability and simplicity can hit a target 200 yards away. Impres- are nothing if not engineered sive, yes, but I’m more interested in ac- exceptionally well, and here’s curacy from 7 feet to 7 yards. Drawing where this revolver excels. First, on its reliability, simplicity and excellent manipulate the controls of your engineering, the 686 Plus makes aiming typical polymer duty pistol. The and shooting an uncomplicated, almost feel is sure and good, although with easy exercise. And the easier it is to some guns, there can be an overly shoot, the more accurate you can be. plasticky feel to the frame or a toy-like We all think single-action shots sound and feel to its movements. High- tend to be “more accurate” than dou- ■ CALLED A “CHEATER’S GUN” in some end 1911s and most SIG Sauers argu- ble-action shots, but, technically, we’re circles, the seven-round capacity of the ably have the best fit, finish and feel of the ones who get more accurate be- 686 Plus is one of its main selling points. all auto-loaders. But then manipulate cause there’s less likelihood for muz-

May/June | www.USCCA.com 67 zle movement when the trigger stroke a matter of which caliber but how of- to hiding not only in a pocket but also is light and short. You can practice up ten I would train with whatever caliber virtually anywhere else on your body. for very accurate double-actions shots I chose. Consistent advice I heard: “If But here’s where the 686 Plus plays too; and you should. This is a matter you have to shoot, don’t miss.” a bit different. Weight and physical of hand and finger strength, careful Many advocate for shooting .38 Spe- dimensions of this L-frame are signifi- breathing, a little bit of instinct and, cial at the range for practice but then cantly greater than its younger J-frame of course, practice, practice, prac- loading up with .357 Magnum for carry. siblings. Weight more than doubles to tice. All the attributes of the 686 Plus This is based on the idea that it’s less more than 35 ounces and overall length come together to increase accuracy, expensive and less physically taxing jumps from 6.3 inches to 8.2 inches. and anyone who’s willing to practice on the shooter to train with .38 Special. Make no mistake: This is a sizable gun, can put all seven rounds on target, Many others recommend practicing but it’s still carryable, and wearing a reload quickly and do so again. Four- with the actual ammo you’ll be carry- real gun belt and using a well-made teen rounds of .357 Magnum is more ing, which makes time spent training IWB holster creates a stable and se- than combat-effective and makes for more valuable because it’s more real. cure platform for doing so. The larger a serious defense in a life-threatening As such, it won’t be such a surprise if dimensions are not as much of a factor situation. you have to shoot in an actual self-de- as you might think. The weight, howev- Accuracy proves true whether fense situation. The advantage of the er, will take some getting used to; once shooting .38 Special or .357 Magnum 686 Plus here is that you can pump as you’re accustomed to it, you’ll find the through the 686 Plus, and herein lies many .38s or .357s through the gun as 686 Plus carries better than some au- another long-appreciated advantage needed. The gun is built to take it and to-loading pistols, mainly because the of this gun: the ability to fire more than its size and weight help mitigate recoil. natural curved design of a revolver is one cartridge from it. You can car- more conducive to concealed carry ry either caliber for self-defense, but ALL ABOARD anyway. With the right holster putting be sure to load up with self-defense Carryability, that combination of a the right cant on the gun, the revolver’s rounds, which usually means jacketed gun’s concealability, weight and phys- butt will hide nicely at your side, point- hollow-points. Some argue that .357 ical dimensions, is where revolvers ing up into your armpit and sticking Magnum is overkill for self-defense, have shined for years. A snub-nosed close to you. The cylinder will likely end but plenty of people carry in areas revolver offers a tremendous dimen- up directly under your gun belt, and where the self-defense situation at sional advantage since barrel length though it’s the widest part of the gun, hand might involve large, four-legged generally drops to less than 2 inches. the right holster will make it not just tol- animals just as much as those with only Factor in a rounded butt with short erable but comfortable. two legs. If you honestly don’t know, in- stocks and all that’s left to contend quire of certified firearms instructors, with is the width of the cylinder. As for POWER PLAY police officers and other knowledge- weight, it usually drops along with the The S&W 686 Plus has an MSRP of able persons about which to carry. The gun’s dimensions. And, finally, a re- $849 and ships with a red ramp front last time I asked the question, it wasn’t volver’s overall shape lends itself well sight and an adjustable rear sight. As with all S&W revolvers, there is a wide range of aftermarket accessories available, including grips, lasers, speedloaders, holsters and more. There are lighter, higher-capacity, less-expensive handguns available for concealed carry. Most will be pistols that can be fired quickly and accurate- ly and reloaded just as quickly. But if you’re in the market for a reliable, accurate and carryable revolver with more than substantial firepower, the value and versatility of the 686 Plus should be clear. Few other guns can match its long list of excellent qualities, let alone its heritage. It is undeniable power and reliability in a concealable form.

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Save 41% When You Share The Nation’s #1 Resource For Responsibly Armed Americans... www.GiftCCM.com ■ IT CAN BE EASY TO DECLARE that someone really ought to move up to a more powerful cartridge, but it’s very important to remember that what perfectly suits one shooter will not always work for another.

MAKING THE

STEPPING UP IN CALIBER JUMP❚ BY BOB CAMPBELL

70 www.USCCA.com | May/June May/June | www.USCCA.com 71 ew shooters spend a lifetime with shooter had told me to hold a foot under approximately twice as much to handle Fthe same handgun. In fact, most of the target because the recoil was so sub- a heavier cartridge, which means more us change carry guns several times. stantial it would bring the pistol up quick- time and more money. That said, the While this isn’t ideal from an uncon- ly. The only thing that happened quickly standard of protection offered will be scious competence (or “muscle memo- (other than the travel of the bullet and the better and you will have earned it. ry”) standpoint, if we transfer to a pistol operation of the slide) was that I learned that is more capable and better com- the .45’s “legendary kick” was overrated. BUT WHEN? plements our skills and mission, then Today, I do not think the .45 “kicks,” but An example of a good test that was doing so is a good move. I leave the lightweight .45s once practiced by many police agen- An important factor in such a deci- alone. I do not particular- cies was (rather politically incorrectly) sion is caliber. I do not buy into the ly enjoy .44 Magnum called the “Big Boy Rule.” The base- “all calibers perform the same” recoil, but I carry a line-issued sidearm was a .38 Special hogwash. I find it ridiculous and, relatively compact revolver, but after a certain probationary until the laws of physics are period (and if you qualified with a high changed, this will remain my enough score), you could qualify conclusion. Considerable hunt- with a heavier cartridge, usually ing experience coupled with the .357 Magnum but sometimes research into critical incidents the .44 Magnum or the .45 Auto. and personal experience led You had to qualify to a higher me to place my faith in the .45 standard with the heavier-duty ACP cartridge. There are other gun, and, in some cases when good choices, including some qualifying with the .45 Auto, with better wound ballistics, the time requirements were cut but a balance of control and in half. In my experience, not proven results with the big-bore everyone tried, but those who led me to the .45. It is true that did earned their score. shot placement is the single Later, at another agency, the most important part of wound issued handgun was the ex- potential, but it is also true that cellent SIG P226 loaded with a number of light blows do not Federal +P+ ammunition. We equal a single heavy blow — as were, however, allowed to pri- any boxer will tell you. vately purchase the SIG P220 This then begs the question: .45 and qualify with it instead if “When am I ready to move up to we were so inclined. It took me a larger caliber?” ■ TWO OF THE MOST COMMON CARRY two tries; the .45 was more diffi- Millions of shooters begin with 9mm rounds — the .45 ACP and the 9x19 cult in weak-handed fire, my shortcom- self-loaders or .38-caliber revolvers, Luger — are often held up as opposites ing the result of a serious injury to my which are good baselines for self-de- in gun arguments worldwide. Upon closer non-dominant side from a large dog. fense. These calibers will do the job examination though, it becomes clear that, Conversely, sometimes the “bigger” when loaded into the proper platform, either more often than not with modern, is more than adequate for EDC use. gun recoils less. An old friend of mine well-designed loads that exhibit a solid qualified with the soft-kicking Glock 21 balance of expansion and penetration. .44 when hiking in case of an encounter chambered in .45 and felt the recoil As for myself, I look toward and plan with a dangerous animal. was less sharp than the agency-issued for the worst-case scenario; a heavi- Many of you that begin your shooting Glock 22 in .40 S&W. It should (but, un- ly clothed felon, an adversary behind life with a .380, 9mm or .38 later decide fortunately, might not) go without say- cover or the all-too-common vicious that you might be better prepared with ing that something like a steel-framed, dog attack are all very real concerns. the .40, .45, 10mm or the .357 SIG or full-sized 1911 will, when firing the .45 I began shooting the handgun some Magnum. Though you’re likely correct in ACP cartridge, recoil less than a poly- 40 years ago. My first centerfire handgun your desire to carry a harder-hitting pro- mer-framed subcompact. was a .357 Magnum revolver, which may jectile, you may not respond well to the not seem ideal, but I fired .38 Special am- heavier cartridge without proper train- BRINGING THE BEAST TO HEEL munition at a rate of 10 or more for every ing and technique. Without that, you There are means of achieving both one round of Magnum I sent downrange. will be less well-armed than you were good results and recoil control with the I was in high school when I obtained with your initial carry gun, provided you heavier calibers. On a fundamental lev- my first .45, a 1911. When I first fired it, were skilled in its use. The hard reality el, there are really only two components I closed my eyes; a well-meaning older is that you will likely need to practice of recoil control: mental and physical.

72 www.USCCA.com | May/June KEEPING TRACK rom a shooter-development standpoint, you have to take F notes of your scores with whichever handgun you’re using or have elected to start carrying. Don’t lose sight of the fact that, when you move to a bigger-bore handgun, you’ll need existing data with your past handgun for a basis of comparison. The scores with the replacement handgun should be equal to or better than the scores you posted with the pistol that you replaced. The following course of fire will measure control and allow you to reach a conclusion as to whether you’re actually trading up.

