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THE ULTIMATE RESOURCE FOR THE ARMED CITIZENMY RANGEWON’T LET ME!AND HOW TO DEAL WITH ITLED FLAMETHROWERFLASHLIGHTSMAGNUM RESEARCHMICRO DESERT EAGLECONCEALED CARRYON A MOTORCYCLEvolume 6 MAY/JUNE 2009usconcealedcarry.com

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CONCEALED CARRYMAGAZINEVolume 6 - May/June 2009tIM’S THOUGHTSPublisher & EditorTimothy J. SchmidtManaging EditorKathy JacksonArt DirectorBetty ShontsCirculation ManagerLaura OttoCopy EditorJohn HiggsColumn EditorsDuane A. DaikerBruce N. Eimer, Ph.DGeorge HarrisMarty Hayes, J.D.K.L. JamisonJack RumbaughGabriel SuarezMark A. WaltersContributing WritersDennis CantrellSteve HenigsonDon LarsonTim ThorstensonAdvertising SalesBob Cole360-665-0542E-mail: bobcole@centurytel.netSigned articles in Concealed Carry Magazinereflect the views of the author, and are not necessarilythe views of the editors at Delta Media, LLC. The claimsand opinions in the paid advertisements publishedin this magazine are not necessarily the claims andopinions of Delta Media, LLC. Delta Media, LLC takesno responsibility for these views, claims or opinions.Concealed Carry Magazine and the U.S. ConcealedCarry Association are registered trademarks of DeltaMedia, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2004-2009 by Delta Media, LLC. Reproduction, copying,or distribution of Concealed Carry Magazine isprohibited without written permission.Published for U.S. Concealed Carry by:School is almost out for my young kids and that means we’ll soonbe taking some summer trips. Who knows, maybe we’ll visit uncleGreg out in Utah or maybe we’ll visit Uncle Bob down in Florida.I’ll bet you’re starting to plan some summer travel as well. Please besure to travel armed! It’s also a good idea to be aware of the state and locallaws where you’ll be traveling. Travel safe and have a great summer.USCCAhits theairwayswith ArmedAmericanRadioThe USCCA’s very own radio show made its debut Sunday, April 26th,2009. Host Mark Walters broadcasts LIVE every Sunday night from8 to 9 pm on 920 AM WGKA out of Atlanta, GA. The show is simulcastover the internet at http://920WGKA.townhall.com. You can learnmore about the show and download podcasts of past shows at www.ArmedAmericanRadio.org. Be sure to listen and call in every Sunday night!Stay safe and God bless,HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL...MAY/JUNE 2009 COVERPHOTOGRAPHER: Virginia CockerhamMODEL: USCCA member Teddy Smith shoots anIDPA stage with his Heckler & Koch USP CompactTactical during a weekend match in Louisiana.Teddy reports, “I’ve been a concealed carry permitholder for two years and have carried 24/7. In thattime, I’ve drawn my weapon once and reached forit another time. I got into IDPA as an alternative toweekly practice. It’s actually cheaper to shoot 100rounds at a match than to shoot 250 at a stall in anindoor range. As a professional photographer, I sometimes run the matches withthe camera strapped around me to ‘practice as you carry’.”N173W21298 Northwest Passage Way,Jackson, WI 53037(877) 677-1919 • Customer Service(262) 677-8877 • U.S. Concealed CarryConcealed Carry Magazine - May/June 2009 Issue;May 22, 2009 (USPS: 022-302, ISSN: 1550-7866)is published 8 times per year for $37.00 per year byDelta Media, LLC, N173W21298 Northwest PassageWay, Jackson, WI 53037. Periodicals postage paid atJackson, WI and additional mailing offices. POSTMAS-TER: Send address changes to: Concealed CarryMagazine, N173W21298 Northwest Passage Way,Jackson, WI 53037.SUBSCRIBE!Visit USConcealedCarry.com or call 877-677-1919Become a USCCA member and have Concealed Carry Magazinedelivered right to your door, along with members-only access to theUSCCA website, forums, PDF downloads and more!USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

ARE YOU TIRED OF UNCOMFORTABLEHOLSTERS? ARE YOU CARRYING ASMALLER GUN THAN YOU WANT TOJUST SO YOU CAN CONCEAL IT?I got my SuperTuck holster from you for myXD 4” back in February. I use it everyday 10to 12 hours, sometimes tucked, sometimesnot. This is the most comfortable holster I haveever had. Holds my XD close to my body andjust makes it disappear. It holds the gun firmly,yet easy and fast to draw. Who says you can’tconceal carry a full size gun? They never trieda SuperTuck. I love it!Thanks,Lifetime Warranty!Try-It-FREE-Guarantee!

LETTERS TO THE EDITOREditor:In response to Mark Walters’ recent articleson open carry – I did open carry oneday on a motorcycle ride. It was a nice dayand things went well until I stopped at a citypark. As I pulled into the park, I decided toconceal while walking along the river. I wasreturning to my motorcycle at the parkinglot when two police officers arrived and gotout of their car with hands on guns.They orderedme to lift up my shirt which I did. Theyordered me to turn around and lock my fingersbehind my head. At this point I washandcuffed and had my gun unholstered byan officer. I remained cuffed until my permitwas verified. What happened that day wasvery scary. It seems someone saw me ridingwith my gun exposed and called the police.It was a waste of time for the officers andvery traumatic for me. My advice to all: conceal,conceal, conceal! Save police officerstime and your trauma!Ken DropikSt. Paul, MNEditor:This serves to supplement informationprovided by Duane E. Daiker in his excellentreport, “Real World Carry Gear,” in the Feb/Mar 2009 issue, pages 46-49, specificallywith reference to the SureFire pen.In the report, “Schmidt Technology easy-FLOW ink cartridges,” are reportedly therefills to be used in the pen. Schmidt refilltechnology is great, but, unfortunately, notreadily accessible. The Parker Gel refill worksjust as well, and is readily available.S.F.CaliforniaEditor:I just wanted to send a note of thanks forsuch a great magazine. I had just become amember and received the sample issue yousent out. I was so impressed I called and orderedevery back issue I missed – 30+ magazines.It was like Christmas morning whenthe box of magazines arrived! Laura at DeltaMedia took good care of me. The articlesfrom day one have been great but what isreally noticeable is the progression of thequality of the layout. Kudos!I have just become a certified CCDW instructorhere in Kentucky and as a “rookie”I am like a sponge trying to absorb everybit of information I can to make me better.Somebody’s life could one day depend uponwhat I’ve taught them so I take it very seriously.Beyond my faith and my family, thereis nothing I feel more passionate about thanour 2A rights and the small role I can play inintroducing people to the safe and responsibleuse of handguns. Your magazine inspiresme by featuring the everyday citizen andhow they exercise their God-given right toself preservation. Keep up the good work.Ken OwenEditor:If the photo of the young woman beingheld by the wrist on page 36 of the April issuedoes not infuriate every man who readsthis magazine, I will be sorely surprised. Itmakes me want to jump into the picture andexact extreme revenge on her behalf. Thereis NO reason for ANY young woman acceptthat treatment as her lot in life. Please, ladies,FIGHT BACK.Tom SchooleyFlagstaff, AZEditor:I would like to pose this question toBetty Shonts, having seen the new cover ofCCM (April ‘09). Several decades ago, YaleUniversity did a study regarding the hearingcapabilities of fetuses in the third trimester.It was determined that fetuses can hearmusic quite well, and that the type of musicexposure affects their musical abilities laterin life. Betty, you are wearing hearing protection,but not so with your fetus. Does youfetus react when you shoot? Will your babyhave any effects later on, such as hearingimpairments, or jumpy/nervous temperament?Al ParkerThank you for your concern. That photowas taken before I was pregnant. Besidesthe risks of stressing the fetus and possiblycausing hearing damage, shooting duringa pregnancy may also cause lead contamination,and the injury or death of the fetusfrom a ricochet or negligent discharge froman incompetent shooter. While I have neverstopped carrying my handgun, I have limitedmyself to unholstering and dry-fire drills forthe duration of the pregnancy.Betty ShontsDue to volume received, not allletters can be answered. Letters maybe edited for space and clarity.Send your letters to:Concealed Carry MagazineAttn: EditorN173W21298 Northwest Passage Way,Jackson WI 53037Or email:editor@usconcealedcarry.comACROSS THEEDITOR’S DESK“Courage is doing what you’reafraid to do. There can be nocourage unless you’re scared.”— Eddie RickenbacherOne of the little pleasures inmy life is having the opportunityto introduce other peopleto firearms and self-defense. A fewweekends ago, I was privileged tomeet a woman who had a lifelong fearof guns which was based on an incidentthat happened when she was ayoung girl. Married to a gun collectorfor nearly forty years, she confidedthat she had always been unable toeven stay in the room whenever herhusband removed a firearm from hissafe. She did not want to look at herhusband’s firearms, or handle them,or have anything else to do withthem, because they reminded her ofher fears.Here’s the wonderful part: I metthis courageous woman on the range,taking a firearms class! She had foundthe courage to face her fears and defeatthem, and she did well in theclass too. Good for her – and good forall of us who believe that self-defenseis a human right.Who have you taken to the rangelately?CorrectionIn the April 2009 issue, we published incorrectcontact information for Ted Blocker Holsters.The correct phone number is (800) 650-9742.The correct URL is www.TedBlockerHolsters.com. Our apologies for the inconvenience!6USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

TRUE STORIESROBBERY THWARTEDAT AA MEETINGKayson Helms, 18, decided that themembers of a Columbia, South CarolinaAlcoholics Anonymous looked likeeasy targets.Helms walked into the 11 pm meetingwith a gun and demanded whatevervaluables the members had.A visitor at the AA center — an unidentifiedman with a concealed weaponspermit — shot Helms, killing him.No charges have been filed.wltx.comBOAT THIEVES GROUNDEDIn Houston, an unnamed victim onI-45 was returning from a fishing trip atLake Conroe when three men in a cartried to steal the boat he was haulingwith his pickup.It was 1am when the men opened fireon the victim, causing the victim to pullout his own gun and fire back. One ofthe robbers was killed, and the driverof the car pulled into a gas station onNorth Shepherd Drive to get help.The victim lost control of his pickupand ended up in a field.click2houston.comWRONG COUPLE TO ROBAT WALLY WORLDLydia Antonetz, 57, and her husbandJohn, 63, were loading groceries intotheir car at a Little Rock, Arkansas Wal-Mart when Johnathan Terry, 24, pointeda gun at her and grabbed for her purse.John Antonetz pulled his .357 fromhis holster and shot at Terry four times,including once as Terry fled to his getawaycar where two accomplices werewaiting for him.Police found and arrested Terry atthe University Hospital. The two othersuspects, Tequila Rice, 22, and SherryBattles, 25, were also arrested.Antonetz has a concealed weaponspermit.wxvt.comBLOODY BURGER KINGAt the Burger King at Northeast 54thStreet and Biscayne Boulevard in Miami,an unidentified man wearing a ski maskentered and tried to rob the place.The robber approached a clerk,showed his gun and demanded cash.A customer with a concealed weaponspermit verbally confronted the man,and the two exchanged gunfire. Therobber died on the scene, and the permitholder, who was wounded by severalgunshots, was taken to the hospital.He was listed in serious but stablecondition.miamiherald.comHE WAS OUT ON PAROLEFOR MURDERPaul Ronnie Hickman, 57, was out onparole for the 1969 murder and armedrobbery of taxicab dispatcher WilliamT. Snellings. Hickman spotted his nextvictim, Ellen Valentine, as she was fillingup her car at the Stop In in Roanoke.Video cameras record Hickman walkingup behind Valentine, grabbing herpurse, and throwing her to the ground.Valentine went into the Stop In andtold clerk John Pierce what happened.Pierce got into his truck and went lookingfor the robber and found him behindthe Memorial Avenue fire station,still holding onto Valentine’s purse.MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COMCARRY A GUN... IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE.Pierce, who has a handgun permit,called 911 and held Hickman at gunpointuntil police arrived.Hickman pleaded guilty and will facefive years to life at an upcoming sentencinghearing.roanoke.comPRESCRIPTION FOR DISASTERAn unnamed Palm Coast, FL victimhad just had his prescription filled at aWalgreens and had pulled into his garagewhen a gunman rushed in and demandedhis medication.The victim yelled at the robber to tryto scare him off, but the robber shotat him instead. Uninjured, the victimretrieved his own handgun and shotback.The robber fled, uninjured, and is describedas a black male, 5-foot-7, whofled in a green Dodge Caravan.news-journalonline.comHow would you have handledsituations like these? Discussscenarios and more online in theusconcealedcarry.com forums.Familiarize yourself with yourlocal and state laws regardingself-defense.Be a Patriot!JOIN THE BLOGwith ìMark WaltersîThe next 4 years are going to be very difficult for gun owners!YOU MUST stay informed! Get the Latest Breaking Gun RelatedNews ìFreeî to your mailbox!AmericanGunFighter Gear Coming Soon!www.theamericangunfighter.com7

THE ORDINARY GUY©iPHOTO - MGAHURATHE MEAN STREETS OF TAMPA -A SAVAGE GUNFIG[ BY MARK WALTERS ]Tampa, Florida is a beautiful place. I can attest to that after spending nearly 15years there as a resident.Like many people who move toFlorida, I did so to escape thecolder weather of the northerncities that I had been transferred to overthe years after graduating from college.Meeting friends was difficult in a newplace but not impossible, and like mostpeople, I consider myself lucky if I cancount my true lifelong friends on onehand. Vincent Savage is one of them.Vincent is one of the most interestingpeople I have ever known. Well traveledaround the world, he has spent timeworking and sightseeing in areas of theglobe where most people would neverventure, from the Middle East to beinga current property owner in Colombia,South America. Shortly after settlingdown in Tampa, Vincent survived an encounterthat he thought would be morelikely to happen in some of the thirdworld countries he had visited, ratherthan on the streets of his newly adoptedhome town. Like me, he makes friendseasily, and one sunny Saturday afternoon,heading over to a buddy’s hometo spend some time outside would almostend his life.Vincent was on his way to pick up hisfriend. He was approximately 30 minutesahead of schedule, and he knew hewas going to have to wait. “I knew I wasgoing to be early,” Vincent said. “I didn’treally care. I just wanted to get outsideand have some fun, maybe pick up myfriend and hit the range or something.”As he pulled into his friend’s driveway,Vincent noticed a car with thetrunk lid up, parked in the alley next tothe house. “I don’t know what made medo it. I guess it just didn’t look right so Igot out to investigate,” he said. Walkingtowards the car, he heard noises andvoices coming from inside a woodenshed on his friend’s property. “They8USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

