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NEWPPQ M2WE ENGINEEREDTHREE NEW PRODUCTSAND WE’RE RE-ENGINEERINGA GREAT BRAND.There’s a new Walther in town.NEWPPK/S 22We updated the ergonomic PPQ with a newmagazine release to make this popular handguneven more comfortable to operate. The iconicPPK/S is now available in .22 L.R. rimfire. Thenew PPX offers all the features you want in aself-defense handgun at a surprisingly low price.The quality line of Walther premium handgunshas had a remarkable change. Ask your retailerto see all the innovative new designs. Fordetails, visit www.WaltherArms.comNEWPPXDiscover the new Walther Arms.WWW.WALTHERARMS.COM

589444» WALK TOUGH: ARE YOU READY?48» A TACTICAL VACATION:TACTICAL RESPONSE52» S&W M&P SERIES:A FAMILY OF DEFENSIVE FIREARMS60» FIGHTING FROM YOUR BIKE!64» SOMETHING UP YOUR SLEEVE:THE ARMSBAND HOLSTER68» MOTIVATION FOR TRAINING!72» BUSINESS IS BOOMING!SHOT SHOW 201376» TALK WITH YOURKIDS ABOUT GUNS80» TACTICAL MEDICINE:TEXAS STYLE!84» TRAINING THE TRAINER:THE THIRD TENET88» JUST ASK!QUESTIONS ABOUT LASERS92» THE COUNTER-OFFENSIVERIFLE: PART ONE101» MAG 80: MASSAD AYOOBTAKES IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL106» CALLING 911: DO IT CORRECTLY

COLUMNS2630» BALLISTIC BASICS:TRIGGER SLACK AND GRIT32» LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN:YOUR CCW MISSION36» IT’S JUST THE LAW:RULES OF RETREAT40» REAL WORLD CARRY GEAR:FIELD -TESTED GEAR THAT WORKS.42» DEFCON 1: THE WAR ON GUNSDEPARTMENTS283236406» PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE7» EDITOR’S SHOT8» ASK THE USCCA: AN OPENFORUM FOR USCCA MEMBERS10» LETTERS TO THE EDITOR12» TRUE STORIES: TALES OFDEFENSE FROM AROUND THE NATION14» ABOUT THE COVER15» LEGISLATIVE NEWS18» DRILL OF THE MONTH20» BEHIND THE LINE22» MEMBER PROFILE24» USCCA ONLINE & ON THE AIR:MULTI-MEDIA MAYHEM26» GEAR WE LOVE110» INSTRUCTOR’S CORNER:ALIGN YOUR MUZZLE114» ONE TO THE HEAD:THE DEFINITION OF STUPID!APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM5

PRESIDENT’SMESSAGEWINNING THE WARON GUN CONTROL» IT STARTED WITH A MESSAGE through our Facebook fan page.On March 1st, Elisa Dahlberg, who isa student at the University of Colorado,asked us for help in spreading theword about a dangerous gun control billworking its way through the Coloradolegislature that would have criminalizedwhat has been legal for ten years: concealedcarry on campus. In those tenyears, there has never been a recordedincident of any permitted studentthreatening another student or facultymember, or committing a crime, orhaving a negligent discharge, yet staterepresentative Claire Levy (D) and statesenator Rollie Heath (D) moved to makeColorado campuses “gun-free zones,”because they didn’t want to make otherstudents or faculty members feel “uncomfortable.”In Elisa’s words, “This bill is a sneak attackon public safety and on women’s rights. Ifenacted, this bill will prohibit concealedcarry inside college buildings, effectivelybanning concealed carry everywhere oncampus, and disarming permit holders asthey commute to and from school. Duringmy commute, whether I’m stopping at agas station early in the morning, or returningto my car late at night, I’m wellaware that there were 2,278 forcible rapesreported in Colorado in 2011. And whileyou’d like to believe that I’d be safe onceI’m actually on campus, the Departmentof Education estimates that more than3,000 forcible rapes occur on collegecampuses each year. I’m actually luckycompared to many students, since I commuteto school in my car. Other womenand men that walk to campus from theiroff-campus housing are at even greaterrisk. This bill bans more than concealedcarry on campus—it bans self-defenseOFF campus.”In coordination with Elisa and KatherineWhitney, a second year law student atthe University of Colorado, we created aseries of Facebook posts and shared a videoof Amanda Collins testifying before theColorado Senate State Affairs Committee.If you haven’t yet seen this video, I urgeyou to. You’ll be wiping your eyes beforethe end. Amanda had a concealed carrypermit when she was brutally raped withinthe “gun free zone” at the University ofNevada at Reno in October, 2007. She lefther firearm at home to abide by Nevadastate law, which had arbitrarily definedcollege campuses as “gun free zones.”Testifying alongside Amanda was KimberlyWeeks, also a rape survivor and collegestudent. For Amanda and Kimberly, thisbattle was not business; it was personal.In eight days, the USCCA brought thisstory to more than five million peoplethrough Facebook and YouTube, as wellas through print ads in the Denver Post.One key exchange during testimony thatbrought the greatest backlash against thebill, was when Senator Evie Hudak scoldedAmanda, telling her that even if she’dhad a gun, “Statistics are not on your side”to have stopped the rape. The senatorlater apologized to Amanda, but as theDenver Post commented, “a video of theexchange went viral.” Sensing the overwhelmingpressure on Democrat lawmakers,on March 8th at 11:40 p.m., senatorRollie Heath shelved the bill indefinitely.BY TIM SCHMIDTSo what does this teach us? It tells methat when leaders like Katherine Whitney,Elisa Dahlberg, Amanda Collins, and KimberlyWeeks stand up and lead, and whenmillions of Americans like you demandthat your voices be heard, we can changeAmerica for the better. It means that yourvoice matters. It means that if you simplylend your voice to a worthy cause, youcan see lasting and effective change inyour local, state, and federal government.One simple way you can play an importantrole in causes like this is by joiningour Facebook Fan Page, where we’llcontinue to share information about otherdangerous bills. Our nearly one millionfans on Facebook took this message viralin eight days, breaking all of our previousrecords on Facebook. With your continuedhelp, we can use Facebook and ourother information channels as a place tovoice our beliefs and promote the valueswe hold dear. I urge you to join us in thebattle for liberty, freedom, and safety, ifnot for your sake, for the sake of generationsto come.This is not business. It’s personal.Take care and stay safe,Tim SchmidtPresident USCCA

EDITOR’SSHOTBYKEVIN MICHALOWSKIDO YOU KNOW THE RULES?» You carry your pistol. You are ready.You are prepared for what the world may throw at you.You are giving criminal predators an opportunity tomake a fatal error in the victim-selection process.BUT DO YOU KNOW THE RULES?Yes, there are rules. These rules arehuge, complicated state statutes and,in some cases, municipal codes. Andthey are important. You need toknow them, understand themand follow them. We are, afterall, law-abiding gun owners.That is how we want the restof the country to think of us.That is how we should act.Living in Wisconsin, Iwaited a good long timefor a concealed carry lawto be passed. I occasionallyopted to carry openly inaccordance with the law, butthere was always the concernthat I might get the “restauranttreatment” the way a group of opencarry advocates got in Madison. If youdon’t remember the story, five guys wentinto a fast-food restaurant with guns ontheir hips. A skittish anti-gunner thencalled police to “check and see” if it waslegal. It was, of course, but the local Madisoncops didn’t get the memo. They demandedI.D. from the members of thegroup. Well, police can’t demand I.D.unless you are suspected of committinga crime. No one was suspected of committinga crime, so they politely refused.And immediately got cited for disorderlyconduct. The charges were eventuallythrown out and the judge issued a sternwarning to all law enforcement: The simpleact of legally carrying a firearm is nota crime and does not rise to the level ofdisorderly conduct.So word got out. People started learningthe rules. Then the state’s CCW lawpassed and 150,000 of us rushed to getpermits. The best thing I could say aboutthe permitting process is that each envelopecarrying a permit also contains apamphlet outlining the rules. This is wonderfuland important. But I wonder howmany permit holders really read the wholething and kept it for future reference.This is good stuff. It opens, as it shouldwith a section on firearms safety beforemoving on to sections labeled: Law EnforcementContact, Prohibited Locations,School Grounds and Premises,Taverns and Alcohol and more. Thesegments explain clearly what isand isn’t allowed and suggest youlook up the proper state statute forexceptions and explanations.My favorite section is labeled “IfYou Use Your Weapon in Self-Defense.”It happens to be the longestof the sections and providesvaluable information about howyou will be treated by police providedyou follow the rules anddon’t do anything stupid. Nearthe end of the segment readerssee a reassuring sentence: Off-dutypolice officers involved in a shootingare handled in this same manner.I decided to keep this piece of paperand review it from time to time. Assumingother states are as responsible as Wisconsin,I suggest you seek out and reviewyour state’s rules concerning concealedcarry. Knowledge is power. Keep on theright side of the law and prove to theworld gun owners are good people.Train Hard,Kevin MichalowskiExecutive Editor,Concealed Carry MagazineAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM7

ASK THEUSCCAAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM8» COULD YOU EXPLAIN a little bit about the “Gun Show Loophole?” Charles K., Auburn, WACharles, don’t feel bad that you haven’tfigured out exactly what the media andanti-gun politicians mean by the term,“gun show loophole.” Like the term, “assaultweapon,” it’s a made-up term that hasless to do with reality, and more to do withscaring people, or pretending to be toughon crime. Here’s the reality. In most jurisdictions,it’s legal for a father to sell a firearmto a son, or a neighbor to sell a firearmto a neighbor, without going through thesame background check that’s conductedwhen purchasing a firearm from a licenseddealer. Officially, these transactions arecalled “private sales.” Private sales are legal,and are not the same thing as “strawsales” which occur when a person who isnot barred from owning a firearm, buys agun on behalf of someone who is legallybarred from owning a firearm. In otherwords, sales that occur between gangmembers out of car trunks in back alleysare illegal sales, not “private sales.” Wherethis ties back to gun shows (or at least,where the anti-gun crowd tries to tie itback to gun shows) is that in addition tothe thousands of transactions conductedby licensed dealers at shows, private transactionscan also occur between visitors, nodifferently than if the transaction had occurredin the living room or garage of theindividuals conducting the transaction.But here’s the problem. The anti-gunnersaren’t just looking at ending private salesat gun shows, they’re looking at endingthe practice altogether. That is not a logicalstep to reduce crime. Almost no crimecan be traced to guns bought and soldthrough private sales, whether the privatesale was conducted at a gun show, a farmfield, or a front porch. Gang violence isoverwhelmingly responsible for the largestnumber of firearm deaths in the UnitedStates, and those gang members arenot purchasing their guns at gun shows(the idea itself is laughable, consideringthese shows are literally crawling withATF agents and state and local law enforcement).Instead, the majority of thosetransactions occur as straw purchases, orthrough illegal sales of stolen guns. Therenewed call for an end to the so called“gun show loophole” has been driven bythe shooting at Sandy Hook elementaryschool in Connecticut, but of course, thoseguns didn’t come into the possession ofAdam Lanza because of a private sale at agun show. Ending private sales would nothave prevented Sandy Hook, but it will doone thing, and one thing only. It will setthe U.S. on the path of universal gun registration,which for the U.K. and Australia,was the beginning of the end for responsiblyarmed citizens.Charles K., Auburn, WACan they dig up a 20-year-oldexpunged record to possibly denya CCW in Minnesota?Eric H., Minneapolis, MNEric, the real answer to that questionwill depend upon whatever was on the expungedrecord, and whether or not yourcounty sheriff will uncover the expungedrecord when conducting your backgroundcheck. In Minnesota, there are a numberof reasons why a sheriff can deny your permitapplication, the biggest reason beingif you’re ineligible to own a firearm. Sinceyour record was expunged, we’ll assumethat whatever was on it didn’t make youineligible to own a firearm, and that’s reallywhat sheriffs are looking for when theyconduct a check of the Minnesota CrimeInformation system, and the NICS check.That said, if the sheriff does discover somethingthat he or she doesn’t like, Minnesotalaw allows them to deny your permit onthe grounds that they believe you’d be a“danger to self or others.” If the sheriff goesthat route though, they’re going to haveto be willing to back up their decision indistrict court, and if the court reverses thesheriff’s decision, the sheriff’s office willhave to pay your legal fees. Our suggestionis to contact Minnesota Firearms AttorneyMarc Berris at marc@berrislaw.comand get his advice.

TO SUBMIT A QUESTION TO ASK THE USCCA,VISIT US ON FACEBOOK AT FACEBOOK.COM/USCCAMy wife is considering getting herconcealed carry permit, but herco-workers told her she couldn’tcarry at work. She works for theState of Michigan in one of thelarge office buildings behind thecapital. I know you can’t carry in afederal building but I found nothingin the law about state buildings.Gabe R., Lake Odessa, MIGreat question Gabe. While sectionRCW 9.41.300 of Michigan law does identifya number of places where firearms arenot allowed, nowhere does it list “statebuildings.” Now let’s talk about the differencebetween the law, and employerpolicies. As an employee of the stateor any other entity, your wife is going tohave to live within certain policies, mostlikely explained in her employee manual.While employer policy can’t discriminatebased upon things like race, sex, or religion,it can discriminate based upon expectedbehavior, such as whether or notemployees are allowed to carry firearmswhile on state business or in state offices.We’d suggest that your wife quietly readthrough her employee manual, but lether know that she shouldn’t be surprisedif she discovers that as a permit holder,she can carry on state property, but as anemployee, she cannot. That disparity existsin thousands of workplaces across theUnited States, most notably at hundredsof universities and colleges, where visitorsare able to properly protect themselves,but employees and students are rendereddefenseless by misguided “policies.” Thereason we suggest that your wife do thisresearch “quietly” is that she can bet thatsomewhere in her chain of command willbe an anti-gun zealot, who would likenothing better than to get rid of a “gunnut” who dared to ask about carrying agun to work. Personally, we feel most safewhen surrounded by all the pistol packing“gun nuts” at Delta Defense. There aren’tmany offices in the U.S. that are safer.In Washington state, can I legallyhave a round chambered whencarrying concealed?Michael C., Vancouver, WALock and load Michael. No state in theU.S. bars permit holders from carryinga round in the chamber, in fact in moststates, a handgun is considered legally“loaded” if a magazine with live rounds isinserted into the magazine well, regardlessof whether a round is chambered.Now let’s talk about whether it’s a goodidea or a bad idea to carry with a round inthe chamber, and to do that, we’ll ask youa question. Do you consider your firearmto be a device that you’re willing to trainwith until you’re confident and competentwith its operation, and do you understandand accept the fact that somedayyou may need to make the ultimatechoice and fire that handgun at anotherhuman being to save your own life or thelife of another person? The reality is, ifyou ever are the target of a violent attack,you’ll need every millisecond availablein order to repel the attack, and addinga slide rack into the process might meanthe difference between life and death. Inaddition, under the dramatic stress associatedwith an attack, your reactions aregoing to be limited to the automatedresponses driven by your lower brain,and to things that you’ve performedthousands of times previously. So unlessyou’ve drawn from the holster and rackedthe slide to chamber a round thousandsof times in training, you might find yourselfpressing the trigger on an emptychamber when it really matters. So backto our question. If your answer was “Yes,”then you should carry with a round in thechamber. If the answer is “No,” then youshould not be carrying in the first place.Michael MartinPresident & CEOTim SchmidtPublisherDelta DefenseVice President of MediaMichael MartinExecutive EditorKevin MichalowskiMedia DirectorKen WanglerArt DirectorDusty ReidCopy EditorMarilyn WeishaarPhotographersKen Wangler • Dusty ReidColumnistsBruce N. Eimer, Ph.D. • Tamara KeelK.L. Jamison, ESQ. • Duane A. Daiker,M.D. Johnson • Duncan MackieMark Walters • Tim SchmidtMichael MartinContributing WritersR.K. Campbell • Karl RehnGreg Ellifritz• Rich GrassiDuane A. Daiker • Bob PilgrimMary Weddington • George Harris • RobPincus • Rick Sapp • CR WilliamsAdvertising SalesBruce Wolberg715.281.4075ads@deltamediallc.comPublished for USCCA by:N173W21298 Northwest Passage Way,Jackson, WI 53037(877) 677-1919 • Customer Service(262) 677-8877 • USCCAConcealed Carry Magazine (USPS: 022-302,ISSN: 1550-7866), Volume 10, Issue 3,April 2013 Issue. Published 8 times a year,monthly except combined issues:Feb/Mar; May/June; Aug/Sept and Nov/Dec.By Delta Defense, LLC, N173W21298 NortwestPassage Way, Jackson, WI 53037.Periodicals postage paid at Jackson,WI and additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:Concealed Carry Magazine, N173W21298Northwest Passage Way, Jackson, WI 53037Signed articles in Concealed Carry Magazine reflect the views of theauthor, and are not necessarily the views of the editors atDelta Defense, LLC. Concealed Carry Magazine and the U.S. ConcealedCarry Association are registered trademarks of Delta Defense, LLC.All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2004-2013 by Delta Defense, LLC.Reproduction, copying, or distribution of Concealed Carry Magazineis prohibited without written permission.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM9

LETTERS THEEDITORAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM10» DO YOU CARRY PROUD? We recently publishedan editorial by yours truly in our Concealed Carry Report, a weekly emailnewsletter of the USCCA. The gist of the editorial was to ask a question:How can we win the public relations battle in the gun rights war? You seeif we broadcast that we are good, honest participants in the concealedcarry lifestyle then we give up that tactical advantage we are providedby having our gun concealed. The response was more than I could havehoped for. I got nearly 100 letters and that is not counting the commentson the web site. Here are a few on both sides of the issue. Where do youstand? Would you wear a t-shirt in support of the Second Amendment?» CARRY PROUD,SHOW YOUR PRIDEI think we can do both. When carryingconcealed in public we need to keep ourtactical advantage. When you want tobroadcast your pride contact your electedofficials.Fonda Gaynier, Via email» CAN’T CARRY A COPKevin and Tim,Best reason for concealed carry I’ve seen yetwas a man holding a sign at a demonstrationat the Capitol in Harrisburg, PA. It read,“I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.”We both have concealed permits.Bob and Jill Fisher, North East, PA» BE PROUDI believe the public relations of C&C isextremely important. There is no way toknow any scenario you may face but thechances of coming up against a threatthat has targeted you because you have apro-2nd Amendment shirt, NRA or even aUSCCA shirt is very unlikely.I take that chance. Like you said thepublic relations part of it is so important.Some people are going to know by word ofmouth, catching a glimpse of your weapon,or whatever, that you carry. If that personmeets you and you are not what theystereotyped as a gun-wielding cowboy,you may change someone’s mind aboutguns. Good PR is everything. You must bea good representative of your beliefs.I live in Missouri, here we are and shouldbe held to a higher standard to be ableto carry, and I think its important peopleknow that.John Volner, St. Louis» KEEP IT UNDERCOVERWhen I first got my carry permit I wantedeveryone to know. I was going to putthe stickers on my truck and whatever elseI could. A friend and instructor warned mebefore I did it that if I was ever stopped forspeeding or a tail light out a police officermight approach differently than if theywere not there. I can see his point and Ihave changed my outlook on broadcastingmy carrying. I believe it is best to beconcealed and safe than otherwise. Rememberthe old saying “It’s better to bethought a fool than to open your mouthand remove all doubt.” I believe the samegoes with carrying. Keep it undercover!!!Daniel Teele, Via emailDaniel,I can tell you that as a working cop I approachevery traffic stop the same way: assumingthe occupants are armed and readyto kill me. Only after I make contact do Ichange my view and then only based on theactions of the occupants and other evidenceat the scene. I can tell you I have never founddrugs in a car with a pro-gun sticker on thebumper. But I bet I will someday.Kevin MichalowskiExecutive Editor, Concealed Carry Magazine» MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVEDear Kevin Michalowski,I would submit that carrying concealedand “broadcasting our love” are two mutuallyexclusive subsets of carrying weapons.You can do both, but not at the sametime. If you are carrying concealed, thenyou are likely doing so in order to protectyourself or the general clueless publicaround you. To wear anything that identifiesyou as a gun-bearer obviously compromisesyour ability to do your job indefending either yourself or those aroundyou. Someone wearing “2A” apparel andcarrying concealed is apparently needinga little ego boost at the expense of compromisingnot only their security but thatof others whom they might also be protecting,because they WILL draw fire unlessthe perp can’t read. I only hope theyare wearing plenty of body armor. And Ihope that the precious seconds the perpspends trying to eliminate them (hopefullyunsuccessfully) gives me time to bringmy hip and ankle guns to bear. The morewe “blend in” the more likely we will beable to return fire (and survive).There are other ways to “broadcast ourlove” of the 2nd Amendment, personallyand publicly, without compromising ourduty to protect the general clueless publicand ourselves: talk to or write your state andnational representatives (you don’t have tobe eloquent--in fact, less eloquent is probablymore effective), financially support,within your means, those organizationsyou believe will advocate for your right todefend yourself, and let those around youPERSONALLY know where you stand.Choosing to protect yourself, in aslaughter, is a God-given right and youshould not expect gratitude for it. Choosingto protect others is a service to God(or your fellow man) and you shouldn’t expectany gratitude from that either.My advice to you, my co-citizen (brother)Kevin, with all due respect, is to doboth, but not at the same time. Let thebad guys assume we are all armed, allready, to defend personally our lives, ourchildren, and our fellow Americans. Thebottom line of the Declaration of Independence(200+ years ago): “to this wepledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacredhonor”.Mike Applewhite, LTC(Ret.), US Army» TALK IS CHEAP.TAKE ACTIONKevin, I’m fortunate to live in a placethat is (comparatively) cc friendly. (I recentlywent to the courthouse to renewmy permit and I felt like the people therewere giving me a tea in my honor.)I’m for getting the message out, just likeyou. I like the concept of addressing nongunowners like it’s astounding they don’t