I recommend the following 30-round course: • Five shots from the retention position at 3 yards • Ten shots from a one-handed shoulder point at 5 yards • Ten shots using two hands at 7 yards • Five shots using two hands at 10 yards

May/June | www.USCCA.com 73 ■ THOUGH TECHNIQUE WILL unquestionably play a large role in how well you control a heavier-recoiling sidearm, You physically deal with recoil through to be relatively painless. this position, you will lean make sure you select a pistol or things like proper stance and grip, but I am a big-bore advo- revolver that sits comfortably into the gun, meaning mental concerns are things like winc- cate, yes, but I am an in your hand to begin with. your shoulders will be ing, usually caused by sensitivity to accuracy advocate first. Seems like common sense, but slightly forward of your muzzle blast. I believe that perhaps half you might be surprised. pelvis, which results in of the students who pick up flinches do SQUARE ONE? the upper-body structure so because of muzzle blast, not recoil. Any instructor will tell you that some absorbing recoil energy. It’s really pretty The .357 SIG and the .357 Magnum are students have been shooting improp- simple, but many shooters engage in an particularly offensive. In compact hand- erly for decades. Improvement isn’t awkward pantomime at the range to find guns, the .40 S&W can be a bear to likely when a shooter refuses to follow a “proper” stance. Practice in the home control. In my experience, the .45 ACP the right steps. These include a prop- with your triple-checked-unloaded car- remains the better choice, because it er stance; whether Weaver or Isosce- ry gun, and you should be able to snap offers good wound ballistics without ex- les matters less than ensuring that the right into it. cessive recoil. shooter does, in fact, affect a strong The bore axis is the height of the The 10mm cartridge fills a certain stance. The grip must be solid. You must centerline of the bore in relation to the need and, in the proper hands, it is very maintain the grip as you fire, and you hand, and some handguns have a high- controllable with practice. My philos- must understand follow-through, specif- er bore axis than others. The higher the ophy is reflected in my training: Don’t ically that the trigger must be pressed hand, the lower the bore axis, which al- wildly hose down your target with bul- straight to the rear — all the way to the lows less leverage for the pistol to rise lets; center the shot and make sure it rear. Hopefully your experience with the in recoil. Too many shooters place their hits. If you’re not properly controlling lighter cartridge was a beneficial one hands in the middle of the grip frames, the 9mm and working with it to your and you learned the basics. which is terrible for trigger reach and full potential, then you shouldn’t move overall control of their pistols. The tang to a heavier round. In a similar vein, if YOU-KNOW-WHAT MAKES PERFECT is there for a reason, principally for the the .45 beats you up, you may need to The one-handed stance is simple, web of the hand to cup up into it. Wheth- bump down to the 9mm. A pistol you are but it requires repetition to master. The er I’m firing a SIG C3 .45 or the Spring- afraid of and which sends bullets wide strong side should be angled toward field EMP 9mm, the grip is the same, of where you want them to go is not a the target at about a 45-degree angle, and as in everything else in shooting, good choice. But if you master the fol- with the non-dominant heel behind the consistency is key. lowing techniques, you will be able to strong-side heel. This degree of cant With the revolver, the same technique move up in caliber and find that process isn’t difficult to get into quickly. From is used, but be certain trigger reach is

74 www.USCCA.com | May/June straight ahead from the grip. If not, the recoil control, and this will only become muzzle will rise and, in the case of the more obvious the more powerful a fire- self-loader, the pistol may malfunction arm you’re shooting. as the slide’s energy is dissipated in Some of us use a lightweight .22-cal- upward movement rather than straight iber handgun for economical practice, to the rear. or even a .22-caliber conversion unit for There are many opinions on how a service-style pistol. That is fine, but strong the grip should be. In my opin- you must always use the same tech- ion, the pistol should be held in the nique with the .22 as with the big-bore. “death grip” (or “gorilla grip” as it may Grasp the pistol tightly and practice be referred to). Some say to grasp the recoil control. If you use light practice pistol lightly and let it fly in recoil; that’s loads, maintain the same solid grip as FASTEST SIGHTS just wrong. The advice I usually give when using EDC loads. ™ is to grasp the handgun and then ap- IN ANY LIGHT ply pressure until your hand trembles, YOU BE THE JUDGE then back off. At that point, you’ll have When I say moving to a “larger car- the perfect grip, and you’ll need that tridge,” all I mean is something larger DXT Big Dot strength to control a powerful handgun. than what you currently use. When my Night Sights The thumbs should be locked, held wife and I met, she was carrying a .380 no less tightly than the rest of the hand. ACP, and her apartment gun was a .38 With the 1911, most use a “thumbs- Special revolver that she was unable to BRIGHT LIGHT down” grip, while others a “thumbs-for- use well. She moved up to the 9mm with ward” grip. The thumbs-forward tech- good instruction and practice, and she nique seems to work well in directing wound up with a pistol chambered in a the handgun toward the target, so keep caliber more powerful than the .380 and this firm grip and control the handgun. more tactically efficient than the .38. Whichever grip technique you em- If you’re currently feeling a little out- ploy, after a gun starts moving around gunned or just looking to improve your in your hand, you’ve lost control, and defensive handgunning capabilities by accuracy and recovery are destroyed. width rather than depth, finding a prop- Follow-through is simply maintaining er balance can make all the difference a grip on the handgun after the pistol in the world. fires: The handgun will push back, but LOW LIGHT with proper technique, you’ll remain in control throughout the process. This is an essential part of marksmanship and F8 Night Sights

BRIGHT LIGHT

LOW LIGHT

XSSIGHTS.COM GLOW UP

CHOOSING THE RIGHT NIGHT SIGHTS ❚ BY AIMEE GRANT t really isn’t a question of whether Iwe should have night sights on a self-defense pistol but rather which ones we should have. There’s so much to take into consideration, and selecting night sights can be as personal as choosing a gun. What kind of pattern do you prefer? Patterns vary from traditional three-dots to U-notches to ghost- ring designs and go all the way up to five points. Is a combination of colors going to help you get sight alignment or distract you? I enjoy a color combo during the day, but I like to stick to one color in low-light conditions. For me, there’s already enough stress in the dark. Speaking of stress, I demand one-handed operation. I know some shooters prefer low-profile models for concealed carry out of obvious concern for snags as well as simple comfort, but I need the help of a notch and a decent enough angle for one-handed slide manipulations. Let’s talk about that front sight too, specifically its width. I don’t mind having big front sights for my competition or range guns, but when it comes to carrying concealed, I like a thin front sight post because I want to be able to see a little more of the target and what’s going on in the background. I also look for extensive manufacturer warranties. If I’m going to trust my life to their sights, the least they can do is warranty their products. Here are a few sight systems I like and why. Whichever sights you choose, remember that you’ll need to train with them … in the dark.

76 www.USCCA.com | May/June ■ DIFFERENT SIGHTING SYSTEMS are optimized to different tasks. Large-dot “express”-style sights are ideal for super-fast sight alignment, while some reticle-style sights, such as this one from Meprolight, make distance shooting a lot easier.

May/June | www.USCCA.com 77 ■ MEPROLIGHT R4E sights are all- steel and provide a solid platform for emergency slide R4E OPTIMIZED DUTY SIGHTS manipulation. BY MEPROLIGHT The Meprolight R4E Optimized Duty multi-faceted sights allow for multiple Sights might be the most intricate manners of alignment and work for a handgun sights I’ve ever encoun- flash sight picture and precision shots. tered. The RE4 has five elements for For quick targeting, use the bottom sight alignment: Two horizontal lines line paired with the front sights. For and another line paired with the front- more precise work, align the whole sight dot and enhanced with tritium. system as you would a regular reticle. These bright sights were designed I can’t wait to see how far I can shoot by two highly experienced Special using these like I would crosshairs on Forces veterans, and it shows. These a rifle.

■ GLOCK PISTOLS are popular for many reasons, principal among them how easily the dovetailed rear sights seen below can be replaced.

■ WHILE XS SIGHTS’ F8 night sight (top) is a very simple and quick-on-target combat sight system, ■ OFFERINGS FROM TRUGLO, only you know what seen above and below, are you really need. available in varying color schemes and are excellent options for duty and concealed carry guns. Photo Credit: Tim Brause Photo Credit:

78 www.USCCA.com | May/June TRUGLO TFX PRO target identification while going for pre- on the market, but this isn’t an indi- This is my favorite TruGlo unit yet. cise shots. The sights are illuminated cator of brightness. The sights are TFX is a three-dot sight that glows all by a tritium-phosphor lamp, which per- indeed just as bright as other sights the time and transitions nicely from day forms exceptionally well even with little on the market. The smooth edges pro- to night. The front sight is green with or no light. The sights are capped with vide a snag-free option for concealed an orange ring, making it easier to pick a sapphire window, which evenly dis- carry. And, if you prefer a ghost-ring up during the day. I was worried the or- tributes the light and protects the sights version, AmeriGlo has that too. ange would be distracting at night, but from damage. Inside the sights, the TruGlo was way ahead of me and made lamps are protected with rubber cush- DUECK DEFENSE it glow green. The TFX’s lamps are her- ions. I’ve seen Trijicon sights dropped The Dueck Fixed Rear (DFR) sight metically sealed and are made to with- and smashed that keep on glowing. is a fusion of competition and fighting stand abuse, and the rear sight edge is You don’t want to do that on purpose, sights. The face of the rear sight is angled for one-handed operation. This but if you do, rest assured they’ll keep slightly canted rearward with a matte combo is extremely durable, but if you on shining. black for a crisp sight picture and have problems, TruGlo ships with a lim- does not include any distracting ser- ited lifetime warranty. The rods in these rations. The front portion of the DFR sights are amazingly bright and are sports the “Dueck Defense blend- just fun to shoot. ed hook,” which is perfect for one-handed racking of the slide XS SIGHTS F8 and eliminates the sharp edg- The most recent addition to XS es common on other combat Sights’ personal-defense lineup are sights that catch on gear. The designed for fast target acquisition in front sight has a slight angle to all light conditions. XS keeps this sight HIVIZ NITESIGHT avoid snagging but still provides system simple with bright “stacking” The HIVIZ Nitesight (above) inte- a crisp sight picture. Dueck Defense dots for sight alignment. The F8 sights grates the latest technology into an has a line of raised sights perfect for are designed to instantly increase front- ultra-durable tritium lamp that will pro- suppressors and red dots as well. sight focus thanks to the large vide years of rugged service. HIVIZ The company has a full lineup, even if — .16-inch-wide — has long been a choice of competition you’re running a red dot on your EDC. high-contrast front shooters, and the company claims the sight with a pho- light-collection technology they use OWN THE NIGHT toluminescent makes their sights the brightest avail- No matter which firearm you carry, orange-colored able. They stand behind their product equip it with night sights. Practice ring surrounding with a 10-year warranty, a testament with those sights, including one-hand- the tritium. This to the product’s durability; it’s made to ed manipulations and everything else proprietary, durable withstand the roughest use. The HIV- you know you should be doing. Wait- orange paint is heavy IZ Nitesight’s sight picture consists of ing until the time of the incident will on the yellow, which is a white halo and tritium center, and be too late, and everything is more one of the most visible col- the three-dot combination makes for stressful in the dark. ors in low light, making it easy to pick ultra-fast sight acquisition. Equally im- up in most light conditions. The orange portantly, the low-profile design of the ring absorbs ambient light, which al- Nitesight makes it a great choice for lows it to glow in low-light levels, which concealed carry. in turn helps shooters find the front SOURCES sight even before the tritium becomes AMERIGLO Meprolight: Meprolight.com visible. (As you might imagine, they are You can opt for the Classic sight TruGlo: TruGlo.com also easily visible in daylight.) or the Operator model, both of which XS Sights: XSSights.com feature an easily acquired front sight Trijicon: Trijicon.com TRIJICON HD XR NIGHT SIGHTS of green tritium with a white outline. HIVIZ Sights: HIVIZSights.com I counted on Trijicon night sights for The Operator sight is thinner and AmeriGlo: AmeriGlo.com 12 years on duty. The reliability and comes without a white ring around the Dueck Defense: DueckDefense.com durability never let me down, so I was rear sights. The angle of the AmeriGlo excited when the HD XR came out. Tri- Operator makes for easy one-hand- jicon thinned out the front-sight post for ed manipulation. AmeriGlo sights are a larger field of view, which facilitates significantly smaller than other sights