“I knew I was hit rightaway. I could feel thepain in my right thumbas I pulled the trigger.”Vincent Savage is one ofonly a few Americans ableto use the Israeli-madeTavor rifle in Colombia.HTwere speaking Spanish. I speak Spanishas well, but I couldn’t make out exactlywhat they were saying from where I wasso I decided to take a closer look.”Vincent approached the shed, andbeing well schooled in the ways ofthe world, he drew his Sig Sauer P226.Holding the weapon down and to theside of his right leg, he approached theshed doors. “I heard them stop whatthey were doing. I can only guess to thisday, but I believe they may have heardme coming. I reached for the latch onthe shed, and before I could get to it, thedoors swung open like they had beenkicked.”POW. POW. POW. “All I could see wasmuzzle flashes, so I raised my rightMAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY

hand.” Standing in front of Vincent weretwo Cuban immigrants (later found tohave come to Florida as part of the 1980Mariel boat lift). They had just been interruptedby Vincent as they were burglarizinghis friend’s property. VincentSavage now found himself in a face toface gunfight with two armed and violentyoung men.POW. POW. POW. Vincent instinctivelyreturned fire at bad-breath distanceas he moved desperately to his left inan attempt to get cover on the side ofthe shed. “I knew I was hit right away. Icould feel the pain in my right thumb asI pulled the trigger. I remember intentionallytrying to shoot the guy directlyin his face.” As Vincent sheltered behindthe false safety of the wooden walls, theduo began firing again. The wood splinteredas Vincent ducked the incomingfire. A round shattered the woodenwall, fragmented, and found its way tothe right side of Vincent’s face. Anotherround grazed the right side of his stomach.Vincent fired at the shed as he ranacross the yard, fleeing the property inan attempt to get to safety. He boltedacross the street and over a fence, anddropped his weapon before findinghimself inside a convenience store.Bleeding from his hand, eye, and a grazingwound to the stomach, he asked theowners to call the police. Within moments,the area was swarming with lawenforcement officers, and Vincent wason his way to the hospital.“I had been hit in the thumb on mygun hand, I guess it’s a testament to thefact that people will instinctively fire atthe weapon during a confrontation,”Vincent said later. “As I moved to coveron the left side of the shed, and as theyfired through the wooden walls, I tooka fragment of lead just below my righteye, and another fragmented round tothe right side of my stomach.”Fortunately, none of Vincent’s woundswere life-threatening, although his rightthumb is now one half inch shorterthan his left, leaving him maimed forever.Both men were later caught in thedragnet set up by Tampa police. Vincenthad shot one of the criminals directly inthe abdomen, seriously wounding him.The second offender was not hit evenVincent Savage enjoying thecompany of family and friends.Vincent loading Mark Walter’sWinchester Model 94.though the lead was flying at a distanceof less than four feet. Both men wereprosecuted, found guilty, and did timefor the crimes they committed that afternoon.Vincent was found to be actingin self-defense, and no charges werefiled against him. Police later recoveredhis Sig Sauer P226 and it was returnedto him after the investigation was completed.Vincent Savage continues to reside inthe greater Tampa area, and spends histime traveling with his wife and childrenbetween his home in Tampa and hiswife’s homeland of Colombia. As one ofPHOTO BY MARK WALTERSthe first CCW permit holders in Floridaafter the 1987 landmark Florida law waspassed, he has used the incident as motivationto continue his firearm trainingand self defense instruction. n[ Mark Walters is a NRA CertifiedInstructor in three disciplines, a memberof NSSF and a vocal Second Amendmentactivist. He is a member of GeorgiaCarry.org. Mark encourages readers to writehim at theordinaryguy@comcast.netand to visit his website, www.theamericangunfighter.com.]10USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

ONE SOURCE TACTICALVisit Our NEW Website for easy ordering : www.onesourcetactical.comADVANCED KALASHNIKOV RIFLE GUNFIGHTINGStill Too Simple To Be Tactical – with Gabe SuarezWhat we do in this DVD will make any rifle training you have done before seemlike a church picnic. Following on the material presented in the first DVD, we addadvanced displacement methods, enhanced gun handling to help you run the AKfaster and better. We show the incorporation, full speed, of the Pekiti Take Offwith a rifle, full speed shoulder transfers, full speed transitions on the run, and asection on the ballistics of the popular AK rifle rounds. This one will move yourAK Combat Skills to a whole new level.Color, Approx. 68 Minutes ADVAK.DVD: $43.99ADVANCED CLOSE RANGEGUNFIGHTINGIn this DVD Gabe Suarez shows youthe very fast-paced full-speedconcealed carry shooting action thathas made his training world famous.This DVD will have you doing thingsmost people think are impossible, andmove the art of gunfighting anothergiant leap forward.Color, Approx. 70 MinutesACRG.DVD: $39.99COMBATIVE PISTOL MARKSMANSHIPSuarez establishes the foundationnecessary for future intermediate andadvanced levels. The entire premiseis that "SHOOTING IS EASY". Hegives you all the steps needed tofire an accurate shot. All the secretsare here This DVD is suitable for boththe advanced shooter as a refresher ofthings forgotten, and for the novice tolearn the correct way the first time.Color, Approx. 50 MinutesCPM.DVD: $39.99THE GUERILLA SNIPERBy Anthony James& Gabriel SuarezThis is a totally different look atsniping. We examine the subject fromthe historical perspective of the CivilianPartisan Sniper as may have beenseen in Occupied Europe duringWWII.8-1/2x11, Softcover, 100 ppSIS-GSR-BOOK: $25.00POINT SHOOTING PROGRESSIONSBy Roger PhillipsThe system discussed in this bookis based on the series of classesthat Phillips teaches via SuarezInternational. This book is essentialreading for any student ofgunfighting and is destined tobecome a classic in the sense ofShoot To Live, and Kill Or GetKilled.8 1/2 X 11, Soft cover, 122 pp.SIS-PHILLIPS-BOOK: $25.00ORDER BY MAIL:ONE SOURCE TACTICAL1264 South Highway 89 – Unit BChino Valley, AZ 86323ORDER ONLINE:www.onesourcetactical.comTo request a free catalog of our excitingtitles and DVDs, visit our online store.ORDER BY PHONE:Phone: 928-776-4492FAX: 928-776-8218

SIG SAUER ® ACADEMYPOCKET CARRY OF THEPRIMARY CONCEALED GUN[ B Y G E O R G E H A R R I S ]With the ever increasing interest in concealed carry for personal protection spawnedby the country’s political swing, more and more people are looking for a convenientway to carry a gun.Often, convenience overrides effectivenessdue to the mindsetthat “bad things really won’thappen to me” or that the gun’s merepresence will ward off danger and evilspirits alike. Therefore, “as long as Ihave a gun, I’ll be safe.”There are many considerations thatshould be addressed every time wecarry a gun in our pocket. Concealmentfrom public view; accessibility; covertor overt recovery to the carry location;protection from dirt, lint, or sweat; andaccessibility of spare ammunition arejust a few of the more obvious concerns.The question, “Am I ready forthat dreaded encounter?” must be answeredevery time you get dressed witha gun as part of your ensemble. Justhaving a gun doesn’t cut it if it can’t beused to protect yourself.Recently I have received more thana few inquiries regarding pocket carryfor a handgun. This stimulated somethought on my part. I have generallyregarded pocket carry as a location fora second or third gun, rather than as alocation for the primary (and only) gun.Most of the inquiries were from the perspectiveof single-gun pocket carry, so Ihad to utilize the SIG Principle of objectivebased training to get in the propermindset for pocket carry of the primaryconcealed handgun.First things first: which pocket are wetalking about? With jeans or other commonlyworn attire we have four choices--two front and two rear-providing thepants are loose enough to carry withoutimprinting and allow easy access tothe pistol. More and more people todaywear trousers with cargo pockets, whichadd two more options to the list. Someshirts have slash pockets in the chestarea that are candidates for small pistolconcealment, while others have waistpockets that may work as well. There aresome specialty shirts and trousers thathave locations at the button line or thebelt line to conceal a handgun. Outergarments such as jackets or vests havesimilar characteristics to shirts and willbe lumped in the same category. Thereare lots of places to choose from, but dothey meet the necessary conditions tobe functional?In order to meet the definition ofconcealed, you must be able to movethrough your everyday life while armedwithout anyone else being aware of thefact. This means that the outline of thegun should not imprint the garmentin any position. Loose clothing and aproperly shaped pocket holster shouldbe all that is needed to meet this criterion.In some cases the bulk of thegarment itself is enough to conceal thegun.In order for the gun to realize maximumutility it must be accessible fromthe carry location at all times, preferablywith both the dominant andnon-dominant hand. We tend to thinkin terms of standing when we have toaccess and draw the gun, but it’s justas likely we may be seated. This restrictsour movement to access anddraw. Worse yet, we may be seat-beltedAbout the Author:George Harris has spent over 30 yearsin the field of adult education withmore than 17 yearsat the SIG SAUER ®Academy. He hasfocused his effortsin the arenas ofsmall arms, smallarms training andcombat skill development.Georgehas evolved from an infantry soldier,small arms repair technician, anddrill instructor to become the coachand firing member of the internationallyrecognized United States ArmyReserve Combat Marksmanship Team.As a competitive shooter, Georgehas the coveted distinction of beingDistinguished with both the servicepistol and the service rifle. As directorof the SIG SAUER ® Academy, George iscommitted to the safe and successfuluse of firearms by armed professionalsand responsible citizens alike throughusing the SIG Principle of Training:Simple Is Good!Sponsored By:sigsauer.com 603-679-200312USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

in the compressed space of a vehicle.An important consideration is theposition of the gun in the carry locationto allow a smooth, unrestricted draw.Unfortunately, gravity never sleeps,and a gun by itself in a pocket tends toshift so that the heaviest part is closestto the ground.TATTOO PARLOR OWNERSHOOTSThisROBBERmeans in mostcases that the gun comes to rest upsideATLANTA, GEORGIA — The shotgundown hangs with on a minimum the wall of the of movement. Tattoo Doctor A forpocket a reason, holster its that employees form fits say. the It’s pocket meant tonot only convey stabilizes a message the to gun, anyone but walking breaks in:up itsDon’toutlinemess withso thatus.detection is lessUntil now, the insinuation workedlikely. Another attribute of the form fittedpocket to hold holster up the southwest is that unlike Atlanta a sim-tattoofine. But when a would-be robber triedple sleeve, and piercing it usually parlor stays Thursday in place night, duringthe learned draw the and hard recovery, way what making happens onehehand when operation you disobey. of the gun easier.In thinnerThe storegarments,owner shotsagtheismanalwaysat leastathree times, sending him scurrying out ofproblem. Even with a form fitted holster,complex—where the weight of the gun was wants promptly tothe shop and into a nearby apartmenttwist arrested. and turn to accommodate gravity.Reinforcing “Stop trying panels to sewn rob, that’s behind not the thecarry avenue location, they or need simply to take,” positioning said theowner’s brother, who goes by the namethe gun as low as possible in the pocket,“Zok” Patrick. “But if you do,” he added,are two means of combating sag.“be ready for the repercussions.”There is About one final seven consideration people, including thatwould patrons seem and a no employees, brainer, but were I see at the itenough to make mention of it: If youcarry a gun in a pocket, make sure thatthe pocket is free of dirt, lint and otherdebris before inserting the gun in thepocket. Above all, carry only the gunand holster in the pocket of choice.Spare ammunition, no matter how itshop on Campbellton Road when twois packaged, has to be given the samemen came in about 8 p.m. asking toconsideration get tattooed. as the gun itself. It needsa means As one of obscuring of them was the called outline, for his stability,appointment, and accessibility. the second man Whether pulled out thespare a gun, ammunition ordered everyone is located to get on down theon the ground and demanded money,gun side or not is determined by type ofPatrick said.gun and preference of the individual. If“He pointed to the [shotgun] andfor said no nobody other reason touch it,” than Patrick balance, said. “We havespare put it ammunition. up there to curtail It is exactly better this to type haveit of and behavior.” not need it than the other wayaround. As the patrons hit the ground, thestore owner—whose business license listsEven though I still am a proponenthim as Ikeno Patrick, but who goes byof“Nomadic”—pulleddominant-side waistout acarrydifferentofgunyourprimary and fired. defensive handgun I feel thatmuch “Zok” good can Patrick be said says about his brother pocketcarry returned of the fire concealed only after pistol the would-be or revolver.robber This is fired especially some shots true when of his consideringthe points of view listed above.own.Police had not sorted through thedetails of the attempted robbery by lateThursdayBe ever vigilant,night. “FrommaintainwhatyourI seen,training[my and brother] practice hit often. him on Simple the mouth, Is Good! then shoulder, the side,” Patrick said.The man ran out, firing back over hisshoulder as he made his escape throughthe parking lot.“The whole neighborhood must haveJust having agun doesn’tcut it if itcan’t be usedto protectyourself.called police. There were so many shotsfired,” Patrick said.The store is in a shopping centerthat houses, among other businesses, abarber shop and a pizza place.As the shots flew, the second mancowered in a corner, saying, “Pleasedon’t kill me. I didn’t have nothing to dowith it,” Patrick recalled.Atlanta police Officer Eric Schwartzsaid the would-be robber, whose namewas not released, was arrested and takento a hospital in stable condition.“Nomadic” Patrick was taken toa police station to give his version ofevents. The other employees spent lateThursday night picking up glass shardsand sweeping out the debris.Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionAugust 16, 20070 Concealed Carry Magazine www.usconcealedcarry.comVolume 4 - October 2007MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM13

Shareholders’ EquityShareholders’ equity at July 31, 2008, was $208.7 million compared to $201.9 million as at January 31 2008, with theincrease attributable to the retention of earnings. At July 31, 2008, the Corporation had 134,461,555 Class A commonshares outstanding and 742,604 Class B common shares outstanding compared to 110,920,019 Class A common sharesoutstanding and nil Class B common shares outstanding as at July 31, 2007. The detail of the 23.5 million increase inClass A common shares issued during the most recent twelve-month period is as follows: 19.2 million Class A commonshares were issued as partial consideration for the acquisition of TAI, 4.3 million Class A common shares were issued aspartial consideration for the acquisition of DMS, and 20,000 Class A common shares were issued on the exercise ofoptions. 742,604 Class B common shares were issued as partial consideration for the acquisition of TAI.There were no common share purchase warrants outstanding at July 31, 2008. Prior to July 31, 2008 there were 1.2million common share purchase warrants outstanding which entitled the holders of these warrants to subscribe for oneClass A share for every warrant held at a subscription price of $2.00 per share; however these warrants expired on July31, 2008.There were 7.5 million (2008 - 6.8 million) common share options outstanding at July 31, 2008. For the six-month periodended July 31, 2008, 406,000 (2008 – 2.8 million) common share options were granted. In the same period, salaryexpense and an addition to contributed surplus of $629,000 (2008 - $1.1 million) were recorded relating to the vesting ofoptions granted.On March 27, 2006, the Corporation was continued under the Canada Business Corporations Act. At the time of thecontinuance, its share structure was amended to authorize the issuance of an unlimited number of Class A commonvoting shares and an unlimited number of Class B common variable voting shares. Each issued and outstanding commonvoting share as at March 27, 2006, was converted into a Class A common voting share on a one for one basis.Additional information with respect to share capital is contained in note 5 of the interim consolidated financial statements.Normal Course Issuer BidOn June 10, 2008, the Corporation filed a notice with the Toronto Stock Exchange (“Exchange”) to make a normal courseissuer bid (“NCIB”) allowing the Corporation to purchase for cancellation up to 5,000,000 of its Class A common votingshares (“common shares”) representing 3.72% of the 134,461,555 issued and outstanding common shares as at June 11,2008. Subject to one block purchase per calendar week allowed pursuant to the rules of the Exchange, the maximumnumber of common shares to be acquired under the NCIB each day is 11,670 common shares. The Corporation may buyback common shares from time to time during the twelve months commencing June 12, 2008 and ending June 11, 2009,or such earlier date as the Corporation may complete its purchases pursuant to the Notice of Intention. Any purchasemade under the NCIB will be effected through the facilities of the Exchange and in accordance with the policies and rulesof the Exchange. The Corporation did not make any repurchases under the NCIB during the most recent quarter.Updated Share InformationAt September 12, 2008, there were 134,461,555 Class A common shares outstanding and 742,604 Class B commonshares outstanding. At the same date, there were 7,519,550 common share options outstanding.Related Party TransactionsAt July 31, 2008, the Corporation had total indebtedness, including accrued interest, of $19.1 million (2008 - $18.6million), bearing an interest rate range of prime to prime plus 1% per annum, owing primarily to officers and directors ofthe Corporation or its subsidiaries and who were former owners of the subsidiaries. For the quarter and year-to-date theinterest expense on this debt totaled $303,000 (2008 - $289,000) and $531,000 (2008 - $576,000) respectively.14