have a cc permit (just in case). People whoreally know me, know me. Everyone elseI do not want to connect me with gunsin any way. I may discuss the issues, butI don’t want cc in the forefront as it relatesto me.However. There is one thing that conscientious2A supporters can do that leaves alasting impression. If one does not havea cc permit, get one, even if you have nointention of using it. In some cases, it’s alot of work. And it can be pricey, with, perhaps,required training, permit fees, etc.But it sends a message to politiciansand the rest of the population that youput your money where your mouthis. You will spare no expense to promotefreedom and Constitutional authority.And it puts you into a class abovemere petition signers (which is certainlybetter than not being heard at all). It alsocreates a statistic that states the relativenumbers of individuals that could bearmed at any given moment. It creates acomfort zone in the undecided/2A-hostilecommunity when they read thathalf of their neighbors, at least some ofwhom they might respect, are out there,armed at any given moment, and are nota threat. It says that firearms are a permanentfixture in this community andgun-grabbers need not run for officehere. As an added benefit, it tells theprospective, calculating, punk that todayhe might not be so lucky.I’m all for talk, but.... talk is cheap. Youdo us all a service. Thanks.David Williams, Via email» EVEN THE REVERENDCARRIESI agree with you, Kevin. Even as an earlyCCW citizen I could never understand whyUSCCA sent me a bumper sticker and offeredadditional exposure pieces with mynew membership. Yes, I am thrilled to be aresponsibly armed, CCW, law-abiding citizen.But I certainly do not want to be awalking billboard for all the bad guys andbad girls to be extra prepared around me.If I do that, I have just blown the primaryadvantage of carrying concealed.Thank you for the excellent article.Rev. James T. Meadows, Via email» LET’S SPREAD THE WORDGREAT message! I’d be a USCCA membertoday, in the flash of a second if I didnot live in such a pathetic and dangerousstate…Maryland. Here, my state will notallow me to protect my family or myself.I cannot conceal carry. If this should everchange, I’ll be a LIFETIME member of USC-CA!!! I’ll volunteer to help spread the wordabout USCCA! Just have to get Marylandpoliticians out and some real people inour Annapolis office! I have my fingerscrossed and my prayers said. Also…I LOVETHE INFORMATION that you send out tome! USCCA seems awesome!God Bless!Kenneth L. Smith, Via emailKenneth,Join USCCA anyway! Use the informationto help pressure your lawmakers and encourageyour friends to do the same. Standtogether and push ahead. We are all in thistogether.Kevin MichalowskiExecutive Editor, Concealed Carry Magazine» THE WELL-DRESSEDPISTOLEERHow about some guidance in findingconcealment clothing?Ty Choate, Via EmailTy,The July issue will be all about apparel forboth men and women.Kevin MichalowskiExecutive Editor, Concealed Carry Magazine» LET’S TALK ABOUT THEGOOD THINGSMr. Schmidt,I’m not a subscriber at this time. I alreadyhave more magazines than I can manageto read every month. I am however, a lifemember of the NRA and a firm believer ofthe second amendment. I do have a publishingsuggestion though. The news isfilled with stories of how the public is vilifiedwith the “evil assault rifle” and thoseterrible semi-automatic weapons.We never, and probably will never, seestories (at least in the Democrat-controlledmedia) of the hundreds of people whoselives and or the lives of their families weresaved because they owned and used afirearm. Someone needs to start publishingstories and statistics to let the backward(definitely not progressive) thinkingliberals that guns are not meant for hunting.Their primary purpose is self-defenseand to protect the citizenry from becomingsubjects. The primary difference beingthe right to keep and bear arms.Edward A. Nauman, Via EmailEdward,We try to do that with every edition.Check out our True Stories and LegislativeNews sections.Kevin MichalowskiExecutive Editor, Concealed Carry Magazine» HOW MANY BULLETS?Looking at the October 2012 issue, Isaw Karl Rehn’s “Is A Pocket Gun Enough?”and ended up digging out my calculator.Mr. Rehn cites police statistics to showthat only about 30 percent of shootingsrequire more than five shots. I’ve seenother stats saying that only about 15 percentof firearm-defense incidents requirefiring at all, as bad guys traditionally backoff when faced with a gun.Let’s say a typical USCCA member hasone self-defense incident each year. Inprobability, the fractions multiply, so30/100 times 15/100 times 1/365. Workingit out, we get 1 chance out of 8111 ofneeding bullet #6 on any given day. Experiencetends to support this, as most of usgo many years without shooting anyone.Of course, individual situations vary,but this is now my standard response toanyone who says my new M&P Shield“don’t hold enough rounds”. Feel free touse it yourself.Darrell Bates, Via emailDarrell,It was my understanding when I tookthis job I would not be required to do mathor lift heavy things. Now my head hurts. Butthanks for doing the math for usKevin MichalowskiExecutive Editor, Concealed Carry MagazineAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM11

TRUESTORIES» OHIO MAN SHOOTS ROBBER WHILEDEFENDING 2-MONTH-OLD SONA Columbus man was in the driveway of his home about 9 p.m.when an armed man approached him, put a gun to his head anddemanded money. Fearful for the life of his infant son, whom hewas holding in a car seat, he handed over what money he had.As the robber was leaving, he turned back and pointed his gunat the homeowner and his child. The homeowner drew a pistoland fired on the robber, who fled the scene. Police arrested aman fitting the suspect’s description when he sought treatmentfor a gunshot wound; he will face robbery charges if thepolice investigation determines he is the suspect in the robbery.10TV.com, Columbus, OH» NEVADA JEWELRY STORE CLERKSTOPS ARMED ROBBERYWhen two men, one armed, entered a southwest Las Vegasjewelry store and demanded money from one of the store’semployees, they hadn’t counted on getting armed resistance.Another employee drew his legally carried handgun and fired onthe gun-wielding robber, hitting him several times and puttinghim and his partner to flight. The armed robber was arresteda short time later after seeking treatment for his wounds at alocal hospital. Police are seeking his accomplice.The Review-Journal, Las Vegas, NV» ALABAMA MANATTEMPTS GASSTATION ROBBERYWITH KNIFEA Huntsville man found outthe hard way that a guntrumps a knife when hepulled one on a gas stationclerk in an attempt to robhim. The store clerk drewhis legally carried pistol andstopped the crime cold withoutfiring a shot. The wouldberobber fled the store andwas apprehended a shorttime later; he faces first-degreerobbery charges.WAFF Channel 48, Huntsville, AL

» 15-YR. OLD USES ‘ASSAULT WEAPON’TO DEFEND SELF AND SISTERTwo men attempted a mid-day home invasion near Houston,with one trying the front door and the other the reardoor, and finally breaking a window to gain entry. Seeingwhat was happening, the 15-year-old boy at home withhis sister took his father’s AR-15 and fired on the intruders,hitting one of them three times and putting both to flight.Both home invaders were apprehended at a local hospitalwhen they sought medical treatment. Police say the boydid what he had to do to defend himself and his sister.KHOU.com, Houston, TX» GEORGIA HOMEOWNERFIGHTS OFF HOMEINVADERSTwo Dekalb men who attempted toburglarize a second-story apartment metsome unexpected resistance in the form ofa couple defending their home and theirchildren. Taking up their legally ownedguns, the couple exchanged gunfire withthe burglars, injuring one and causing thesecond to jump from the second-storybalcony. The jumper collided with a treeon the way down and died at the scene.The other burglar was found by investigatingpolice nursing his wounds in a carin a nearby shopping center; he will facecharges on his release from hospital.The Journal-Constitution, Atlanta, GA» PENNSYLVANIA GUNFIGHT LEAVES MASKEDBURGLAR DEADA Garfield home was forcibly entered bya man who shot through the front door,striking one of the two male occupants inthe face. The second occupant returnedfire with his legally owned firearm,shooting the intruder who later died ofhis wounds but not before both residentswere wounded. The residents were treatedfor their injuries at a local hospital, wherethey are in serious condition. Police say itappears the two residents were acting inself-defense.WPXI.com, Pittsburgh, PA» COLORADO MANFIGHTS OFF THREEHOME INVADERSA Colorado Springs man was home alonelate one night when three men forced theirway into his home. Fortunately, the homeownerkept a .357 Magnum revolver nearhim due to the crime rate in his neighborhood.Picking it up, he shot one intruder inthe chest and another in the leg, causingall three to flee. All three were subsequentlyarrested and charged with multiple felonies.Authorities cited Colorado’s “Make MyDay” law in not charging the homeowner.KRDO.com, Colorado Springs, CO» NEW YORK MAN STOPSHOME INVASION WITH‘ASSAULT WEAPON’Hearing strange noises outside his homeabout midnight, a Rochester man tookhis AR-15 rifle and went to investigate.He encountered two men trying to breakinto his home; they fled on seeing thesemi-automatic rifle. The homeownercredits having the rifle with preventing theburglary, and possibly worse from beingdone to him and his roommates. Police arestill looking for the suspects.WHEC.com, Rochester, NY» WISCONSIN’S NEWCCW LAW HELPS STOPROAD RAGE INCIDENTAn Appleton man was driving into townwhen an SUV he had just passed suddenlyrammed him from behind. The man called911, who directed him to stop at the nearestparking lot and wait for police. TheSUV that hit him followed him into theparking lot, and its two occupants got outof their vehicle and started beating him.They backed off when he drew his legallycarried pistol. The attackers face batteryand disorderly conduct charges; the Appletonman will not be charged.WTAQ.com, Green Bay, WIAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM13

COVERGUNTHE WELL-KNOWN BERETTA 92 SERIES of semi-automatic pistols operates on a short recoil,delayed blowback system, which yields faster cycle times, exceptional accuracy and greaterreliability. This new Compact Type M9A1 pistol fires the same 9mm round, but with its 4.25-inch barrel with an overall stainless (Inox) finish this M9A1 is now a great carry gun. You’llfind all the same features of the Model 92READY FOR ACTION !including: the open slide design whichvirtually eliminates jamming and stovepiping, the visible automatic firing pinblock, which is located rearward, far away from the fouling and debris of the breech faceeven if the pistol falls and strikes the ground muzzle down, the firing pin will not strike theprimer, the rear sight is designed to provide a front projection so that in an emergency, theuser may retract the slide single-handedly by pushing the rear sight against the edge ofa table, door or other object and the external hammer design that virtuallyeliminating the possibility of misfires and provides an immediate visual andtactile indicator as to the cocked/uncocked status of the pistol.SPECSBERETTAM9A1 COMPACTCaliber: 9mmMagazine capacity: 13Barrel: 4.25 inchesTrigger Pull: 5.5 to 7.5 poundsAction Type: DA/SASights: FixedAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM14

LEGISLATIVEUPDATE» NEW YORK STATE PASSESTOUGHEST GUN LAWS IN NATIONGovernor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the New York Secure Ammunitionand Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act that gives New York the mostdraconian gun laws in the nation. In a dramatic overreach, the “SAFE” Act willban any magazine that can hold more than seven rounds, with only limitedgrandfathering of existing magazines that exceed the ban. Magazines thathold more than 10 rounds and owned before the effective date must besold out of state within one year, while 10-round magazines owned beforethe ban will be grandfathered, but may be loaded with only seven rounds.The legislation goes on to include a so-called “assault weapons” ban thatis even more restrictive than the now-expired federal ban, outlawing anysemi-automatic rifle that uses a detachable magazine and has a singlecosmetic feature deemed “military-like” by the Act, such as a pistol grip oran adjustable stock. Modern sporting rifles that meet the new restrictionsbut are owned before the effective date, must be registered within a year,and re-registered every five years. Also included in the legislation is therequirement that all ammunition dealers register with the New York statepolice, and that each sale of ammunition require a state background check,and, that a record of the sale be transmitted to the state police.SOUTH DAKOTASouth Dakota became the first statein the nation to enact a law explicitlyauthorizing school employees to carryguns on the job, under the new “sentinel”program signed into law on March8 by South Dakota Governor DennisDaugaard.The new law provides school districtswith the flexibility to allow designatedschool employees, hired security officers,or parent volunteers to serve as a“sentinel” who can carry a firearm in theschool. To participate in the program,the school district must receive thepermission of its local law enforcementagency. The new law also requires participantsto undergo training similar towhat law enforcement officers receive.Freshman Representative Scott Craigsponsored the bill, stating that, “Giventhe national attention to safety inschools, specifically in response to tragedieslike in Connecticut, this is huge.”He went on to say, “Dominoes will startto fall, people will see it’s reasonable, it’ssafer than they think, it’s proactive andit’s preventive.”MINNESOTAThe farthest-reaching gun control billin the Minnesota House, which wouldhave expanded background checks tonearly all firearm sales, has been abandoned.The bill’s sponsor, Representative MichaelPaymar, DFL-St. Paul, said he willinstead focus on a plan to extend backgroundchecks to all purchases at gunshows, but not other private gun sales ortransfers. The House Public Safety and FinanceCommittee was scheduled to voteon the bill on Tuesday, March 19. But Paymar,who is also the committee’s chairman,pulled it at about 8:15 p.m., aftera nearly nine-hour recess. Paymar saidafter the meeting that his bill was deadand he was working on the alternative.Minnesota Pioneer PressWEST VIRGINIAWith no state law barring concealedcarry on campus in West Virginia, the decisionis left up to the individual collegeor university. While West Virginia Universitycurrently bars carry on campus bystudents and faculty, the Student GovernmentAssociation voted on March13, to recommend that the ban be liftedand that WGU no longer be openlyadvertised as a “gun free zone” whichhave been the targets of all recent activeshootings. While the SGA resolution hasno legislative power on campus, the University’sBoard of Governors, with whomthe decision now rests, will take its recommendationinto consideration.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM15

LEGISLATIVEUPDATECOLORADO. YOU WIN SOME...Although concealed carry on Coloradocampuses had been legal for ten years,Colorado Representative Claire Levy (D)and Senator Rollie Heath (D) sponsoredHouse Bill 13-1226, which would havecreated another “gun free zone” on Coloradocampuses. After passing throughthe Senate State Affairs committee on aparty-line vote on March 4, the bill wasscheduled for debate and a vote in thefull senate on March 8. During the interveningfour days, the USCCA in coordinationwith Colorado Students for ConcealedCarry, brought the story to morethan five million Americans and morethan 600,000 Coloradans in print media,eroding the support among Democratlawmakers, leading Senator Heath toshelve the bill on March 8, rather thanface defeat in an open vote.... AND YOU LOSE SOME.Despite protests that House Bill 1224contained dramatic flaws, Colorado GovernorJohn Hickenlooper signed the billinto law on March 20. Designed to limitmagazine capacity to just 15 rounds,the bill contained language also makingillegal any magazine that could be“readily converted” to accept more than15 rounds. Opponents of the bill arguedthat the vague language could effectivelymake any magazine illegal that had aremovable baseplate, which includesnearly all magazines manufactured today.In addition to receiving massive resistancefrom Republican lawmakers, thenew law will also have a ripple affect onColorado’s economy, as Colorado-basedMagpul Industries confirmed that theywould relocate out of state now that thebill has become law. Legislators who hadopposed the new laws commented thatDemocrat’s support for the anti-gun laws“may have electoral consequences forstate Democrats.”KANSASThe Kansas House has approved threeproposals to alter the state’s gun regulations,including expanding the locationswhere concealed weapons could be carried.The bills passed with broad supporton March 14 and head to the Senate forconsideration. One measure would letschool districts and state colleges designateemployees who could carry concealedfirearms inside their buildings,even if such weapons were banned forothers. The bill also would expand thenumber of public buildings where peoplewith a state permit could bring concealedweapons, including the Statehouse. Anothermeasure declares that the federalgovernment cannot regulate firearmsmanufactured, sold and kept in Kansas.The Kansas City StarWASHINGTON D.C.On March 19, Senate Majority LeaderHarry Reid announced that he was

dumping the “assault weapons” ban fromthe gun bill that will eventually make itto the Senate floor. Reid stated that hewould get fewer than 40 votes if the banwere to be included in the bill, whichwas far below the threshold needed todefeat a filibuster or pass the Senate.While it has been dropped from the bill,Senator Dianne Feinstein, who originallyproposed the ban, could propose theban as an amendment to the bill on theSenate floor, in order to force a vote on it.Also uncertain is whether universal backgroundchecks will make it to the Senatefloor for a vote, or whether that provisionof the bill will also be jettisoned.KentucKy residents cancarry in city buildingsFrom the Aurora, Colo., theater shootinglast summer to the Sandy Hook rampagein Newtown, Conn., in December,the topic of who should be able to carrya gun has been hotly debated.A new law in Kentucky allows residentsto openly carry firearms into city-ownedfacilities, including parks, libraries, andcity hall. The law was passed Jan. 27; itseems as if implementing this particularlaw was done in stealth mode.“I did not hear that it was even on thebooks,” said Alex Logsdon, co-owner ofShooter’s Supply and Range. While thenew law caught Logsdon off guard, he’sglad it passed. “The people who are concealcarriers can take them places wherethey couldn’t before. You know, justopening it up to more and more places,to protect and defend themselves,” Logsdonsaid.Many Northern Kentucky officialsweren’t aware the law had gone into effectas of Jan. 28. Independence PoliceChief Shawn Butler said guns are a way oflife there; he expects no problems.The mayor of Park Hills Don Catchensaid, “People carrying guns is fine,” but heisn’t happy with the idea of armed citizenswho might have an issue with the citycouncil. “You’re almost like a sitting duck,”he said.Some gun owners agree with him.“I think in the meeting, stuff like that, itshould be regulated,” said Ron Vinson ofFlorence, Ky. However, officials in Frankfortmade it clear in the legislation that nolocal government can put any restrictionsof any kind on firearms in city facilities.“That’s wrong. A city ought to be able toregulate certain things within their jurisdiction,”Catchen said.With Ohio’s concealed carry law, thereare restrictions. In most cases, governmentbuildings and school property areoff limits, as well as churches. The rulesare similar in Indiana, which does notallow guns in government buildings,schools, or on school buses.From The Kentucky Post (kypost.com) –28 January 2013

DRILLOF THE MONTHRELOAD! RIGHT IN THE BOX»YES, I KNOW there is an ammo shortage. Prices are high and ammo is scarce,so this drill, like the last few will help you maintain your skills without burning any ammo.The focus this issue is reloading the auto-loadingpistol. Sorry revolver guys, I will get something for youin the near future. The focus right now is getting morerounds into your pistol effectively and that means practicingthe skills correctly. Good shooters practice untilthey get it right. Exceptional shooters practice until theycan’t get it wrong.So let’s begin by setting up your gear to give you everypossible advantage. You do want every possible advantagein a fight, don’t you? I thought so. First off, your magazinepouch or pouches should be on your weak-handsidein a location where they are both comfortable andconcealed. I like to have the spare magazine on my lefthip, just behind the seam of my pants. With your pouchor pouches in place insert the magazines with the bulletspointing to your belt buckle. That way, when you grab anew magazine your index finger goes directly to the frontof the magazine to help guide it into the magazine well.Now that you have your magazines where you wantthem and set up properly it is time to consider the reload.You are going to do this as dry practice. Spend acouple bucks for dummy rounds so you don’t have todeal with the slide lock. The first step for dry practice is tomake sure you have no live ammunition anywhere nearthe firearm. Triple-check the pistol is clear. Triple-checkthe magazines you use are clear and triple-check thatyou have only dummy rounds with you. Move all ammunitionout of the room you will use for your dry practice.Now you are ready.Place a magazine with at least one dummy round inyour magazine pouch. Assume your shooting stance witha firing grip on your pistol and prepare for your reload.The first thing you do is pull the pistol back toward yourface with your strong hand. Keep that pistol up in frontof you; just below your eyes. You want to be able to lookat the threat while working the reload. Don’t look down.At the same time move your weak hand to your magazinepouch to retrieve a loaded magazine. Get your thumb be-tween the magazine and your body and have your indexfinger on the front of the magazine. Pull that hand up tothe pistol. Do not lower the pistol to your waist to performthe reload.Only when you have the new magazine up near thepistol should you hit the magazine release button to dropthe empty magazine. Push the button firmly with yourstrong hand thumb and, if needed give the pistol a bit of