May/June | www.USCCA.com 79 BRIGHT IDEAS TACTICAL MOVEMENT IN THE DARK ❚ BY CHRIS CERINO

80 www.USCCA.com | May/June ■ TRAINING to successfully defend yourself in low-light situations is one of the most oft-neglected skillsets in tactical handgunning, if for no other reason than it’s difficult to arrange a circumstance under which you can run live-fire drills in darkness. Not to worry though: You can get 90 percent of the way there “cold,” and your existing shooting drills and skills can handle the rest.

May/June | www.USCCA.com 81 LIGHTS ARE USED TO LOCATE DANGER AREAS, TRIP HAZARDS AND COVER POINTS,“ BUT DO YOU KNOW WHEN TO KEEP YOUR LIGHT OFF?

friend of mine loves to joke about” that many collect. You ask any person al-world situations. Flashlights have A tactical stuff. He’ll joke about how who’s into self-defense and he or she more value than most people might re- guns are dangerous and how he feels will likely admit to having literally dozens alize, and not just for self-defense. much safer with a “tactical whistle” or of lights and knives. Available features Before we go any further, I want to “tactical flashlight.” He thinks he’s fun- of varying intensity, strobe and momen- stress that seeking out a criminal is ny, asking when I’m going to run a tac- tary-on/-off switches suit flashlights to a usually a job for law enforcement; nine tical whistle class or a tactical flashlight variety of purposes. times out of 10, a private citizen will have class. And it is funny. But there’s a lot to Long ago, as an employee of a peace no reason to do so. However, there are be said for the tactically sound use of a officer training academy, I helped run a times, such as if you’re forced to move flashlight. low-light shooting class. It was much through your home to get to a loved A bright light can be used to show a more than coordinating a flashlight in one, that this kind of movement can be violent predator that you are prepared to one hand and a gun in the other; we essential to the defense of innocent life. defend yourself. A bright, blinding light taught tactics and techniques that to the eyes to foul the presentation of a opened officers’ minds to the positive IT’S CURTAINS weapon or just to stop someone in his and negative effects lights can have in Darkness is often associated with the or her tracks might be enough to turn various situations. Many of the tactics unknown. Let’s be honest: Darkness the tables. It’s a certain display of pre- were taught using force-on-force sce- has been a little scary for a lot of people paredness and a very low-level display narios. since their childhoods. Flashlights can of force, and it could be just the distrac- It used to be that we only thought of create a “curtain of light,” keeping you tion you need to disengage. Flashlights “lighting up” targets to shoot them, but hidden, but if used improperly, a flash- are no joking matter. in actuality, I’ve yet to have a problem light is as likely to light you up as it is With so many lights available from so shooting in low-light conditions. There to light up the bad guy. Not to worry, many manufacturers, they’ve become has always been enough ambient light though: Proper training will give you the tools — like guns and pocketknives — to see my sights and my target in re- edge and keep the evildoers guessing

82 www.USCCA.com | May/June exactly where you are. comes to mind. Use your light to find The “curtain of light” can best be your way and avoid obstacles. If there DISCIPLINE CASE explained using a visual description. If is no threat, keep the light on and Light discipline is mandatory. Know- you’ve ever been pulled over, the offi- you can lead the masses. If there is a ing when to use the light momentarily cer probably directed his light into your threat, such as a rapid mass murder- and when to go full-on is something rearview mirror. By doing this, he is cre- er, use your light sparingly and only in you need to think about. Lights should ating a well-lit area he can move outside momentary mode. This will allow you be used sparingly to navigate until you of and, at the same time, robbing you of to “paint” an area with light to take a locate what you’re seeking. Locating your night vision. While you’re squinting, quick peek, but you should always turn an assailant is obvious, but locating moving your mirrors and attempting to it off as you move from Point A to Point dropped equipment or the next safe refocus, he shows up like a ghost. By B. Think of it as a quick brush stroke place to which you’ll move are equal- placing the light just right, he created a to see what needs to be seen. See the ly important. Lights are used to locate curtain that allowed him to move in the path and any obstacles it might hold danger areas, trip hazards and cover darkness beyond. and always turn the light off before you points, but do you know when to keep bring the beam down toward your feet. your light off? THE BIG 3 Most importantly, remain behind the When the light comes on for longer Flashlights are fundamentally used to curtain of that light. than a quick look, you’re sure to expe- navigate, locate and identify, and each A great technique for moving in the rience at least some night-vision loss. If of these uses can be combined with dark is to quickly move from cover you locate what you’re looking for, you the curtain-of-light technique to hide point to cover point. Judiciously ap- might opt to keep the light off so as not your movements and your intentions. plied, the intermittent use of a flashlight to deplete that night vision. Think about Forethought, solid tactics and some doesn’t allow an attacker time to get a when you head to the bathroom at night. common-sense techniques can help bead on your exact location. Be deci- You look for something but can’t find it. you own the darkness. sive and move quickly. Whether you’re You switch the light on for a quick mo- Navigation simply means to plot moving toward a threat or retreating ment and, when the light goes back out a route of travel. A crowded pub- away from one, it’s a safe way to keep off, it appears even darker than before. lic place that suddenly loses power your opponent guessing. Human eyes take serious time to fully

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Save 79% On Your Countering The Mass Shooter Threat Toolkit... www.USCCA.com/MassShooterToolkit ■ THIS IMAGE DEPICTS WHAT happens when a Smith & Wesson .45 Shield is fired in a completely darkened room. Perhaps not surprisingly, these kinds of fireworks can impact your night vision.

86 www.USCCA.com | May/June BLINDEDBY THE LIGHT MUZZLE FLASH AND YOUR EYES ❚ BY RICK SAPP Imagine your spouse, who will deliv- AT THE RANGE WHAT IS MUZZLE FLASH? er a new baby in a matter of weeks, We go to the range regularly. It’s Muzzle flash is the visible and in- shakes you. brightly lighted. We wear safety glass- frared light emitted when a cartridge “I need some chocolate ice cream, es and earmuffs. Sound baffles of fires, and it is generated by burning dear. Will you go get me some?” various designs are installed on either gunpowder mixing with oxygen. The It’s 3 in the morning. You were sound side. We adjust the target distance, size and shape of the muzzle flash, asleep. You want to say no. You might take a stance, raise our gun, take as well as its intensity, are dependent want to say more, but you think be- careful aim and squeeze. on several things: the type of ammu- fore you speak. You turn on the light, At the local range or even at a train- nition or composition of the cartridge stretch, pull on your pants and con- ing course, we might simulate holding being fired; the characteristics of the cealed carry pistol, give your spouse with the Harries technique, a flashlight firearm, such as length of the barrel, a kiss, and head out to the all-night in an ice-pick grip, one hand beneath whether it is a revolver or pistol and convenience store. Sure, you grumble and bracing our dominant hand with the presence or absence of port- a bit, but you remember who’s doing the gun. We’re careful, thoughtful. ing; and whether there are devices the heavy lifting baby-wise. We wait for commands like “range attached to the gun at the muzzle, The streets are deserted and you is clear” and beeps from little plastic such as a muzzle brake or flash sup- allow yourself to remain in the semi- boxes. pressor. fog of sleep until you’re pulling into It’s a whole lot different in real life. Writing principally about naval the parking lot. The store is bright, but In real life, an encounter takes place weaponry, retired Electrical De- the lot is poorly lighted by a flickering suddenly, unexpectedly. In real life, sign Engineer Tony DiGiulian at mercury vapor overhead lamp. You get the muzzle blast, especially if you’re NavWeaps says that only about 30 out of the car and, suddenly, you are half-asleep, will be startling and the percent of the chemical energy re- face-to-face with a couple punks, one muzzle flash might be blinding. In leased from the propellant is convert- of whom shows a knife. real life, you won’t have a chance to ed into the useful kinetic energy of You back away and draw your pis- use a hand-held flashlight. Cops use actually moving the projectile down tol. He lunges. You fire once, twice and flashlights and train for low-light en- the barrel. The rest is, in a sense, you realize you’re blinded by the muz- counters, but a true self-defense sit- “trash energy” that is dissipated in zle flash. What happens next is up in uation from a private citizen’s point of the muzzle flash. the air, and you could live or die by the view will rarely involve anything but a DiGiulian say there are five compo- results. sidearm. nents to muzzle flash:

May/June | www.USCCA.com 87 ■ SHOWN HERE IS THE BLAST from a Remington R1911 in the “Secondary Flash” phase, or the phase of the muzzle flash comprised mostly of long tongues of flame.