UTHfocus on the minutia of range drills andof shooting groups, as well as discussionof the finer points of which pistoltrigger works best at this game or thatgame. That would be fine if everyonesimply admitted that they had no interestin defensive shooting and rather,that their focus was on winning gungames or on using firearms training tofeel good about themselves. But that isnot the case. This type of thinking is putforth as the way to win a street fight.I see this phenomenon every fewyears because American shooters areexcessively hardware focused (insteadof software focused), and they are alsolazy and soft. They would rather marvelat a tight group from a new gunthan a stellar performance against anuncooperative opponent in a forceon force session. If that is you, thenyou can get upset with me and complainto the editor, or you can readfurther and see how you can change,and become a better gun fighter.It is very empowering to go to therange with special “shooting clothes,”special hat and sunglasses, and practicethe “hammers” taught at thatseminar you attended with your newcustom cool-guy gun from your newcustom cool-guy holster...just like yourfavorite gun guru does every day of hislife. It makes you feel good about yourself,and after all, that is the object ofthe exercise—no?MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM15

But that will not help you one bit ina gunfight. If you haven’t done force onforce, or you don’t train the lessons offorce of force, then going to the rangeand going through these shooting ritualsis like sitting in your AMC Pacerwith a copy of Ferrari Annual and pretendingyou are driving the real thing:Silly at best, and tragic at worst. Butwhat if I told you that you could havethat Ferrari and all it would cost youwas a different outlook, an open mind,and a little time?Primarily, your focus has to changefrom seeking empowerment, to seekingtrue fighting skill. That and an openmind to accept that maybe what youhave been training is not the be-all,end-all of gunfighting skills. And finally,a little time to unlearn and relearn.Relearn skills for reality. Trainingfor reality is not like a “martial artist”showing up to demonstrate in asplendidly pressed uniform and doingsome classical ancient sword kataagainst unseen enemies with technicalperfection. Nor is it the expert hittingthe bag with gymnastic like precisionwhile wearing the fashionable “fightingclothes.”Most gun school training is exactlylike that isn’t it? Totally ego-focusedand designed to make the participantfeel good about himself. You can trainfor ego (to feel good about how goodyou are), or you can train to win thefight (by training to really fight well).But you can’t do both. Some schoolsseem not to be in the business of teachinganyone to really fight; they are inthe business of “empowering” peopleor teaching people to feel good aboutthemselves.The main reason why more gun guysdon’t actually train to win the fight byfighting, is the same reason so manymartial arts schools don’t do any actualfull contact fighting in order totrain their students to win hand-tohandfights. After a full-contact fight,both sides look like they were mugged.Training like this is humbling, becauseeveryone gets hit, but it will get you farmore ready for the real thing on thestreet, than hours of empowerment byhitting a heavy bag.All these guys really know how to dois to shoot well against a piece of cardboardin an artificial time limit. Onemight ask if those skills do not offersome benefit on the street, and thereforeare worth pursuing. I say a definitenegative. When guys that have spentextensive time training for the range(not to mention extensive amounts ofmoney and ammunition) come to ourtraining venue, they suddenly realizethat a gunfight is not like the shootingrange. As a result, many of them doworse than a novice there for the firsttime. They are so married to their rangeprotocols that it takes them much moretime to unlearn and finally let go of “theuseless” and accept what they actuallyneed to do to prevail. Shocking isn’t it?In the old world of the sword, therewas a saying: In Ferro Veritas, or In SteelWe Learn the Truth. Meaning that whenit counts, all the theory and bluster isirrelevant. It will come down to whetheryou can show it or you cannot.

Gunfights tend to be close.What will be of more use in thissituation: Learning to fire a dimesized-group at 10 yards withtotal sight focus, or learning howa knife attack will materializeand how you can keep him fromstabbing you to the ground?The results, the “Truth” if you will,of what we see in the force on forcecrucible is that the majority of shootingtraining done with the idea of “selfdefense” is virtually worthless in a realstreet fight.If you don’t agree, don’t be offendedand stomp off into the night in a huff.Seriously, my intent is not to anger youbut to educate you. In Steel We LearnThe Truth. nGabe Suarez is the CEO of SuarezInternational, USA.www.suarezinternational.comwww.warriortalk.comwww.onesourcetactical.com

CCM PROFILEUli addresses the county supervisorsregarding the appointed Sheriff’s intentto revoke more than 400 legitimatelyissued CCWs.“Hundreds oflaw-abiding citizensin Orange Countyare receivingtheir (CCW)revocation letters.”I was born and raised in Germany.Our family owned a .22 rifle, and myfather introduced me very earlyon to proper firearms safety andsafe gun handling. What our city did nothave was a range for recreational shooting.Without the proper location, I nevergot to fire that rifle.For a short period during my highschool years, I joined a shooting club andcompeted first with air rifle and air pistol,later also in smallbore pistol. Most interestingwere the more dynamic disciplinessuch as OSP (Olympic Rapid Fire Pistol).My scores were not necessarily the best,but I enjoyed practice and competitionuntil typical teenage distractions directedmy focus away from marksmanship.After graduation from high school camea reintroduction to firearms in the formof military service in the Army. Germanyhas mandatory service for every malecitizen over the age of 18. When my timein the service ended, so did any firearmrelatedactivities for the next ten years.My Master’s thesis in mechanicalengineering brought me to Boston,Massachusetts. From there, things developedinto a job in California. Not long afterI began working in Costa Mesa, I metmy wife and we got married two yearslater. We are now a family of five, and mywife and kids are the center of my life.One of my co-workers took me to a localrange and before I knew it, I began shootingregularly. Together, we took classeswith local instructors.As things go, I shared my experiencesfrom the range with friends and co-workers.My enthusiasm sparked their interestand soon I found myself in the situationwhere friends asked me to teach themthe basics. I knew a lot about firearms,but I had little to no knowledge how toconduct even basic training. However,teaching shooting techniques was whatI wanted to do. My research soon led meULIGEto TJ Johnston, the local NRA TrainingCounselor, who qualified me as a pistolinstructor. Armed with his training, I soonbegan teaching formal classes.Around the same time began my concealedcarry history. Southern Californiain general had, and still has, a rather restrictiveCCW policy. However, living inOrange County suddenly had anotherpositive thing to it: aside from being closeto the beach in one of the best climates Icould imagine, this county had a Sheriffwho supported armed civilians. True,California law requires a ”good cause”to receive a permit to carry. But for ourSheriff, being a competition shooter orpart-time firearms instructor met thegood-cause requirement. The logical nextstep for me was to submit an application.By January 2002, I received my permit andsubsequently qualified to teach more advancedmaterial. One of the classes thatI took, the Surefire low-light instructor18USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

Uli and hisdaughter testingout her new ride.Uli demonstrates afast-paced course offire for his students.When Uli’s kidswanted to knowwhat he does atwork, he let themplay around witha 3D CAD programin the home office.BHARDcourse, introduced me to force-on-forcetraining. That was something that struckme as a great training tool.Eventually, I picked up a copy ofConcealed Carry Magazine and begangobbling up information on classes frominstructors who travel nationwide withvery advanced material. Gabe Suarez’ articlesstood out of the crowd: his trainingis truly geared towards armed civilians.One course with him and I was hooked.Moving off the line of attack while engagingan opponent, and reinforcing thatwith Airsoft-based force-on-force, wasthe next step that I had been looking for.Things just worked out from here. SuarezInternational looked for staff instructorsto teach the basic and intermediatecourses. California was not yet covered,and I applied rather quickly for that spot.Teaching a variety of Suarez Internationalcourses brought many very positive experiences.In a lot of the discussions withmy students I could draw from my ownexperiences of carrying concealed forclose to seven years.All these positive experiences gotcountered by a very negative one in earlyOctober of 2008. This event was not alethal force encounter. It was political. Ifound myself among over 400 people inour county whose CCWs were markedfor revocation. Earlier that year our previousSheriff, Michael Carona, resignedwhen he came under investigation forcorruption. The Board of Supervisors appointedSandra Hutchens in a 3:2 vote tofill the position of Sheriff until the end ofthe current term in 2010. Hutchens waspreviously employed by the Los AngelesCounty Sheriff’s Department, which hasa long history of denying concealed carrypermits. In many cases CCWs for policeemployed,non-sworn personnel are denied.Hutchens was originally tasked to improvethe overall situation of the OrangeCounty Sheriff’s Department. Pressingproblems were out-of-control use ofovertime as well as sub-standard conditionsin the jail, which had already ledto the preventable murder of an inmate.Hutchens’ first action, however, was toreview and revise the CCW policy, especiallythe “good cause” threshold usedby Sheriff Carona. During her 120-dayupdate to the Board of Supervisors, shementioned “no permits have been revokedto date.” On the date of that meeting,several hundred letters went out,notifying law-abiding holders of legitimatelyissued permits that they no longermet the revised good cause standard,and that their permits were marked forrevocation. I was one of the recipients.The letter from the Sheriff’s departmenttriggered a wave of outrage fromaffected CCW holders, their friends andfamilies. The Board of Supervisors re-MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM19

acted to these concerns and dedicatedthree board meetings over the past fourmonths to this issue. During the firstmeeting, hundreds of CCW holders werepresent, and more than 60 went up tothe podium to voice their concerns. Atthe end of the hearing, the Supervisorsunanimously voted for a resolution thaturged the Sheriff’s Department to bemore lenient.Hutchens chose to ignore the resolutionand the majority of the concernsof her constituents. Two more publicmeetings followed earlier this year. I attendedthose as well as the one before. InNovember, I went into the meeting notknowing what to expect and only madea brief statement from hastily scribblednotes. That had to change. I wantedto bring my point across in a professionaland well-researched manner.Additionally, I felt that the board meetingsalone were too small of a platformand that I had to take these events to amuch larger public forum. I rememberedGabe Suarez and his articles inConcealed Carry Magazine. He referredme to the right people and I soon saw myupdates on our local situation publishedin the USCCA Armed American weeklynewsletter. Two subsequent board meetingssaw me among numerous concernedCCW holders with well-preparedspeeches. The voices from the public stilldo not matter to Hutchens.As this article is being written, hundredsof law-abiding citizens in OrangeCounty are receiving their revocationletters. When it became apparent thatI would be among those likely to losetheir permit to her political power play, Iclosed my last address to the supervisorsurging them to call for Hutchens’ resignation,as did quite a few other speakers.I do not know what I will do if my permitis revoked. The options are limited,and there is really nothing that offers thesame level of protection. This is particularlytrue when I think about keeping mywife and our three toddlers safe.Politically I will do whatever I can tohelp remove Hutchens from office. Sheand her command staff pulled a lot ofstunts that were borderline, to say theleast. Hopefully there will be somethingin there that has a fighting chance in alawsuit. If this doesn’t work out, all myenergy will go into supporting a pro-CCW candidate in the next election.Was there a specific incident that causedyou to carry a gun?There was no single event. It just appearedthe logical thing to do.Have you ever had to use your firearm ina defensive situation?Never against a human opponent, andI hope it will stay that way. One time duringan early morning run I became thetarget of two rogue Staffordshire Terriers,when I was barely out of the door. I fireda single shot into soft soil in front ofthem. That startled them long enoughthat I could get back into the house.What training methods do you employ?Lots of dry fire practice, and practiceruns with Airsoft guns at home. In manycases I run through the techniques ofGabe Suarez’s DVDs. They have workedextremely well for me. I back this up withlive runs at the range. Additionally, I takeone or two major courses per year.615-205Experience OurShooting Community!www.CheaperThanDirt.com isfilled with industry information. 20,000Products, FreeAds, Blue Book Gun Data,National Listing of Every Gun Show,Shooting Ranges, Gun Clubs, GunStores, and Events. 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Mention this Code (615-205) All Prices Subject to Change.615-205.indd 1AR-15 .223Cammenga ®30 Rounds, EasyMag, SteelMAG-071 … $29.97Mini-14 .22320 Rounds,Blued SteelMAG-387 … $11.97AK-47 7.62x39European, Used,30 RoundsMAG-029 … $19.97SKS 7.62x3930 Rounds, BluedSteel, DetachableMAG-631 … $24.97USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 4/1/09 8:46:40 2009 AM

Do you have any recommendations?Do not confine yourself to the squarerange mentality. If things go south, youhave 360 degrees to worry about. Learnto move off the line of attack while engagingyour opponent. Take force-onforcecourses to find out how you reallywork under stress. Also, look beyond thehandgun. Knives are extremely dangerouswhen wielded by a determined opponent,and they can be a great backup ifyou know how to use them. Lastly, do thebest you can to stay in shape. That oneinchgroup at 25 meters does not help alot if you run out of breath on the way topaste up the target.What weapons do you carry?H&K USP compact .40, Kahr P40 orKahr PM40 depending on what I canconceal. My carry ammunition is 180gr. Winchester SXT. In addition to that,I always have a flashlight and a foldingknife.What concealment holsters do you use?Either a Dale Fricke Ehud or Comp-Tac2 o’clock for appendix inside the waistband(A-IWB). This carry position is ascomfortable as it gets, and it gives meextremely fast presentation as well asfull control over my carry weapon. WhenI can’t carry A-IWB I either use a Comp-Tac C-TAC for regular IWB or a DeSantisNemesis for pocket carry. For magazinecarriers, I use my own Kydex design thatrequires only a minimum amount ofspace on the belt, and adds virtually nobulk to the magazines.Do you have any advice for our readers?From a shooting perspective I can onlyrepeat what I said earlier about getting offthe X and force-on-force. Everyone whocarries concealed should have this kindof training. One additional point that Iheed for a potential lethal force confrontationas well as for dealing with peoplewho want to infringe your rights: NEVERGIVE UP! n[ Uli Gebhard is a Mechanical Engineerin the area of Los Angeles, California.He also works part time as a SuarezInternational Staff Instructor. You can findmore info about him on his website www.gebhardsolutions.com or contact him atUli@GebhardSolutions.com ]Contacts:Comp-Tac Holsterswww.Comp-Tac.com(281) 209-3040Dale Fricke Holsterswww.OneSourceTactical.com(928) 776-4492De Santis Holsterswww.DeSantisHolster.com(800) 424-1236Heckler & Kochwww.HecklerKoch.com(703) 450-1900Kahr Armswww.Kahr.com(508) 795-3919Suarez Internationalwww.SuarezInternational.com(928) 776-4492RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN > ARMED PROFESSIONAL > RANGE & AGENCY HOSTINGThe Training you needThe world’s most reliable firearms and tactical trainingcould only come from the maker of the world’s most reliable firearms.SIG SAUER Academy TM provides a proven combination of classroomand hands-on training, paired with the most seasoned and skilledtraining staff in the industry. All in a 128 acre state-of-the-art indoor/outdoor facility. No matter what you shoot, the SIG SAUER Academywill make you a better shooter, period.where the professionals train.For information or to register, visit www.sigsaueracademy.com0r call (603) 679-2003. For priority placement, mention code CCM.SIG SAUER Academy: 233 Exeter Road, Epping, NH 03042from the name you trust.MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COMAcad_RC_CCM.indd 12112/30/08 11:11:37 AM