BY KEVIN MICHALOWSKI›› All the steps of the reload shouldhappen right in front of your face. Keepyour eyes on the threat and work thereload without dropping the pistol downto your waist. After you insert the freshmagazine, rack the slide. This insures youhave a fresh round in the chamber.a shake to insure the empty magazine drops free. Whenit does, simply let it fall to the ground as you insert thenew magazine firmly into the magazine well and slap itinto place.Next, reach over the top of the slide with all four fingersand, keeping your fingers behind the ejection port, runthe slide fully to the rear and let go of it to charge the pistol.At this point you may be asking, “Am I not ejecting alive round when I do this?”Well, you might be dropping a live round on the ground.But the one thing you are doing for sure is putting a freshlive round into the chamber. Do that every time and youwill know for sure you have a round in the chamber, whereyou need it. I don’t care if you have shot to slide lock or ifyou are doing a tactical reload after the initial attack hasbeen stopped. When you top off your pistol, rack the slideto insure there is a live round in the chamber.In the headline, I made reference to doing your reloadright in the box. That is what we call your “fighting box.”Imagine an 18-inch square right in front of your face.That is area from which you fight. Get the tools withwhich you will fight up into that box so you can see boththe tools and the threat. During a reload, you may haveto look through the trigger guard to see the threat, butso what. It is better to see the threat and be able to reactto it than to be looking down at your waist while someonecloses in on you. The reason you use all four fingersto rack the slide is because this is a gross motor skill. Ifyou try to pinch the rear of the slide with your thumband forefinger (a fine motor skill) you may miss, slip orotherwise fail because you’ve lost your fine motor skillsunder stress.LET’S REVIEW BY THE NUMBERS:1. From the firing position, pull the pistol in toward your face.2. Find your full magazine and get a good grip on it.3. Raise the full magazine near the pistol.4. Hit the magazine release to dump the magazine fromthe pistol.5. Insert the new magazine sharply.6. Rack the slide to chamber a fresh round.ABOUT MAGAZINE POUCHESYou’ve got some options with spare magazines, too. I optfor an open-top kydex pouch that holds one spare magazineand a flashlight. I keep it concealed because I don’twant people to see the spare magazine. You can choosea single mag pouch with a flap over the top. The casualobserve will think it is a multi-tool or small phone pouch.A big double magazine pouch with flaps may be too bigfor most uses. Some people say more ammo is better, thatis up to you. I find that I use my flashlight far more oftenthan I use my third 10-round magazine. No matter howyou carry your ammo, keep the bullets pointed towardthe belt buckle for the easiest possible reload.Gun handling skills are perishable. If you don’t usethem you lose them. So train often but correctly. You areresponsible for your own safety.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM19

BEHIND THELINE»AMMUNITION MADE in the United States is of very highquality. American manufacturers, however, turn out tens ofmillions of rounds of ammunition each day. Any product thatis made in that quantity daily will suffer from defective, out ofspec, or damaged specimens; these will find their way into theboxes shipped to your local dealer. Since you literally bet yourlife on your self-defense ammo, it would be wise to inspect itand care for it properly.Handguns, both revolvers and semiautomaticpistols, rely completely onquality in spec ammunition to function.Here are just a few of the things we see gowrong frequently:High Primer — The primer should beseated just below flush in the base of thecartridge. A high primer is one that protrudesabove the base of the cartridge. Inrevolvers, this can bind against the breechface, preventing rotation of the cylinder.In semi-autos, this can keep the cartridgefrom sliding up under the extractor, andkeep the slide from going into battery.Inverted Primer — Occasionally, we finda cartridge in which the primer was insertedbackward. Obviously, that cartridgewon’t fire.Damaged Rim — The extractor mustgrab the rim of the cartridge and pull it outof the chamber so it can be ejected. Therim should be uniform, and have no bends,tears or burrs.Damaged Case — The case may have abig dent in it, or the case mouth may havebeen caught by the bullet’s base when thebullet was seated in the case, tearing themouth. These will often go into a magazine,but not feed into the pistol’s chamber,causing a stoppage.Bullets — We see bullets inserted backwardin the case (they won’t feed), loose inthe case or pushed back too deeply intothe case. Bad ju-ju.We see a lot of ammo fired every yearand we see these deficiencies in everybrand and type of handgun ammunition.Before you trust your life to ammunition,inspect it carefully for the problems previouslydescribed. I suggest the following forammo you will actually be carrying:Visually inspect the primers carefully. Besure every case has a primer, the primer isseated fully, and the primer is not dentedor damaged.Visually, and by feel, check the rim fordamage or burrs.WATCH YOURAMMO:YOUR LIFEDEPENDS ON IT

BY TOM GIVENSVisually check the case, especially thecase mouth.Visually check the bullets, then withonly finger pressure make sure they arenot loose in the case. You should not beable to move the bullet.One final step many knowledgeableshooters take is to remove the barrelfrom the semi-auto pistol and use it as agauge for the cartridges. Holding the barrelpointed down, drop a round into thechamber. It should go in all the way easilyand stop with the base of the case evenwith the barrel hood. Invert the barrel overa towel. The cartridge should fall out easily.Cartridges that have been subjected tothis test will feed smoothly in your gun.In addition to checking your defensiveammo, you must take care of it. Thisbranches two ways: ammo you have onhand, for instance in your home; andammo you are actually carrying in yourgun or in spare magazines. Let’s look atthem separately.You should have a minimum reservesupply of 100 to 200 rounds of your chosendefensive load at home. This shouldbe kept in the factory boxes it comes in.The dividers or trays in those boxes helpprotect the individual cartridges, andidentification of the ammo is easier inits original box. These should be keptinside your home, not in the garage ora detached storage shed. In those environments,the temperature and humidityvary too much. In a closet inside yourhome, the ammo will last indefinitely. Ifyou want to ensure long-term viability,keep the ammo in metal GI ammo canswith a couple of packets of silica gel desiccantinside. Ammo stored inside yourhome in this manner is good for 50 yearsor longer.Once you start carrying ammo, itsservice life starts counting down ratherquickly. Ammo carried on your person issubjected to temperature and humidityswings, gun oils and solvents, and wearfrom being loaded and unloaded. Ammothat is actually carried should be shot upin practice and replaced in no more thansix months. Going longer than that is beggingfor trouble. Ammo routinely carriedis susceptible to two major issues that arepotentially disastrous.American ammo is loaded with Boxerprimers. These primers consist of a metalcup, an anvil, a pellet of priming compound,and a sealant. The primer pellet istrapped between the cup and anvil so thatwhen the firing pin or striker hits the cup,the pellet is crushed between the cup and›› Inspect your ammo. Loadingdamaged rounds into yourhandgun is a recipe for disaster.Most ammo from reputable makersis fine, but every once in a while abad round gets through.anvil, igniting the cartridge.Every time you chamber a cartridgein a semiautomatic firearm, the primer issubjected to impact by the breech face.Repeated strikes over time can cause theprimer pellet to crumble. If it does, thereis nothing between the cup and anvil toexplode when the firing pin or striker hits,thus a misfired round. If you chamber thesame round twice, I urge you to removeit from carry status and put it with yourpractice ammo for the next range trip.There was a recent, well-publicizedlaw enforcement shooting involving thisvery issue. An officer attempted to fire hishandgun in self-defense, and the round inthe chamber misfired. The officer was ableto apply immediate corrective action (tap,rack, bang), and won the fight.Understandably, both he and his agencywere upset that a round of premium“Law Enforcement Only” ammo had failedto fire at a critical juncture. Examination ofthe misfired round showed that the primerpellet had disintegrated. Investigation revealedthat the officer unloaded his pistolevery night and reloaded it the next day beforegoing to work, chambering the sameround over and over in the process. Thiscaused the failure to fire.If you are worried about family membersgetting access to your pistol, as thisofficer was, lock it up, don’t load/unloaddaily. Aside from the wear and tear on theammo, most unintended discharges occurduring loading/unloading. Load it, wear it,or lock it up.The other problem with loading/unloadingis wear and tear on the bullet.When a round feeds up the ramp and intothe barrel, the bullet takes a pretty solidimpact. Doing this repeatedly can pushthe bullet back too deeply in its case. Thiscompresses the powder charge and canresult in dangerously high pressures (kaboom).You can prevent a lot of potentially seriousproblems down the road by checkingyour carry ammo before loading yourgun or spare magazines with it, then replacethe ammo every six months.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM21

MEMBERPROFILE»From left to right, ElisaDahlberg, Kimberly Weeks,Amanda Collins, andKatherine Whitney.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM22USCCA MEMBERS ELISA DAHLBERG,KIMBERLY WEEKS, AMANDA COLLINS,AND KATHERINE WHITNEY.LED THE FIGHT TO SUCCESSFULLY DEFEATCOLORADO HOUSE BILL 13-1226» Although Amanda Collins had aconcealed carry permit when she wasraped on campus at the University ofNevada at Reno in October of 2007, atthe time of her rape, she was disarmedby Nevada state law, which has arbitrarilydrawn a line around Nevada college campuses, declaring them “gun free zones.” Collins’ rapistwent on to rape two other women, killing his last victim. Katherine Whitney, second year lawstudent at the University of Colorado Law School, was not about to stand idly as the ColoradoLegislature considered drawing the same arbitrary line around Colorado college campuses, whereconcealed carry has been perfectly legal for ten years. Determined to fight for a woman’s right toself-defense, Collins and Whitney teamed up with Colorado college students Kimberly Weeksand Elisa Dahlberg. The unassuming foursome launched an all-out assault on HB 13-1226.On March 4, 2013, Amanda Collins and Kimberly Weeks (the survivor of a brutal rape while attendingthe University of Northern Colorado) testified before the Colorado Senate State Affairs committee,in an effort to convince lawmakers to drop their support for HB 13-1226. Despite their powerfultestimony, the committee voted in favor of repealing concealed carry on campus. Whitney,Dahlberg, Collins, and Weeks then collaborated with the USCCA to raise awareness about the bill,bringing the story to more than five million Americans through Facebook and more than 600,000Coloradans in print media, eroding the support among Democrat lawmakers and ultimately leadingSenator Rollie Heath to shelve the bill on March 8, rather than face defeat in an open vote.

EVENTSPONSORAPRIL 20 TH 9AM TO 6PM • LAKE MARY, FLUPCOMING SHOW DATES!5/18-MADISON, WI • 6/8-WICHITA, KS • 9/14-LAKEVILLE, MN • 10/5-LAKE MARY, FLROB PINCUSTeacher, Author, Training ConsultantARMED AMERICAN RADIOMARK WALTERSAuthor and Armed American Radio HostMICHAEL MARTINAuthor, “Concealed Carry & Home Defense Fundamentals”TRIAL AMMO PROVIDED BY:

ON-LINE ANDTHE AIRThe Same Handgun I usefor Concealed CarryA Different HandgunFACEBOOK POLL OF THE MONTH25321097Q: What is your home defense gun of choice?March 15 • 5,145 VotesA Double-Barrel ShotgunA Pump ShotgunA Semi-Auto ShotgunAn AR-151548931922770 750 1500 2250 3000FAN COMMENT: “My weapon of choice for home defense would be thefirst one I could put in my hot little hands.” Mickey KenneyFACEBOOKPOST OF THE MONTHMarch 2 • Viewed by 1,538,142 People,Shared 21,724 times.Fan Comments:“I do not fear an armed woman becauseI mean them no harm. I applaud theirdecision to protect themselves from thosewho do intend to harm.” Ron Ivey“For me, a concealed firearm puts me onthe same level as a man twice my size thatmay want to do me harm, and I am notjust some run of the mill college student.I was a military and civilian cop and I am adecade older than most students on mycampus. The fact is it is a PUBLIC universityand I have a right to carry there, regardlessof what a few professors think. A simplerule is YOU DONT BRING A KNIFE TO AGUN FIGHT. PERIOD.” Elisa Dahlberg“After working with strong,courageous women that havebeen sexually assaulted on collegecampuses and after sitting througha murder trial of a student randomlyshot and killed a few blocks off campus,I have no desire to cross my fingers andhope I’m not attacked or raped.”Kate Whitney

ARMEDAMERICANRADIOFighting for Your Gun Rights from Coast to Coast every Sunday NightFind a local station at www.armedamericanradio.org or listen live online!HOSTED BY MARK WALTERSDownload Podcasts atwww.ArmedAmericanRadio.com or on iTunesFEBRUARY FEBRUARY FEBRUARY MARCH MARCH10 17 24 3 10Mark’s guests includeHuman Events editorof Guns and PatriotsNeil McCabe, trainerRob Pincus, GanderMountain’s ChrisJuelich, CrossbreedHolster’s Trent Cooper,David Codrea, and ofcourse Seanto!Disgusted at theoutright lies inPresident Obama’sState of the Unionaddress, Mark Walterstakes it upon himselfto rewrite what Obamareally meant to say inthe address, pertainingto guns.Suzanna Hupp joinsMark to discuss herrecent testimony tocongress; while NeilMcCabe and Rob Pincusjoin Mark to make aspecial announcement!The Roundtable withDavid and George isenlightening as always!FACEBOOK FAN COMMENTSMark brings in KatherineWhitney, LegislativeCoordinator for ColoradoStudents for ConcealedCarry; along with NYTimes best selling authorand Fox News Contributor,John Lott. The Roundtablediscussion includes guestDavid Codrea.MOST COMMENTS: 2,304 MOST LIKES: 6,507 MOST SHARES: 5,782Mark welcomes apowerful guest lineupincluding Jose Cruz;rape survivor AmandaCollins; CO Studentsfor Concealed Carryspokesperson KatherineWhitney; Guns AcrossAmerica founder EricReed; David Codrea; andGeorge Hill.Colorado Students forConcealed Carry Effortsto Defeat House Bill13-1226 which wouldEliminate the 10-year oldRight to Carry a ConcealedFirearm on Campus“I just can’t believe that with allthe mass shootings they have hadin Colorado in their “GUN FREEZONES,” that they are actually sostupid that they want to createmore of them! Wake up Colorado!Gun free zones are nothing butshooting galleries for psychopaths!Gun free zones should beoutlawed nationwide!”Curtis SessionsJoe Biden’s Adviceto Women to,“Buy a Shotgun.”“The problem with Bidenis that he believes thatjust because he’s the VicePresident and he sayssomething, that people willnot notice or even care howblatantly idiotic, wrong, orillegal it might be. The mandoes not know guns, he doesnot know the law, and hecertainly does not know theAmerican people.”Michael GrandyVideo of AmandaCollin’s Recountingher Rape in the“Gun Free Zone” atthe University ofNevada at Reno,to the ColoradoSenate State AffairsCommittee“The courage for thiswoman to get up thereand talk about this isunbelievable. I am thankfulfor your testimony andwillingness to fightfor your right to bearAmanda Collins.”Jake EbertCONTESTWINNERSCassie E. from Oregon,Mark W. from Colorado,Robert G. from Texas, ErnestD. from South Carolina,Rudolph A. from Michigan,Bruce K. from Illinois,Richard B. from Louisiana,all won $1,000 to purchasethe gun of their choice inour February and MarchConcealed Carry Magazinepromotion and giveaway!APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM25

MAGPUL ANGLEDMAGPUL CTRBLACKHAWK1 FORE GRIP 2 BUTTSTOCK 3 SHEMAGHThe goal of a forward grip is tosupport the rifle and managerecoil, enabling faster followupshots. The AFG delivers onall criteria. By positioning theshooter’s hand much higheron the centerline of the barrelwhen compared to a verticalgrip, the AFG does a muchbetter job managing recoil,which gave us an uncannyability to control the rifle forfaster, more accurate followupshots. This one’s a keeper.MSRP: $34.95Continuing with another one of our favoriteproducts from Magpul, the CTR buttstockis a drop-in replacement to the standardAR-15 stock (we replaced our’s in about twominutes). The CTR is a step-up from Magpul’sentry model, the MOE, and adds the benefitof a “friction lock” that eliminates any wobbleafter adjusting the stock to your length ofchoice. MSRP: $79.95This kick-ass scarf (better known as a“shemagh”) from Blackhawk, will notonly keep out the winter chill in style,it should also have a place in yourbugout bag, since it can provide shelterfrom the sun, dust, pollutants, allergens,and it can even provide limited warmthin a pinch. MSRP: $19.995GUNVALULTMICROVAULTThe Microvault (pictured) andMicroBioVault from GunVault areperfectly sized to hold a singlehandgun, along with a sparemagazine and tactical flashlight.Add a security cable and it canbe permanently affixed in yourhome or vehicle. You’ll pay $80more for the BioVault, but whenyou need your firearm in a pinch,it can’t be beat. Both safes comewith a key backup.MSRP: $159.996KIMBER PEPPERBLASTER IIOur favorite aspect of theKimber Pepper Blaster II isits pistol-like configuration,sights and all, making for easieraiming when under stress.A not so obvious difference isthat the Pepper Blaster isn’tpressurized and instead operatesalmost like a squirt-gun. Onepress delivers the first “barrel” ofpepper gel at the target,and a second press delivers thesecond, at up to 13 feet.MSRP: $39.9515

4CONCEALED CARRY & HOMEDEFENSE FUNDAMENTALSWritten by Michael Martin, this book has been adoptedby Gander Mountain Academy as their standard textbookfor concealed carry classes. Now available as an exclusive,custom edition from the USCCA, the book is full color, withhundreds of custom images and illustrations. If you trustRob Pincus this is what he had to say: “Michael Martin is oneof the most creative communicators in the firearms industry.This book is a must-read for anyone with a defensivefirearm!” MSRP: $27.95 PLUS S&H2634APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM27

1BIANCHISHADOW IIThe Bianchi Shadow IIcrossdraw holster is not onlygorgeous, it’s also versatile.With three widely spacedslots, the Shadow II can beworn in the conventionalstrong-side position, or shiftedto the support side, with anappropriate cant to drawsmoothly. With a thumbreleasetop strap, the ShadowII offers that extra level ofretention you’ll appreciate.MSRP: $64.75BEAR GRYLLS6 ULTIMATE KNIFEHORDANDY5.11 TACTICAL2 CRITICAL DEFENSE 3 PUSH PACKThis month’s self-defense ammunitionchoice is Hornady’s Critical Defense,which is geared toward the civilianmarket. Critical Defense comes withan InterLock TM band, which locks thejacket to the lead core for higher weightretention, and a rubbery Flex Tip TM in thehollowpoint cavity, to minimize cloggingwhen fired through heavy clothing.MSRP: $27.85Short for “Practical Utility Shoulder Hold,”the PUSH pack is sized perfectly for a singlehandgun, a few spare magazines, an Israelibandage, and a few other necessities. Whileit’s designed with tactical use in mind,we’ve used our’s while shooting at ourlocal outdoor range, plus we had space fora water bottle and energy bar. And just toclear things up, the PUSH pack is a manbag, nota purse. MSRP: $64.99Okay, we’ll admit that we’rehuge fans of Bear Grylls’ show,“Man versus Wild,” but that’s notwhy we’re recommending thisknife. Created in collaborationbetween Bear Grylls and Gerber,the Ultimate Knife comes witha 4.8-inch half serrated, highcarbonstainless steel blade andan overall length of 10 inches.Features includea hardened,hammer-like base,a fire-starter rodthat locks into thesheath with a strikeron the back of theknife blade, a bladesharpener integratedinto the back ofthe sheath, anemergency whistleon the lanyard, andlashing points toallow you to turn theultimate knife intothe ultimate spear.When it isn’t with uson a backpackingtrip, this knife goesright back into ourbugout bag.MSRP: $62.00132

4OTIS TECHNOLOGYCLEANING SYSTEMThese compact cleaning kits from Otis mightjust be the greatest invention ever made.Nearly every firearm type and caliber canbe cleaned, from a .22 caliber handgun, to a12-gauge shotgun. with a single kit. Otis kitsalso contains unique circular patches, allowingthe exact same patch to clean, you guessedit, from .22 caliber to 12-gauge. No kidding.MSRP: $59.995DO-ALL KINGPIN XBOWLING PIN TARGETSometimes you just need to go beyondpunching holes in paper, or hearing the “ting”of a steel target, and that’s where the Do-AllBowling Pin Target comes in. Although it looksjust like a regulation pin, the Do-All is designedto absorb hundreds of rounds, so feel free toknock it off a target stand hundreds of times,or send it bouncing around your Back 40 asyou fill it full of lead. MSRP: $29.99564APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM29

BALLISTIC BASICS | LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN | IT’S JUST THE LAW | REAL WORLD CARRY GEAR | DEFCON 1TAMARA KEELTalkin’TRIGGERS

»LEARNING THE TERMINOLOGY OF THE TRIGGER is not all that tough.But it takes a lot of shooting to actually get a feel for what each referencereally means. You can talk about it all day long, but once you feel it, you’ll know.Since we talked about reset recently, let’s talkabout more trigger jargon that gets tossed aroundby the folks at the local gun store or shooting rangethat sometimes forget that not everyone carries aGun Nerd-to-English dictionary.For instance, you’ll sometimes hear a gun’s triggerdisparaged as “gritty.” That just sounds bad (unlessyou’re buying sandpaper). Everyone will nodsagely and agree that this is indeed a bad triggerwithout explaining why.“Gritty” is bad and conversely “smooth” is a complimentfor triggers because handgun shootingcomes down to one thing: holding an object thatweighs only a pound or two as steady as possible inyour hands while exerting many pounds of force onit with one finger. It’s a lot easier to hold that objectsteady if the surface through which you are tryingto apply the force isn’t moving backward in a seriesof hitches and little jerks.Another term you may hear is “slack.” Obviouslya trigger needs to move some distance to the rearbefore actually discharging the pistol or it wouldgo off if you looked at it cross-eyed. Shooting accuratelyis easier if the distance is minimized, and alsoif it is not just a disconnected feeling, “slack,” thatoffers no tactile feedback until abruptly coming upagainst sudden resistance at the point where thesear breaks and the pistol fires.“Overtravel” is the flip side of slack. This is theamount of rearward movement in the trigger afterthe pistol discharges but before the trigger hits thephysical limit of its travel. There is a mechanical needfor at least a tiny amount of overtravel if you wantthe trigger to trip the firing mechanism reliably butmore than a tiny amount is detrimental to accuracy.The reason is that the projectile requires a smallamount of time to actually leave the muzzle. If, justas the trigger passes the point at which the pistolfires, it suddenly lurches rearward a fraction of aninch before stopping abruptly, it becomes thatmuch more likely that the shooter’s aim will be disturbedbefore the bullet is away.Some pistols come with a device called an “overtravelstop,” which looks like a little pin or screw onthe backside of the trigger. While it looks adjustable,one should resist the urge to monkey with itbecause it only has two positions: right and wrong.It should come locked, usually with thread-lockingcompound, in the right position from the factory.Break the thread sealant loose, and it’s easy enoughfor the little gadget to shift around under recoil andwind up in the wrong position, which is the onewhere your gun no longer fires.Now when someone says “That trigger had moreslack than a Seattle coffee house!” you can nodknowingly and say, “Gritty as a gravel road, too!”›› Looking inside a pistol gives you a betteridea of how things work and where the partsfit together. This understanding helps shootersto become familiar with the different wordsused to describe triggers,trigger pull and othersubtle nuances found in different firearms.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM31

BRUCE N. EIMER, PH.DBALLISTIC BASICS | LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN | IT’S JUST THE LAW | REAL WORLD CARRY GEAR | DEFCON 1YOURCONCEALEDCARRY MISSION»YOUR MISSION IS TO NOT SIMPLY SURVIVE;BUT TO PREVAIL. IF YOU ARE FORCED TO FIGHT,YOU MUST BE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLYPREPARED TO WIN. ARE YOU READY?

APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM33

APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM34» THE MISSION, YOUR MISSION, is to go homesafely after you do whatever you have to do each day.In past installments, I have talked about different handgunsand holsters that are ideal for concealed carry.Often, I hear the question, “What is thebest concealed carry handgun?” Very often,I hear someone answer, “The gun youhave on you when the balloon goes up.”I think there is a better answer. Thosewho have gone repeatedly into harm’s wayhave repeated it to me: the best gun is thegun that fits the mission, and that dependson your mission.I have a friend who is a former spec opssoldier who has been on many dangerousassignments. He only carries a Glock 17with two spare magazines. The Glock 17is a full-size high-capacity 9mm semi-automaticpistol that holds 17+1 rounds. Myfriend is not a fan of the .40 caliber or .45caliber for everyday carry. His rationale isthat the 9mm is the easiest to shoot understress because of its light recoil. Thus, it allowsfor more precise follow-up shots especiallyin situations where one has to beprecise with multiple double or triple tapsinto hostile targets shooting at you fromdifferent distances.I am a fan of the .40 Smith and Wessoncartridge. My first every day carry gun wasa .40 caliber Glock 23. This is a mid-sizeGR4004-1STAINLESS STEELGlock pistol with a capacity of 13+1 .40caliber cartridges. I also sometimes carrythe full-size Glock 22, which holds 15+1 .40caliber cartridges. However, my friend’s experience-basedadvice has been validatedby my own experience.I have had the opportunity of shootingtactical courses outdoors in different climacticconditions. I remember one weekendduring which I shot a challenging andfast-paced combat course in the PoconoMountains of Pennsylvania in the middleof February in the ice, slush, and snow.I recall taking my Glock 23 and my Glock19 with me, and I recall how disappointedI was in my performance with my Glock23, which I had carried for longer than13 years. On the following day, I switchedto my Glock 19 and my performance improvedmarkedly. I attributed this to themuch-reduced recoil of the Glock 19. The9mm cartridge is quite mild in a Glock 19or Glock 17.In those wet, icy, cold, adverse conditions,my hands were freezing; occasionallyI had gloves on. Over the courseof an entire day of shooting and movingthrough the icy muck, I experienced difficultyhaving as much control over the .40caliber Glock 23 as I considered necessaryin order to make rapid precision hits. TheGlock 19 was like a breath of fresh air.Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t trade in myGlock 23! However, the truth is good is notgood enough. If you are fighting multipleassailants, you must be shooting as preciselyas you are capable of shooting. Rememberthe mission is to go home at night.Ever since the Aurora, Co., movie shooting,I have considered and reconsideredmy good friend’s advice, and altered mybehavior accordingly. I have switched tocarrying a high-capacity 9mm whenever Igo to the movies, to the mall, to a restaurant,to a synagogue or to church. Theseare situations in which one might have totake long-range shots under adverse conditionssuch as, noise, smoke, low or nolight, crowds, flying projectiles, sprinklersystems raining on you, etc.The gun that fits the bill for me personallyis the Glock 17 with its consistentdouble-action-only trigger and 17 + 1 capacity.I am also a fan of the Springfield XDand XDM 9mm full-size pistols with theirsmooth and consistent triggers. In addition,if one is comfortable with double-action/single-actionsemi-auto pistols, thena Sig Sauer P226 9mm would be just finefor the mission.With that said, I still carry my Glock 23 ormy Glock 22 very often, and I do not feelthat I am in an inferior position if I happento go to the movies or a restaurant withthat gun concealed inside my waistband.After all, the .40 S&W has a very favorablerecord of felon stops. The .40 caliber falls inbetween the 9mm and .45 ACP in terms ofthe size and capacity.I still subscribe to the school of thoughtthat bigger holes are better. That is part ofthe rationale for using hollow-point bulletsfor self-defense. They are designed toproduce a larger hole if they perform properlyand expand as intended. This createsa larger wound cavity. Using hollow-pointbullets can be considered more humanethan using full metal jacketed bullets becausehollow-points, if they perform as intended,expand to produce a larger hole.You just might need fewer bullets to stopthe attacker.Another pertinent consideration isbullet velocity. The .40 caliber falls somewherein the middle between what is typicallythe faster 9mm and the slower, yetheavier, .45 caliber. So, the .40 is a sort ofthe best of both worlds.

This reasoning is valid only if you cancontrol the .40. What’s controllable for memay not be controllable for you and viceversa. The most important considerationis your ability to use your equipment, andthat includes your ability to control yourhandgun and place precise shots on yourintended target. In those icy, cold and wetconditions that weekend in the Poconos,I made the decision to downsize to the9mm because for “that mission,” the .40was too much for me to do the job I neededto do.“MOUSE GUNS”Let us now address the so-called “mousegun.” This term has often been used to characterizesmaller caliber (e.g., .22LR, .25 ACP,.32 ACP, .380 ACP) pistols, which are oftenalso smaller in size than are larger caliberpistols (9mm and higher). Mouse guns havetaken a lot of flack by different authors overthe years. In fact, my friend and mentorMassad Ayoob has written that: “Friendsdon’t let friends carry mouse guns.”The conundrum is that nowadays thehot ticket is the pocket .380 ACP pistol. Forfairly obvious reasons, many people carry.380 ACP pistols as well as .32 ACP pistolsand pocket pistols in .22LR. The most obviousreason is that many of these pistolsare small and light. Thus, they are easier toconceal and carry around all day.There is no question that carrying a gun,any gun, is better than carrying no gun at all.So, if the only gun you can carry is a mousegun, then, carry the mouse gun. However,it is possible that a violent criminal couldbe pumped up on drugs and your mousegun may not do enough damage quicklyenough to stop him from hurting you.“MOUSE GUN ISSUES”The first issue that comes to mind is thata .380 ACP fired accurately is better thana 9mm that does not hit the mark. Onecannot skirt the laws of physics. The 9mmcartridge in the same size gun will giveyou more recoil than will the .380 ACP cartridge.These days, firearms manufacturershave been producing smaller, lighter, andmore concealable semi-auto pistols thatshoot more and more powerful loads.Thus, there are more 9mm and even .40caliber pocket pistols than ever. However,a pocket pistol you cannot handle is of nouse to you.With this rationale, Ruger Firearms iscurrently selling a .380 ACP version of itspopular LC9 9mm pistol. The LC9 is a reliablesub-compact semi-auto pocket pistol.The new Ruger LC380 pocket pistol is amuch softer shooting gun (i.e., less recoil)than its older 9mm sister, and from what Ihave learned thus far in shooting my copy,it is reliable, combat accurate, and has aslide that is easier to cycle. It is the betterchoice for folks who find the LC9 too snappy.A single .380 ACP bullet on your attackeris infinitely better than half a dozen9mm bullets that miss him.Getting back to the point of this discussion,the best pistol to carry is the onemost suited to the nature of your mission.As a civilian carrying concealed for self-defense,there are many occasions when absoluteconcealment is essential. Gettingspotted carrying a gun could get me intoa lot of trouble.In such situations, I need to carry thesmallest gun possible. That gun might ridein my pants pocket (front or rear), insidemy jacket pocket, or in my shirt pocket. Inthose instances a little Seecamp .32 or .380ACP fits the bill. Both are the same size, extremelysmall and very reliable.They also make great backup gunsshould you run out of rounds in your primarycarry gun. Many police officers havesurvived as a result of having a backup gunin such dire circumstances.CARRY SYSTEMSGun fights unfold and end in a matter ofseconds. If carrying a handgun, you had betterhave a reliable concealed carry systemthat enables you to get your gun out andon target smoothly and rapidly. Don’t spend$800 on a handgun and then skimp on yourholster. You typically get what you pay for.A quality holster that fits your mission andyour body type is well worth the money.A holster is part of a carry system. Youshould select a holster that is comfortable(so you’ll wear it), that conceals well (so youare not continually checking and re-adjustingyour clothes), and that facilitates rapidaccess to your firearm and in many cases,easy one-handed re-holstering. Holstersthat work for me may not work for you givendifferences in our body size and shape, theclothing we wear, the guns we carry, and theenvironments in which we live and work.If you are serious about being armedmost or all of the time, you will have to testvarious holsters until you find one that fitsyour particular circumstances. With thatsaid, I can tell you what some of my everyday carry (EDC) holsters are.For deep concealment, I favor Alessi’sTalon Plus and Watch Six inside the waistband (IWB) custom leather holsters (www.AlessiGunHolsters.com). They comfortablyride deep in my pants.For the greatest comfort especially inhot weather worn under a T-shirt andagainst my skin, I choose a holster madeby N82 Tactical (www.N82Tactical.com).The neoprene and leather backing does agreat job of breathing against my skin andspreading the weight of the gun around soit does not pull down or ride up. Keepingin mind that for inside the waistband carryevery eighth of an inch counts, I also favorthe Crossbreed Supertuck Deluxe. TheCrossbreed Supertuck is thin, and thus,takes up minimal room inside my pants,is comfortable, and does a great job ofspreading the weight of the gun around,given its fore and aft spring steel clips thatclip over your belt. (www.CrossBreedHolsters.com).For pocket carry of small pistols, frontand rear pant pocket holsters made byMeco Holsters (www.MecoPocketHolsters.com) and Hidden Holsters (www.Hidden-Holsters.net) work well for me. They enableme to carry my Seecamp .32 or .380,or my Kahr PM9 or CM9 comfortably andsecurely in my pocket in a fixed and steadyposition without the little guns doingsomersaults in my pocket, and withoutthe pocket holster coming out with thegun on the draw. Function follows form inthese fine custom leather pocket holstersthat are also mighty pretty works of art.SUMMARYOne size does not fit all. As you defineyour mission — and it may change from dayto day — make sure you choose the rightpistol and carry system for that mission.Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D., licensed psychologistand NRA Certified Law EnforcementFirearms Instructor, is the CEO of PersonalDefense Solutions, LLC, www.PersonalDefenseSolutions.net.PDS provides privatehandgun, shotgun and rifle self-defensetraining, and also offers the classes requiredto obtain the Florida, Virginia, and Utahnonresident multi-state CCW permits. Dr.Eimer performs gun rights restoration psychologicalexams, www.GunRightsRecovery.com, lethal weapons testing for police andsecurity professionals, www.Act235Testing.com, and is the founder and owner of the onlineforum, www.DefensiveHandguns.com.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM35

K. L. JAMISONBALLISTIC BASICS | LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN | IT’S JUST THE LAW | REAL WORLD CARRY GEAR | DEFCON 1

›› This image certainlyjustifies the use ofdeadly force on thepart of the woman. Sheis in a corner with nomeans of escape. Somejurisdictions demandthat you attempt toretreat before you useforce. Know the lawwere you carry.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM37

APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM38She fled into her basement. When headvanced on her threatening to kill herand the children, she shot him. She wasconvicted of manslaughter.The Massachusetts Supreme Courtupheld her conviction claiming thatshe could have retreated outside of herhome; presumably across the state lineto a more sensible jurisdiction.This case is notable for having beenoverturned by the Massachusetts Legislaturewhich changed the state retreat law toconform to the rest of the nation in termsthat even a Massachusetts judge could understand.[ii]However, this was many yearsand many thousands of dollars too late forthe lady in question. A change in the lawdoes not usually expunge a conviction.If the situation in which you find yourselfhas an obvious, and safe, and dignifiedway out, then I think it’s a pretty safebet that the Almighty intends for you totake it and leave the martyrdom and theheroics, at least for the time being, forsomeone else.[iii]The English Rule is that one must retreat“to the wall” before using deadlyforce. This rule can be tracedto an English case of 1328.Two men quarreled, andwhen one drew a weapon,the other backed away until hewas stopped by a wall betweentwo houses, where he drewhis own weapon and killedthe attacker.[iv]Following his acquittal,British Courts looked for “retreatto the wall.” The rule requires one toretreat until confronted with a physicalbarrier. This was actually an improvementover the prior rule that any killing was abreach of the king’s peace. Even personsacting in self-defense had to apply to theking for a pardon.The American Rule is that one maystand one’s ground and use deadly force,if necessary. The general rule of self-defenseis that one may use deadly forceonly in cases of necessity. In applying thisrule to the retreat doctrine, a state courtasked, “Does the law hold a man who isviolently and feloniously assaulted responsiblefor having brought such necessityupon himself on the sole ground thathe failed to fly from his assailant whenhe might have safely done so?” The courtruled there was no such requirement.[v]A train of cases on this point is summarizedin Beard v U.S., a 1895 U.S. SupremeCourt case.[vi] It is interesting that thistrain of cases stresses old British legalcommentaries, commentaries whichclaim a right to stand one’s ground.The following year, the Supreme Courtdecided Allen v U.S. This case cites Beardfor the proposition that a person mustretreat before using deadly force, unlesson his own property.[vii] This was not theruling in Beard; the Allen decision actuallycarves out an exception to the previouscase. In Allen, the guest of honor appearsto have approached the victim in the victim’sfield and provoked a battle. The courtwas hampered by the failure of the defendantto supply a brief. Without the benefitof the defendant’s argument, the rulingmust be limited to its facts; when off one’sown property, there is a general duty toretreat if one can do so in safety.[viii]The Supreme Court revisited the retreatissue in 1920 in the clear ringingprose of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes.The defendant had been at his workplaceand was attacked by a man with a knife;THE WOMAN’SESTRANGED HUSBANDBECAME DECIDEDLYSTRANGER. INSTEADOF NEGOTIATING THEIRMARITAL DIFFERENCES,HE THREATENEDTO KILL HER.he retreated some 20 feet to where hehad left his pistol, and killed his attacker.[ix] The trial court instructed the jury thata person must retreat indefinitely beforeusing deadly force. [x]The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruledthat in accordance with Allen, a personoff his own property must retreat.[xi]The Supreme Court in a decision authoredby Justice Holmes reversed, pointingout that the defendant was in a placehe was entitled to be, and if reasonablyin fear of his life, can use deadly forcewithout flight or attempts to disable hisassailant.[xii] The court stressed what acitizen might reasonably believe whenassaulted, ruling that, “Detached reflectioncannot be demanded in the presenceof an uplifted knife.” This is a subjectivestandard, not the objective andover-used reasonable man standard. Thecourt further ruled that retreat was onefactor that might be looked at to determineif a killing was self-defense but wasnot categorical proof of guilt.[xiii]These cases only determine federal lawconcerning killings on federal property.Nearly all killings are governed by state law.In the 14th Century, it was possible toretreat “to the wall” before the side armsof the day. In America, the use of projectileweapons makes running futile; one onlydies tired.[xiv] On the other hand, criminalsare notoriously poor shots. A retireddetective suggests that serious injury ordeath to fleeing citizens by felons occurs

The appropriate inquiry was if the useof force was reasonable, not if other alternativeswere available.[xix] The U.S.Supreme Court has ruled that the use ofdeadly force must be judged by the circumstancesat the moment that deadlyforce is used.[xx]Retreat is dangerous. If one turns andruns, this involves turning one’s back;flight may trigger his predatory impulse.Animal trainers advise that if pursued bya wild animal dropping to the groundmay cause animals to lose interest. Inhuman predators it only invites kickingand stomping. Backing up risks trippingand falling, in which case the predator issuddenly in a position to kick and stomp.Retreat will help prove that the citizenwas reluctant to engage in a gunfight.This helps prove that the ultimate shootingwas in self-defense. But nothing is theabsolute defense it should be. A northernMissouri man was charged with attemptedmurder even though he could not fleeand had called 911. He was being beatenwith his own crutch when he fired theshot. For the prosecutor’s theory to betrue, the bullet would have had to turncorners.[xxi]It doesn’t have to make sense;it’s just the law.only five percent of the time.[xv] These aregood odds but not complete safety.The American Rule is modified in eachstate. In most states, there is a differencebetween retreat inside or outside thehome. If attacked outside, one must retreatif it is possible to do so in completesafety. The practicality of retreat outsidethe home is a factual question for thejury.[xvi]In states with “stand your ground”laws the failure to retreat is not consideredin determining if an action was inself-defense. However, there have beenseveral recent cases in which the courthas refused to allow “stand your ground”as a defense. Some of the more peculiardecisions may be a reaction to the Zimmermancase currently going on in Florida.[xvii]Other cases may involve failureto prove elements of the defense peculiarto the specific state’s law.It is often argued that a survivor shouldhave performed this or that action beforeusing deadly force. Deadly force is alwaysa last resort. However, when deadly forceis authorized, there is no requirement touse non-deadly force. In a civil case, anappellate court ruled:As [the suspect] moved toward [the officer],was he supposed to think of an attackdog, of . . . CS gas, or how fast he could runbackwards? Our answer is, and has been,no, because there is too little time for theofficer to do so and too much opportunityto second-guess that officer.[xviii](1) Commonwealth v Shaffer, 326 N.E.2d 880(Mass 1975). [ii] 278 M.G.L.A. Section 8A. [iii]Farnam THE DYNAMICS OF A VIOLENT CON-FRONTATION, BEFORE, DURING & AFTER, LeerburgVideo Productions 1987. [iv] Gillespie JUS-TIFIABLE HOMICIDE, Ohio State University PressColumbus OH 1989 at 208. [v] State v Gardner,104 N.W. 971 (Minn 1905) at 974. [vi] Beard vU.S., 158 U.S. 550; 15 S.Ct. Rptr 962 (1895) [vii]Allen v U.S., 164 U.S. 492 (1896) at 498. [viii] Allenat 498. [ix] Brown v U.S., 256 U.S. 335 (1920).[x] Perhaps to some other jurisdiction wherejudges have a grasp on reality. [xi] Brown v U.S.,257 Federal Rptr 46 (Fifth Cir. 1919). [xii] Brownv U.S., 256 U.S. 335 (1920) at 343. [xiii] Brown vU.S. id. [xiv] State v Gardner, 104 N.W. 971 (Minn1905) at 975. [xv] Bittenbinder TOUGH TARGET,Running Press, Philadelphia PA 1997 at 31. [xvi]State v Corujo, 744 S.W.2d 812 (Mo. E.D. 1987)at 814. [xvii] More on this at a later date. [xviii]Plakas v Drinski, 19 F.3d 1143 (7th Cir. 1994) at1149 cert denied 115 S.Ct. 81 (1994). [xix] Scottv Henrich, 978 F.2d 481 (9th Cir. 1992) withdrawnand reissued Nov. 2, 1994; 39 F.3d 912(9th Cir Mont 1994). [xx] Graham v Connor, 490U.S. 386 (1989) at 396. [xxi] Things turned outreasonably well, but I still have a bad attitudeabout it and the client didn’t like my bill.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM39

DUANE A. DAIKERBALLISTIC BASICS | LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN | IT’S JUST THE LAW | REAL WORLD CARRY GEAR | DEFCON 1VISION &RUDY PROJECT MAGSTER SHOOTING GLASSESFew things are as important as your eyes and your vision.Anytime you are shooting, you need to adequately protectyour eyes. There are many potential risks to your eyes — likea bullet or fragment that bounces back, a hot ejected shellcasing or even a partial detonation of your firearm as part ofa malfunction. Proper eye protection is a must.Don’t just assume that any pair of sunglasses is adequate.Proper eyewear should be specifically designed for shootingand meet the American National Standards Institute(ANSI) impact standards. A cheap pair of sunglasses mightnot stop a fast-moving projectile and shatter — causingeven more problems. The Rudy Project IMPACTX lenses areso tough you can actually bend them in half in your fingerswithout breaking or cracking. These lenses are specificallydesigned to be safety glasses, not just a fashion statement.Rudy Project products are made from the highest qualitymaterials. In many ways, these Magster glasses make myOakley sunglasses look cheap. Rudy Project has been makingtop-quality eyewear for athletes for 25 years. The company’srecent expansion into the shooting market makesa lot of sense.The Magster frame is fully flexible, with adjustable templetips and nose pads. The frames and lenses are so light theyare an absolute pleasure to wear. This particular model evenhas an air vent in the front nose bridge to help prevent foggingby maintaining the airflow.The Magster Performance Kit I am reviewing comes witha hard case and three sets of lenses — photochromic clear,photochromic red, and laser black. The photochromic lensesare completely clear indoors, but darken into a reasonablydark gray color in the sunlight. This is a great feature forshooting glasses because the lighting can change over thecourse of a range session and the glasses adapt without theshooter having to think about it.Unlike a lot of shooting glasses, the Magster design isvery stylish. This is the only pair of shooting glasses I will actuallywear as sunglasses. I use them as cycling glasses andfor any other sports that require eye protection.The Rudy Project Magster kit with three sets of lenses retailsfor $359.99. If you purchase just the frames with theclear photochromic lenses, the MSRP is $234.99, but typicalstreet prices are under $200. How much is it worth to protectyour eyes?