88 www.USCCA.com | May/June 1. Muzzle Glow — The tiny tongue of be. That’s nature’s way of telling you — of the rods and cones, what ophthalmol- flame and unburned propellants that leak if you didn’t already know — that your ogists call “bleaching,” during and fol- past the bullet and exit the muzzle before eyes are incredibly sensitive. lowing exposure to an intense flash of the bullet leaves the barrel. It persists un- You might remember how the eye light. That intense flash could be muz- til chamber pressure drops significantly works from high school biology. Accord- zle flash or even a camera flash in the as the heavy, inert bullet is separated ing to the American Optometric Asso- face. At night or in low-light situations, from the case and pushed down the bar- ciation: your dark-adapted pupil is open wide, rel. A cold gun (or a new gun with a lubri- 1. Light rays reflect off an object and so flash blindness has a greater effect cated barrel) will show less muzzle glow enter the eyes through the cornea (the and lasts longer, which is a problem. than a hot gun. transparent outer covering). The effects might last for a few seconds 2. Primary Flash — The propellant 2. The cornea bends, or refracts, the or a few minutes and, in a self-defense gases that exit the muzzle behind the rays through the round hole of the pupil. situation, a few seconds can kill. projectile. These are hot enough to emit 3. The iris (the colored portion sur- Normally, ambient daylight is ex- large amounts of visible radiation but rounding the pupil) adjusts, making the tremely bright and bombards your eyes cool rapidly as they expand away from pupil bigger or smaller, regulating the through your entire 120-degree arc of the muzzle. amount of light admitted. vision. Most of that arc is peripheral vi- 3. Intermediate Flash — A reddish 4. Light rays pass through the lens, sion and hence biologically designed disc, slightly dished toward the gun, a which changes shape to further bend for less clarity and resolution than in the few inches from the muzzle at the time the rays and focus them on the retina. center of your field of view, where there the bullet leaves the barrel. It persists un- 5. The retina contains millions of is a higher density of cone cells. The til chamber pressure drops. This is called light-sensing nerve cells, called “rods” only time you experience a moment of a “Mach shock wave” and it is created and “cones.” flash blindness is when you pass, for ex- by pressure from the escaping gas and 6. In the retina’s center, cones provide ample, from a poorly lighted space into bullet, which cause the escaping gas to clear vision. They detect colors and fine a bright space. Think of walking along a heat and become “self-luminescent.” details. tunnel in a pro football stadium and then 4. Secondary Flash — The ragged 7. Outside the center, rods provide emerging into the open at noon to find vortex of yellowish-white flame caused peripheral or side vision. They also de- your seat. You blink and close your eyes by the ignition of the turbulent, combus- tect motion and work in dim light and for a moment; then you squint, shade tible mix of propellant gases and atmo- at night. your eyes and allow your pupils to ad- spheric oxygen caused by the turbulent 8. Rods and cones convert light into just to the change in light intensity. You mixing occurring at the boundary of the electrical impulses. The optic nerve have just experienced retinal bleaching, gas jet as it leaves the muzzle. sends these impulses to the brain, and you might throw on sunglasses or a 5. Sparks — Common to all small which produces an image. ballcap to shade your eyes. arms, these are incompletely burned, re- It’s quite a miraculous chain of phys- Contrast this with a bright muzzle sidual powder particles. iological events and works amazingly flash. You’re quickly concentrating on well … until someone pops a flash bulb the front sight and the flash occurs right SO WHAT? in your face or you experience a bright in front of your cone cells; right in front Muzzle flash is an issue for two rea- muzzle flash at night. Then the normal of the part of the eye that is most crucial sons, both having to do with low-light functioning of rods and cones is dis- for vision and for understanding your shooting. First, muzzle flash can tempo- rupted. The optic nerve sends an unde- fighting environment. rary blind you. If that happens, you might cipherable message to the brain, and not know how many assailants you’re the system goes wacko. COMBATING FLASH BLINDNESS confronting, and presuming that you’ve Unless the flash blindness you’re ex- identified all of them prior to having to WHY WACKO? periencing is caused by the flash of a take a shot is foolish and reckless. Ad- At basketball games, you are asked nuclear warhead, sustained exposure to ditionally, in a close encounter, you might to take no flash photos because do- an arc welder or from staring directly into not be able to effectively defend yourself ing so could distract the players. Think the sun, your eyes will soon adjust. That against blows or knife stabs or slashes. about the UV-blocking visors that fight- said, it’s within that “soon” time period Second, in any defensive situation, muz- er pilots wear at extraordinarily bright that a person experiencing temporary zle flash can give away your position to a high altitudes or the vermilion or school- blindness from muzzle flash can die. So particularly cagey attacker. bus-yellow goggles you wear when you what can realistically be done other than snow ski. These are all warnings about refusing to go outside in the evening? YOUR EYES AND SELF-DEFENSE and precautions against an optical con- A longer barrel gives powder in the If you’ve ever stuck a finger in your dition called “flash blindness.” cartridge longer to burn and, generally eye, you know just how painful that can Flash blindness is a visual impairment speaking, the longer the barrel with the

May/June | www.USCCA.com 89 ■ AS USUAL, DIFFERENT LOADS will yield different results, but generally speaking, the longer the barrel, the fewer sparks will be visible as the additional barrel length allows an extra microsecond or so for the powder to burn within the gun.

90 www.USCCA.com | May/June same load, the faster the bullet. It’s Hand-loaders might have an advan- might be a significant problem for you barely a microsecond, but it makes tage here since it is easier to vary in low-light situations … or it might a difference in reduced muzzle flash. ingredients of a standard load. And not. But why not find out sooner rather And porting the barrel, while it might consider ramping up bullet weight, as than later? See if you can find a way to reduce muzzle rise, will direct a por- a heavier projectile requires a more shoot safely in the dark, because later tion of the flash upward into your field significant powder burn — greater could be too late. of vision. In a close-range encounter, energy — to force it out the barrel. with a gun held closer to your body Ophthalmologists tell their patients than at the shooting range, this might that everyone’s eyes are different. not be a problem. Eyes are complex mechanisms, not SOURCES Switching from a revolver to a one-size-fits-all body elements. Eye NavWeaps: NavWeaps.com semi-auto will most likely reduce muz- components age or can become in- American Optometric Association: zle flash. A semi-auto certainly has jured or stressed. Thus, muzzle flash AoA.org muzzle flash, but a revolver also leaks between the barrel’s forcing cone, which is fixed in the frame, and the cylinder that houses the cartridges. A variety of colored ballistic lenses (polycarbonate) are available to change the shading of ambient light and targets. Many shotgunners prefer The New Tactical Sportcoat a lens that heightens the contrast be- Advanced blazer design for executives tween an orange flying disc and the and professionals – carries and conceals target background. Depending upon firearm, magazine, and accessories. your personal sensitivity to light, am- ber lenses block blue light and work well on low-light or cloudy days. Mechanical devices can help sup- press muzzle flash by interfering with the shock wave, but they could require a threaded barrel or the services of a gunsmith. Anything attached to your WIN A FREE BLAZER! handgun, be it a laser, a flashlight or A $399 value – See website a scope, makes the gun less manage- www.cacharme.com • (480) 547-9700 able to holster or draw and maneuver, Contest ends 05/31/18. and not all muzzle devices are the same: • A flash hider mixes air and un- STOP ANY THREAT DEAD IN ITS TRACKS! burned powder at the end of the muzzle to minimize the flash. • A compensator counteracts muzzle flip by venting some of the gas vertically. • A muzzle brake reduces recoil by directing gas against a metal barrier ® before venting, which pushes the gun forward and counteracts some of the BULLPUP9 rearward force of the shot. MADE IN THE MOST TEXAS BY Search for low-flash, clean-burn- TEXANS. SHOOTS BOTH ing ammunition, perhaps a specific COMPACT 9MM DOUBLE-ACTION ONLY PISTOL .45LC & .410 “self-defense” ammo, for your sidearm and then take it to the range as Buy a Bond Arms Handgun late in the day as possible to compare this Month & Get an Extra it with other loads. Powders might % Barrel at 50% OFF! not be infinitely variable, but the size OFF Excludes .22LR, .22MAG & 6” Barrels and Tank Slayer and shape and composition of the 50 grains can make a huge difference. FOR MORE INFO OR A FREE BROCHURE, call 817-573-4445 or go to BondArms.com

May/June | www.USCCA.com 91 MOVESOPENING

92 www.USCCA.com | May/June GETTING YOUR FOLDING KNIFE INTO THE FIGHT ❚ BY MICHAEL JANICH hile a folding knife can definitely Wbe a potent defensive weapon, it poses a unique problem when it comes to getting it into a fight. Unlike a handgun or even a fixed-blade knife, which allows you to achieve your “using” grip on the weapon at the outset of the draw, a folding knife requires two distinct actions to bring it into play. First, the knife itself must be drawn from the pocket or waistband, and, second, the knife’s blade must be opened. Ideally, these actions should be accomplished with one hand, leaving the “off” hand free to guard or fend, keeping you alive long enough to get your knife into action. In the last issue of Concealed Carry Magazine, I discussed the logic and step-by-step execution of the “guard- ed draw” that I prefer to quickly and reliably draw a knife and get it in-hand. Using that skill as a foundation, let’s examine Phase 2 of the draw process: ■ GETTING YOUR FOLDER folder opening techniques. To get the into the fight involves a series of most out of this information, we’ll focus techniques that, unfortunately, on core skills that apply to the broadest many concealed carriers who possible range of folding knife types consider their pocketknives and leave specialized opening meth- “backup” don’t integrate into their ods — like Emerson “wave-shaped” training regimens. Training knives, like the Spyderco Delica 4 shown openers, automatic knives, etc. — for here, are outstanding additions to future columns. your training regimen. THUMB OPENINGS The most basic type of one-handed opening is a thumb opening, which makes use of the thumb “purchase” on your knife to pivot your blade into the open position. Whether that purchase is a blade hole, a thumb stud, a disk or other similar device doesn’t matter; the mechanics of the process are still the same.

May/June | www.USCCA.com 93 ■ THE “HANDLE-SWING” TECHNIQUE is most associated with the Spyderco line of knives, and if your knife can accommodate it, it’s definitely worth practicing.