above: The El PasoSaddlery holster’s mouthpinches inward, whichgets in the way.left: El Paso Saddlery’sslippery clip.Note the DonHume holster’snarrow clip,placed aheadof the outfit’scenter of gravity.“JUST ABOUT[ BY STEVE HENIGSON ]My wife’s quest for the perfect inside-the-waistband, clip-on holster for her Smith &Wesson Bodyguard snubby continues with tests of Don Hume’s H715–M WC, El PasoSaddlery’s EZ Carry, and A.E. Nelson’s 90CS.Each of these high quality pouchesstars in one way or another, butonly one of them was, in Jean’swords, “Just about perfect.”Don Hume’s waistband clip-on concealmentholster, H715–M WC, is thestiffest, best molded, and most nicelyfinished of all these rigs. Like the rest, itis made of six-ounce, oak-tanned cowhide,in this instance dyed black. Unlikethe others, the mouth of this holster isheld open by a reinforcement strip thatreally does its job. Further, a leatherskirt extends almost an inch beyond theedge of the pouch. This flattens the holster’ssilhouette and spreads its bulk tomake wearing it quite comfortable. At$28.45 plus shipping, it’s not even veryexpensive. This holster’s narrow clip isplaced forward of the centerline of therevolver’s cylinder, ahead of the centerof gravity when loaded. Although theclip’s arrangement is meant to keepthe pistol vertical, the gun’s rear-biasedmass tends to rotate the outfit into amuzzle-forward cant. Jean carries behindher hip, so this complicates herestablishment of a secure firing grip inpreparation for a presentation. Wearingthis holster with a belt somewhat reducesits tendency to rotate. Reholstering isa bit of a problem for Jean with this holster;because the pouch is so inflexible,she has to watch, and use both hands,to wiggle her snubby into it. The sameskirt that makes this holster more comfortableto wear makes it too large forher offside hand to grip safely whereshe can’t sweep herself with the muzzle.At the same time, the very narrow clip istoo small to help. And finally, the outfithas to be rotated to vertical again. Jean’sverdict is that the Don Hume holster isthe prettiest of all those tested so far,but its utility doesn’t match its glamorouslooks.Of all of the holsters Jean has testedso far, El Paso Saddlery’s EZ Carry featuresthe most interesting construction.Our sample seems to be made ofone layer of six-ounce cowhide on theclip-bearing outside, and one layer ofslightly thinner, four-ounce leather onthe inside (although this may be dueto natural hide-thickness variations).These are sewn together at both frontand back edges, and then wet-moldedand dried to wooden hardness. Thesmooth, grain side of the leather is inside,contributing to a slicker draw. Therough, flesh side is out, supposedlyhelping this pouch adhere to clothing,but the flesh side of oak-tanned leatherreally isn’t rough enough to make muchdifference. This holster has no reinforcement.Its overall design and hardenedleather are supposed to keep its mouthopen. The pouch’s clip is at the centerof gravity of a fully-loaded outfit, so itshould stay where it’s put. It’s unfortunatethat these two features don’t workquite as well as they were intended to.Reholstering is just a little more complicatedthan necessary because thisholster’s high-cut sides curve inward,narrowing its opening. Without looking,Jean carefully slips her pistol’s muzzleforward into it, after which she has tosnake the gun simultaneously forwardand downward between the pouch’slips. Since the EZ Carry is small, and itsclip is wide, she can reholster safely bysupporting the clip, or just by graspingthe whole thing in her off-side hand.22USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

above: The A.E. Nelsonclip has an inner prongthat does the job.left: The A.E. Nelsonholster’s wide, grippyclip is in exactly theright place.PERFECT”Don Hume H715-MWCEl Paso Saddlery EZ CarryAE Nelson 90CSComing out or going in,the A.E. Nelson holstermakes it really easy.The wide, spring-steel clip of this designseems weaker than all of the others Jeanhas tried. During several presentations,and completely unpredictably, the EZCarry came up along with the gun! Ithappened once off of a belt, too. Eachtime, it was a very unpleasant surprise.If the holster featured a stronger orbetter-shaped clip, this could be a veryuseful design. As it stands, however, it’snot. Further, at $45.00 plus shipping,the EZ Carry is expensive for this typeof holster.That brings us to the A.E. Nelson90CS, an ultra-spare, ultra-simple stylethat must be almost 40 years old. Thisholster’s flexible, unfinished, six-ounceleather pouch is only minimally wetmoldedto the intended pistol and,at first glance, seems too loose a fit.Nevertheless, because of careful design,it provides good retention and doesn’tcollapse when the gun is drawn. Theholster’s mouth is cut quite high on theinside, protecting the wearer’s body andclothing. This high inner surface curvesaround the pouch’s front and acts as amuzzle guide, making no-look reholsteringextremely easy. Jean merelyswings the barrel of her pistol forwarduntil it hits leather, and then she pushesdown, and that’s that. Like the El PasoSaddlery model, this is a small outfit, allof which she can safely and easily graspin her off-side hand for steadiness,and its medium-size clip is also handy.Further, the pouch’s trigger-guard curveis perfectly placed for a supporting fingeror two, far away from being sweptby the gun’s muzzle. The very best partof this holster, though, is its excellentclip, which is the best we’ve seen. Itsspecially formed prong securely hangsonto everything we’ve attached it to,from soft Polartec pants to stiff leathergun belts. It’s also springy, so it comesoff easily whenever you want it to. It islocated right at the loaded pistol’s centerof gravity, so it stays in place andnothing rotates or slides around. Otherholster makers should ask for licensing,so they could use this clip too.The A.E. Nelson 90CS turns out tobe our winner so far. It’s comfortableenough, it retains Jean’s pistol at a convenientheight from which it’s easy tomake a presentation, it doesn’t movearound at all, it effectively aids reholstering,and it costs only $24.95, plusshipping. Beat that! n[ Steve Henigson is a retired leathersmithand long-time pistol shooter, a student ofthe late Michael Harries. From the mid-1970s, he competed in IPSC with modestsuccess. When IPSC shooting became unrealistic,his club seceded to form a trulypractical, experimental shooting discipline,the Southern California TacticalCombat program (SCTC). He edited andpublished COMBAT!, the SCTC monthlyjournal, until 2004. ]Contacts:A.E. Nelson Leather Co.www.NelsonLeather.com(503) 394-3412Don Hume Leathergoodswww.DonHume.com(800) 331-2686El Paso Saddlerywww.EPSaddlery.com(915) 544-2233MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM23

A dummy gunallows shooters topractice drawingfrom concealmentwithout any risk.In addition totiming your drillsas a benchmarkfor your own skilllevels, shot timerscan be used toprovide a randomstart signal and alittle stress.HowWasYourOn ranges that don’tallow human silhouettetargets, you can usepaper plates and plain8-1/2 x 11 copy paper tosimulate the same idea.Range Time To[ BY DON LARSON ]How was your range time today?Did you have any results inmind when you loaded up andlaunched a few, or were youjust sending ‘em downrange? In myyears of instructing and shooting, I’vefound that most shooting falls into oneof three categories, whether we’re at arange that’s open to the public, a privateclub, or on our own property.First, there are the “Plinkers,” thecasual shooters. These folks are outfor fun, with nothing specific in mind.They just want to put some holes in atarget. This type of shooting is just fine,and a great way to spend your time ifthat’s what you’re out to do.Next, there’s the “Practice” group.They have goals in mind. Maybe it’s thereloader who’s testing out that new bulletweight or powder, the trap shootergetting ready for the next competition,or the rifle shooter getting ready forhunting season. I also put folks whokeep a handgun in their home for selfdefense, or those who are fortunateenough to live in a state where theycan get a carry permit, in the “practice”group.How about the carry permit holderswho carry for self defense? I believethey fall into two groups. Some practiceto keep current skill levels. They get tothe range often and challenge themselveswith drills when they’re there.Others seek instruction to improve andto learn new skills.Let’s look at what we can do to makepractice time more effective. Manyranges don’t allow shooters to drawfrom a holster and shoot. If that’syour situation, consider doing yourholster practice at home—followingALL the safety rules, of course (see “IsDry Fire Safe?”, CCM May/June 2008,www.USConcealedCarry.com/members/1108.cfm).Triple check for an emptychamber, and point your gun in a safedirection. I prefer to use a dummy gun.24USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

day?Then at the range, start from a low readyposition to practice. I’ve found this tobe quite effective, and when the opportunityarises to combine the two, theycome together with just a few minor adjustments.Some ranges don’t allow humansilhouette targets. Do you have anypaper plates at home or plain old 8-1/2x 11 copy paper? Either can become thecenter of mass, and, combined with asmaller paper plate placed about teninches above your COM target, you’reready to go! Get good with those, andwhen you do get a chance to shoot ona silhouette target, you’ll feel like there’sall the room in the world on it.Do you use a timer when you practice?I recommend it. In addition totiming your drills (only as a benchmarkfor your own skill levels), it’s great forgiving you a random signal to start,and putting a little stress on you. I getfolks in my Permit to Carry class whohave years of shooting experience, andare great shooters, yet when that timercomes out, they get visibly nervous. In away, practicing with a timer takes someof the stress off, as the timer signalsyou when to start, instead of decidingfor yourself. If you don’t have a timer, apartner with a whistle or giving rangecommands can work, too.Have you practiced clearing a malfunctionlately, or shooting strong handonly, or with support hand only? Haveyou practiced a speed load when you’veshot your gun dry? There are ranges insome parts of the country that have arule of three seconds between shots.What a great time to practice a speedload! Some of these drills aren’t fun,and if you’re putting a lot of effort intothem, they may even feel like work.That’s the difference between practiceand plinking. At some of the ranges inmy area, I see shooters who do the exactsame thing every visit to the range.They use the same targets, do someMAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM25

easy shooting, and then leave with thethought that they put in a good day atthe range.How can you get the most out of yourtime and shooting supplies? Challengeyourself! You’ll feel a sense of accomplishmentwhen it works, and discoverwhat skills need more practice.Wherever your skill levels are, you canbuild on them. I believe that leagueshooting such as IPSC and IDPA belongin the Practice category as well.The last category I call “Training andInstruction.” These are people whowant to sharpen their skills in a particulararea. They might work in lawenforcement and need continuing instructionfor their job. They might bepeople who have never touched a firearmor who have just completed the basicpistol class and want to learn more.They could be carry permit holderssharpening their skills or competitionshooters looking to move up into thenext level. People in this group mightbe instructors looking for new methodsof instructing, or experienced shootersinterested in becoming instructors.There’s a saying I heard on a golfcourse a while back that I believe carriesover to shooting sports and self defense:“If you have to choose betweenequipment and lessons, choose lessons.”A while back, I was golfing with arelative and a few of his friends. One guywas struggling with his drives, and wasgetting quite frustrated. When I askedhim if he had ever taken golf lessons,Good firearms instructorsprovide information inthe classroom setting, andphysical training on therange. Both aspects areimportant for those whowish to improve theirshooting skills.26USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

he answered, “Nah, I’ll just get anothernew driver and figure it out myself.” Hedid that, and is frustrated that his gameremains the same. You can spend a loton new equipment, yet if you have noinstruction in its use it’s not going todo you a lot of good. You may fumblearound and get marginal results, buthow could those results be better?What about your equipment? Howdependable is it? One of my instructorsmade the comment: “When you needit, you’re really going to need it, andchances are that I won’t be there.” I havepeople coming through my 300-roundDefensive Handgun course with a$2000 custom gun that gives them alot of trouble with misfeeds becauseof ammunition sensitivity, and otherswith something “plain, stock, and outof the box” that does just fine. Otherequipment problems I see are holstersor magazine pouches not working out,sharp edges on firearms, and reloadedammunition failing to fire. A class isa much better place to find out howyour gear is going to perform than inthe middle of a competition or in themidst of a life-threatening situation!We all have different levels of experience.I recommend taking advantageof any training opportunity you can:classes, books, CDs, whatever yourschedule and budget will allow. If youcan, travel to one of the nationallyknown schools. They have the instructorsand the facilities. You can improvethe skills you have, and learn new ones.If that’s not in your budget, some ofthe nationally known instructors alsotravel and teach classes at local rangesthroughout the country, making themmore available and affordable. Therecould also be instructors in your areawith some impressive backgroundsand skill levels. Books and videos are asclose as your mailbox. When possible,cross train by working with differentinstructors. The more instructors youwork with, the more backgrounds andtraining methods you’ll be exposed to.That’s more tools for your toolbox. Youmay not agree with everything that anyone instructor or school teaches, but ifyou come away with a new technique,or a new idea, it’s worth it. As your skilllevel grows, you’ll outgrow some instructors.Find new ones and continueyour training.So, how WAS your range time today?Which category would you put it in?With a slight change in mindset, yourrange time can work towards improvingyour skills, and reinforcing the onesyou have. Who might have to dependon those skills? You? Your family? It’ssomething to think about, isn’t it? n[Don Larson is the Owner/LeadInstructor of Frontline Firearms Trainingin Minnesota, where he instructsCarry Permit, Basic, Intermediate, andAdvanced classes. In addition to beingan NRA Training Counselor andInstructor, Don has taken multipleclasses at Gunsite, Thunder Ranch,Blackwater Training Center, and theFirearms Academy of Seattle. He twicequalified as a FAS Handgun Master. ]Credit:Thank you to Terrie Williams for herhelp preparing this article.Choice ofChampionsWorld champion speed shooter Jerry Miculek reliesheavily on HiViz sights for quick target acquisition.HiViz sights have the brightest LitePipes and areavailable for many popular handguns. See yourlocal dealer and get that edge the professionals use.See What You’ve Been Missing!MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM1941 Heath Parkway, Suite 1Fort Collins, CO 805241-800-589-4315(970) 407-0426Fax (970) 416-1208www.HIVIZSIGHTS.com27