Rudy Project glasses are expensive — but these veryhigh-quality glasses are truly the real deal. You can view allthe Rudy Project products at www.e-rudy.com. Don’t skimpon protecting your eyes. If you haven’t already, please investin a quality pair of protective eyewear.TRAIN SAFE FIREARM BLOCKWe are always preaching about training and safety. A lotof training can be accomplished with dry fire and unloadedweapons. Things like draw stroke, reloads, and supporthand manipulations are easily practiced at home. However,safety when handling and training with real firearms is alwaysan issue.One way to ensure safe practice time is to purchase dummyguns that replicate your actual guns. The most commondummy guns are plastic replicas — like the commonly seen“blue” or “red” guns. However, even these relatively inexpensivedummy guns are about $50. If you want to train witha couple of different guns, the expense is significant. Also,while completely safe, plastic training guns are very limitedin their usefulness. There are no moving parts — you can’tpull the trigger, work the slide, or insert or remove magazinesas part of your training simulation.Train Safe offers an alternative to dummy guns — usingyour own deactivated pistol. The firearm block is a simple plasticrod that completely prevents your pistol from chamberinga round. All you do is field strip your pistol and insert the brightorange device. The plastic rod completely blocks the chamberand extends slightly from the front of the muzzle.As you would expect, the pistol continues to work in itsnormal fashion, except for chambering a round. The pistol isstill capable of dry fire, the slide can be operated, and magazinescan even be inserted. However, the Train Safe devicecompletely eliminates the chance of chambering a round.Once the Train Safe block is installed, the pistol is entirelysafe for training purposes. Even if a loaded magazine is inserted,the pistol cannot be put into a firing condition. Youcan verify the safe condition at a glance by virtue of the orangerod protruding from the barrel.The Train Safe product is also good for long-term safestorage of firearms. While a knowledgeable person could removethe safety device rather quickly, any person unfamiliarwith firearms will likely be stumped. I can see the value ininstalling a Train Safe block on handguns you want to storesafely and prevent even accidental access.The best part of the Train Safe solution is the price. TrainSafe produces a variety of different models to fit popular pistols— and they are all $5. Even with shipping you are well under$10 per gun, which is quite a bargain. For the price of onedummy gun, you could make a whole collection of guns safe.You can view the available models at www.trainsafe.usand you can order on-line with quick and inexpensive delivery.At the bargain price of $5, how can you go wrong?ASP SAPPHIRE USB LIGHTI am a firm believer in having a flashlight all the time. Younever know when you will need a light source. Even duringthe day we can be confronted with dark environments — interiorsof buildings, elevators, stairwells, and more. A flashlightcan be essential to find a lost item, navigate through adark space or even identify a threat.Tactical flashlights can be great tools but even the smallones are not tiny. We have limits to what we can carry in ourpockets and on our belts. There are definitely times when atiny wearable light is the best solution.The ASP Sapphire USB light is a small, flat LED light withan integrated clip. The clip is perfect for attaching to a beltloop, a key chain or a purse. The light has a single buttonwith a clever design that has a momentary switch for quickactivation that can also be locked into a constant-on position.The single LED light source is extremely bright andprovides a surprising amount of useful light.Some of the less expensive ASP lights have integratedbatteries that can’t be replaced when they run down. TheSapphire USB, however, is rechargeable and connects to anymicro-USB power source for charging. The Sapphire will runabout 1.5 hours on a charge, which is a long time for a lightof this type and size.The Sapphire is extremely well built, with a metal frameand armorized glass panels. The light is vibration, shock,and impact proof and warranted for life.I have carried a Sapphire USB for nearly a year. I have usedand abused it — attaching it at various times to my beltloops, my car keys, my briefcase, and my shooting bag. TheSapphire has gotten a bit scratched and banged-up over thelast year but continues to work as well as it did the first day.Every month or so I plug it into my computer at work, top offthe charge, and otherwise forget about it until it’s needed.Even when I have a tactical flashlight, the Sapphire is usuallyclipped to something on my body or very close by.The Sapphire USB is available in a variety of colors andmaterials from ASP directly (www.asp-usa.com), or fromvarious retailers. The side panels can be glass or aluminumand are engravable. MSRP for the basic model shown is $30;street prices run a little bit lower. I use the Sapphire USB everyday, and can recommend it highly.ABOUT THE AUTHORDuane A. Daiker is a contributing writer and columnist forCCM, but is otherwise a regular guy — not much different fromyou. Duane has been a lifelong shooter and goes about his lifeas an armed, responsible, and somewhat opinionated citizen.Duane can be contacted through his website, www.realworldcarrygear.com,or though his public page on Facebook, andwelcomes your comments and suggestions for gear reviews.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM41

JOHN CAILEBALLISTIC BASICS | LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN | IT’S JUST THE LAW | REAL WORLD CARRY GEAR | DEFCON 1WAR ON GUNSESCALATESof it two centuries ago,” he added.» THE OLD SAYING IS TRUE: POLITICS IS WAR. Of courseStarting in the 1960s, the newsthat is something those of us in the battle for gun rights know media has become more and moreonly too well. And while the rights of Americans to own and heavily populated with those who fearand hate guns; it shows in its predictablyanti-gun editorials. But more im-carry firearms have always been under attack, never has thethreat to our rights been more immediate or more severe. portantly, the bias has been seepinginto the newsroom, and has had a noticeableeffect on how it reports what are supposed to be hardNever has there been such an undisguised, coordinatedassault on American gun owners. It’s no longer just left-wing news stories. Note how often the media fail to use its position topoliticians. Whether university professors, the news media, or inform its readers and viewers, but instead actually (intentionally?)misinform them. Nowhere is this more obvious than in theHollywood celebrities, the attacks are becoming more vitriolic,more strident, and more unhinged.entire assault weapons debate.Disturbingly (and not by coincidence) there have been parallelattacks on the Constitution itself. Liberal professors are now ing sunset of the Clinton Assault Weapons ban in 2004. The TVI’ll never forget a TV reporter commenting on the impend-more likely to openly opine that the Constitution is “outdated” talking head had “B-roll” (stock footage) running on the screenand “no longer relevant” in a modern, technologically sophisticatedsociety.guessed it) two (real) AK-47s, on full-auto. With the empty shellbehind him showing a couple of guys at a gun range firing (youCBS aired a commentary by Louis Michael Seidman (ironically,a professor of Constitutional Law at Georgetown University), caster, brow furrowed in mock concern, said soberly, “If the As-casings pouring out of the guns right behind him, the news-in which he openly advocated giving up on the Constitution. sault Weapons Ban is allowed to expire, weapons just like theseYou can find information about this online at:will soon be back on the shelves of your local Kmart.”http://www.examiner.com/article/cbs-airs-constitutionallaw-professor-let-s-give-up-on-the-constitutionunintentional, or that the segment was simply the result of ig-And if you think that this kind of audience manipulation isNo one should have the slightest doubt that one of ProfessorSeidman’s major objections to the Constitution is that pesky that you might want to rethink your position.norance on the part of the reporters and producers, I suggestSecond Amendment. More from the commentary:One of the most powerful tools the media has at its disposal“Certainly, the original intent of the writers is an important to influence the perceptions of the readers and viewers is notaspect of the [gun] debate, but Seidman says that should be what stories it covers, but what it chooses not to cover. And theignored … So instead of talking about whether gun control media especially abhors the idea of giving coverage to storiesmakes sense in our country, we talk about what people thought where people successfully use guns to defend themselves. In

its world, all guns in the hands of privatecitizens are bad, and any story that runscounter to that narrative must be buried.How many stories have you seen in anymajor newspaper or on the big TV newsoutlets in which private citizens successfullydefend themselves using guns? Otherthan in local news outlets, such storiesare most often routinely tossed in thetrash bin. When they do have to reportthem, they give as little detail as possible,or carefully distort the facts.For example, in July of 2010, an incidentoccurred in downtown Minneapolis thatshould have been hailed as a textbook case of self-defense. Anunruly customer was ejected from a bar around midnight afterhaving caused a disturbance, threatening customers. As he wasescorted out, he told the three bouncers, “I’m coming back to cutyou, man.”About an hour later, one of the bouncers was standing outsidethe entrance, socializing with about a dozen customers takinga smoke break. The irate young man who had been thrown outcame down the sidewalk, waving a very large knife. He immediatelycharged the bouncer, who tried to back away while attemptingto fend off the attacker with his collapsible baton.When the bouncer realized he was losing (he had multiple defensivecut wounds on his forearms) he finally pulled a Glock 26pistol and fired two shots, killing the attacker.In the ensuing investigation, police and detectives releasedthe bouncer after only 20 minutes — almost unheard of in a fatalshooting (normally, one can expect to spend 24 hours or more insuch circumstances). An investigation cleared the bouncer of anywrongdoing. Great story, right?The Minneapolis paper, the StarTribune, gave the case only twotiny paragraphs about a “man slain outside North East Minneapolisbar” — with nothing in the story about the fact that the deadman had tried to murder the bouncer, or that the bouncer wasacting in self-defense.The other Twin Cities Newspaper, the St. Paul Pioneer Press,was even worse. It failed to interview any of the employees at thebar, the police officers who investigated the event, or any of thedozen or so witnesses.It did, however, send a reporter to interview the dead assailant’smother, who predictably sobbed that her son “was a goodboy” and “didn’t deserve to die.” And despite the fact that she toldthe reporter how her “good son” had come home expressly to geta huge chef’s knife out or her kitchen drawer, there was no mentionof the knife in the story that finally ran.This is what passes for journalism when it comes to guns.Hollywood is, in some ways, an even more powerful force inshaping public perception, and by extension, public opinion. Becausewhile it is natural to have one’s defenses up and runningduring a newscast or when reading the paper, we are less likelyANY STUDENTOF PROPOGANDAunderstands that to besuccessful it must appealto emotion, not reason.It must also revolvearound subtle themes,repeated over and over,that ultimately result inacceptance.to detect the subtle anti-gun messagesthat are now almost required materialin every TV series, and not just the “cop”shows.Any student of propaganda understandsthat to be successful it must appealto emotion, not reason. It must alsorevolve around subtle themes, repeatedover and over, that ultimately result inacceptance of the underlying message.One example is the way the entertainmentmedia promotes the idea of gunregistration. Most people who are notgun owners simply assume that all gunsmust be registered — yet though only five states and WashingtonD.C. (along with a couple of cities like Chicago) actually requirethat guns be registered. The other 45 states do not.But if that’s true, why do so many people believe otherwise?The answer is simple: television. Watch any cop show and at somepoint inevitably you will hear lines like these:“Who was the gun registered to?”“The gun was registered to his wife.”“He had an unregistered (or unlicensed) gun.”After hearing such phrases repeatedly, it becomes ingrainedin the mind of the viewer that gun registration is the norm. Thuswhen a politician proposes some new gun registration scheme,many of the uninformed wonder what the fuss is all about. T h eentire discussion of registration is pointless. Any gangbangerworth his colors knows that once you’ve used a gun, you throwit away. And FBI records clearly show that almost without exception,guns used in street crimes are illegally obtained — they arestolen by the criminals or bought off the street. But TV continuesto disseminate the idea that gun registration can magically makeit easier to solve any crime.The TV crowd is at its absolute worst when it comes to its depictionof firearms used in crime. Nowhere is the immense propagandapower of entertainment television more visible than inthe depiction of assault weapons in crime dramas. Every drive-byshooting shows thugs blasting away with fully automatic AK-47sor AR-15s. Almost without exception, every shootout on televisioninvolves multiple full-auto weapons.But check the records of the Chicago or New York Police, theFBI or the ATF. You will find that overwhelmingly, the gun ofchoice for street thugs is a cheap, illegally obtained handgun.Semi-automatic rifles constitute a tiny fraction of all guns used incrimes. Genuine, fully automatic machine guns are almost neverencountered.The result of this endless fusillade of TV images showing fullyautomatic weapons (with the cop characters describing them asassault weapons) is that the average person now thinks that anysemi-automatic carbine discussed on the news is a machine gun.“Just like on TV.”The war is on. And we have a lot of work to do…APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM43

YOU CANLEARN TONEVER BE AVICTIM.BY K.L. JAMISONAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM45

»WHEN A PREDATOR STALKS a herd, it has a multitude ofoptions. It could attack the large bull with the most meat. It couldattack a tender calf or succulent cow. It could go for any degreeof these culinary targets but it does not. It attacks the mostvulnerable, the weak, the isolated or the inattentive.The same is true for human predators. Toavoid being attacked, it is not necessary to bethe tough, old bull but one must never be themost vulnerable.One prison philosopher summarized thepredator creed as that if you can’t keep whatyou have, you don’t deserve to have it. 1 Mostof the research on criminal targeting focuseson what makes predators believe targetscannot keep what they have. Once the attractionis understood, one need only do theopposite.A New York Police decoy explains, “There’sa point I know when I’m out to get ripped off,that I don’t look sharp. My expression changes.So does my gait. I go vague, relaxed, andunaware. I try to give the impression thatI don’t know which way is up. I send outhelpless vibes. Whatever it is I seem to be ormanage to do, it’s exactly the message the ordinaryfemale should not be sending out, exactlywhat she should not be doing. Becausewhatever it is, it almost always works. 2 ”This officer has employed elderly makeupand assumed a feeble gait but the bigcome-on is inattention. One predator said hefocused on persons who were hyper-alert onthe theory that they were alert because theyhad something to lose. 3 However, in contexthe was referring to persons who were lookingaround fearfully.In 1981, a pair of social scientists videotapedrandom people walking down the street andshowed the video to predatory criminals inprison. These predators were asked who theywould attack, who they would avoid, andwhy. They were quickly unanimous on easytargets and hard targets. They had some difficultyverbalizing their reasons but were veryattuned to body language.The predators focused on the inattentive,the uncoordinated and the submissive. Theinattentive are easy to surprise. The uncoordinatedshuffle, jerk, and stumble, bespeaksan inability to resist or run. There is a reasonthat rolling drunks is a robbery subspecialty.The submissive invite control; criminals lovecontrol.Rejected targets paid attention to theirsurroundings, walked with a coordinated,purposeful movement, and confident demeanor.The rejected targets were not alwaysthe largest and strongest but the ones wholooked like they were more trouble than theywere worth. 4 Sometimes rejection is a goodthing and is accomplished by learning towalk tough.A confident demeanor tends to put off thepredator. A woman who was walking to worknoticed a burley fellow studying her andworking his way toward her no matter whereshe moved. As he moved in on the womanhe studied the empty street, looking for theblue-uniformed protectors that made hiswork difficult. When he confronted her shelooked him straight in the face and demanded,“Don’t I know your mother?” Unable to answerthe question the predator fled. 5Criminals do not like uncertainty. In lightedareas, crimes can be seen and reported.People walking in twos and threes are hard tocontrol. Criminals look for a target giving themthe opportunity for certainty and control.There is a legend of a pair of criminalsthat attacked an elderly man who hobbledthrough a parking lot with a cane in one handand a gold temptation around his neck. Theirtarget swung his cane between one attacker’slegs, taking him out of the gene pool fora lengthy period. The cane ended against thesecond attacker’s skull, scattering whateverIQ points had not been killed by drugs. Thethugs had targeted Col. Rex Applegate, whotaught dirty street fighting to unconventionalforces during WW II, and had forgottennothing. 6Due to age or infirmity many personscannot walk with the smooth coordinationthat criminals find off-putting. When one defensegoes down, it is necessary to doubleup on the rest.Attention to surroundings is critical. Onemay avoid becoming a target by not walkingin danger areas. These are not to be confusedwith “bad parts of town.” Danger areasare places where a person can be easily ambushed.They are constricted, isolated, and frequentlydark allowing predators to approachand rush inattentive prey. The openings betweenparked cars are classic danger areas.One criminal advocates robbing men aturinals on the grounds that they have theirbacks turned and are distracted. From hisexperience he claims an inability to fight andurinate at the same time. 7The Infantry School at Fort Benning, Ga.,teaches that when a patrol is leaving or returningto friendly lines it is crossing a dangerarea. 8 It is popular in criminal quarters toAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM46

follow a target home and rush in after himbefore the door is locked or the automaticgarage door closes. 9 The relief of reaching asafe place must be stiffened with vigilance.Persons without a tactical sense can avoiddanger areas by listening to their fears. 10When a place, person or situation makesone uncomfortable that is millions of yearsof evolution or a God-given survival instinctat work. 11Fear is the result of subliminal messagesthat something is not right. Something ispresent or absent from a situation. It may bethe predator watching; studies indicate thatpeople feel themselves being watched. 12A sound or even a smell may trigger an alerttoo faint to register in the conscious mind butold neural pathways create a feeling of unease.Smells can be a very powerful trigger.An author who wrote multiple histories ofserial killers commented on their commonodor. It was, “Not the smell of BO but somethingelse. It is a fusion, a combination of wetleather and hazelnuts.” 13 The odor of drugsand alcohol often indicates trouble. The rottingflesh and teeth of drug addicts is nevera good sign.Urban citizens are not oriented toward rememberingsmells and may find it difficult toexplain later what triggered their unease. Inthe aftermath of officer-involved shootingspolice departments have found it valuableto have the officer walk through the scene.Walk-throughs have been shown to triggermemories that explain the officer’s conduct.In an extraordinary episode of the show“JAG,” a female ensign shot and killed aTurkish military attaché. The ensign claimedself-defense but was unable to articulatewhat placed her in fear until she was walkedthrough the scene. 14 Small sounds assistedin reliving the incident and she rememberedthe sequence of events. It was a remarkablyaccurate episode for a series inwhich lawyers got into more gunfights thanSWAT teams.It is possible to avoid danger by recognizinga threat. Criminals “bump” their targetslike sharks bump fish in the sea, and for thesame reason, to see if they are good to eat.They may physically bump their target butcommonly they demand something — information,a cigarette or money. The aggressor’sreal interest is to see how the targetreacts. If the person reacts meekly, then heis food. If he acts assertively, then he is moretrouble than he is worth.A Chicago woman was accosted in a parkby a suspicious character who demanded,“Where’s Clark Street!” She planted her feetand reached under her jacket, a classic gofor-your-gunmove. The character’s eyes widened.He exclaimed, “You’re a cop!” and fled.If he had really been looking for Clark Street,asking a cop might have worked out well, sohe clearly had something else in mind. Shewas not a cop and did not have a gun. However,she looked like a tough target and hefled to bother someone else. 15Richard Ramirez, the “Night Stalker” wasasked how a woman could avoid a serial killer.They can’t, he said. Once a serial killer’s gotsomebody in focus, that’s it. What a womancan do is be more aware, though. Walk withher eyes up. Walk as though she’s not theonly person in the world. They need to knowwho’s behind them when they’re getting intotheir cars, going into their houses. 16Even serial killers look for soft targets. Fortunately,they are unwilling to work hard intheir chosen profession.To avoid crime one does not have to be thetoughest or fastest target on the block. Onemerely has to look like more work than thecriminal is willing to do.(1) Earley The Hot House, Bantam Books N.Y.1992 at 180. (2)Glatzle Muggable Mary Prentice-Hall,Inc Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 1980 at15. (3)Willwerth Jones Portrait of a Mugger, FawcettPublications, Inc Greenwhich, Conn 1974 at 32.(4) Grayson and Stein, Attracting Assault: Victims’Nonverbal Cues, JOURNAL OF COMMUNI-CATION, Winter 1981 at 68 et seq. (5)BittenbinderTough Target Running Press Philadelphia 1997at 22. (6) This is one of those stories that, if it isnot true, it should be. (7) Earley, The Hot House,op cite at 44. (8) Author is a graduate of the “BenningSchool for Boys.” (9)Hunt, The Mugging,Atheneum N.Y. 1972 at 36.(10)De Becker The Giftof Fear, Little, Brown and Company Boston 1997.(11)Depending on how one feels about CharlesDarwin.(12)Rupert Sheldrake PhD, The Sense ofBeing Stared At, Crown Publishers N.Y. 2003 at125 et seq. The phenomena is counter-intuitiveas vision involves no physical force. We do notknow how it works, only that it often works; likeelections. (13)Philip Carlo The Killer Within, TheOverlook Press N.Y. 2011 at 69.(14)“Defenseless”JAG Third Season broadcast 9 December, 1997.(15) Author met the lady.(16)Carlo, The EnemyWithin, supra at 70.