First, draw your knife and grip it so position where it should end up. By re- the open, locked position. Again, quick- your thumb is positioned on the thumb verse-engineering your grip in this way, ly reposition your hand to achieve a purchase and pushes against the op- you can determine the proper starting fighting grip. If necessary, the butt of the posing pressure of the tips of your little, grip you need after the draw to ensure a handle can be braced against your hip ring and middle fingers. The pressure reliable blade opening. to help you shift your grip. of those fingers should also anchor the knife’s handle against your palm and, HANDLE-SWING OPENING INERTIAL OPENING ideally, hook around the knife’s pocket If you’re a fan of tip-down or The absolute fastest way to open an clip. With the knife gripped securely in back-pocket carry, you might consider ordinary folding knife is to use an inertial this position, drive your thumb straight another method of opening — the Han- opening. Rather than applying pressure forward to pivot the blade open. Try to dle-Swing Opening. This technique only to the thumb purchase, the closed knife make this movement as straight and as works with a knife that has a significant is quickly rotated around the blade’s piv- much of a gross-motor skill as possible. amount of the back of the blade ex- ot pin. When this rotation is stopped, the This is much more reliable than trying to posed when the knife is closed. Some- inertia imparted to the blade overcomes scribe an arc with your thumb — a com- times known as the “Spyder Drop,” the detent or self-close mechanism and plex motor skill that easily falls apart this technique works best with classic carries the blade out to the open and under stress. After the blade is open, Spyderco knives that have large, round locked position. quickly shift the knife in your hand to es- blade holes and prominent “humps’ on This technique requires a quick, ex- tablish a solid fighting grip. the back of the blades. plosive rotation of the hand and the un- Well-designed knives that have the To open a folder this way, first draw derstanding that the blade will always thumb purchase offset from the blade’s the knife by pinch-gripping the thumb pivot on its pivot pin. As such, the most pivot pin offer the best leverage and the purchase and/or spine of the blade be- efficient way to impart an inertial force most reliable opening mechanics. Nar- tween your thumb and index fingers. on the blade is to rotate the knife around row knives that position the thumb pur- When drawn in this way, the butt end of that point. Bullwhip-like arm snaps that chase close to the handle’s centerline the closed knife should face away from involve the shoulder, elbow and wrist offer less leverage and are more difficult your hand after the knife clears your might burn more calories, but they won’t to open under stress. pocket. Point the butt end of the knife up- get your knife open as reliably. If you find yourself “short-stroking” ward and, maintaining a firm pinch grip The ease with which a knife can be your blade, meaning your thumb does on the blade, snap your wrist downward inertially opened also depends upon the not drive it to the fully opened position, quickly. The weight of the handle should mass of the blade and its lock mecha- try opening the blade fully and plac- easily overcome the knife’s detent and nism. A lock that exerts more force on ing your thumb on the purchase in the self-close mechanism and swing it into the blade to keep it closed, like a back

94 www.USCCA.com | May/June

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THE U.S.A. MADE IN FROM BIG-BOX SAFES TO MULTI-PURPOSE PEACE OF MIND LOCKDOWN❚ BY KEVIN REESE

96 www.USCCA.com | May/June ■ WHETHER IT’S IN a guest bedroom or in a dedicated gun room, the style of safe you choose will depend on what, LOCKDOWN exactly, you need it to do.

May/June | www.USCCA.com 97 n 2016 alone, the FBI reported 803,007 away from people, I was going to buy turers are including jewelry storage as an Iviolent crimes across the nation, in- some more peace of mind. The search integral part of their designs, though Lib- cluding 332,000 incidents of aggravat- was an eye-opener. My experience with erty is the only manufacturer I’m aware of ed assault. Of violent crimes, 26.6 per- safes was probably like many of yours that features a dedicated drawer. cent were robberies, 7.7 percent were — little more than heavy boxes in which Sensor-activated LED lighting is an- rapes and 1.4 percent were murders. to stack firearms. If you were lucky, the other great feature. Where battery op- While some would have you think you’re safe included a shelf for handguns, erated lights and flashlights were once perfectly safe, you’re not and, consider- ammo and a few accessories. What I the only way to get a bright, clear visu- ing the 213,600 robberies committed in found in my latest search was quite a al of a safe’s contents, many of today’s 2016, neither is your home. different security landscape. safes include lighting that turns on au- Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson said Realistic perspective on crime cou- tomatically when the door is opened. it best when he quipped, “Out here, I pled with rising interest in storing fire- On higher-end safes, LED illumination am 911.” In the country, you depend arms and other valuables have fueled is more than bright enough to eliminate on yourself. Nobody is coming to help, radical changes in firearms storage the entire interior. at least not nearly fast enough. Living systems. While reputation and a trans- My Presidential included a dehumid- in rural Texas, I was never fazed by FBI ferable lifetime warranty led me to Liber- ifier, but honestly, dryers are incredibly crime stats beyond carrying concealed. ty Safe, the innovation I observed at the affordable and do a world of good in Most of us in the outskirts are armed 2017 SHOT Show sealed the deal for keeping your firearms and other valu- and, as a result, are at exceptionally me. Within a couple weeks of ordering ables dry and rust-free. Rust and corro- low risk; after all, who in their right mind a Liberty Presidential 50-Gun Safe, it ar- sion have historically been major prob- would attempt a home invasion against rived, and two absolute warrior movers lems for owners, especially when safes well-armed country folks? So, while crossed the threshold of our new home are installed in garages, basements and we are certainly capable of handling with a striking 1,500-pound example of other places where humidity is the norm. ourselves, our lives are exceptionally multi-purpose security. The last thing you want to do is open uneventful and unaffected by crime in Liberty, which manufactures more your safe after a few weeks of inatten- some thriving metropolis. than 450 safes daily, epitomizes industry tion to see rust has reared its ugly head. design elements purposed in making a The door of my safe is now home to CULTURE SHOCK gun safe the only bulk secured-storage a robust array of open and zippered Five months ago, my life changed system you need. My new Presidential pockets, including Liberty’s “Cool Pock- and the world around me with it. My son, 50 is a great example of where the in- ets” for documents. These pockets are Jake, is a highly competitive swimmer, dustry is heading. Fortunately, for to- designed to hold handguns, holsters, even taking home three medals and two day’s gun owners, what just a few years magazines and more. While today’s ribbons at the 2016 AAU Junior Olym- ago amounted to little more than large premium safes include fire protection, pics. In 2017, his swim coach retired at thick-walled boxes, safes now offer Liberty’s Cool Pockets keep documents the precise time stars aligned to move more options than ever before. even cooler than the rest of the safe’s us to a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth. In a contents, making them the perfect place flash, we were gone, moving from a place MORE THAN JUST A BIG BOX for vital records, deeds, passports, con- where the nearest town held a whopping The most noticeable evidence of to- tracts and other important papers. 340 folks — mostly farmers and ranchers day’s multi-purpose safe trends lies in — to a suburb of nearly 100,000. Under- the compartmental design. My Presi- SAFE STORAGE, QUICK ACCESS stand, to me, this is “the big city.” Since dential 50 includes two roomy, adjust- Rock-solid firearms storage is all well the move, the term “culture shock” has able shelves spanning the width of the and good until someone’s breaking been an understatement. safe. The bottom shelf runs across the down your door, but “quick” doesn’t For the first couple of months, I liter- top of a vertical divider separating two have to mean “easy,” especially when it ally laid awake at night, utterly restless, independent long-gun compartments. comes to keeping guns out of the hands listening to every creek, clack, thud and For me, these shelves have become of unauthorized users. As gun owners, siren our new community had to throw at a perfect place to store optics, maga- we have a responsibility to exercise us. Seriously, for all I knew, “The Purge” zines, slings, scope bases and other complete control of our firearms. Were was underway, our streets teeming with firearms accessories. someone to violently victimize or murder evildoers. Worse, I had outgrown my ri- My wife’s favorite feature is the ded- someone with a gun I was responsible fle safe and was worried about arming icated jewelry drawer. While she still for controlling, I’m not sure I would ever thugs with the overflow. keeps a jewelry box full of lesser-valued sleep well again. That said, the indus- items, her heirloom and more expensive try has also answered the call for con- PRESIDENTIAL PEACE OF MIND jewelry (and a few of my own treasures) trolled yet quick access. Shortly after moving, I set out to up- have found their new home in this fire- Whether you want to acknowledge it grade my safe; if I could no longer get safe vault. More and more safe manufac- or not, sleeping with a gun under the pil-

98 www.USCCA.com | May/June USCCA Ads.qxp_USCCA 1-3 V 3/27/18 9:38 AM Pa

low is still widely practiced. The thought have access to the gun in his room, his of someone sneaking (or smashing) into mother and I do. Consider this: The first our homes is a real concern. Just to state place both of us want to go in the heat of Unleash the obvious here, aggressors — often the moment is probably going to be his armed — are never invading your home room. We want to protect him, right? Well, for high-fives and back rubs. They are what good would it do to get there and there to rob you, maybe of your life. I’m have nothing with which to defend him? not looking to scare people, and odds Early versions of handgun vaults are in your favor that you’ll spend a life of were opened with keys or via combi- XL650 uneventful nights, but if an eventful night nations and took more time than any- STANDARD FEATURES: does happen, why not have a strategy to one might want (or have) to get into. I • Automatic Indexing protect those you love? imagine people conscious of the time • Loading Rate: 800-1000 Rounds/Hr. As a realist committed to protecting it took to access guns in these tiny my family, my preferred solution to the safes quickly abandoned this security • 5-Station Interchangeable Toolhead question of how to securely store a fire- measure. I imagine there are handgun • Lifetime “No-B.S.” Warranty arm and ensure it is still available in case vaults aplenty now in closets, garages • RISK FREE 30-Day Trial Period! of an emergency is to employ small, and attics, all collecting dust. Industry locking, quick-access vaults. Currently, leaders, including Liberty, knew slow I have several of these compact vaults access was an issue and have worked in carefully selected places, including hard with today’s technology to come bedside as well as in my son’s room. up with solutions. Some have been critical — even down- The next generation of home-defense right closed-minded and mean — when I handgun safes was born in the form of mention keeping a gun in my son’s room. smart-vaults, complete with biometric They assume I mean accessible — just technology. My quick-access handgun lying around. While my son does not storage is comprised of Liberty’s HDX-

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May/June | www.USCCA.com 99 what I love seriously. From family members to hundreds of millions of people I don’t know in the country I love, I’ve committed to defending them, some beginning with an oath of enlistment at 17 years of age. Decades later, while my job has changed, my commitment has not. Looking back at my many conversations with good friends, like the USCCA’s own Kevin Michalowski, one thing I’m acutely aware of is that gun ownership is more than just a right; it’s a responsibility. As such, my duty to protect is anything but linear. Home storage, inclu- sive of home defense, means controlling who has access to my firearms. It also means I must be able to quickly access the tools necessary to protect my family. To that end, today’s focus on protection of firearms and other personal valuables in a single vault system is welcomed. Continued innovation from the industry’s best and brightest researchers, devel- opers and engineers only means more jaw-dropping design improvements are to come. I’m sure such improvements mean even faster access, advances in biometric technology, increasingly optimized capacity and additional plug-and-play type modularity for a more customized storage design, especially since not everyone who buys a gun safe does so primarily for storing firearms.