Inexpensive protectiveeyewear can be treatedwith a light layer of spraypaint to create “Magooglasses,” useful forimpaired vision drills.[ BY KATHY JACKSON ]My RaWon’tAt the end of a defensive handgun class, I was speaking with one of the students andsuggested that if he wanted to retain what he had learned, he would absolutely needto practice the techniques and drills we’d done in class.With a downtrodden look, thestudent replied, “My rangewon’t let me.”This article is for him, and for peoplelike him.Please note: the drills suggested belowwill not take the place of live fire ona hot range, and they are not intendedto do so. Nor will you be able to teachyourself how to perform any of theseadvanced skills from the ground up usingthese adaptive techniques. However,if you have already learned these skillselsewhere, preferably under the watchfuleye of a competent instructor, theseadaptations to restrictive ranges mayhelp maintain the proficiency you’vealready acquired. And that’s all they areintended to do.If your range won’t let youDraw from the holster.You can instead...On the range, practice a smooth presentationfrom the low ready to the target.At home, practice your completedrawstroke, including a smooth triggerpress, in dryfire with a safe backstop.Watching the front sight during the triggerpress is extremely important, sinceit’s the only feedback you’re going to receiveabout where the shot would havegone.What you’re giving up...By practicing a smooth presentationfrom the low ready on the range, you areeffectively practicing the latter part ofyour drawstroke (including getting yourhits) in a quick and efficient manner. By28USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

ngeLetMe...!The latter half of the drawstroke,beginning from a modified andcompressed low ready, can bepracticed even on ranges that do notallow holster work, while the completedrawstroke can be practiced at homein dryfire.performing the complete drawstroke indryfire at home, you are able to practicecompetently and safely extracting yourfirearm from its holster. You will need toconcentrate very hard upon smoothnessevery time you practice the completedrawstroke, in order to avoid pausingor jerkiness at the point where the twopractice systems merge.If your range won’t letyou Rapid-fire multipleshots.You can instead...Practice taking each individual shotPlace a small piece of tape overthe sights to practice aligningthe muzzle using the weapon’ssilhouette, an essential low lightshooting skill.as rapidly as you can, without losing accuracy.Couple this with a rapid presentationfrom the low ready to simulatethe end of a drawstroke.Every time you fire, snap the firearmback onto target as quickly as you can,reacquiring the sight picture as you doso. This is what sets you up to take thatnext shot rapidly. Never allow yourselfto fire the gun without setting up thenext shot in this manner.If you have a DA-only firearm, or otherfirearm with second-strike capability,load with one round only. Fire that oneround rapidly, then immediately reacquireyour front sight and follow up withMAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM29

a rapid dryfire. Bonus: if you catch yoursights diving downward on the second“shot,” you’ve got a flinch problem--onefor which more practice using this or asimilar drill is both the diagnosis andthe cure.Practice quick and efficient reloads:Load with one round only, and havea filled second magazine ready to go.When the slide locks back, immediatelyreload and take the next shot. No rapidfire,but plenty of practice in makingrapid shots!What you’re giving up...Trigger simulation techniques surrenderthe ability to practice handlingrepeated recoil. But trigger control isarguably the most important part of themultiple-shot equation, and when youpractice immediately snapping the gunback into alignment after every shot,you are learning how to handle recoilefficiently.If your range won’tlet you Shoot multipletargets.You can instead ...Shoot multiple aimpoints on thesame target paper.What you’re giving up ...Nothing significant. The most importantelement to practice is the fact ofmoving from one definite aimpoint toanother, not so much the distance betweenthose two points.But what if your range won’t allowrapid shots or multiple targets? Try this:using a target that has two distinct aimpoints,live fire the first aimpoint, andthen dryfire the second one as rapidlyas you can. If you have a revolver, youcan even reverse the process, dryfiringat the first aimpoint and live firing at thesecond one.If your range won’t letyou Work in low light.You can instead ...Tape your sights to practice indexingthe gun using the weapon’s silhouette.Wear very dark sunglasseson an outdoor range at dusk,or on an indoor range anytime.Spray paint some cheap protectiveeyewear to make “Magoo glasses” thatyou can use on an outdoor range evenin broad daylight, or on an indoor range.By varying the thickness of the paint application,you can change the difficultylevel and the simulated amount of lightyou have to work with.Practice aiming the flashlight alongsidethe empty gun with the lights offduring dryfire practice at home. Makesure you have a safe backstop!After becoming proficient in dryfire athome, you can practice basic flashlightmanipulations as you are shooting,even though it’s broad daylight or thelights are on at the range.What you’re giving up ...Although it is possible to practice thephysical manipulation of basic flashlighttechniques in broad daylight (andyou should), it’s not possible to realisticallysimulate aiming the flashlight atthe same time you aim the gun on a liverange unless you are able to turn outthe lights. Nor is it possible to use tapedsights, sunglasses, or Magoo glasses tosimulate target identification by flashlight.Additionally, you will not be able totest or simulate the effects of muzzleflash using any of these techniques.Caution! All low-light and impairedvision drills entail a certain inherent elementof risk. If you are not confidentof your ability to practice these thingssafely, do not practice them. It’s justabout that simple.If your range won’t letyou Shoot while moving.You can instead ...Practice your basic footwork withempty hands.Practice maintaining sight alignmentusing a dummy gun or your own emptygun with a safe backstop during yourregular dryfire practice.Get immediate feedback about yourability to hit the target while moving byusing an Airsoft gun and a pellet trap. Besure to practice moving both away fromand toward the target in every possibledirection.Sign up for an IDPA or IPSC league,and practice shooting on the movealong with other skills during matches.What you’re giving up ...It is so important to first practice yourbasic footwork without the gun that it’stempting to say you’re giving up nothingat all by using the empty handspractice technique. Obviously, however,you’re giving up immediate feedbackabout your ability to hit the target whilemoving.Airsoft guns can be used for basictechnique drills such as moving whileshooting just as well as they can be usedfor scenarios and force-on-force games.But you can’t practice recoil controlwith these devices, and the quality ofyour equipment will dictate how usefulany marksmanship drills will be.Gun games such as IPSC and IDPAare a great way to become skilled atfirearms manipulation and they let youpractice a lot of things your static rangewill never allow. Their best usefulnesscomes from giving you an incentive topractice sometimes-boring handlingdrills and providing a venue where youcan use skills you otherwise won’t haveopportunity to exercise. Remember thata gun game is not training, nor is it intendedto be; it is simply practice.If your range won’tlet you Shoot movingtargets.You can instead ...Program your timer for a randomdelayedstart, and hang it off yourbelt. Raise the gun and aim it at thetarget. Keep your sights aligned, andyour finger resting on the trigger, whilewaiting for the start signal. When thetimer beeps, immediately put oneround in the center of the target asquickly as you can. This is an importanttrigger control drill to help you copewith suddenly-appearing targets.You can do the same drill mentionedabove if you have a buddy willing toblow a whistle or tap you gently onthe shoulder to provide you with anunanticipated “GO” signal. Align yoursights on target with your finger restingon the trigger while awaiting the30USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

signal, and fire immediately when thesignal comes. This same surprise-starttechnique can also be a useful dryfiredrill to help maintain good triggercontrol.Bring your gun up to target level, butaimed off to one side of the target ratherthan at the center. Then, with your eyefocused on the front sight, swing thegun from one side of the target to theother, moving smoothly past the centerof the target without changing speed.Fire at the center of the target as yoursights move across it.Improvise a moving target for dryfireat home by tying a small balloon toan oscillating fan in front of a safebackstop. You can vary the amount ofmotion, and the difficulty of the drill,by lengthening or shortening the stringconnecting the fan and balloon.Play Airsoft Tag with a willing friendwhile wearing the appropriate safetyequipment.Sign up for IPSC, IDPA, or othercompetitive game that will allow you toshoot moving targets.What you’re giving up ...These range drills build a good foundation,but don’t let you put all the piecestogether. Remember that Airsoft Tagisn’t intended to mimic real life in anyway; it’s just a way to practice aligningsights on a moving target while you arealso moving. Games are only games, butcan be good practice.If your range won’t letyou Shoot from kneelingor prone positions, ORShoot around cover orother barricades.You can instead ...Practice these positions in dryfire athome. Especially practice safely and efficientlygetting into and out of the onesthat don’t come naturally to you, beingcareful not to cover any of your favoritebody parts with the muzzle end of thegun as you do so.On the range, regularly practiceshooting with your non-dominant eyeor your non-dominant hand so thatyou are readily prepared to use themaround weak-side cover if necessary.Join IDPA, IPSC, or a Bullseye leagueto practice these positions on a liverange.What you’re giving up ...When practicing unfamiliar positionsin dryfire, you lose immediate feedbackabout your stability, especially stabilityduring recoil. You also lose the ability totrack important details such as whetheryou’re blocking the ejection port of asemi-auto or impeding the cylinder rotationof a revolver. For this reason, it’sbest to learn these positions on a permissiverange before you try practicingthem in dryfire at home, so that youdon’t drill techniques that will not workwell for you in live fire. n[ Kathy Jackson is the managing editor ofConcealed Carry Magazine. An instructorat the Firearms Academy of Seattle inWashington state, she takes special pleasurein helping other women learn to shoot. Visither website at www.CorneredCat.com. ]MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM31

Concealed Carryon a Motorcyc[ BY MARTY HAYES ]I have several passions in my life: One is, of course, teaching people how to usefirearms for self defense, including teaching the laws surrounding that activity.Another passion is golf. There arenot too many places I would ratherbe on a nice sunny afternoonin June than on the tee getting ready tosmash the little white golf ball 280 yards.(Okay ... 260 yards, but I did hit it 280once!) My third passion, and one whichI have pursued since I was a teenager,is motorcycle riding. I have ridden motorcyclesmy whole adult life, and can’timagine life without my two wheeledsteeds at my beck and call. And, since Ican’t imagine life without carrying a pistoleither, I have managed to work thetwo into my life without a great degreeof trouble. I want to share how I do it, asI know many people have the same requirement.But before we get into the nitty grittyof concealed carry on a motorcycle, let’stalk a little about when you might needa gun while riding on a motorcycle. Youwon’t. The idea that you will need thegun to be instantly accessible while ridingis, in my opinion, an idea born in theimaginations of Walter Mitty types, notfolks grounded in realism. I can’t imaginean instance where I would need todraw and fire a handgun while operatingthe motorcycle. But, I can imagine anynumber of instances where I might needa gun when I have just gotten off the motorcycle.Examples of this which come tomind are hitting a rest stop, gas station,your motel room and the local eatery,where you just need to get off the bikesfor an hour or so.Methods of carryThe first method is with a good qualitybelt holster under a jacket, sweatshirt ora vest. The problem with this type of car-32USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

Author concealing waist pack withphotographer vest.leSome motorcycleshave places to storepistols. On author’s1987 Goldwing, thereis a handy spot belowthe fuel door whereauthor can storepistol, wallet anddebit card for gasstops.above and right:The authoroccasionally enjoyscarrying a Smith &Wesson J-frame in aKramer pocket holster.ry mode is that the wind from riding thebike will open your jacket or vest at themost inopportune time, and the sweatshirtWILL ride up as you reach out forthe handlebars. To counter the former,you will need to button the jacket or vest,and regarding the sweatshirt, the bestoption is to use an inside the waistbandholster. Of course, buttoning your jacketis logical in cool weather, but when it ishot (good motorcycle riding weather), Ireally like to avoid the traditional methodand carry in a pocket.I have two favorite guns for pocketcarry, a North American Arms .380 witha Crimson Trace Lasergrip, or the oldstandby, the S&W Model 642, againequipped with the Lasergrip. I am veryaware of the ballistic limitations of eachof these calibers and weapons, but I personallyam willing to make that trade offin ballistic power for the value of havingthe gun instantly available. I consciouslytell myself that I am carrying a mousegun, and I give up a little (well, maybe alot) of the tactical advantage. Again, it’s atrade off, but a mouse gun in the pocketis better than a real blaster in the saddlebag.One must be careful when carrying inthe pocket, because the gun will want toslide out. I always use a holster with thepocket gun, which will go a long waystowards keeping the gun secure. But themain thing is to make sure the pocketcloses on itself when sitting, and is deepenough to not expose the grips of the revolver.Most blue jeans fit the bill nicely.While on the subject of concealedcarry using holsters, I would be remissif I didn’t discuss the shoulder holster.Shoulder holsters come in two basicstyles. The first type is the horizontaltype, such as the Galco “Miami Classic”made popular from the 1980s TV showMiami Vice. This holster seems to workwell for some people, but there are somedrawbacks. The first obvious drawbackMAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM33

is where the gun is pointed, that beinghorizontal and backwards. You willseriously offend anyone behind you ifyou take your jacket off. And, for skinnypeople using a full sized handgun, thehorizontal shoulder holster doesn’t do avery good job of concealment, as anyonebehind you will notice the bulge (it is toohigh for a colostomy bag.) In addition,one of the main drawbacks that I personallyhave with the horizontal shoulderholster is the likelihood of pointingthe gun at your left brachial artery whenyou remove the handgun from the holster.When we train someone with ashoulder holster such as this, we requirethat they raise their left arm (assuming aright handed shooter) to the extent thatwhen they draw, the gun is not pointedat a body part.The other style of shoulder holster waspopularized by the “Dirty Harry” movies.In these movies, Harry Callahan used aSmith and Wesson .44 Magnum in avertical shoulder holster, which allowedhim to carry that large of a handgun underhis corduroy suit jacket. The verticalshoulder holster is a better bet, in myopinion, but I rarely carry in a shoulderholster anyway.If you just can’t imagine carrying a.380 for self-defense, but instead wantto carry a full-sized gun, there are stillsome options. The first option is theubiquitous fanny pack also known as a“waist pack.” I find this mode of carryparticularly useful when I am feeling alittle insecure and want a larger caliberhandgun which holds more ammunition.One thing I personally do, though,is wear either a vest or jacket to helpcamouflage the fact that I am carrying afanny pack with a gun in it. The long tailsof the vest or jacket simply break up theoutline of the fanny pack.One of the great advantages of the fannypack is that it is put on and taken offvery easily. Many times, I will secure theentire fanny back in my tank bag, especiallyif I need to layer up for cold weatherriding. When I pull over to gas up, ormore likely to take a rest room break atthe local rest stop, it takes about 10 secondsto arm myself, and frankly (andperhaps indelicately), the fanny packis also much easier to manage some ofyour bathroom needs. I will allow you,the reader, the luxury of expanding thistrain of thought using your own fertileimagination!But what if you need the gun immediatelyupon dismounting your faithfulsteed? If that is the case, I submit thatyou parked in the wrong location to beginwith. Nothing says you have to parkas close to the restroom as possible. Infact, I prefer to park away from the maingroup of cars anyway, for two reasonsaside from the gun issue. One is for securityof the motorcycles and what isstrapped on them. It is much easier toThe right tank bag can makecarrying a pistol on a motorcyclevery handy. The authorprefers a tank bag that is heldon by magnets and is easilyremovable from the bike. In theaccompanying photos, the authorcan pull up to the gas pumpson his ‘96 Moto Guzzi, retrievehis wallet from the top pouch ofthe tank bag, run his debit cardthrough the pump and replacehis wallet. Then, setting the tankbag on the seat, he can fill thetank, and if he is thirsty or hungry,simply carry the tank bag into thegas station store with him. Gunshown is an N-Frame Smith &Wesson Model 610, which sitsnicely atop the extra fleece jackethe carries in the tank bag for whenit is time to layer up.34USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

keep an eye on them if no one elseshould be around, as is not uncommonfor people to come check outyour motorcycle. Secondly, I usuallywant to stretch my legs, and thisgives me the opportunity for a littleexercise.The tank bag also provides a convenientplace to store a gun in apocket holster. When you dismount,first make sure no one is watching,(remember the part about parkingaway from people) and simply grabthe gun out of the tank bag and slipit into your pocket. Reverse the stepswhen you get ready to roll again.For those who are concernedabout having a gun strapped to themin the event they take a spill, the tankbag provides a very convenient solutionto that problem. I personallyhave never felt a lot of angst over thisissue, because if I take a spill whileriding, I would be more concernedabout my old noggin (hint: alwayswear a helmet), and the risk of brokenarms and legs, or a broken neckor back, none of which are really affectedby wearing a gun. But, havingsaid that, a great flat gun for concealedcarry on a motorcycle wouldbe a Kahr P9.Lastly, there are several boutiqueclothing shops which design motorcycleclothing that incorporates aholster. I haven’t worked any of thesearticles into my life. It’s not becauseI wouldn’t want to, but because thereare simply so many other ways tocarry guns on motorcycles easily Ihaven’t bothered.No one said carrying a gun is easy.Friend and colleague Clint Smith isreported to have coined the phrase“carrying a gun is not supposed to becomfortable, but it is comforting.”That works for me. nJ-MaxSIDE MOUNT LASERFOR S&W J-FRAME REVOLVERSDateFB Job NumberAd NameMagazineAd sizeColorsBetter by Designwww.lasermax.com 1.800.527.3703September 14, 200712474J-Max, Better by DesignConcealed Carry1/3 page4.625” x 4.875”4-C processDevelopedfor LawEnforcementand ProfessionalSecurity Use• Laser mounted high,beam close to bore line,away from index finger.• Sharp price point!• Light weight, rugged –and ambidextrous.MADE IN USABY AMERICANS34 May StreetWebster, NY 14580www.forwardbranding.com585 872-9222[ Marty Hayes is President andDirector of the Firearms Academy ofSeattle, Inc., and one of the foundersof the Armed Citizens’ Legal DefenseNetwork. He has over 30 years experiencein law enforcement and firearmstraining, along with extensiveexperience as an expert witness andlegal consultant. ]MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM35