A FIGHTING PISTOLCLASS IS A GREAT WAY TOSTRENGTHEN FAMILY BONDS.BY MARY WEDDINGTONTYPICALVACANOT YOUR PHOTOS ARE COURTESY OF JAY GIBSON AND TACTICAL RESPONSE

WWW.USCCA.COMTION49

APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM50»WHEN MY CHILDREN were younger our family vacationsconsisted primarily of Disneyland and trips to the beach. Vacationsmeant to keep my kids safe were filled with unrealistic ideas of whatthe world should be rather than what it truly has become. I wantedmy kids to be kids. I wanted to keep them sheltered from the uglyreality forming all around our bubble. That’s what we as parents aresupposed to do, right? Being a mother, I have the internal motherbearsyndrome and feel especially protective of my children.I raised my children around guns. Their kit on my person. I also knew my childrendad is an avid hunter and as such my kids needed to learn what I had. My son wouldlearned gun safety very early. On the other be leaving for college soon and I thought ithand, I still lived in that protective bubble was irresponsible of me to send him out intoand thought that the big, bad wolf could not this world unprepared.penetrate my happy life. As I’ve gotten older,divorced, and become more aware of the for college and your mom says, “Hey son,Imagine being an 18-year-old kid, leavingugliness in this world, I realized it’s my job to how would you like to go to a class withprepare my kids and myself.me and learn how to defend yourself with aMy first step was getting my Concealed handgun?”Carry permit; then it was time to learn how I’m a mother. I’m a gun owner, and I train.to use a gun. After doing some research I When my son graduated from high school, Idecided to take a class. My first class was gave him a Glock 19. It seemed only naturalthat I would make sure he could use thatTactical Response’s Fighting Pistol coursein Camden, Tenn., in July 2011. I loved it and handgun safely and correctly. While moststayed an additional two days and also took of his buddies were on family vacations onthe Immediate Action Medical Class.the beach, we would be on the range. ThereOnce I got back home, my life changed. would be no bikini-clad 20-somethings runningaround half-naked. Instead his sightsMy mindset had changed. I bought a Glock19 and I started going to the range and practicingwhat I had learned. I bought a purse your typical trip but still a dream vacation.would be on humanoid and dot targets. Notthat would accommodate my gun and I carriedit every day. I also carried a blow-out tical Response and attended, “The WayIn August, my son and I returned to Tac-ofthe Pistol.” We decided to stay in the TeamRoom, located in the home of James Yeager,owner of Tactical Response. He has convertedhis basement into a commons area andsleeping quarters for his students. Studentsand instructors stay together and it creates afamily/fraternity type environment. The firstthing you learn as a student is that we are allfamily.It was important that my son experienceeverything and understand that this isn’t justa hobby; it’s a way of life. It’s a path we haveall chosen.Our gear was pretty simple. We both woreViking Cobra belts; my son used the GalcoIWB holster and mag carriers while I usedthe Kilo Concepts custom holsters and magcarriers. We both carry the Glock 19 and assuch we trained with what we carry. Onelifesaver we had on hand was the Uplulu forreloading. If you don’t have one of those, getone. Having to reload 1500 rounds or moreby hand is not fun.We began our first day with introductionsof our teachers and fellow students, safetybriefings, medical plans, and marksmanshipfundamentals. Then it was off to the range.I had taken the class once before so I knewhow things would begin but it was an amazingfeeling watching my son step to the firingline with his gun on his side.We started out going through the steps ofdrawing our guns from a concealment position,making sure our off hands were out ofthe way, then moving to the retention positionand finally aiming at our targets withboth hands on the guns. We did that severaltimes before we ever fired a round.Once the shooting started, the day movedquickly. We practiced dot drills to work onsight alignment and then moved to bodysilhouettes to focus more on defensivetactics. We learned how to clear weaponmalfunctions using both hands and thenstrong-hand-only. We learned to load andreload using strong-hand-only. The instructorsreinforced the Wyatt Protocol of FAST(Fight, Assess, Scan, and Top off) during eachdrill. We also learned to shoot from supine tostanding. On breaks we loaded magazinesfor each other. I fussed at him to drink morewhile he rolled his eyes and said, “Yes, Mom”and laughed.After shooting close to 600 rounds eachthat first day, my son was starting to putthe pieces together. We discussed things weboth felt we needed to improve and things

DON’T SETTLE FOR ANOFF THE SHELF BELTTOP GRAIN DUAL LAYER LEATHER GUN BELTSwe had improved uponjust in a few hours.At the end of the day,driving back to the teamroom to shower andmeet our class for dinner,I couldn’t help but smile.That evening as our fellowstudents met for dinner,we swapped stories fromthe range and spent timegetting to know our instructors. He sharedsome quite embarrassing stories about hismom with our fellow students and I reciprocated.Afterward, it was back to the team room tocomplete our homework. Yes, that’s correct.We had homework. We had several pages toread so we would be prepared for our lecturethe next day.The following day we gathered back inthe classroom for a lecture on mindset, thelegal issues we would encounter if we wereinvolved in a gunfight, and the mental andemotional battle in the aftermath of a gunfight.We finished the day on the range continuingour draw exercises, using the WyattProtocol and we moved into shooting weakhand-only,shooting while on the move, andshooting from behind cover and from theretention position.At the end of the second day, I saw myson’s confidence handling his pistol growing.He understood why we performed the drillsas instructed. He saw his accuracy improve.The next two days were filled with learningto draw and clear malfunctions with ourweak hand, more combative self-defensetechniques, team tactics, team drills, teamcover while providing medical attention to›› This may not be thetraditional vacationpicture pose, but for thosewho really want to getclose to family members,there are few better waysthan participating in anintense week of firearmstraining. It is a great wayto bring shooting familiescloser together and learnsomething, too.ourselves. We ended ourfourth night on the nightshoot.Our final day was filledwith force-on-force training.Our instructors set upscenarios and we had tofight through them usingthe tactics and skills wehad been taught the priorfour days. Getting shotby Simunitions rounds hurt but I’d rather beshot in a training situation and learn frommy mistakes than be shot for real in a violentconfrontation because I wasn’t prepared. Weended the final day sharing what we had alllearned throughout the week and receivedour certificates.At the end of the week, we had shot morethan 4000 rounds combined. We battledheat, humidity, and rain. We had blisters onour fingers and tired, exhausted musclesbut we also had a new mindset and a vastamount of knowledge combined with tacticsand skill. If the unthinkable happened,we would be able to defend ourselves in aviolent confrontation.There are a lot of things I may not be ableto give my son but one thing I have doneand will continue to do is reinforce his loveof guns and ensure that he will be safe. Lifecan be beautiful but can also turn ugly in justa few seconds. I know my son will have themindset and ability to save his life and thosearound him.That is a priceless gift and made for a greatvacation.• CUSTOM• STABLE• DURABLE• COMFORTABLE• MADE IN THE USAOutdoor GearOrder Todaywww.dissegear.com1-888-854-5605APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM51

FINE

FINE LINESS&W OFFERS AN M&PFOR EVERYONEBY OLEG VOLKAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM53

»THE SMITH & WESSON M&P LINE now truly offerssomething for every shooter. Since the introduction of the originalM&P pistol in 2005, the company has expanded the line to coverall categories: sporting longslide (5-inch barrel, 26 ounces), service(4.25 inches, 24 ounces), compact (3.5 inches, 21.7 ounces).These three are all double-stack designs. Next up they offered asubcompact single-stack, the Shield (3.1 inches, 19 ounces). Andnow finally, S&W offers a rimfire clone of the service-size pistol.As direct competition to Glock and theSpringfield XD line, the M&P series offers agreater variety of features and certain refinements(such as interchangeable backstraps)the competition grudgingly adopted. Whatsparked my interest in the M&P lineup wasgetting my hands on one at a training courseand later seeing shooters with tiny handshandle the pistols with ease. Let’s take a lookat the 9x19 variants as we compare them tothe rimfire model.THE FULL LINESmith & Wesson positions the full-size pistolas the “service” model. The compact is forconcealed carry. The Shield is for deep concealment,and the .22 as the training coun-terpart for the full-size model. For the mostpart, the Shield is too large for pocket carrybut excels for in its role as a concealable pistolin most environments.And because holster makers know a winnerwhen they see it, shooters will find anexcellent array of holsters that make eventhe full-size model fairly easy to conceal onan average body. Those same holsters fit theMP22 for seamless training.Round counts are excellent for each pistol.The full-size M&P holds 17. The compactmodel carries 12. The Shield offers seven oreight depending on the magazine. Anothernice touch is that the 17-round magazinesfrom the full-sized pistol can be used in thecompact, and both share the same magazinepouches. Metal magazines, rather thanpolymer, allow for a slimmer grip in thedouble-stack variants. The magazine releasebuttons are reversible on all models exceptthe Shield and easily interchangeable backstrapsin the double-stack variants allowchanges to the grip size for any hand. Neitherthe single-stack Shield nor the 12-shotrimfire trainer M&P22 offer interchangeablebackstraps. This feature is not offered on theShield because its grip is designed for maximumconcealment. Adding such a feature tothe .22 would make the pistol more complexand expensive. The rimfire grip is dimensionallyidentical to the full-size centerfire gripwith medium blackstrap.SAFETY FIRST… AND SECOND…AND…All M&P pistols feature multiple safeties.Trigger safety is in the form of a pivotingcompound trigger. The drop safety is theusual internal plunger that releases the strikeronly when the trigger is fully depressed.In the centerfire line shooter can choosebetween pistols with or without a magazinedisconnector (meaning the pistol cannotfire if the magazine is removed) and withor without a frame-mounted thumb safety.The rimfire pistols have both as standardfeatures. Since I consider this magazine disconnectdetrimental to safe handling, I amdisappointed that it is mandatory on the .22.Fortunately, a gunsmith can remove it if youwish the rimfire version to behave exactly asyour centerfire variant.TRIGGER TIMEWhile I considered the original M&P triggerone of the attractions, I am apparentlyin the minority. The full-size and compactAPRIL 2013WWW.USCCA.COM54ALL IN THE FAMILY›› STACKING UP: From 17 rounds in the fullsizedpistol to 12 in the compact to seven inthe Shield, the family of M&P pistols is built toserve the needs of every shooter.

triggers are smooth and crisp on the strokebut lack an obvious reset point. The rimfiretrainer mimics that closely. The similarity betweenthe trainer and centerfire triggers isall the more remarkable when you considerthat the defensive pistols are all striker-firedand the trainer is hammer-fired.M&P Shield comes with a better triggerthan its bigger brothers, which is unusual fora subcompact. The initial pull is similar andthe reset is very clear. In a lighter, thinner gunsuch as the shield, this trigger is quite welcome.With Apex aftermarket parts, the originalM&P trigger reset on the full-size gunscan be made as crisp and the initial pull onall centerfire models may be reduced withoutsacrificing reliability.Recoil on all M&P pistols is quite mild,thanks in part to the well-designed grips.Equally well-designed slides allow easy rackingwithout abrasion to the fingers. The triggerand guard design is also compatible withgloved use. Magazines are easy to load withoutmechanical aids. Unlike most .22 pistols,the MP22 is shipped with a 12-rounder, but10-rounders are available for the .22 and alldouble-stack centerfire models for the residentsof the more legally restrictive states.The centerfire pistols ship with white-dotor tritium sights. Aftermarket tritium or fiberoptic sights are also available. The .22 trainercomes with a white dot front and a slightlyGRIP THICKNESS›› FROM BELOW: Three sizes, from the Shield (left) to thefull-sized M&P, there is a Smith & Wesson pistol to fit everyhand and every style of carry.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM55

outlined rear sight. For consistency, MP22sights may be upgraded to whatever configurationyou favor on the centerfire models.Most M&P sights use a setscrew for tension,so they may be adjusted easily without useof an expensive sight pusher tool.Mechanical accuracy seems very similarbetween my three 9mm M&Ps. At 7 yards,they all shoot roughly 1.5-inch groups withball ammo and 1-inch groups with hollow-pointammunition. At 25 yards, the differenceof sight radius shows up in favor ofthe full-size variant, but accuracy is remarkablysimilar when all were fired using lasersighting and a rest. The 124-grain JHP loadsall averaged around 3.5 inches, while 115-and 147-grain loads came in at about 4.5inches. Most importantly, none of the pistolshad problems cycling any particular bulletweight or shape.Accuracy with the MP22 likewise dependedgreatly on ammunition: At 25 yards, 6inches wasn’t unusual with bulk ammo, 4inches with CCI Mini-mags and around 3inches with Eley Match. The 40-grain loadswere generally more accurate than 30-grainhyper-velocity loads, but both performedbetter than bulk ammo. To its credit, MP22ran fine with standard-velocity loads.DESIGN DIFFERENCESAlthough the overall design of the MP22can be clearly traced from the Walther P22,it is more accurate by far and appears moredurable. The slide, the weak point of the P22,is anodized aluminum on the MP22 insteadof the injection-molded powdered metal ofthe P22. The other common feature with theP22 is the requirement for a specific wrenchfor full disassembly. Finding a hardware-storesubstitute for this wrench is nearly impossible,so you may wish to order a spare wrench tohave on hand. While you are at it, order sparemagazines, as the MP22 ships with only one.How closely does MP22 mimic its bigbrother? The trigger and the grip are extremelysimilar, and the sights may be madesimilar. Long-range trajectories differ fairlysignificantly, as does the follow-up for multipleshots. The main use of the trainer is learningsighting and trigger control, practicingthe draw and the all-important first shot outof the holster. A day of range practice becomesless expensive and less tiring. MP22also shines in the hands of the novice shooters-- it looks like a serious gun but has noneof the intimidating report and recoil of thefull-caliber fighting guns. And, dare I pointthis out, it is more fun than most of us areused to having.The service-size M&P is a competently designedweapon without any obvious flaws.Its generous rail length makes it compatiblewith a wide variety of lights and lasers. Thecompact is similar in the feel and identicalin the manual of arms, ideal for carry whenmore discretion is advised. Its shorter rail canstill house a useful variety of accessories. TheShield is a remarkable design in being a verysmall gun that still feels and functions like afull-sized weapon. No rail, but trigger-guardmounted lasers and lights are available. Iwouldn’t feel handicapped shooting IDPAwith it and that’s a good gauge of confidencein a defensive pistol. The M&P series is widelysupported by the holster, sight and accessorymakers. Magazines are available at a reasonablecost. While any one of them may beconsidered a flexible design, I ended up withall four in the line-up because each has a definiteniche in personal defense and training.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM56

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THINGS YOU NEVERSEE IN PRINTBY GREG ELLIFRITZAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM61

APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM62»IN MY CITY, there have been several recenthigh-profile attacks on bicyclists and peopleusing urban bike paths. In the last two months,we’ve seen rapes, robberies, and assaultscommitted against people on bicycles. Yourhome city might be seeing a similar trend.Bicycle commuters and recreational cyclistsare particularly vulnerable in someareas. Traditional firearms and self-defensetraining doesn’t cover the situations in whichcyclists might find themselves. Some specializedawareness and training is necessary.For the record, I am not a bicycle commuter.I ride mountain bikes recreationally and haveserved as a bike patrol officer for my policeagency. I also taught the firearms and self-defenseportion of our state’s police cyclist certificationclass for several years. Although Idon’t ride my bike every day, I’m aware of thespecialized training that cyclists need.The following safety tips can be beneficialfor cyclists commuting to work and for theoccasional cyclist. Some of them might alsobe useful for your children that might spendmore time on a bike than you do.1) Traditional holsters don’t work well forconcealed carry on a bicycle. If you carry yourgun behind the hip (eitheron the belt or inside thewaistband) it will print horriblywhen you are riding ina forward leaning posture.Appendix carry is generallyout because the muzzlewill poke you in the thighon every pedal stroke. Ankle holsters are notfeasible because they will bang on the frameor sprocket of the bike as you ride.The weapon will also be exposed to muchmore moisture than the average concealedcarry gun. Whether the moisture comes in theform of rain or sweat, it will wreak havoc on ablued gun’s finish. The gun needs some extraprotection.When I ride, I generally carry a Glock 26in a fanny pack. I rotate it to the back of mybody (they way it was originally intended tobe worn) so that it doesn’t get in the way ofmy pedaling. I realize this isn’t going to be anexceptionally fast draw but it seems like thebest compromise for me.I’ve also carried a small revolver or .380 automaticin a pocket holster in the thigh cargopocket of my shorts. If you find the right gun/holster/pocket combination, this option canwork well but it will likely take some intenseexperimentation. One caution: magazine releasebuttons on semi-automatic pistols getpushed quite often when cycling. Pocket holstersare notorious for creating this problem.Make sure that your magazine stays in thegun after all types of exertion and movement.2) Beware of potential ambush sites. Manybike paths travel through densely woodedareas. They often have curves, blind corners,and poorly maintained brush near the trail.Many times thieves, rapists, and muggers usethese terrain features to their advantage foran ambush-style attack.If I wanted to rob a bike commuter, I wouldfind a place on a bike trail with a blind cornerand set up some type of roadblock. Alarge tree limb, log or rock can easily beplaced in the path. If it is placed shortly aftera blind corner, the cyclist may crash into it ifhe is moving at any speed. Even if the cyclistdoesn’t crash, he’ll have to stop and move theobstacle in order to continue. When the bikereither crashes or stops to move the obstacle,my buddies and I would jump him.Another option is exploiting any locationwhere the underbrush is close to the path.The thief can hide in the brush and shove astick into the spokes as you ride by. When youcrash, he steals your bike and wallet.Look for those areas on your route and eitheravoid them or be extra cautious. Keepyour eyes on the trail ahead. If you see anobstacle, either turn around or quickly dismount.Scan the areas around the obstaclefor potential hiding spots and attackers. Accessyour weapon and be ready to fight if youare attacked.3) Use caution when riding on roadways.Besides the normal hazards of sharing theroad with cars, some criminals will use theirvehicles to assault cyclists to facilitate theircrimes. One recent kidnapper in Louisianasaw an attractive, young woman riding aloneat night. The kidnapper followed the girl inhis truck, and when he saw an opportunity,he struck her with the vehicle. After she fell tothe ground, he approached her with a knifeand forced her into the truck. The 19-year-oldgirl fought back vigorously, spraying him withpepper spray and stabbing him with his ownknife but the man drew a gun and killed her.Be especially aware of anyone who may befollowing you. Bikes move slower than cars. Ifa car is intentionally traveling behind you andnot attempting to pass, take that as a warningsign. Get off the road and into the grass wherea vehicle will have more difficulty following.Mirrors on your bike or helmet are useful indetecting when a car may be following you.