250 and HDX-350 Smart ■ THIS LIBERTY PRESIDENTIAL the need for locks, com- IT’S A LOCK Vaults. Both models 50-gun system is the epitome of binations, passwords No matter how you look at it, good open within a second or the modern modular gun safe: or biometrics. In fact, people and twisted thugs still breathe so with the swipe of my There’s storage for long guns, today’s top systems of- the same air. Since I’m not willing to dele- handguns, optics and jewelry. fingerprint. Even better, fer passive access with gate responsibility for the protection of my they are programmable for numerous fin- magnets and other simple technologies. family to anyone else, I’m forced to draw gerprint profiles; my wife and I have add- From slide-out mantles and shelving only one conclusion: that responsibility is ed several prints from each hand to each to books, lamps and side tables, Tactical mine, whether I’m out in the countryside or Smart Vault’s memory. In both cases, the Walls is touted as the top-shelf player in squeezed into the midst of way too many Smart Vaults are positioned within arm’s all things passive gun storage. Having people. If anything, we are most definite- reach of where I spend the lion’s share of browsed their booths at several consum- ly more at risk in the latter and I’ll take all my time. er and trade shows, I can attest to their the help I can get. The good news here? ingenious right-under-your-nose firearms Protecting firearms, important documents OUT IN THE OPEN storage. Their booth is always littered with and other prized possessions gets easier Another great quick-access storage home décor items to which I would never and more ironclad year after year. strategy for home-defense firearms is to give a second glance … and all of them hide a handgun in plain sight. While it obvi- stow guns. Let’s face it; most burglars ar- ously may not be the best practice in some en’t after books or boxes of tissue. homes, it could be a perfect solution in others. Hiding guns in lamp bases, books, THE FUTURE IS SECURE bookshelves, hidden drawers and other I wasn’t always a techie sort of guy, and SOURCES places may open your home to personal I’ve never claimed to be the sharpest tool in Liberty Safe: LibertySafe.com defense strategies in every room without the shed, but I’ve always taken protecting Tactical Walls: TacticalWalls.com

100 www.USCCA.com | May/June Think Owning A Gun Is All It Takes To Keep Your Loved Ones Safe? Without USCCA Membership You Could Be Leaving Your Family Vulnerable…

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RUGER’S GP100 .44 SPECIAL REVOLVER HITTER❚ BY BOB CAMPBELL

102 www.USCCA.com | May/June ■ GENERALLY THOUGHT OF as a hunting and target platform, the Ruger GP100 can make for an excellent EDC and outdoors gun in a short-barreled configuration.

May/June | www.USCCA.com 103 ■ STRIKING A BALANCE between the .38 Special and .44 Magnum, the .44 Special is a proven fight-stopper and, with the right load, can be a very effective measure against dangerous predators, be they two- or four-legged.

RUGER GP100 .44 SPECIAL SPECIFICATIONS ACTION: DA REVOLVER CALIBER: .44 SPECIAL he history of the five-shot .44-caliber THE GP100 FINISH: SATIN STAINLESS STEEL Trevolver is a long and interesting Finally we have a readily available, GRIP: HOGUE SYNTHETIC MONOGRIP, one. While spottily available for much high-quality rendition of the big-bore .44 NO FINGER GROOVES of the past 100 years, a relatively com- Special on a mid-sized frame. While no FRONT SIGHT: BLACK METALLIC pact, fast-handling, big-bore revolver battle has been won by material alone, WITH GREEN FIBER OPTIC would seem an ideal companion. Some the Ruger GP100 .44 Special is an es- REAR SIGHT: FULLY ADJUSTABLE have been light and handy but not al- timable handgun well-suited to per- WHITE OUTLINE ways crafted of the finest materials. sonal defense. There have been cus- BARREL LENGTH: 3 INCHES A footnote to history is a Smith & tom-grade, non-standard conversions of OVERALL LENGTH: 8.5 INCHES Wesson prototype similar to the first Ruger GP100s to five-shot .44 Specials, CYLINDER WIDTH: 1.56 INCHES hammerless hinged-frame .38s but in and the .41 Special custom revolver and HEIGHT: 5.75 INCHES the .44 Russian caliber. This handgun .41 Magnum Python fall into the same WEIGHT: 36 OUNCES might have proven popular, but it did desirable but terribly expensive cate- CAPACITY: 5 ROUNDS not reach the production stage. gory. When compared to any custom Likewise, Smith & Wesson briefly .44 Special, the new GP100 is by far the manufactured a five-shot L-frame .44 more practical firearm. Special. Such a handgun is an enthu- The GP100 is a robust, reliable and siast’s handgun and perhaps even a accurate handgun. The .357 Magnum handloader’s favorite, but anyone fa- version is the only revolver I have fired voring the revolver for defensive use that nearly equals the Colt Python for will find much to recommend the con- accuracy, and even then, it takes an cept. extraordinary shot to demonstrate the

104 www.USCCA.com | May/June yet it still became the default favorite of noted writer and ABSOLUTE ACCURACY, outdoorsman Elmer Keith; the .45 Colts generally had large FIVE-SHOT GROUPS, 25 YARDS chamber throats, which resulted in less than ideal accuracy. During the 1920s to the ‘30s on, there was a great deal of in- LOAD VELOCITY 5-SHOT GROUP terest in long-range revolver power and accuracy, culminating Black Hills Ammunition 200-grain lead 780 fps 2.5 inches in the development of the .357 Magnum. Staying in the realm Buffalo Bore 255-grain SWC 980 fps 3.0 inches of bigger bullets, the thick cylinder of the .44 Special revolver Buffalo Bore 190-grain lead SWCHP 1,033 fps 3.2 inches allowed a handloader to load a 255-grain semi-wadcutter to Hornady 180-grain XTP 830 fps 2.5 inches 1,200 feet per second. Some guns were wrecked during these SIG Sauer 200-grain JHP 756 fps 2.8 inches experiments and, even though it is difficult to blow up a quality revolver, small parts take a beating and the whole works goes slight difference in accuracy potential between the two. out of time quickly. The Ruger will get the nod for durability. The single-piece Even today, if you need a higher level of power than offered frame design has proven strong in thousands of revolver de- by the .44 Special, go ahead and obtain a .44 Magnum. The signs, even through long use with heavy Magnum loads, and it .44 Special may be loaded to a level that more or less equals handles the .44 Special’s pressure easily. the .45 ACP. The new GP100 is an all-stainless-steel revolver whose cyl- Specialty loads offer much greater performance and pene- inder locks up at three points. The heavy 3-inch underlug bar- tration, which makes for excellent versatility. The .44 Special rel is strong and makes for excellent balance, and its upper can be deployed with a specific loading for home defense surface is grooved to combat glare in sunlight. The GP100 in or a heavier load for use in defense against animals on the .44 Special features fully adjustable rear sights, and they are trail. The ability to take on bipedal and quadrupedal threats among a few adjustable sights that are service-grade. The is important, as in those areas where big cats and bears are front sight is a dovetailed fiber-optic unit that allows rapid tar- real threats, the revolver is the only logical choice for personal get acquisition and matches the rear notch well, and during defense. These animals often attack quickly, and successful bloodless contests against paper targets, it gave excellent hit defense against them includes several incidents in which the probability. I was able to properly sight the GP100 in with a defender had to thrust the firearm into the body of the threat minimum of effort with bullet weights ranging from 165 to 255 and fire repeatedly, which cannot always be reliably done with grains. an auto. A CLOSER LOOK The primary difference between the GP100 .44 Special and the more familiar GP100 .357 Magnum is the cylinder. The .44 ADVANTAGE: YOU features an unfluted five-shot cylinder and ships with a peb- bled Hogue Monogrip, which is thin, without finger grooves and excellent on any revolver. The gun is reasonably light — 36 ounces — which places it approximately in the steel-framed Commander .45 class for weight and balance, although a touch wider. Close examination of the cylinder and lockwork is necessary to understand the engineering that went into this revolver. The timing is modified, and the double-action trigger press has a different feel than that of the .357 Magnum GP100; it may be just slightly shorter and faster to rotate the cylinder. The cylinder notches that contact the bolt stop are offset, giving the monolithic cylinder great strength. The double-action trigger stroke breaks at about 12 pounds, while the single-action press is a smooth 4 pounds, according to the RCBS trigger gauge. Such a smooth action complements a trained shooter. I added an HKS .44 Special speedloader to the kit and, after ADD AN ENHANCED GRIPPING SURFACE TO several tries at a speed-load, the combination proved fast and certain for rapid reloading. YOUR GLOCK FOR EASIER RACKING Rugged, maintenance-free design | Slim profile perfect for concealed carry THE OLD DAYS Manufactured from aerospace grade polymer, aluminum and stainless steel As for the cartridge itself, the .44 Special has an interesting Fits 9MM, .40S&W, and .357SIG caliber Glock handguns with double stack magazines history. It was introduced in 1907 as a mild-shooting, big-bore National Tactical Officers Association Member Tested and Recommended cartridge, at least when compared to the then-current .44-40 and .45 Colt cartridges. Loaded with a 246-grain bullet at less Y O U R U LT I M AT E G LO C K A C C E S S O R Y ENTER CODE “USCCA” than 800 feet per second, the .44 Special was no powerhouse, WWW.CHAMBERMAX.US AT CHECKOUT FOR 5% OFF