Full-sizedflamethrowerslike the WolfEyesRattlesnake (left)and Thunder (right)really aren’t that bigwhen compared toa 2-D-cell flashlight(center). Whenminimum size isn’tcritical – as with alight for the car –these bigger optionscan offer performanceadvantages relativeto the more compactones.LED FlamethrowerFlashlights –Do I Need That Much Light?[ BY TIM THORSTENSON ]LED technology is changing rapidly, and one emerging result is “flamethrower”flashlights capable of 500 lumens and more!With ordinary tactical lights offeringfrom 60 up to perhaps250 lumens of output, it canbe tempting to draw a fast and firmconclusion – either “gotta have it!” or“don’t need it!” – based on the numbersalone. But it is always wise to explore anew technology carefully before eitherembracing or dismissing it. Dependingon your specific needs, the new thingcan ultimately prove to be either a lotmore or a lot less useful than it initiallyappeared.The need?Outputs of 500+ lumens have actuallybeen available for some time fromincandescent flashlights. You just didn’tfind them on many “must have” lists becauseof their bulk, short runtimes, andvoracious battery appetites. So it is reallythe more practical packages – ratherthan raw lumen output – which nowmake that much light worthy of anotherlook. Not only can extreme brightnessprove useful for typical defensive settings,but also for events ranging froma roadside emergency to a natural disasteror civil disturbance. To appreciatethis, take a walk around a large andremote piece of nowhere on a very darknight. If you imagine the same settingunder unpleasant circumstances, evena couple hundred lumens can start feelingpretty meager!The technologyA conventional LED contains onelittle chip of light-emitting material,and current maximum capabilities are36USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

above: Do you need that much light? It’syour call, but here are some referencepoints: The top three pictures showscenes illuminated by a 200 lumentactical flashlight. Below them arethe same settings lit by a 500 lumencompact flamethrower.right: Note the larger area covered by theflamethrower.around 300 lumens. However, newermulti-die LEDs contain several (usuallyfour) chips and this allows outputsof 700 to 900 lumens. Because the basictechnology is the same, most of whatcan be said about conventional LEDflashlights will apply here as well. Butmulti-die LEDs also have some significantoperational differences that canprove good or bad, depending on theintended use. 1Pros and consThere are two widely used multi-dieLEDs: the P7 from Seoul SemiconductorCorporation, and the MC-E from theLED maker Cree. The newer MC-E is abit smaller so it can be focused a littlemore tightly, but both lamps have largerlight-emitting surface areas than aconventional LED so they will producebroader beam patterns when mountedin a reflector of any given size. As a result,the strong suit of many flamethrowers –especially the compact ones – is in lightingup bigger areas, and not necessarilyin providing dramatically increased effectiveranges. This is actually a distinctpositive for typical defensive needs atdistances from “up close and personal”out to a few hundred feet, because theflamethrowers will reveal a much biggerpicture of the situation than a conventionaltactical flashlight. But folks whospecifically need maximum range forapplications like security around a largeproperty might be better served by otheroptions. A potential limitation of theflamethrowers is that even the smallestones will not be as compact as a typicaltactical, because a larger reflector isneeded for beam focus and more metalbulk is required to handle the heat fromthe brighter LED.Available productsThere are good arguments for stickingwith well-known name brands but, atthis writing, the most familiar companiesdon’t offer LED flamethrowers, andthere is no guarantee that they will in thenear future. In fact, one major companyannounced a 400 lumen compact thatapparently never went into production.Why? It is possible that there wasn’t sufficientconsumer interest. There is alsothe fact that lights with these capabilitiescan require a little more care on theMAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM37

Even the smallestflamethrowers – likethe DereeLight DBS andWolfEyes Sniper at center– can sometimes be toobulky. The options to theirleft provide lamp outputsof 200+ lumens from twodisposable lithium 123Abatteries or rechargeablealternatives. The ones to theright produce a little lesslight but run from a pair ofstandard AA-sized batteries.part of the user. Since abuse-relatedfailures can get blamed on the product,top name companies may be hesitantto offer items that are not totally bombproof.Fortunately, some well-regardedproducts are available.Flashlights from WolfEyes receivegood reviews. Their Sniper flashlightis not much larger than many conventionaltacticals, but it belts out around580 lumens in a broad beam whichcould prove exceptional for close- tomoderate-range defensive uses. TheSniper runs for well over an hour on a18650 lithium ion rechargeable battery,but brightness does fade progressivelyas the battery discharges. The potentialbenefits of a larger light are illustratedby WolfEyes’ M90 Rattlesnake. Two18650 batteries provide a consistent 640lumens for 90 minutes, the bigger reflectoryields a tighter beam pattern reminiscentof a conventional tactical, andthe heavier construction handles theheat produced by the light’s constantand brighter output. WolfEyes’ Thunderreveals another strategy for making aflamethrower: it uses the same batteriesas the Rattlesnake, but three conventionalLEDs are ganged together in asingle reflector head to produce even alittle more light (780 lumens) with only aslightly shorter runtime. WolfEyes productswill accept disposable 123A lithiumbatteries in place of 18650s (in a two-tooneratio), but runtimes will be somewhatreduced.The products mentioned so far offer38For close-range indoor settings, the benefits of a flamethrower (left) may not be verysignificant relative to a more conventional tactical (right). Even the latter may betoo bright for night adjusted eyes.an either-or choice between compactflamethrowers for on-person carry andfull-sized ones for the car, house or gearbag. Mission-specific tools can provideoptimum service, but some folks needmore flexibility, and the 600 lumenDereelight DBS reveals one way to getit. As a compact, it provides a constantbrightness for about 30 minutes from apair of RCR123A lithium ion rechargeables.But a battery extension tube allowsthe use of four of these rechargeables,four standard lithium disposablesor two 18650 rechargeables to providemuch longer runtimes. This flexiblestrategy could be a perfect choice forsome users, but it may present drawbacksfor others because it does notoffer all the potential benefits of a fullsizedflamethrower.A different physical design can offer apartial solution to the standoff betweencompact size and big performance. Forinstance, WolfEyes’ Storm is identicalto their Thunder in output, but it stacksthree 18650 batteries side by side to producea squat package with a 2 hour fullbrightness runtime. One could arguethat this design simply trades “long” for“fat,” but the resulting package couldprove handy for a gear bag or an emergencykit. The SuperStorm takes thisapproach to the extreme by expandingto seven conventional LEDs and a totallamp output of 1300 lumens! A companycalled EagleTac has gone in the oppositedirection with their brand new M2and M2X. As with the WolfEyes Storm,a parallel battery arrangement is used,but reducing the battery payload to two18650 rechargeables (or four standarddisposables) leads to a more compactlight that retains full-sized capabilities.Those weird batteriesDisposable lithium batteries can getexpensive, and rechargeable lithium ionis not without its headaches, but thereUSCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

Lithium ionrechargeable batterieslike the RCR123As atleft and the 18650 atright can offer goodperformance, but theycan also pose hazardsand must ONLY beused in flashlightsdesigned for them.Quality batteries andchargers – like the Pilaproducts at center – arecritical for safety andbest service. Visit theUSCCA website (www.USConcealedCarry.com/members/1405.cfm) to read more aboutbatteries.are other options. A well-regarded companycalled Fenix is releasing the TK40,a 600+ lumen flamethrower that useseight standard AA batteries. Final specificationsand the light itself should beavailable by the time this article hits thepress. Of course, new products can havebugs, so I’ve listed some useful sourcesfor additional product information.Another option that allows conventionalbatteries is to upgrade lamp modulesfor machined aluminum flashlights.Need more information?Whether you are interested inthese superbright monsters or not,check out the follow-up article atwww.USConcealedCarry.com/members/1404.cfm.In that article, we’ll lookinto the flamethrowers in much moredetail than is possible within the pagesof the print magazine. We’ll also examineother compact options that are brighterand more flexible than ever. n[ Tim Thorstenson is a chemist by education.His goal is to inform readers of thescientific aspects of self-defense to allow abetter-informed evaluation of the availabletools and information. Contact himat timthorstenson@yahoo.com ]Contacts andResources:Battery Power! by Tim ThorstensonUSCCA website articlewww.USConcealedCarry.com/members/1405.cfmCandlePower Forumswww.candlepowerforums.comContains exhaustive information onhigh performance flashlights and relatedtopics.FlashlightConnection(Dereelight)www.FlashlightConnection.comFlashlightZ(TerraLux modules, Fenix andPila chargers and batteries)www.FlashlightZ.com(866) 764-9900Lighthound(Fenix, SolarForce)www.Lighthound.com(713) 436-2609Light Reviewswww.Light-Reviews.comContains operational details on manyof the lights we have examined. Thereis also a forum that can be accessedfrom the review page.Pacific Tactical Solutions(EagleTac, Fenix and WolfEyes)www.PTS-Flashlights.com(509)214-03021. NOTE: this article cites lamp outputs. The actualoutput of a well-designed flashlight will generallybe around 20-30% less because of optical lossesfrom the lens and reflector.MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM39

Micro Desert EagleCaliber.380 AutoBarrel Length2.22 inchesOverall Length4.52 inchesOverall Height3.71 inchesOverall Width.90 inchesOverall Weight14 oz.Trigger Pull Weight 8.5 lbs.Capacity6 + 1 roundsSuggested Retail Price $535.00left: The Micro DesertEagle grouped verywell offhand at 15feet.MagnumResearchabove: The long,double-action triggerpull weighed in at alittle more than eightpounds, but was verysmooth.Shooting ResultsLoadHornady.380 AutoHP/XTPAverageVelocityExtremeSpread710 fps 71 fpsVelocity measures in fps 10 feet fromthe muzzle for 10 consecutive shotswith a Shooting Chrony chronograph.Temperature: 65° F. Accuracy measuredin inches for two, five-shot groups firedoffhand at 15 feet.AverageAccuracy1.5inchesMicro Desert Eagle:Pocket Pistol That Performs[ BY DUANE A. DAIKER ]Usually when I write a review of a firearm, I try to figure out where it fits in the market.When I saw the Magnum ResearchMicro Desert Eagle at the SHOTShow, I had trouble immediatelyfiguring out where this gun fits. It is notthe smallest .380 on the market, althoughit may be the shortest overall length. It iscertainly not the lightest pocket auto, butit’s not the heaviest either. It is not thecheapest, but it’s far from the most expensive.In short, I wasn’t immediately surewhat would make this gun stand out fromthe competition.Well, it turns out that this is just a verygood gun. It shoots well, handles well,carries well, and functions well. I couldn’tfind a real weakness in the Micro DesertEagle. Given these impressive attributes,I think this pistol will be well received inthe marketplace, even if it’s hard to put alabel on this model.Gun detailsThe Micro Desert Eagle is a pocket-sized.380 ACP semi-auto. The gun is all metalconstruction, with a nickel Teflon platedsteel slide over an alloy frame. Even withsuch solid materials, the gun weighs in atonly 14 ounces empty, which is substantial,but not a pocket brick. Operation isby virtue of an unusual gas-delayed blowbacksystem that permits use of a lighterweight slide and springs. The quality ofmaterials used in this pistol, as well as itsfit and finish, is obviously quite high.The Micro DE is double action only,with a recessed external hammer. No externalsafety is offered or required withthis double action design. The only otherexternal control is a traditionally placedmagazine release on the left side of thegrip at the bottom of the trigger guard.This micro-sized pistol does not have aslide release, and the slide does not lockopen. Magazine capacity is six rounds.The magazines are nicely constructedwith a witness hole for each round, and abase pad.The pistol’s fixed sights are nicely milledinto the slide. Unlike many pocket pistols,the Micro’s sights are quite distinct andvery usable. The sight picture is of thestandard variety, and is easy to acquire.For a pocket pistol, the sights are superband make this gun very capable of accurateaimed fire.The double-action trigger is heavy,at a little more than eight pounds.However, the pull is very smooth—notgritty at all. There is some stacking beforerelease, but not enough to interferewith easy operation. An acciden-40USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

tal discharge, however, seems unlikely.The most noticeable feature of this gunis the very short barrel. Barrel length isonly 2.22 inches, much like a traditionalsnubby revolver. This gun has a distinctivelook because the slide and barrel barelyextend past the front of the trigger guard.It looks a bit odd, but makes the gun quitecompact and results in a very short overalllength.Carry and shootingimpressionsThis diminutive firearm handles well.The slide is relatively easy to operate, andhas deeply milled grasping grooves. Oneof my testers has very large hands, and theMicro Desert Eagle worked well for him—no slide bite, and no problems manipulatingthe gun in typical drills.Carrying this tiny Desert Eagle is an easyproposition. In my opinion, this snubnosesemi-auto is best suited for pocketcarry. To test my premise, I prevailed uponKevin at K&D Holsters to provide one ofhis Pocket Defender Deluxe holsters. Thislatest design from K&D Holsters is a greatchoice to carry the Micro. Pocket carry is anatural for this tiny powerhouse, but youneed a proper holster to stabilize the gun,distribute the weight, and break-up theoutline. When carried in a pants pocket,the Micro Desert Eagle can be almost forgottenuntil needed.The littlest Desert Eagle is a fine shootertoo. A combination of good sights and adecent trigger permitted me to shoot a1-1/2 inch group freehand at 15 yards. Myother volunteer testers had similar results.I would say results are more than “combataccurate,” and very impressive for a gunsporting little more than two inches ofbarrel length. Recoil is snappy of course,but very manageable.I tested the pistol primarily withHornady 90 grain JHP/XTP premiumdefensive ammo. The Hornady jacketedhollow points ran flawlessly in the MicroDE. Even with the short barrel, muzzlevelocity averaged a reasonable 710 fps. Iwas pleased with the performance of theHornady ammo, and would use this as mycarry load. For comparison, I tried an assortmentof other premium ammo in theMicro Desert Eagle as well. The gun failedto digest only one brand, which seemedto have a shorter overall cartridge length.above: Magnum Research recentlyintroduced the Micro Desert Eagle, apocket-sized all-metal .380 ACP semiautowith a nickel Teflon plated steel slideover an alloy frame.below: Pocket carry is easy with the K&DHolsters Pocket Defender Deluxe.With that exception, the gun functionedflawlessly for several hundred rounds usinga variety of ammo.Final thoughtsFor what its worth, the Micro DesertEagle is not a new design. MagnumResearch licensed this design, which wasformerly produced in the Czech Republicas the ZVI “Kevin.” The Micro DesertEagle, however, is made in the USA andfully backed by Magnum Research.The Micro Desert Eagle will run about$500, or perhaps a little less, once streetprices stabilize. This puts the gun at ahigher price point than some of the other.380 ACP pocket pistols on the market,but not too much higher. I believe thatthe quality and functionality of this pistolwarrant the slightly higher price. You canview the Micro Desert Eagle and otherMagnum Research products at their websitelisted below.I believe the Micro DesertEagle is an outstanding product.This pistol packs excellentshootability and handlinginto a high-quality, compactdesign. I feel very comfortablecarrying this gun, and Iam confident it will performwhen called upon. While theselection of a defensive pistolis a highly personal matter, theMicro Desert Eagle deservesyour strong consideration. n[ Duane A. Daiker is a contributingeditor for CCM, but is otherwisea regular guy—not much different fromyou. Duane has been a lifelong shooterand goes about his life as an armed, responsible,and somewhat opinionated citizen.Duane can be contacted at Daiker@RealWorldCarryGear.com, and welcomesyour comments and suggestions for gearreviews. ]Contacts:Hornady Manufacturing Inc.www.Hornady.com(800) 338-3220K&D Holsterswww.KDHolsters.com(813) 659-3456Magnum Researchwww.MagnumResearch.com(800) 772-6168MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM41