4) Speed is your friend. Maneuverabilityand rapid acceleration from a dead stop isnot! If you have forewarning of a potentialproblem, speed up! Don’t slow down. A bicyclemoving at full speed is very difficult fora running human to catch. If you slow down,you are playing the on the criminal’s turf. Aslowly moving bike is less maneuverable andlacks quick acceleration. If you slow to walkingpace, you are better off dismounting thantrying to quickly accelerate to get away.5) Use your bike as a barrier, a weapon, or adistraction. If you have to dismount, keep thebicycle between yourself and your potentialattacker(s). If he/they move to grab you, pushthe bike into him/them and either accessyour weapon or run the opposite way. Thistechnique works surprisingly well at buyinga couple extra seconds in a critical incident.6) Learn to access your weapon and shootfrom the crash position. If your luck is anythinglike mine, you will crash before youhave a chance to draw your weapon in a dangeroussituation. Can you draw your weaponof choice while lying on the ground in a heapwith the bike on top of you? You may have tolearn how to do it! Get to your back and pushthe bike away from you with your feet as youdraw. Once the bike is away from your legs,work your way into a standing/fighting positionand seek cover.If you have a range where you can shootfrom the crash position, I’d encourage you todo so. If not, work on dryfiring from the positionin any private location. An airsoft gunand a few cardboard targets in your backyardmay be a good substitute for live fire.7) Don’t try to stop and draw at the sametime. Stop your bike first, then draw yourweapon. This is primarily for right-handedriders. If you try to draw the gun with yourright hand while simultaneously applying thebrake with your left, you’ll lock up the frontbrake and go over your handlebars.This is one of the hardest lessons to teachcyclists who carry guns. They see a threat andare programmed to draw. They draw, end upon the ground, and are lucky if they don’tshoot themselves in the process. Stop first.Then draw.8) Consider mounting a weapon on yourbike. Even if you carry a gun, having a backupor less lethal weapon makes a lot of sense.Many cyclists I know carry a folding knifeclipped into the waistband of their pants. (Ilike the Spyderco Salt because of its sweatresistance.)Several companies make pepper spray carryholsters that attach to your bike’s frame. Ieven know one cyclist who uses a tire pumpmount to carry an expandable baton.Be creative. Just make sure that weapon issecured if you have to lock your bike up andleave it in a public location.9) If you dismount, unbuckle your helmet.A buckled helmet makes it very easy for anattacker to control your movements. The attackercan grab your helmet and drag yourhead down. Where the head goes, the bodyfollows! I’ve dragged 250-pound bike copsaround by their helmets all day long in policebike school. Make it a habit to unbuckle yourhelmet whenever you step off your bike.10) Exhaustion will be a factor if you haveto fight. I remember responding to an officer-in-troublecall one night when I was onbike patrol. It was a busy Fourth of July andour city’s fireworks show was just ending.Traffic was snarled and none of the patrolcruisers could get through. During this mess,one of my fellow officers was trying to arrestan intoxicated driver. The driver was fightingback and the officer was in a bad spotand calling for help. I was about two milesaway on my police bike. I rode there as fastas I could and was the first officer to arrive onscene. I jumped off my bike and tried to runover to help my friend but my legs wouldn’tcooperate. I fell in a heap. I had to crawl overto the drunk, take him to the ground, and layon him until other officers arrived. That’s all Iwas physically capable of doing! And that wasafter a short five-minute sprint! Imagine howmuch a long training ride would diminishyour ability to fight!Physically exhausted victims are generallymore justified in escalating force during an attack.Realize that after cycling, you may havefar less fighting energy than you would haveif you were fresh. Plan accordingly. If you can’tcontrol your attacker or escape you should beconsidering higher levels of force before youbecome so exhausted that you can’t even accessyour weapon!If you spend a lot of time on a bike, youowe it to yourself to learn some specific bicycle-relateddefensive skills. Take your bike andyour preferred weapon out for a practice session.Keep these tips in mind as you formulatea defensive strategy. I don’t want to see yourname in a future news article describing yetanother horrific attack on a bicyclist.Greg Ellifritz is a 17-year veteran police officercurrently serving as the full-time firearms anddefensive tactics training officer for a centralOhio police department. He holds instructoror master instructor certifications in more than75 different weapon systems, defensive tacticsprograms, and police specialty areas. Ellifritzhas a master’s degree in Public Policy and Managementand has been an instructor for boththe Ohio Peace Officer’s Training Academy andthe Tactical Defense Institute. He is the lead instructorfor Active Response Training and canbe reached through his website, ActiveResponseTraining.net.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM63

›› From out of nowhere theArmsband holster puts the gunright where you need it with verylimited movement. This locationis especially good for those whospend a lot of time driving as itallows rapid access while seated.WHAT’SUP YOURSLEEVE?» RECENT EVENTS havesent sales of all firearms,particularly those designedfor self-defense skyrocketing.Leading this rush for personalarmament are the so called“pocket guns” in variouscenter-fire calibers. These areConstant Carry (C2) guns thatare readily concealable, evenwith minimal clothing.

A Holsteron Your ArmGives YouAnotHeroptionBY BoB pilGrimAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM65

They are the guns you often grab whenyou have to momentarily leave your gueststo run down to the local 7-Eleven® to getmore chips and dip and just don’t have timeto strap on your 1911 and pull on a jacket.They lend themselves to a plethora of carryoptions such as pocket, ankle, under-garmentshoulder rigs, and belly bands, brassiere,waistband, belt, neck, thigh, and crotch.Where you stow your mini blaster is only limitedby your imagination and physique.Please note: I advocate carrying the largesthandgun and caliber that you are comfortablewith but any gun is better than no gun.ARMSBAND OPTIONWhere else can we hide a firearm thathas not been tried? I am not talking aboutthe hardened criminal or terrorist that hassecreted firearms, drugs or explosives deepwithin body cavities. My interest was piquedwhen a police security bulletin arrived in myemail that alerted officers about a new methodof weapons concealment. The warningconcerned a unique holster for small handgunscalled “ArmsBand.”It appears to be a nearly perfect holsterfor .32 and .380-sized pistols. Made of a cunningcombination of nylon and Velcro, the2-ounce holster is designed to be affixed tothe upper arm, under or over a T-shirt sleeveand further concealed by a short-sleevedshirt. Worn on the support side, it permitsa very subtle cross draw and negates therequirement for loose shirts and untuckedshirt tails.The bicep band merely represents anotheralternative to tailor your carry to bestmeet the requirements of your mission orcircumstances.SAFETY ASPECTSBefore I explore the various methods fordeploying your hidden firearm from the upperarm, I want to address the rig’s idiosyncrasiesand safety aspects that must be carefullyobserved before employing.HD Ballistic Research LLC is the manufacturerand recommends/cautions the following:Never reholster your firearm with theArmsBand affixed to your arm. Take it off toreholster.Do not holster any single-action pistolin condition one (cocked and locked) witha round in the chamber. Condition three(chamber empty) carry is recommended.Dry practice carrying and drawing with anempty firearm until proficient before carryinga loaded handgun.The ArmsBand system is not recommendedfor people that have neurological, circulatoryor skin conditions that may interferewith the proper elastic tension required forthe rig to remain in place. People with sensitiveskin can, however, wear the holster overthe sleeve of a T-shirt.After-market additions such as triggershoes, extended slide releases, and sometypes of laser aimers or frame alterationsmay render the holster unsafe and increasethe risk of an unintentional discharge.ArmsBand gives the customer a 30-daygrace period for trial purposes. If you determinethe system is not for you, the companywill take it back and refund your purchaseprice less shipping charges. A one-year replacementwarranty is in effect against wearor defect as long as cleaning instructions areadhered to.AFFIXING THE ARMSBANDPutting the holster on requires that youroll up your T-shirt sleeve on the carry side.Before you do that you must first secure yourloaded firearm in the holster. This is the onlyholster that I know of that stipulates insertingthe weapon prior to putting it on. Nev-APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM66

ertheless, safety dictates that this practicebe followed and furthermore, the holstershould be removed to reholster the gun. Thesteps are as follows:To wear the holster on the left arm (righthanddraw), lay it down with the two elasticstraps facing left.Insert the pistol into the pocket with thebutt down, slide up with muzzle pointingdiagonally left and fasten the security strap.For pistols, the strap goes around the backstrap. Fasten the strap around the back of arevolver’s trigger guard.Place the holster and gun against the upperinside of the carry side bicep.With your dominant hand, hold the rigand gun against arm and hook the upperVelcro strap to the armband. Then hook thelower strap. Adjust the straps for comfortand security.Adjust the holster, so that the firearm’smuzzle is pointing out and up past the armpitand away from the body for safe carry.Practice with an empty weapon, so duringthe presentation the gun’s muzzle pointsaway from the body and carrying arm.The system lends itself to some very subtleand low-profile presentations. A big advantageis that you can have your hand incontact with your firearm for instant accesswithout brandishing it.CROSS-CHEST DRAWStanding with arms folded across yourchest indicates to body language expertsthat you are resisting whatever is being conveyedto you.With the ArmsBand, you can have a gripon your gun without brandishing, which inmany jurisdictions is a crime. To assist in theefficacy of the draw, the support arm with elbowleading should be punched to the rearwhile the dominant hand extracts the pieceand drives it in the opposite direction towardthe threat. You use this draw while seated.REACTIVE DRAWObviously, this is the slowest method ofextraction and presentation and when underpressure may be difficult to complete ina timely manner. When time is a factor, therig would benefit significantly from an elasticstrap for a pull-through draw.The shooter raises his arm as if to deliveran elbow strike. This could be a reflexive ortrained defensive move but it also permitsgravity to drop the hem of the sleeve to createan opening for the hand.The dorsal surface of your dominant handshould contact your support arm just above›› Brawling with the Armsbandholster in place may dislodge the pistol.After several blows the holster slid downto the elbow and rotated. After severalmore, the pistol was lost.the elbow with fingers together and ed. Maintaining contact with the undersideof the support arm the fingers slide up andestablish a partial grip on the firearm. Thethumb will release the retention strap, whichis designed for security and not speed. As thepistol is extracted, the support elbow shouldbe driven in the opposite direction.extend-STEERING-WHEEL DRAWIf you anticipate a violent confrontationwhile driving, slide the support hand up tothe 12 o’clock position on the wheel. Thedominant hand can subtly make contact withthe handgun without exposing it. If dictatedby your adversary, he will suddenly be admiringyour firearm’s barrel; even a .380 tubelooks intimidating at close range. If a laser,like the Crimson Trace on the Taurus TCP 738,is attached to your pistol you can light up theopposition from an underarm position.If you are in a static position and wantto use your sights or point shoot, pull yoursupport arm up and back as if blocking ablow and index the threat with your sightsor, if close enough to point shoot, by lookingthrough the gun.You do not want to cross your support armwith the gun’s muzzle, so get it back and upand out of the way for this method of engagement.BRAWLINGIf you get into a brawl, be advised that ahard jab, left hook or elbow smash to yourthreat may dislodge the firearm.A federal agent and a Marine staff sergeantwailed away at a heavy bag with aTaurus TCP 738. After several strikes, theholster slid down to the elbow, rotated, andwith several more the Taurus was jettisonedthrough the top of the holster.Also note, like other cross-draw rigs yourpistol is quite accessible to your opponentespecially if you are straddling him whileground fighting. This holster is not designedfor vigorous activity to include sprinting andclimbing.PULL-THROUGH STRAPAfter testing I decided the nylon, stretch retention strap should be replacednonwithan elastic retention strap so the gun canbe pulled straight through without having tocontend with the slow and noisy Velcro anchornow in use. Wear and loss of elasticityis anticipated, so replacement elastic strapsshould be included in the kit.CONCLUSIONSThe ArmsBand rig works best when troubleis anticipated. Its primary advantage isthat a non-threatening gun contact attitudecan be assumed without brandishing. Fromthis position the firearm can be deployed relativelyquickly. Otherwise, you may have toresort to other defensive methods to createan opening or buy time so you can extractthe weapon.Unfortunately, in its current configuration,going hands-on may result in loss of the firearm.However, it represents another alternativefor concealed carry in a location notoften anticipated by your opponent.As with any system it could use some improvements,but as it is, the system is suitablefor many applications.Contact:ArmsBand7 Avenida Vista GrandeeB-7 PMB 497Santa Fe, NM 87508customerservice@armsband.comwww.armsband.comAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM67

GET MOTIVATED,BE PREPAREDBY R.K. CAMPBELLWHYDO YOUTRAIN?»THE MOTIVATION TO STOP AN ATTACK isn’t difficult toachieve. You either respond or you die or get critically injured.To have the will and the means to defend yourself means you musttrain. The single most important training factor is motivation. You arecreating something from nothing. The motivation to put in the timeyou need to become proficient is more difficult to come by but youmust train hard because you will fight as you have trained; you willfall back to that default. If you have not trained hard, you will not riseto the occasion. You will operate at your average performance onthe range, perhaps less. That is why training is so important.

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It takes motivation to train to build skillsyou may never need. Many shooters find adrill at which they excel and practice it tobuild proficiency over time. It may be a multiple-targetdrill or a hostage-rescue drill. But ifother skills, such as a rapid magazine changeor weak-hand shooting, suffer then you maybe SOL when you need those skills the most.Quite simply you are half trained, at best,if you ignore all-around skill development. Alack of proficiency is a dangerous thing. Whenyou consider the firearm is a life-saving tooland not simply a fashion accessory, you realizethat your attitude about training shouldchange. The biggest reason for poor performanceis a lack of motivation.In most states, once you pass the concealedcarry course there is no annual training andno remedial training requirement as there isin law enforcement. I am not suggesting thereshould be, but without this requirement quitea few shooters become lax in practicing theirskills. Some shooters are lazy about trainingand tend to contaminate the minds of othershooters. Some shooters say training doesn’tmatter because you will be shooting at onlya few feet. Perhaps this is sometimes true butyou need to be able to present the weaponquickly and bring it on target smoothly.Sometimes students say that firing is stressful.If that is the case, perhaps you do not needa handgun. If you cannot handle the stressof the range, you certainly cannot handlefiring for real against an attacker. If you panic,there goes the innocent bystander. If youconsistently have problems on the range, youshould seek remedial help and improve yourshooting. It can be done. The greatest singlepredictor of gunfight survival is prior training.GOALSCan you present the handgun from theholster in a smooth motion and in a mannerin which the sights are quickly lined up onthe target? These skills need to be firmly programmedinto our muscle memory. Only repetitionon the range will produce this type ofsmooth, fluid movement on demand.Some of us obtain a quality firearm and fireit in basically recreational shooting without apurpose, something trainers refer to as simplymaking brass. Most shooters who go throughmy concealed carry class are more interestedin obtaining a permit than learning to shoot,although there are exceptions. Others becomeinterested in the shooting sports andexcel at what they do.In between I find the interested studentwho wishes to learn the skills necessary tosave a life. Such a student might never competein a shooting match and might not becomea “gun person” in the sense some of usare, but these shooters realize the need fortraining and have the proper mindset to addresstheir needs.You have to consider the likely problem. Anattack is stressful not only mentally but alsophysically. Your physical and mental processeswill be strained and diminished. What youbring to the fight will determine the outcome.Prior training is the single most reliable predictorof survival. Having the proper mindset— the winning mindset — will dictate whetheryou survive.The greatest hurdle to overcome is selfdoubt.You have to examine the realities ofa gunfight and not what you have seen ontelevision. You must be able to know whento shoot and when to take cover. Fighting isfighting whatever the weapon. You must beable to draw the handgun, to retain it in astruggle, to quickly take cover, and to quicklyclear a stoppage if need be.You also must have a realistic expectationof handgun performance. The primary mindsetis to develop a healthy understanding ofthe handgun’s purpose. It is not an instrumentof recreation to be used to fire at three-dimensionaltargets. This is a life-saving device thatmust be respected and understood.The single greatest shortcoming of studentsthat attend my classes is a lack of familiaritywith the handgun. They come to the class unpreparedto load, handle or fire the handgun.This basic understanding can be learned fromthe owner’s manual. I have trained numerousindividuals who have had a handgun at theready in their home for months or years yetthey are not proficient with the pistol.Owning a handgun for personal defense involvesmuch more than occasionally firing ata paper target. Quality firearms are expensivebut proficiency at arms is purchased with adifferent coin.Owning several firearms and firing themon a regular basis doesn’t make a person proficient.On the contrary, you might learn badhabits from an untrained individual. A goodstart is the NRA basic handgun course from acertified NRA instructor; you cannot go wrongbeginning there.The basics of gun handling are actuallymore important than marksmanship in thebeginning. Handling the pistol safely, observingmuzzle discipline, being able to safelyload and unload the pistol and to fire the pistolsafely is most important in the beginning.Successful repetition is vital. The more youpractice the correct method and handling thehandgun, the more natural your movementwill be. With smoothness comes speed. Youmust use mental discipline to exercise whatyou have learned.When you come to a training class the mostimportant things you bring are mental skills.A good attitude and a desire to excel must beThe basics of gun handling areactually more important thanmarksmanship in the beginning.present. You must have certain skills that willmake the class progress as designed and notbog the class down for your fellow students.Do not show up at a class that demands a 15-yard qualifier if the only handgun you have isa .25 ACP pocket pistol or a derringer. Do notshow up with an ancient .22 caliber pot metalrevolver that doesn’t fire more than half thetime. Obtain fresh ammunition that will firewhen the hammer falls. Don’t laugh; I have experiencedall of these problems with students.Again, the most important thing to bring toa class is motivation. Here is a short list of theother things you should be prepared to bringto any training class:• Appropriate handgun. It must be reliable andserviceable.• Ammunition. Be certain that is the proper caliberand load for the handgun. Yes, really.• Bring a spare magazine or two for theself-loader. It is ridiculous to keep loading asingle magazine for a self-loading pistol on thefiring line.• A holster that fits the handgun and a gun beltthat supports the weight of the handgun andthe holster.• A spare magazine pouch to be worn on the belt.• Shooting classes and hearing protection.• Gun cleaning gear.• Water.• Appropriate clothing for the weather.Arm yourself with a good attitude, commonsense, and the desire to learn and youwill train successfully. Otherwise you may bea danger to yourself and others.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM71

CLIMATE GOODBUSINESS STRONGFUTURE POSITIVEBY RICK SAPP2013SHOTSHOW» TO SAY THAT SALES during the 2013 SHOT showwere “brisk” would be an understatement. Handgun andammunition sales were particularly strong with somemanufacturers reporting demand far greaterthan production capacity.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM73

APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM74HOW BRIGHT IS IT?Let’s look at the shooting sports businessby segment:FIREARMS: Jason McKean, gunsmith forKahr Arms, which is now allied with Thompson/Centerand Magnum Research, says:“We’re experiencing a six-month backlog ondelivering product.”The Kahr website backs him up: “Due tohigh demand, delivery times on firearms andhigh-capacity magazines will vary and maytake as long as six months for new orders.Please do not contact the factory … untilfurther notice.”That pretty much makes a statementabout the state of the industry. Six monthsfor the T/C bolt-action Dimension rifle withinterchangeable barrels and calibers. Sixmonths for Kahr’s tiny, P380 pocket pistol. Sixmonths for a new Magnum Lite .22LR withblack polymer ambidextrous thumbholestock rifle from Magnum Research.AMMUNITION: HPR (High Precision[down]Range) ammo National Sales DirectorRyan Nicholas notes this is only the company’ssecond year at the Shooting, Huntingand Outdoor Trades (SHOT) Show.“We’re shipping ammo as fast as we canbuild it,” he says. At HPR headquarters inPayson, Ariz., the new ammo manufacturer istooling up for a second shift on the factoryfloor. “We’re training new employees but becauseall of our ammo is hand inspected thetraining process is slow.”What ammo is in greatest demand? “Withouta doubt it’s 9mm and .223.”RELOADING: At the Dillon Precisionbooth where all the reloaders are brightblue, engineer Chris Kersey says demand forcurrent models like the XL 650, a multi-caliberfive-station progressive machine capableof loading 500-800 rounds per hour, isso strong that “since the national elections,we’ve been building as fast as we can and Ithink it’s the fear factor (about political meddling)at work.”The Dillon website notes that it might takesix to eight weeks to ship orders.HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINES: Dave Dolbee,senior writer with Cheaper than Dirt,confirms the astonishing rise in price of a30-round magazine. “Yeah, we’re sold out,”he says. Dolbee notes that Brownell’s had athree and a half year inventory but emptiedtheir shelves before Christmas.A Jan. 23 check of pricing noted that a steel,30-round Israeli-made Mako E-Lander magazinefor the AR15, M16 or M4 with anti-tiltself-leveling follower —normally about $15 —was offered for $80, a price confirmed by FrankHerndon of Backwoods Outdoors, Albany, Ga.CROSSBOWS: Dave Robb of TenPoint andWicked Ridge Crossbows says the “Archery”category has disappeared from the SHOTShow Directory. Archery has been replacedby “Crossbows & Accessories.” The time of thehorizontal bow has arrived.The new Vapor from TenPoint offers a165-pound draw weight with a 15.5-inch powerstroke. “The parallel limb design with carbonfiber barrel gives the Vapor a 360 fps rating witha 22-inch, 420-grain arrow,” he says. “It’s very efficientturning potential into kinetic energy.”A PARTY WITH OUR 62,371CLOSEST FRIENDSEach January, like a mother hen gatheringher chicks, the National Shooting SportsFoundation (NSSF) calls all shooting sportsbusinesses, from international manufacturersto local gun stores, together for one giantconference and trade show. The NSSF calls itthe SHOT Show.”Usually held in Las Vegas, the event lastsfour days, although it would take a month tosee every exciting gun, holster, and cartridge.In January, the event was so packed withfrantic buying and selling, that by the finalday of the show, Lou Ferrigno, the IncredibleHulk himself, slumped into a black, overstuffedchair in the Buck Knives booth nextto the author. “Man, I’m tired,” he said, relaxingand removing his hearing aids.The Hulk had a right to be tired. With62,371 registered individuals from more than100 nations in attendance — it has doubledin size in just 10 years — the 35th annualSHOT Show featured an astonishing assortmentof guns and shooting tools, huntingequipment and black ops gear … and I wantone of everything in my garage!Okay, to be right up front. Not all segmentsof the shooting sports industry are“going great guns.”At the center of archery and bowhunting,the modern high-power crossbow is elbowingits way on stage alongside the verticalcompound bow. These days, archery has itsown, much smaller trade show.The men and women of the black powdertrades admit their sport is “just holding itsown.” They perhaps expect that economics isthe science of cycles, and one day the wheelwill again turn in favor of muzzleloaders.That isn’t today.EVERYWHERE ELSE,RUN-AWAY GROWTHToday, the excitement at the SHOT Show— spurred to fever pitch by concerns thatWashington politicians will attempt to limitAmerican’s right to own firearms — is allabout concealed carry handguns and themodern sporting rifle.As if to emphasize the spectacular natureof business and its belief that shooting, hunting,and personal defense issues are movingin the correct direction in America, the NS-SF’s communication director, Bill Brassard,moderated a state-of-the-industry pressconference.“We’re working closely with 40 state Legislaturesand 23 governors to increase shootingand hunting opportunities,” Brassard saidbefore turning the lectern over to HannibalBolton, an assistant director of the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service.Deer, elk, and bear populations, and thevarmint and small game hunting options inAmerica are better than ever, Bolton said,despite pressures from a growing populationand expanding agriculture. A trend tokeep in mind is the increased use of farmlandto grow oil as farmers and scientistsexperiment with crops that can readily beconverted into biofuels. How this might ultimatelyaffect wildlife and wild lands can’tbe predicted, Bolton said, noting that the100 million plus Americans who “participatein wildlife” — fishing, hunting, bird watching— will be affected.If that effect is negative or seems permanent,the entire shooting industry willsuffer. Arguably, every corner of the SHOTShow except law enforcement, is financiallybased on the health of the whitetail deerpopulation.According to Jeff Crane, president of theCongressional Sportsman’s Foundation,hunting license sales have climbed by 9percent and fishing by 11 percent in the lastfive years. “Men and women who love theoutdoors and enjoy shooting are an economicpowerhouse in the United States,”Crane said.The economic metaphor carried backto Bolton who said that the sale of licenses,guns, holsters, bows, ammunition — all of thethings we enjoy are subject to a special 10-11percent excise tax — had put nearly $7 billioninto the federal treasury since 1937. That’sbillion, with a “B”! The monies are dedicatedto hunter education, wildlife restoration, andbuilding shooting ranges. Not bad for a group