May/June | www.USCCA.com 105 AT THE RANGE The .44 Special may be used with mild cowboy-action-level loads for comfortable and accurate practice. A .43-inch, 240-grain bullet traveling at modest velocity is controllable in this 36-ounce revolver, though heavier loads, including the Buffalo Bore 255-grain semi-wadcutter at 1,000 feet per second, are also controllable, even if it requires more effort to master the recoil. The 255-grain semi-wadcutter loading is ideal for outdoors use and personal protection against large animals, and in a pinch, you can even take deer-sized game with this load out to as far as 35 yards. Several good choices exist for personal defense there. The Hornady 165-grain Personal Defense load is purpose-designed as a controllable load with good expansion, which was borne out per ■ RUGER IS LEGENDARY for “over-building” their guns, and this well-used GP100 is no my testing. A different choice that of- exception. The barrel, cylinder and frame are all built far stronger than necessary, and though fers greater penetration is the Hornady by no means “budget guns,” Rugers like this one are lifetime — often inherited — firearms. 180-grain XTP, which favors penetration over expansion but always expanded, target, center hits were tightly clustered rate enough for any conceivable person- per my testing, and offers a desirable at 7 yards. Moving to the 15-yard line, al-defense chore. balance of both. I kept the hits centered by attention to As mentioned earlier, the D.M. Bullard Most of the ammunition expended detail: The proper sequence is to press Combat holster distinguishes itself with in this evaluation was milder practice the trigger and to then allow the trigger sidearms like this Ruger. This holster al- loads, such as the Black Hills Ammu- to reset with approximately the same lows close carry under a typical conceal- nition “cowboy action” offering, and I time and motion as expended in the ment vest, and its pancake style offers a was pleasantly quick on target out of a press. When fired from the benchrest high ride and an excellent sharp draw. D.M. Bullard Combat holster. With the for absolute accuracy at 25 yards, the big green-dot front sight hanging on the Ruger showed itself to be clearly accu- READY FOR ACTION The Ruger GP100 in its .44 Special it- eration is a heavy-duty revolver well-suited to personal defense. If big, burly and strong are where your interests lie, then it’s certainly well worth your time to consider this formidable sidearm.

SOURCES Ruger: Ruger.com Hogue: HogueInc.com RCBS: RCBS.com HKS: HKSSpeedloaders.com Black Hills Ammunition: Black-Hills.com Buffalo Bore: BuffaloBore.com Hornady: Hornady.com SIG Sauer Ammunition: SIGSauer.com D.M. Bullard: DMBullardLeather.com

106 www.USCCA.com | May/June When Can You Use Deadly Force...?

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Or Call Our Wisconsin-Based Team At 877-677-1919 INSTRUCTOR’S CORNER by George Harris

WORKING FROM THE HOLSTER

■ IN THE PREVIOUS ISSUE, we discussed the essentials of handling a pistol or revolver for purposes of personal protection: how to put it into operation as well as how to visually and ESSENTIALS OF physically verify it as clear and empty. Learning proper handgun nomenclature augments safe handling procedures and provides HANDGUN HANDLING the student with an excellent foundation upon which to build as he or she continues his or her progression in the use of firearms. Working from the holster is the next step for anyone considering WHILE CARRYING ON carrying a handgun for personal defense, competition or any other use beyond just shooting from a table or bench. YOUR PERSON

108 www.USCCA.com | May/June For those new to handguns, it is rec- ster as high as possible while rotating but sight awareness in relation to the tar- ommended that a good starting place is the muzzle toward the target. This may get should come before the arms are fully a dominant-side, belt-mounted or pad- tax the shooter’s range of motion to a extended into a solid shooting platform. dle-style holster accompanied by a sim- small degree, but it positions the gun ilarly mounted source for spare ammuni- in the most efficient manner to engage SAFETY PRECAUTIONS tion. Magazine or speedloader pouches the target. After the target has been successful- can be mounted in several locations, but ly engaged and the shooter is ready to some places are definitely better for be- THE DRIVE return the gun to the holster, a few sim- ginners than others. When working with a The third step — drive — refers to ple steps will maintain safety and lay a semi-automatic pistol, a good location is moving the muzzle in the most direct good foundation for additional training on the belt, centered on the opposite hip manner to the target as if one were to in the future when tactics are integrated from where the holster is mounted. For drive his or her fist into the target while into his or her marksmanship skills. a revolver, speedloaders can be mount- throwing a punch. Speed is essentially When shooting is complete, the trig- ed on the belt just in front of the holster. economy of motion, so it is important to ger finger leaves the trigger and re- For the widest variety of applications, the minimize any unnecessary movement sumes its position extended along the pouch should be configured to carry two of the gun when moving it from the hol- frame. The gun is lowered slightly to magazines or two speedloaders and, in ster to the target. allow the shooter to admire his or her all cases, a sturdy belt sufficient to stabi- work and look around for any reason lize the holstered gun and spare ammu- RAISING QUESTIONS not to holster the gun. This is referred nition is highly recommended. In discussing this process, the ques- to as “scanning” and takes on addition- Learning to draw from the holster to tion always arises, “When can I put my al meaning as tactics are added to the the target and to recover to the holster finger on the trigger?” The answer is, skillset. from the shooting position can be as “When you know the muzzle is pointing An intermediate step on the way simple as one, two, three. Initially this at the target by way of your sights — or, back to the holster is referred to as the procedure should be done without am- in close-proximity conditions, eye/hand “ready position.” This is nothing more munition so as to keep matters simple coordination — and you’ve decided to than dropping the elbows to the sides and give proper attention to the neces- fire.” The trigger finger can then leave with the forearms parallel to the ground sary details. The movement of the gun the side of the frame and deliberately while maintaining a two-handed grip on to the target from the holster can best contact the trigger with enough force to the gun. From the ready position, the be done in three simple steps: grip, fire the gun. shooter can extend the arms naturally draw and drive. The next most important question back into the shooting position or con- is when, exactly, during this process tinue to the holster. Holstering the fire- THE GRIP does the grip go from one-handed, as arm should be done with the dominant The grip is the foundation of the pro- the gun leaves the holster, to two-hand- hand only, properly seating the gun and cess, particularly if the gun fits the hand ed, as you get ready to send a shot? A securing any safety or retention devices sufficiently that it will extend naturally to- good starting point is to pre-position the peculiar to the holster. ward the target, just as you would point support hand at the center of the body, with your finger. The shooting grip should ready to receive the dominant hand WRAPPING IT UP be attained when the hand is seated on holding the gun as it drives to the tar- These are by no means the ONLY the gun while it is still in the holster. Any get, thus forming your firm two-handed ways to draw and reholster a handgun. straps, snaps, buttons or other retention grip. Always ensure the muzzle of the Each individual is physically unique devices should be released at this point. gun never covers any part of the body and may need to deviate slightly to find The trigger finger should be kept on the at any time when drawing or recovering what is best for him or her. Regardless frame of the pistol or cylinder of the re- to the holster, and, as in all other areas of the selected method, apart from volver through the draw. Equally impor- of safe gun-handling, make sure that safety, the most important points for in- tantly, the trigger finger should never trigger finger stays out of the trigger structors and students to keep forefront enter the trigger guard (let alone touch guard and up on the frame until you’ve in their minds are smooth fluid move- the trigger) until the muzzle of the gun made the conscious decision to shoot. ment from start to finish and practicing is pointed at the target and the decision If everyone’s paying attention, sooner proper economy of motion. Everything to shoot that target has been confirmed. or later, someone will ask, “When should else will come naturally. I see the sights?” The most succinct an- THE DRAW swer is, “As soon as possible, as the gun The draw is nothing more than lifting is being driven to the target.” There is no the gun straight up and out of the hol- solid answer for any number of reasons,

May/June | www.USCCA.com 109 HANDS ON by Dan Marcou

“HE’S TRYING TO KILL ME!” That is the prevailing thought that you sense an arm coming around your foot will be the pivot point. Slide your should give purpose to your actions the neck, bring your chin down, closing off left foot to the rear in an arc between instant an attacker begins to attempt access to your trachea. At the same you and the attacker as you duck your to strangle you. You must immediately time, bring your shoulders up to block head and slip out of the grasp of the counter this unlawful deadly assault. If a access to the carotid arteries. Main- attacker. stranglehold is locked in by a merciless taining this position buys you time and If the arm coming around your neck criminal, unconsciousness and what prevents the attacker from restricting is coming from the left, your left foot lies beyond are mere moments away. your blood flow and oxygen intake. will be the pivot point. Bring your right The particular strangle I will address foot to the rear in an arc as you duck in this column is the rear bar-arm stran- STEP 2: HOOK UP AND PULL DOWN your head and slip out. gle. That is when the suspect attacks Turn your palms toward you and from behind and is reaching around form hooks. Hook the attacker’s arm STEP 3, OPTION 2: THE SHUCK your neck to use his arm to strangle as it comes around the neck and im- A second option is a simple shuck. you by restricting both the blood to mediately pull down and away, releas- Step 1 and 2 remain the same except, your brain and your ability to breathe. ing some of the pressure. Maintain during the hook, your hand closest to To counter this attack, your reaction this grip on the arm throughout the the shoulder of the strangling arm will must be instinctive. The counter will remainder of the movement. hook on the attacker’s upper bicep be broken down into separate steps, very near to the shoulder. but it should be executed smoothly as STEP 3, OPTION 1: PIVOT OUT If the assaultive person brings if it were one movement. While maintaining the chin-down the right arm around your neck, you profile as well as the double-hook of should perform Step 1 and Step 2. STEP 1: TURTLE UP the encroaching arm, power pivot out. Instead of pivoting for Step 3 though, Just like the name suggests, you If the arm coming around your neck you should quick-drop to your right should make like a turtle. The moment is coming from the right, your right knee as you “shuck” the suspect

CHOKEDESCAPING THE REAR BAR- UPARM STRANGLE

110 www.USCCA.com | May/June ■ BOTH the “Shuck” (previous page) and the simple distance-gaining escape (below) are essential self-defense skills, principally because the rear bar-arm strangle is such a common attack in assaults and strong-arm robberies. If an attacker applies such a hold to you, there won’t be much time to react, and your very survival could depend on your next move.

around your right shoulder and to or call 911. It might even convince the ground, using his own attack- your attacker to stop his actions; if not ing momentum against him. and you have to defend yourself with If the attacker leads with his justifiable intensity, it will enhance the left arm, drop to your left knee defensibility of your actions. and shuck him around your left shoulder. FOLLOW UP After escaping the strangulation GET LOUD assault — depending on your skills As soon as you can and the circumstances — you might think to do it, loudly shout, choose to follow up by running; strik- “Back!” or “Down!” If there ing with a fist, foot, elbow or knee im- are bystanders, shout, “Help! pact; using pepper spray; or draw- Someone call 911! I’m being ing your firearm. In these cases, you attacked!” This verbalization sends should continue to verbalize, “Get a message to the attacker. You are back!” If the attacker continues his also helping witnesses who might be assault and you are at a point where stunned by the sudden assault to rap- your very existence is still threat- idly draw the right conclusion about ened, you might find that your only what is happening. Your verbalization option is to shoot to stop the deadly will dramatically summon them to help threat. NOW VISUALIZE A CRIMINAL TRYING TO STRANGLE YOU. WHAT WILL YOU DO — FADE TO BLACK OR FIGHT BACK?