FROM INCIDENT TO ACQUITTAL©iStockPHOTO - LEGGNETThe Role of thePrivate Investigatorin Deadly Force Cases[ BY MarTY HAYES, JD ]If you use deadly force in self-defense, police will investigate the possibility that you committedmurder (or if the person doesn’t die, attempted murder or aggravated assault).Depending on the political climatein your community, thatmay be a cursory investigationto say they did their due diligence, orit could be a witch hunt to turn up anylittle evidence that may tend to supportcriminal charges. Many times, evidenceof justifiable use of deadly force will beeither overlooked or ignored. This iswhere the role of the private investigatorcomes in.Any attorney worth his salt will havea good private investigator working forhim. I had the occasion recently to workextensively with one such investigatoron a first-degree assault case. I jokinglycalled him “my new best friend” becausefor a brief period of time we werecommunicating daily, and sometimeseven hourly. In this case, what this privateinvestigator was able to do was tocontact several people who either witnessedthe event directly, or had informationthat helped out the defense.These were people who were identifiedby police in their reports as witnesses,but no statements or interviews weretaken from them by the police. In fact,this particular investigation was so patheticallylacking in thoroughness, itcould be used as a training segment inthe police academy on how not to conductan investigation. 1Unless the agency investigating yourincident is very small, a detective willbecome the police agency’s investigator.You need a counterpart to him,because as much as we would like tobelieve the police will always act with afair and impartial mindset, the ugly factremains that prejudice and preconceptions,along with just the possibility ofcatching a lazy cop as the case’s detective,can flush the fair and impartial investigationdown the toilet. So, with thislandscape in place, what the detectivewill do is likely follow up only on whatmakes the prosecution’s case stronger,and not follow up with exculpatory witnesses.This means, on the day of trial,the deck would be stacked against youwhile your witnesses are still sitting inthe bar wondering what ever happenedto that guy who had to shoot someone.Because of this, you will need tohire your own investigator, probablythrough your attorney.Good investigators often charge between$100 to $200 per hour plus expenses,which means another $5,000or more will likely be gone from yourpocket. The good news is that you haveevened the playing field somewhat, andeven more so if your guy can get to thewitnesses before the detective does. Itis not a rarity to have a police officeror detective “massage” the witnesses’memories to fit their case. You need toprevent this from occurring by havingyour investigator get to the witnesses asfast as humanly possible, even the sameday as the shooting.Now, as I have ended this rather shorttopic, let me take a moment to discussan issue which has come up. My editortells me that I am scaring her readers! Iwant to take this time to say, “I hope so!”I have been fortunate in my life to never42USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

have had to face this type of event personally,and also have been fortunateto be able to help some people resolvetheir legal entanglements. My sole purposehere in this column is to give thestark, naked truth about what can happento the lawfully armed citizen underthe wrong circumstances. The readermay choose to ignore what I have beensaying, and the likelihood is that if theydo that, things will still be okay forthem, because they are not likely to beinvolved in a self-defense shooting anyway.And, if they are involved in a selfdefenseshooting, they are still likelyOn the dayof trial, thedeck wouldbe stackedagainst you.to be okay, because the system workscorrectly most of the time. If you wantto play the odds that you will be okaywithout taking some positive measuresto protect yourself, you will likely winthat bet of chance. But I am not a gamblingman (at least when it comes to myfreedom), and thus am somewhat pessimisticwhen it comes to issues such asthis.Let me explain how I got to where Iam today: Sixteen years ago, I first metMassad Ayoob and was introduced tothis way of thinking. I have to tell you itwas a life changing experience. Throughthe Lethal Force Institute, Ayoob hasbeen teaching these same principles formore than thirty years. When I learnedthat I could be in a world of hurt for lawfullydefending myself, I went out andfound that attorney to call in the middleof the night. Eventually I became so familiarwith these concepts that I startedincorporating these lessons into thetraining I do for The Firearms Academyof Seattle, Inc. Over the years, I listenedto stories by Ayoob about cases thathe had worked on which were gutwrenchingexamples of how the armedcitizen can be prosecuted for a lawfulself-defense shooting. I even workedon a few cases myself where the personcharged with a crime was not guilty ofthe crime charged. It started to alter mymindset as to the idea that the cops andthe prosecutors are the good guys, andthe defendants and their attorneys arethe bad guys. You must remember thatI have spent about three decades of mylife involved either full-time or parttimeas a police officer, and to find outfrom the other side that the prosecutorsdo in fact wrongfully charge innocentpeople, and that police officers do infact massage facts or otherwise misleadinvestigations, was a wake-up call.So, a few years ago, I decided todedicate the remainder of my professionalwork in this field to helping thearmed citizen get a handle on these issues,and thus I enrolled in law school.During that process, I hit upon the ideaof forming the Armed Citizens’ LegalDefense Network, LLC to help protectarmed citizens from legal persecutions.I pulled the trigger on the concept lastyear, after graduating from law school.So far, the journey has been rewarding,and this series of articles has been enjoyableto write.But, in penning “Incident toAcquittal,” I would be remiss if I didn’ttell you what could go wrong and why.Thus, the straight talk. If that bothersyou ... well, good. It should! Bad thingshappen to good people all the time. Thesmart, good people figure out ahead oftime how to handle those bad things,should they occur. Until next time. n[ Marty Hayes is President and Directorof the Firearms Academy of Seattle, Inc.,and one of the founders of the ArmedCitizens’ Legal Defense Network, www.ArmedCitizensNetwork.org. He has over30 years experience in law enforcementand firearms training, along with extensiveexperience as an expert witness andlegal consultant. ]1. Unfortunately, this particular case resultedin a guilty verdict for the defender, as eventhe eyewitness to the furtive movement of theindividual who was shot (which appeared to thedefendant that he was going for a weapon) was notenough to overcome some other glaring problems.The case is in the appeal process, so I cannot gointo further details.MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM43

Kimber JPXJet Protector.This month’s column reviews an unusually wide varietyof high-quality self-defense and personal safety relatedproducts. Each item reviewed is thoroughly evaluated underreal world conditions.Kimber JPX Jet ProtectorKimber’s JPX is not your average pepperspray. This is an actual pepper spraygun, capable of delivering an impressivepayload of OC with aimed fire reachingwell beyond the typical distance ofa physical confrontation. One of thedrawbacks of traditional OC deliverysystems is that you have to be very closeto your attacker to deliver an effectiveblast. Not so with the JPX Jet Protector!The heart of the JPX is the twin barrelsthat will each deliver an 11 milliliterpayload of ten percent OC. The irritantagent is propelled by what appears tobe a large pistol primer. The pyrotechniccharge fires the liquid OC at speedsapproaching 270 mph and permits aneffective range of about 16 feet.The pistol itself is a double-action designthat is reloaded by simply replacingthe integrated double-barrel OCcanister unit. The OC canisters snap onand off the pistol frame in a second orless, making reloads safe and easy. Thestandard JPX comes with a decent setof open sights. The upgraded modelhas an integral laser sight—which isa nice touch for this type of weapon.Both models have an integrated equipmentrail for attaching a tactical lightor perhaps your own laser. When fullyequipped with a tac light and a laser,this is a pretty impressive less-lethalweapon.In testing, I found theJPX to be very accurate andeasy to fire. Both the opensights and the laser appearto be dead-on. The soundTrainingdye marks a“victim” of theKimber JPX JetProtector.generated is minimal, andthe recoil is imperceptible.In order to fully test theJet Protector, I enlisted thehelp of my teenage nephew.He has, in the past, submittedto my spraying him withvarious OC training spraysREAL WOCARRY G[ BY DUANE A. DAIKER ]until he was blue in the face—literally.But this time was different. I blastedhim with the JPX from 12 feet. He laterdescribed the experience as taking apunch to the face. He said it was quitepainful, even with the inert blue dye—and he was spitting blue for quite awhile thereafter. Although generally agood sport, he declined to take a secondhit. I can imagine what it would feel liketo take a full blast with the hot OC. Nothank you!The JPX is not small, and is not easilyconcealed. For true carry purposes,there are more compact alternatives,including Kimber’s own PepperBlaster.For those willing to pack a pistol-sizedOC, this one is plenty impressive. Theability to accurately engage targets withaimed OC delivery at longer distancescan be a great tool in the arsenal. Myonly hesitation with this Kimber is thelimited firepower. When using, alwayskeep in mind that you are limited to46USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

two shots unlessyou are carrying abulky reload.The JPX JetProtector is marketedthroughKimber and retailsfor about $300, or$375 with the integratedlaser. Streetprices can be lower.ReplacementOC units runabout $35, and are also available withinert blue-dye practice units. For moredetails, visit www.KimberAmerica.com.Wiley-X Jake SunglassesWiley-X makes a great line of highquality eyewear with industry-leadingRLDEARThe Hitchsafe safelystores small valuableslike spare keys.Wiley-X Jakemodel sunglassesare stylish andfunctional.impact protection ratings. These glassesare very fashionable, but are sturdyenough to be top notch shooting glassestoo. All Wiley-X eyewear boast a virtuallyunbreakable frame and “high velocityprotection” shatterproof polycarbonatelenses that far exceed the ANSI impactresistance standards.The Jake model is particularly versatilebecause it has a removable facialcavity seal that turns these ordinaryglasses into goggles when necessary,sealing off the eye sockets from the elements.Snap the seal off, and you havea regular set of sunglasses or shootingglasses. Of course, the Wiley-X productshave all the other features you wouldexpect in a high-end pair of sunglasses,including scratch-resistant lenses thatblock out 100 percent of harmful UVradiation.I find the Jake to compare very favorablyto much more expensive sunglasses.I like the flexibility of being able toshoot with my regular sunglasses, andhaving extra impact protection on adaily basis could never be a bad idea.The Jake runs about $84 at retail, andMAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COMcomes in a variety of frame and lens colors.For more information on the Jake,and to view the rest of the Wiley-X collection,visit www.WileyX.com.HitchSafeThe HitchSafe is a little unusual forthis column but definitely qualifies as apersonal safety product. Access to yourvehicle is imperative for your safety, asis the security of your valuables. Gettinglocked out of your car is inconvenient atbest, and can be very dangerous in thewrong circumstances.The HitchSafe is a high-tech versionof the old-fashioned magnetic “hide akey” boxes. The difference is that the“hide a key” works solely on concealment.Anyone with enough time andpatience, or anyone who sees you accessingthe hidden key box, can get accessto your key. The HitchSafe employsboth concealment and security. Even ifsomeone spots your HitchSafe hidingplace, access to your key is extremelydifficult and would require serious toolsand serious time.The HitchSafe fits inside any standardtwo-inch trailer hitch receiver on yourtruck, van, SUV or RV. The HitchSafeunit itself is a steel vault that is securedinside the hitch receiver with massiveretaining bolts. Access to the safe is viaa combination lock with a user selectablecombination. The whole assemblyis then concealed behind an innocuousrubber hitch cover.The main drawback, of course, is thatyou have to have a trailer hitch receiverfor this item to work—but many peopledo. Whether the hitch is factory equipmentor aftermarket doesn’t matter. TheHitchSafe can be installed or removedin a matter of seconds. Of course, thesafe cannot be used when you are actuallyusing the receiver for a trailer hitchor for a bike carrier.There are a number of applicationsfor the HitchSafe. A spare set of keys isthe most obvious. The HitchSafe mayactually be a more secure place for yourcash or credit cards when you are awayfrom the vehicle rather than somewhereinside—where they are vulnerableto a typical smash and grab burglary.Further, the HitchSafe providesa secure way of sharing one set of keys47

with multiple people who need accessto the vehicle. No more “hiding” thekeys on top of the front tire! (I hope youdon’t do that, but I know you might….)HitchSafe is also great for storing yourkeys when doing all sorts of outdooractivities when you don’t want to takeyour keys with you—running, biking,hiking, boating, and similar activities.The HitchSafe retails for a very reasonable$69.95. View more info on theHitchSafe at www.HitchSafe.com.QuikClot SportZ-Medica is the inventor of the revolutionaryQuikClot products used bymedical professionals and militaryand police units worldwide. QuikClotis, in medical terms, a hemostatic agentthat promotes blood clotting. In short,it controls severe bleeding fast. If youwant to know exactly how it works thereis detailed information on Z-Medica’swebsite at www.Z-Medica.com. TheQuikClot agent can be used on any severelybleeding wound merely by applyinga porous surgical mesh pouch andQuikClot helps stop bleeding.applying pressure. Anyone who can tearopen a foil pouch and follow a few simpledirections can provide potentiallylife-saving care in the field.Z-Medica is now actively marketingto individuals for use in the home, inthe outdoors, and on the sports field.The QuikClot Sport is convenientlysized for personal use and ease of carry.While severe bleeding can result fromany number of common injuries, a knifewound or gunshot wound certainlycome to mind. Having a QuikClot Sportavailable in one’s home, car and rangebag seems like cheap insurance againstlife-threatening injuries. Rapid applicationof a hemostatic agent like QuikClotgreatly increases the chance of survivaluntil proper medical attention can beadministered.Worried about going to prisonfor defendingyourself?48Join the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Networkso you don’t have to face the legal system alone!EDUCATION: Members receive three DVDs covering justifiable use ofdeadly force, interacting with police, and defending your actions in court.LEGAL SUPPORT: Network members’ attorneys request case review by a Network self-defense expert atno charge plus may consult about defense strategies with our court-recognized use of force experts.THE FOUNDATION: Members are eligible for financial assistance to defray legal costs, if approved by theArmed Citizens’ Legal Defense Foundation’sAdvisory Board.Please visit our website and contact us withyour questions or for further information.www.armedcitizensnetwork.org • P. O. Box 400, Onalaska, WA 98570 • 360-978-5200USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

QuikClot Sport is available from a varietyof online retailers, or from Z-Medicadirectly. Suggested retail price is $9.99.The Photon Proton Pro flashlight.be difficult at best. However, as a utilitylight, the Proton PRO is fantastic. With aprice around $60, and a lifetime warranty,I find the PRO hard to pass up for anall-around utility light, whether clippedto your pocket or attached to your keys.You can purchase the PRO direct fromPhoton at www.PhotonLight.com. n[ Duane A. Daiker is a contributing editorfor CCM, but is otherwise a regular guy—not much different from you. Duane hasbeen a lifelong shooter and goes about hislife as an armed, responsible, and somewhatopinionated citizen. Duane can becontacted at Daiker@RealWorldCarryGear.com, and welcomes your comments andsuggestions for gear reviews. ]PhotonPROTON PRO FlashlightI own a number of great flashlights.Nearly all of them, however, run on expensiveand difficult to locate lithium123 batteries. That can make it difficult ifyour light runs out of juice when you areaway from home. One of my goals latelyhas been to find a great small flashlightthan runs on standard batteries.At the 2009 SHOT Show, I found thePhoton brand Proton PRO Flashlight.The PRO will run on any AA-size battery,and cranks out over 1,000 candlepowerfrom a 2 Watt Cree white LED.This versatile light also features a redCLED light source of about 12 candlepower.Through a single side mountedMYpressure switch, the light can be turnedCMon and off, switched to the red LED,dimmed, or even placed into an automaticsignaling mode.MYCYThis high quality light is waterproof,CMYand features a hardened glass lens andKa knurled aircraft aluminum body. Itcomes equipped with a reversible pocketclip, and is extremely small and light,so carrying it in a pocket—or just aboutanywhere—is a snap.I lived with this light on my person forseveral weeks, and used it for any numberof tasks on a daily basis. This light isamazing for its size and weight. I neverfelt as though I was wanting for morelight. My only real complaint with thislight is that the side mounted switchon the flashlight barrel, as opposed to atail cap switch, makes true tactical applicationsdifficult. Momentary switchingwhile operating a handgun wouldARE YOU READY?ReadyShot enables all gun owners topractice where it counts, in your ownhome, with your own gun, and yourown realistic tactical simulations.- Save money, no ammunition required- Practice with your gun in your home- Build muscle memory and confidence- Safe, simple, convenient,and easy-to-useUse ReadyShot.Gain confidence.Get proficient.Be ready.MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COMIntroduced at the2009 NRA ANNUAL MEETING in PHOENIXwww.readyshot.com877-9-READY-9(877-973-2399)49