May/June | www.USCCA.com 111 LIFELINE by Anthony Lambert

TRAUMA

TRAINING Photo Credit: Matt Stagliano, Firelance Media KERRY ‘POCKET DOC’ DAVIS OF DARK ANGEL MEDICAL erry Davis has been taking care with SIG Sauer Academy, where he is laid-back and genuine and offers Kof people for more than half of teaches firearms classes, as well as a wealth of knowledge, yet he’s still his life. He joined the United States “Bullets and Bandages.” Davis and easy to talk with. Air Force in 1991, serving 15 years his business partner, Lynn Davis, are When I asked Davis how he got as an ER medic, flight medic and concealed carry permit holders and started with Dark Angel Medical, Officer Training School instructor. He USCCA Platinum members. there was a brief pause before he re- graduated the U.S. Army Airborne sponded, “Back in 2006, I told Lynn, School at Ft. Benning while stationed DARK ANGEL MEDICAL ‘I gotta come up with some type of as a flight medic at Pope Field in Ft. I’ve been following Dark Angel training program,’ because I noticed Bragg. Upon his release from ac- Medical for a few years now and was numerous officer-involved shootings. tive duty, he worked as a paramedic interested to find out more about I started talking with folks and no- while completing his course of study the people behind the company. I ticed there wasn’t anything between as an RN and worked as a critical recently had the opportunity to sit self/buddy aid and EMT/Paramedic care and emergency room nurse for down and conduct a phone interview care. So this gave me the idea to more than 10 years. with Davis, who is the company’s start writing the curriculum for it. I Davis is an avid shooter and has president. Talking with him felt like wrote my program and got it copy- instructed with Magpul Dynamics catching up with an old unit buddy righted. That, in short, is how all this and is currently a part-time instructor I haven’t seen in a long time. Davis got started.”

112 www.USCCA.com | May/June At that point in his life, Davis was tourniquet, QuikClot dressing, Z-Fold less of how you feel about it though, residing in the Boulder, Colorado, gauze, a pair of nitrile gloves and if you’re going to go about armed, area, down the road from Magpul. 2 feet of duct tape. This can all be you have to learn the basics. I asked After being vetted, he worked with packed down to the size of a wallet Davis what a prospective student Travis Haley and Chris Costa of the and can be easily carried anywhere could expect to learn in a Dark An- Magpul Dynamics team. Following a without drawing any extra attention. gel class, and he replied, “Our Direct 3-year stint there, Davis was offered With so many different kits avail- Action Response Training is unique a position with SIG Sauer Academy able, Davis realizes that simply pos- in that it fills the need between self/ and started Dark Angel Medical. In sessing medical gear is only half the buddy care training and civilian EMS 2013, he decided to dedicate all of solution; these preparedness-minded training and is aimed at individu- his time to Dark Angel Medical, al- people need to know what the indi- als with little to no medical training. though he does still work as a part- vidual pieces are for and how to use The course has a total of 16 hours time instructor for SIG Sauer Acad- them properly. The more we talked, of classroom work to include Pow- emy in the firearms and armorer the more I realized how similar Davis erPoint presentations, videos, Q&A programs and for his own “Bandag- and I are in our training philosophies. sessions and hands-on practical es & Bullets” courses. We agreed that many of our students skills application. A manual and all put a lot of time and investment into training equipment is provided. It MEDICAL KITS becoming great shooters in order to also counts for 16 hours of CEs from Davis and I discussed the medical protect themselves but fail to con- CECBEMS for EMT/Paramedics, and kits that Dark Angel Medical offers to tinue their training for what they may each student receives a BCON (Ba- the military/law enforcement market have to face after the physical threat sic Bleeding Control) certification.” as well as to the adventure, civilian is over. I also feel it’s worth noting that the and EDC sectors, specifically those In short, emergency medical train- D.A.R.K. Trauma Kit is available for designed for multiple-casualty use. I ing is not as “sexy” as shooting. Da- purchase at a steeply discounted

DARK ANGEL OFFERS A MINI TRAUMA KIT, WHICH INCLUDES A SWAT-T TOURNIQUET, QUIKCLOT DRESSING, Z-FOLD GAUZE, A PAIR“ OF NITRILE GLOVES AND 2 FEET OF DUCT TAPE. THIS CAN ALL BE PACKED DOWN TO THE SIZE OF A WALLET AND CAN BE EASILY CARRIED ANYWHERE WITHOUT DRAWING ANY EXTRA ATTENTION.

asked Davis which kit he would rec- vis said something that made me rate while registering for the class. ommend for someone who is a con- re-evaluate how we train, stating, Davis and an amazing staff of cealed carry permit holder or a citi- “We’ve been told” to train the way we professional trainers travel through- zen who is concerned with his or her fight. Instead, we should train the way out the country teaching this amaz- personal safety. He wasn’t quick to re- we bleed.” I asked him to clarify that ing lifesaving course. I would like spond with any particular kit but rath- statement, and he said, “We are do- to thank Davis for taking time out of er recommended that people think ing a disservice to ourselves by only his busy schedule for this interview. about what they picture themselves training the way we fight. We con- Keep up the great work! We look needing in terms of equipment; that centrate on stopping the threat and forward to your new and innovative should help determine which kit that’s it. What happens after the fight, products. would be a good starting point. you realize you have extra holes you Note: To show their appreciation for The great thing about medical kits weren’t born with. The real fight is just USCCA members, Dark Angel Medi- is that they are fully customizable. beginning. We need to train the way cal is offering a 10 percent discount You can always add or remove items we bleed.” on their training course at http://dark- as you gain more knowledge. Davis angelmedical.com/training/. and I recommend that you keep it TRAIN UP Use CODE: USCCA10. simple; having more is not always the As I stated above, emergency best solution. Dark Angel offers a mini medical training can seem dry and trauma kit, which includes a SWAT-T boring to some individuals. Regard-

May/June | www.USCCA.com 113 CLEAR IMPACT by Ed Combs

STAR POWER BARNES .380 ACP SPECIFICATIONS BULLET WEIGHT: 80 GRAINS MUZZLE VELOCITY: 990 FEET PER SECOND MSRP: $18.87/20

114 www.USCCA.com | May/June ■ ADVANCEMENTS IN ammuniton design and engineering have evolved the .380 ACP from a last-ditch holdout piece with no options beyond a fully jacketed bullet into a far more versatile platform. Learn just how these rounds from Barnes performed at the video link below.

WATCH CLEAR IMPACT AT https://youtu.be/jhnEHlrOS-I

■MILLIONS OF defensive gun uses happen in the dark, and, for the most part, you’ll only have the gun you brought if you’re forced to defend yourself outside of your home. On the downside, for millions of Americans, that means a pocket .380 of some description. On the upside, neither pocket .380s nor .380 ACP ammunition are what they used to be. Gone are the days of nothing but ball ammo and pistols large enough that you may as well be carrying a compact 9. These hollow-points from Barnes’ TAC-XPD line have a deep nose cavity to up your chances of deployment out of a shorter barrel, and when sent from a Diamondback DB380, they did just that, driving surprisingly deep into an FBI-sized block of 10 percent ballistic medium. This specific line of defensive ammunition is available in .380, 9mm +P, .357 Magnum, .40 S&W and .45 Auto +P at barnesbullets.com and is definitely worth a look.

May/June | www.USCCA.com 115 MEMBER PROFILE by Sarah Campisi

■SHORTLY AFTER getting her pistol permit HILLARYHILLARY at the age of 21, Hillary Dube realized that the class she took just wasn’t enough. Even though she could legally carry a gun, she had no idea DUBEDUBE how to defend herself with it. INVERNESS, FLORIDA Unfortunately, there weren’t many opportunities OWNER, HNR GUNWORKS to get firearms education in her area. So Dube EVERYDAY CARRY: took her education into her own hands. She shot SMITH & WESSON in competitions and took classes she found on- BODYGUARD, 1911, line. More importantly, she learned that preparing GLOCK 19 OR NORTH for the aftermath of a self-defense encounter is AMERICAN ARMS just as important as preparing for the incident itself. That vision of preparedness would later help serve as a foundation for HNR Gunworks, a business she founded with her fiance Ross Rivkin. When Dube and Rivkin were looking for a place to set up their business, they found that the laws and taxes in their home state of Con- necticut had become overbearing. Their friend Zeke Mathena, owner of Tactical Defense Train- ing Center in Florida, urged them to start the business near him because there was a lack of gunsmiths and gun shops. After a visit, Dube and Rivkin decided it was the perfect location and moved from the densely populated city of Middletown, Connecticut, to the small, close-knit town of Inverness, Florida, where they opened up shop in June 2017. HNR Gunworks specializes in Class 3 sales and custom gunsmithing, including refinishing and machine work. They also have a firearm and retail shop. Their exceptional customer service helps set their business apart, according to Dube. HNR Gunworks partners with Tactical Defense Training Center to offer a number of self-defense classes as well. In many of those classes, instructors urge students to carry self-defense insurance. After you’ve trained for and survived a self-defense encounter, you will still have to deal with the emotions and legal battle that often follow, Dube says. “Even if you have to use your gun in a defensive situation, you’re the bad guy,” she said. For Dube, the USCCA provides peace of mind. “I can sleep better at night ’cause I know that I’m covered,” she said. Dube encourages those who have just begun their concealed carry journey to train as much as possible. They should take their decision to carry seriously and accept responsibility for whatever happens in a self-defense situation. In her own words, “Prepare for the worst, but plan for the best.”

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