ARMED SENIOR CITIZENLessons LearnedFrom TragedyIt was a typical Sunday morning around 7 AM, in a quiet upscale suburb of a majormetropolitan area. [ BY BRUCE N. EIMER, Ph .D ]Afit, elderly couple was walking, asthey did every morning, in a localpark not far from where they lived.Both were suddenly attacked by multipleviolent criminals armed with baseballbats. The man was beaten to death, andhis wife was raped and beaten. She wasleft for dead, but survived with permanentinjuries and physical disablement.She recovered enough to recall that the(two or three) attackers emerged suddenlyfrom a parked van. It is of interest thatboth victims were CCW permit holders,but neither was armed at the time andplace of the fatal attack. The deceasedmale victim was a decorated, retiredSpecial Forces soldier with training inhand-to-hand fighting!Internationally acclaimed firearmsinstructor and author John Farnam ofDefense Training International, who hasreported similar cases, states several lessonsto be learned from this type of tragedy.To quote Mr. Farnam:“We call them side-arms for a reason.At least one needs to be at your side allthe time. Aspire to be a competent, selfcontained,independent operator. And,expect neither support nor understandingfrom naive Victims By Choice (VBC).Don’t arbitrarily divide your life intosafe and dangerous parts, places, noractivities. Fate may neglect to celebrateyour dear fantasy! I know people whohave CCW permits, but don’t carry, andthey’re ever-ready to treat me to a nauseatingdissertation of their idiotic excuses.The foregoing exposes the lethal fallacyof such self-deceptive thinking.When your spouse (either gender)is squeamish about ‘the wholegun-thing,’ help them get over it.You need a partner, not a burden!Be aware of pattern-behavior.Regularly change up routines. Don’t becomepredictable. Stalkers will use yourpredictable routine against you, as waslikely the case here.Don’t deceive yourself that your martialarts training and prowess will protectyou against heavy odds. No matterhow many black belts you have, againstmultiple, simultaneous Violent CriminalAttackers (VCA), you will likely not prevailwhen unarmed. A single, dashinghero, casually dispatching several badguys with glamorous judo moves, issomething that happens only in movies!‘Police protection’ is a contradiction ofterms! Don’t fill your head with false expectationswith regard to actual servicespolice can provide. Police investigatorsare basically armed archeologists. We50USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

left: John Farnam, BruceEimer and another studenttraining at a DefenseTraining Internationalclass in Philadelphia.right: Training to preventa gun grab at a LethalForce Institute Class in LiveOak, Florida.Don HumeTop SecurityHigh Ride Stylestrong side beltholster rideshigh and closeand concealsyour weaponsecurely andwell.Avoid holsters that do not protectthe trigger guard.Gould & Goodrich Auto-Retention BeltSlide Holster rides high and close. Italso comes in a paddle configuration.might catch these guys, and we mightnot. Patrol officers may be there to helpyou, and they may not. We get paid thesame either way. And whatever we manageto accomplish after you’re dead willprobably be of scant interest to you anyway!”Mr. Farnam raises some interestingpoints that are relevant to armed seniorcitizens:First, do not deceive yourself. Seniorcitizens are twice as likely to be selectedby violent criminals for victimization asare middle-aged people. Seniors are consideredeasy prey. Therefore, it is commonsense that able-bodied and ablemindedseniors train to be armed. If youare a senior citizen, you are expected bynaïve VBCs and by VCAs to be a victim.Don’t be! Surprise everyone. The worldwe live in is a dangerous place. A gun inthe hands of an educated, law-abidingcitizen is simply an emergency rescuetool. Obtain CCW permits that allow youto carry legally in as many states as possible.Second, choose an appropriate handgunto carry concealed. Figure out amethod of concealed carry that is comfortableand secure for you, and stick toit, so that you will carry every day, all day.Train with your carry gun. Learn everyaspect of its use and maintenance. Learnthe pertinent laws regarding the use ofdeadly force. Seek competent instruction.Spend the money. Your life is worth it! Donot be deceived by fantasies that someoneelse will come to your rescue whenthe fertilizer hits the fan. The fact is thatyou are on your own.Third, to the extent possible, be unpredictableto outside parties. Don’t standout; blend in. Use deception. Be alert andaware of your surroundings. If you are onprescription medications that cloud youralertness, if possible, figure out thosetimes of day when you are most alert andlucid and go out during those periods.Fourth, because attacks are likely tobe launched simultaneously by multipleVCAs, do not expect your hand-to-handskills and martial arts or boxing prowessto be your trump card. This is why peoplechoose to carry handguns. Employingdeadly force such as a gun is your finaloption for the gravest of extremes—whenyou are in imminent deadly peril that youyourself have not provoked.Fifth, if you choose to go armed, youneed to carry a handgun of substantialcaliber—preferably at least a .38 Specialor 9mm—that you can operate ably. Yourmethod of concealed carry needs to besecure from a handgun retention standpoint,but at the same time, you need tobe able to get your gun on target smoothlyand quickly. This means you must choosethe right equipment, and train with thatequipment at the range. You will performin the field as you have trained.Finally, you cannot afford to let anyonesnatch your gun! If someone goes for yourMAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM51

gun and gets it, they are more than likelygoing to try to kill you with your owngun.Having determined the correct defensivemindset, and identified a suitablepistol for our requirements, we must nowconsider finding a suitable holster to carrythe pistol.If you choose to carry a substantialhandgun in an outside the waistband(OWB) strong side concealment holster,consider the following: First, whicheverholster you choose, you will need to trainwith that holster to become proficientwith it. Second, make sure the holster youchoose is made for your particular handgun.The holster should be neither tootight nor too loose. It is essential that yourgun’s trigger guard is protected. Rejectholsters that do not secure most or all ofthe trigger guard. They are unsafe. Third,consider whether your holster will assistin protecting you from an attempted gungrab. Do not buy into the argument thatbecause your gun is concealed, you donot have to worry about retention, becauseyou do! Finally, be certain that thefirearm will stay securely in the holster ifyou are pushed down, or running, or scuffling,or rolling around on the ground, orjostled in a tight crowd.Nowadays, we have more choices thanever before in models of good retentionconcealment holsters. First, there is thetraditional thumb break belt holster. DonHume Leathergoods, Gould & Goodrich,and DeSantis Holster & Leather Goodsare three reliable companies that manufactureclassic thumb break retentionstrap belt holsters of superior quality formost popular duty and concealed carryside-arms.Second, there is a new generation ofopen top retention concealment belt holsterson the market. Don Hume, Gould& Goodrich, and DeSantis are innovatorsin the design and manufacturing ofthese rigs. The Gould & Goodrich Auto-Retention Belt Slide Holster rides highand close to the body, and it also comes ina paddle configuration. It can be adjustedfor strong side cant or worn crossdraw.With an out of sight, adjustable thumbrelease, it offers excellent retention withouta thumb break to unsnap, and allowsfor an unimpeded smooth draw that conformsto the natural positioning of yourstrong hand. Of course, perfect practice,with an unloaded weapon at first, willhelp you develop a perfect draw. This holsterhas the durability of modern polymerwith the look of leather. Sized for popularsemi-automatic pistols, this design providesaudible, automatic, instant retentionwhen you place your weapon in theholster. Mine conceals my Glock 23 verywell. It will also fit a Glock 19 and a Glock32. It allows a smooth draw and easy reholstering.The Don Hume Top Security HighRide Style strong side belt holster, andtheir Top Security Paddle Style version,also raise the bar for open top retentionconcealment holsters. Both of these TopSecurity High Ride Style holsters are secure,simple and fast. The belt slot versionis built as an Askins-style concealmentholster. Both versions have a hidden releasetrigger locking device that is thesame mechanism as used on the company’snewer duty style rigs. As with theGould & Goodrich design, these holstersautomatically secure your gun after youreholster. With your finger off the trigger,®WHEN SURVIVALCOUNTS!NAA - .22 MagnumActual Size Shown* Highest quality rust resistantstainless steel* Original half-way notch safety cylinder.* Call or Write for your FREE Catalogfeaturing NAA’s complete line ofFirearms and Accessories.* LIFE TIME WARRANTY NORTH AMERICAN ARMS, INC.2150 S. 950 E. • Provo, UT 84606-6285Toll Free 1-800-821-5783www.NorthAmericanArms.com52USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

you simply insert your gun in your holsterand push down . Be sure the triggerguard lock is in place. The retention lockenters the trigger guard, and the gunrests safe and secure from unauthorizedhands. To draw, you simply acquirea strong shooter’s grip and your thumbwill naturally travel down to the triggerguard release button. Then a smoothefficient draw can be performed. Ofcourse, as with any other quality holster,perfect practice with an unloaded weaponat first helps ingrain a perfect draw. Ialso have both of these Don Hume TopSecurity holsters for my Glock 23. Theywill also fit a Glock 19 and Glock 32.They work great. The paddle version isespecially handy if you have to put onand take off your sidearm often. Perhapsyou want to make a quick run to the grocerystore and then head back home.The paddle version will fit the occasion.Perhaps one of these retention concealmentholsters is right for you.Stay safe. n[ Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D., co-author ofthe Essential Guide to Handguns, isa licensed clinical psychologist andNRA Certified Firearms Instructor inPhiladelphia, PA. Bruce teaches concealedcarry classes for Florida, Virginia,and Utah permits, along with privatefirearm instruction. To contact Bruce,or sign up for FREE access to Dr. Eimer’sArsenal for the CCW Permit Holder, visitwww.PersonalDefenseSolutions.net. ]Contacts:Defense Training Internationalwww.Defense-Training.com(970) 482 2520DeSantis Holster & Leather Goodswww.DesantisHolster.com(800) 424-1236Don Hume Leathergoodswww.DonHume.com(800) 331-2686Gould & Goodrichwww.GouldUSA.com(800) 277-0732Lethal Force Institutewww.Ayoob.com(800)624-9049MAY/JUNE 2009 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COMADVERTISEIN CONCEALEDCARRY MAGAZINEContact Bob at(360) 665-0542bobcole@centurytel.net53

left: A complete cartridge, comprisedof a case, primer, and bullet. A swiftburningpropellant (powder) iscontained within the case.right: Dummy cartridges may beused for training and functiontesting, and assist shooters asthey practice reloading, clearingmalfunctions, and triggercontrolskills.Ballistic Basics:Bullets Don’t Go Bang – Cartridges Do!Early in the movie “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” Indy iscaptured by Russian agents who want to steal a box of mummified remains from aUS government warehouse, Hangar 51. [ BY DENNIS CANTRELL ]Believing Indy knows where the boxis hidden, they order him to locateit among the thousands of stackedcrates. Indy asks for a compass and whenit’s evident that one isn’t available, hefaces one of the armed guards and says,“I need your bullets.”The man laughs and Indy justifies hisrequest to the group’s leader by explainingthat he needs the gunpowder containedin the bullets. Why he needs thegunpowder won’t be detailed here, butIndy’s use of the word bullets instead ofcartridges is a current example of howHollywood still gets firearms terminologywrong, despite the ready availabilityof correct information. This (willful?) ignorancefurthers the public’s misunderstandingof firearms. Indy’s screenwriterconfuses a cartridge–a unit composedof a bullet, case, propellant, and primer–with a bullet. Cartridges are what makethe gun go bang; bullets are the projectilesthat exit the gun’s muzzle after thebang. Simple. But even experienced gunowners, some of whom can be heardon popular gun talk radio shows, referto bullets when they are clearly talkingabout cartridges. Accurate synonyms forcartridges include rounds or ammunition(often shortened to ammo).Bullets come in different shapes andsizes and they can be made entirely oflead, a lead alloy (a mix of lead and atleast one other substance), copper, oreven some other material, dependingon the manufacturer. Although thereare bullets made for hunting and specialself-defense situations, most new shooterswill become familiar with target andpersonal protection ammo first.Probably the most commonly usedcenterfire cartridge for target practiceand training is the round nosed, full metaljacketed (FMJ) bullet that is coveredwith a thin layer of copper or copper alloy,known as a “jacket,” which allows therapidly expanding gases of the burningpropellant to propel, or push, the bulletdown the bore at a higher velocity thanwhat’s possible with a pure lead bullet.The primary virtue of the cartridges containingthese bullets is their low cost.In a pinch, any cartridge, even the lowestquality target ammo, can be used forself-defense. But the roundnosed bulletsof target ammo have a tendency to overpenetrate,that is, to exit their intendedtargets and strike objects beyond, thusmaking them less desirable for self-defense.This is why the second commonbullet type, and the one primarily usedfor personal protection, is a jacketed hollowpoint(JHP). For carry guns of .38 caliberand up, this will be the preferred bulletbecause, unlike roundnosed bullets,jacketed hollowpoints are designed toexpand on impact. As the bullet expandsin diameter, it creates a larger woundchannel (a bigger hole) that improves thechances of stopping an aggressor. Thisexpansion also acts as a brake to slow thebullet down and limit penetration.A cartridge type that’s probably notused as much as it should be, is thedummy cartridge. Its construction canvary, but the simplest are inert (solid,nonfunctioning) rounds that allow newshooters to safely practice loading andunloading their guns. All shooters willfind them beneficial for function testingafter cleaning or other maintenance, andthey can be used for dry fire practice. Infact, some guns can be damaged if dryfired without dummy rounds, althoughmost modern firearms, other than thosefiring .22 long rifle ammunition, are likelysafe from damage.So there you have it: a bullet is not acartridge. And if the Russian agents hadgiven Indy what he literally asked for, hemight never have made it out of Hangar51. n[ Dennis Cantrell, an Ohio resident, hopesto promote firearms by helping others understandthem better. ]Contacts:A-Zoom Products(800) 225-9626www.AZoomSnapCaps.com54USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n MAY/JUNE 2009

When 5 Rounds in a 2-Inch SnubbyAren’t Enough...Get 9 Rounds in a Carry 9Only theParaCarry 9Gives You:• 9 rounds of 9mmFirepower in your hand.• At 24 ounces, it is lighter &shorter than most 5-shot revolvers.• New 3-dot sights with bright fiberoptic front, because under stress you need to see your sights to hit the target.• The PXT Power Extractor for absolute, positive, reliability.• Para’s Carry Safe® light double-action (LDA) trigger: Hammer downsafety with a sweet trigger pull every shot.• Match grade barrel: Even in a 3-inch pistol you need winning accuracy.• Customers say: “best service of any handgun company” for your lifetime.• A second magazine that lets you reload faster and with more rounds.Charlotte, NC • 704-930-7600www.para-usa.com/nine