that has to continually re-educate congressmenon the definition of “conservation.”According to Melissa Schilling, directorof recruitment & retention for NSSF, “We understandpeople want choices.” Thus NSSFhas worked with state wildlife agencies toincrease hunters’ abilities to purchase licensesonline. Today about 30 percent of huntingand fishing licenses are sold online.“Our statistics project that nearly 190 millionpeople will purchase something onlinein 2013, 87 million of them from a mobiledevice,” said Recreational Boating & FishingFoundation (RBFF) President Frank Peterson.The RBFF effort is similar to that of NSSF:make it easy for men and women to fish andenjoy the outdoors.BY THE NUMBERSSince America was attacked on 9/11, thehunting element of the SHOT Show hasdeclined in overall importance. That declinehas more than been replaced by lawenforcement and the self- or home-defenseindustry, all proponents of informed concealedcarry. Still, the NSSF apparently believesthat hunting is still very important, alynch-pin for the other shooting sports inAmerica.About the recent NSSF report “Huntingin America” Crane said, “Many people don’tunderstand how important hunting andfishing are to the fabric of this country. Yetmore people hunt or fish than go bowling,and their spending would land them atFacts of the Firearms World1. The estimated total number of guns held by U.S. civilians is between 275million and 300 million, about 89 firearms per 100 people. 2. The country withthe second-most guns is India, with an estimated 46 million guns in privatehands, or about four firearms for every 100 people. 3. U.S. citizens might ownbetween 270 million and 300 million firearms, but less than 100 million actuallyown a gun. 4. With 5 percent of the world population, U.S. citizens accountfor about 40 percent of the planet’s civilian firearms. 5. About 50 million U.S.citizens own handguns. 6. U.S. civilians spend more than $4 billion each yearon guns and ammo. 7. The state with the highest rate of gun ownership isWyoming (63 percent). 8. The most recent estimate of the economic impact ofthe firearms industry in the United States: $31 billion (in 2011 dollars) or $19billion (in 2008 dollars). 9. The percent increase in Winchester ammunition salessince 2007 is 33. 10. The FBI has conducted 160 million background checkssince 1993. In 2012, 11. it conducted 16.8 million background checks, half ofthem for gun sales. A record number of 154,873 calls for one day’s backgroundchecks happened on Black Friday (Nov. 23) 2012. 11. The annual value of smallarms and ammunition exports from the United States in 2009 was $689,170,603.12. The annual value of small arms and ammunition imports to the UnitedStates in 2009 was $1,585,242,738. BONUS: As many as 10 million U.S. citizenshave current concealed carry permits. Remember, however, that laws vary bystate and so comparisons are inherently unequal. Nevertheless, the top 10states for concealed carry permits are (in order): Florida, Georgia, Texas, Indiana,Tennessee, Washington, Alabama, Utah, Michigan, and Ohio.number 24 on the Fortune 500 list.”The NSSF report found a 55 percentgrowth in 40-plus categories of U.S. hunting-relatedexpenditures. “This is goodnews for businesses and for participants,particularly small businesses in rural areas,”said NSSF President Steve Sanetti. “It also isgratifying to see the nine percent increasein hunting participation. The traditionalmale hunter is going afield more often, andmore women and novices are going huntingas well, demonstrating the widespreadappeal of this great outdoors tradition.”SANETTI PROVIDEDA FEW STATISTICS:The $4.1 billion firearms and ammunitionindustry supports thousands of small businessesand helps preserve the more than200,000 jobs associated with the shootingsports.America’s 15.5 million hunters could fillevery NASCAR track, NFL stadium, NBA arena,MLB ballpark and NHL rink in the countrymore than twice (15.5 million vs. 7.2 millioncombined capacity).Of hunters and shooters who purchaseda firearm in July 2011, 50.8 percent purchaseda handgun, 41.5 percent purchaseda rifle, 15 percent purchased a shotgun andthe balance purchased a muzzleloader.Beyond the impact to businesses andlocal economies, sportsmen and womenare the leaders in protecting fish and wildlifeand their habitats. When you combinelicense and stamp fees, motorboat fuels,excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment,and membership contributions toconservation organizations, hunters andanglers directed $3 billion toward on-thegroundconservation and restoration effortsin 2011, nearly $100 every second. This doesnot include their own habitat acquisitionand restoration work for lands owned orleased for the purpose of hunting and fishing,which would add another $11 billion tothe mix.AND SO …Kahr Arms is not alone as it struggles tofill orders for its handguns now. Virtuallyevery firearms manufacturer is in the samepredicament. That’s why we say the climateis good, business is strong, and the future ispositive.It’s our “state-of-the-sport” report andwe’re sticking to it.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM75

IT’S NEVERTOO EARLYTO BEGINGUN SAFETYEDUCATIONBY MICHAEL MARTIN

RAISINGKIDSAROUNDGUNS»WHEN IT COMES TO KIDS AND GUNS, you have two choices:Ignorance or education. But here’s the reality—if you take theignorance approach, your kids will get their firearms “education” frommovies, video games, or their friends. While I’m not advocating takingyour toddler out shooting at the range (although they can certainlywatch you shoot at the range), I am advocating that you answer yourchildren’s questions about your firearms, and allow them to interact at alevel that’s safe for their age group. Regardless of how old your child is,you’ll need to begin his or her education with an understanding of basicfirearms safety. The safety tips and advice that follow, have been usedby my family and extended family to educate more than 45 nephewsand nieces of various age groups.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM77

2—6 YEARS OLDAt this age, it’s time to introduce your childto “Eddie Eagle” from the NRA, who teacheskids that if they see a firearm in an unsupervisedsituation, they should “STOP.Don’t Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult.”Launched back in 1988, the Eddie Eagle programhas since reached more than 25 millionchildren in pre-K through third grade,and can be taught by anyone, regardlessof NRA affiliation. While anti-gun groupsmight claim that the Eddie Eagle programis designed to indoctrinate children into a“gun culture,” that’s simply not the case. Instead,its sole mission is child safety, withoutstating an opinion one way or another,on whether guns are good or bad. The fourpoints taught by Eddie Eagle are not a “oneand done” kind of education. Every singletime you handle a firearm in front of yourchild, or any time the topic of firearms comesup, quiz them on these four simple rules. Inmy household, we remind our two youngsons that if it looks like a gun, the four EddieEagle rules apply, regardless of whether theybelieve it’s a toy gun. That’s especially importantwhen your children are visiting theirfriend’s homes. Teaching your child to abideby these rules is as much about bravery, as itis about gun safety.In addition to the four Eddie Eagle rules,the upper end of this age bracket is also agood age get started on teaching your childrenabout the four Universal Safety Ruleswhen it comes to safe firearms handling.That might sound like it’s the polar oppositeadvice from what Eddie Eagle teaches, but inthis case, we’re not talking about real guns,we’re talking about the toy guns that all kidsseem to gravitate toward. As silly as it mightsound, teaching your child to maintain “muzzlecontrol” on his toy dart gun and to keephis finger out of the triggerguard until he’s“on target” and is ready to shoot, will buildthat rule into his neural pathways, which willserve him for the rest of his life. At this age,a child’s brain is twice as active as an adult’s,and most of the brain’s connections are beingmade. Anything they learn at this agestands a good chance of becoming hardwiredbehavior.7—12 YEARS OLDDepending upon your child’s maturity andhis or her ability to grasp all four UniversalSafety Rules, as well as his or her physicalability to handle a firearm safely, this agegroup is ready to shoot a BB gun or .22caliber rifle (or larger caliber rifles whenthey’re at the upper end of this age group)under your close supervision. Make thesesessions about abiding by the safety rulesand enjoyment, rather than as a scoredevent. Personally, I’ll ask my oldest son(now nine) to recite the Universal SafetyRules before we begin any target practicewith his BB gun or the family Ruger 10/22.When I observe my son plinking away,I usually watch him, rather than watchingthe target, so that I can monitor his safe gunhandling. Regardless of how many times youhave to say, “watch your muzzle” or “takeyour finger out of the triggerguard,” keepsaying it. You own the responsibility for drillingthese rules into your child’s brain. They’llreturn the favor by doing the same with yourgrandkids.At the first hint of fatigue, or enjoymentturning into boredom, end the session forthe day. Praise your child’s accuracy, buteven more so, praise them for the great jobthey did in adhering to the Universal SafetyRules, and review any time they failed to followthem.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM78

Teaching your children aboutfirearms is a personal thing thatmust be conducted within thebounds of what you believe is right.13+ YEARS OLD one of his friends, “Watch your muzzle!” asTeenagers who have demonstrated maturity they were running around the house shootingtheir dart guns at everything in sight. Re-and rock solid safety when using a BB gunand rifle, may be ready to step up to learninghow to operate a handgun. With their dren will learn more by watching what youmember, as with all things in life, your chil-shorter barrels, handguns can sometimes do, rather than listening to what you say. Bereintroduce muzzle control problems, so a good teacher.watch closely to ensure that all safety rulesare being maintained.EXPLAINING HOME DEFENSESo how will you know if your lessons are TO YOUR KIDSsinking in? In our house, we had a good indicationon the success of our lessons when about the evils that exist in the world, in-No parent likes talking with their childrenour youngest son, then four years old, told cluding discussing child abductions, schoolshootings, “stranger danger,” etc. That sameunease extends to discussing what to do inthe event of a home invasion. In my home,the discussion gave our oldest son nightmaresfor a week, but it’s a conversation thathad to happen, and continues to happen ona reoccurring basis, no differently than annualreviews of our fire escape plan or plan incase of a tornado. In fact, relating the ideaof a home invasion plan to other emergencyplans that have already been discussedmight be the easiest way to ease into theconversation.When discussing a home invasion planwith the family, we’d suggest planning aroute for all family members to head to themost secure area of the home, and includein the plan who will get the phone and dial911, who will access the defensive firearm,and who will assist loved ones. You can includeolder children as active participants inthe plan by assigning them with simple tasksthat can help keep themselves and their siblingssafe. For example, their tasks could include:Get out of the house and find a neighbor,and ask the neighbor to call 911.Get the younger kids into the same bedroom,and close and barricade the door.We suggest two or three small points foreach child, such as, “If something bad happens,your job is to get out of the house, getto a neighbor, and have him or her call 911.Then your job is done.”Finally, it’s important to discuss with yourchildren what not to do in the event of ahome invasion. For example, if everyone inthe family is in the same part of the house,then it is not necessary, prudent, or smartto go looking for the intruder. With olderchildren, it’s extremely important to discusswhat to do if a family member is cominghome late or unexpectedly, and how to communicateit if a guest will be in the home.The use of a family “code word” or “challengeand reply” can avoid tragedy if your teenageson or daughter has decided to sneak a significantother into the house for a late nightrendezvous.Planning for such eventualities is a personalthing and must be conducted withinthe bounds of what you believe is right andproper. The failure to plan could have catastrophicresults, which would be far worsethan the discomfort of having, “the talk.”APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM79

TOP THE»“WHEN SECONDS COUNT, the cops are minutes away.”That phrase comes in handy when explaining why I carry ahandgun. During a criminal attack, time is critical.

MEDICAL SKILLS FORTHE ARMED CITIZENBY KARL REHNBLEEDINGBLEEDINGWWW.USCCA.COM81

APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM82The right technique executed perfectlybut too late, might produce the same failureas doing nothing. But the right technique,even poorly executed soon enough, canchange the outcome for the better.If the cops are minutes away, so are themedics. But in some situations, the medicsmay arrive much later than the cops. Forexample, in an active shooter incident, standardpractice is for medics to wait until lawenforcement officers have determined thatthe scene is safe for them to enter.At Columbine, Colo., a teacher bled todeath as students called out the classroomwindow for medical help while law enforcementofficers were trying to locate theshooters and all the explosive devices theyhad placed.In rural and remote areas, even the fastesttrip to the nearest trauma center couldeasily take more than 20 minutes. An injurythat produces bleeding from a major arterycould cause death in less than five minutes.During a serious medical incident, time iscritical. Those concerned enough about survivalto carry a firearm and train realisticallyshould place as much importance on medicaltraining and equipment as they do onchoosing their carry gear.More than a decade ago, gun schoolswere beginning to offer medical skills coursesto armed citizens. John Holschen of InsightsTraining and the late, great Paul Gomezwere early pioneers in the field.One challenge everyone offering medicaltraining faces in marketing the courses toarmed citizens is the same as the challengeinstructors offering force-on-force traininghave encountered: most armed citizens arealso gun enthusiasts who are disappointedif training classes don’t include some roundsdownrange. It’s much more fun to work on›› Hands on training ina scenario-based learningenvironment adds alevel of stress, but can inno way replicate a realgunfight. Still, it is a greatplace to start.the skills and scenarioswhere you always win andnever get hurt than it isto train for the situationswhere things go wrong.Caleb Causey, formerU.S. Army combat medic,EMT, and armed citizen, offers a wide varietyof medical classes through his Arlington,Texas-based company, Lone Star Medics.He developed a two-day Med-X course thatcombined medic training, live-fire drills andforce-on-force role-playing scenarios intoan integrated program for law enforcementofficers, private security, and military personnel.After the successful launch of that course,he modified the course to address skills andsituations specifically relevant to armed citizens,calling it the Med-X Every Day Carry(Med-X EDC) course. Caleb and assistant instructorLogan Loftin brought that course tomy KR Training facility in September 2012.The early part of the course addressed thebasic questions: What injuries are so severethat treatment can’t wait for uniformed professionalsto arrive? What can a person witha few days of training do? What gear wouldbe useful to have? Caleb’s focus was onstopping blood loss, because historical data(from WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan)clearly shows that immediate treatment ofsevere bleeding saves lives. At recent activeshooter incidents at Ft. Hood, Texas, Tucson,Ariz., and Aurora, Colo., law enforcementand military personnel on scene treatedvictims until medics arrived; those actionssaved lives.During the class Caleb and Logan demonstratedseveral different commercially availabletourniquets by applying them to othersand demonstrating self-treatment. All studentspracticed both skills, which would beimportant later in the course.Caleb explained that in a situation wherea tourniquet is needed, there might not betime, opportunity or physical ability to retrieveit from a vehicle or another nearbylocation. Just as with a handgun, having itwith you is a far better plan than assumingyou can run and get it.He recommended carrying a SOFT T Widetourniquet in the Tactical Medical Solutionsankle wrap carrier as a low-profile optionthat would not add yet another item tocrowded pockets or a beltfilled with a pistol, phone,magazine(s) and othergear. Other lightweightitems useful intreating serious woundsincluded gauze (plain andQuick Clot Combat Gauzewith a hemostatic agent),a Russell chest seal, and Olaes pressuredressing. In the ankle kit, the ankle wrap andthe gauze make up the pressure dressing, soyou’re left with the tourniquet and the chestseal to carry some other way. Of all thoseitems, the tourniquet is the most essential.During the class, Caleb encouraged studentsto build their own kits, choosingitems that fit their likely situation and carryoptions. In addition to essential equipmentcarried on the body, often there is room in abailout bag, range bag, laptop bag, or backpackfor additional supplies.He explained that the additional suppliescould be extremely useful in situations suchas an accidental shooting at a remote range,active shooter in a school (where laws mightprohibit carrying a gun but carry of medicalgear would still be legal), and on any outdoortrek.The basic skills training progressedthrough wound packing, proper use ofclotting agents, and techniques for findingwounds on an injured person using a fullsizetraining dummy that weighed as muchas a real person.After students had completed many drillsand activities practicing fundamentals, itwas time to apply them in a realistic scenario.Students were split into two groups,one group practicing fundamentals whilethe second was taken into the woods. Thosein the woods was told they were a group offriends on a hike in a remote area of a nationalpark, and sent down a trail that had

een seeded with several reactive 3-D HardHead Ted targets and falling steel targets.As they walked down the trail, they encounteredthese threats, which simulateda group of drug cartel members that wasguarding its marijuana crop. This requiredthe members of the team to shoot, move,and communicate until it was confirmedthat the fight was over and the medical portionof the scenario began.During the fight, Caleb told one memberof the team who had poor cover that he wasshot in the leg, so he retreated to better coverand began applying a tourniquet to hisown leg.In the aftermath of the fight, one threat (3Dtarget) was down in the foreground, one memberof the group injured and trying to get up,and another member (the training dummy)was unconscious with a serious injury.As the group assessed the safety of thescene and began checking each person forinjuries, Caleb supplied additional detailsand suggestions as they began treating theinjuries using the gear they had with them.The training dummy had an upper chestwound, treated with a chest seal, a lowerabdomen wound, and a thigh wound, whichrequired a tourniquet. The leg simulator wasused for the wound packing.The scenario did not end until the groupused available materials to make a stretcherand carry the unconscious person to a saferlocation to call for help. After both groupshad completed the live-fire scenario, a de-brief provided further insights.The second day included some review,videos and lectures reinforcing what waslearned the day before, and another livefirescenario. In this incident, two armedcitizens were in a vehicle driving to pickup their dates waiting for them outside anapartment building. As they arrived, theyfound that both ladies were being attacked,and one was being dragged into a vehicle. Alarge barricade and barrels were used simulatethe car’s body and engine block.In the fight, an innocent bystander wasshot and seriously wounded (simulated bythe training dummy). After the fight wasover, the bystander was moved to a saferlocation and treated. One of the armed citizenswas also shot in the arm as he leanedout from cover to engage the threats.These scenarios creatively and safely combinedlive-fire drills with medical response,providing students insight into all the elementsa real incident might have. After allstudents had run this live-fire scenario andall real weapons were removed from the scenarioarea, it was time fora more complex scenariorun as force on force.The scenario we usedwas something I designedand offered to Caleb,based on an incident thathad occurred in CollegeStation, Texas, the weekprior to class. A constableserving an eviction notice was shot by theoccupant of the house, who then fired his rifleinto the neighborhood, hitting one of twopeople in a vehicle more than 100 yards away.The shooter then fired at arriving officers,finally retreating into the house after theinitial burst of shooting. The incident endedwith the shooter killed by law enforcementafter a 25-minute standoff. The simulationprovided multiple challenging situationswithin the scenario for many participants.As the scenario progressed, otherrole-players, representing responding officers,arrived on scene, providing cover sothat the armed citizen could retreat to bettercover (simulated by the blue barrels), movehis injured friend, and begin treatment.The action shifted to the responding officers,who had to protect themselves from incomingfire from the shooter, treat their owninjuries, communicate with other officers arrivingon scene, and finally enter the shooter’shome and assess and treat his injuries.During the class wrap-up, many studentscommented on the similarities betweenfirearms training andmedical training, wherethe fundamentals haveto be in place before theskills can be used in a scenario.Caleb and Logandid an excellent job bothin teaching fundamentalsand in making the sce-›› Scenarios are based on narios relevant to armedreal-world events and give citizen situations, particularlyin illustrating howthe students a taste of whatthe chaos of a real incident difficult it might be towill be like. Students mustleave the scene to retrieveassess the situation andmedical gear that isn’t immediatelyaccessible.coordinate their actions.A handful of essentialitems, particularly a tourniquet, carried withyou, could be as important to your survival asthe handgun on your hip or in your pocket.Karl Rehn is the lead instructor for KR Training(www.krtraining.com). He is certified by theNRA, Texas Department of Public Safety, andTexas Commission on Law Enforcement Standardsand Education as an instructor and hastrained with dozens of well-known tactical andcompetition instructors. Thanks to studentsBrian Brown and Leslie Buck, who provided thephotographs for this article.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM83

TRTHE TRA»ONE OF THE MOST exciting aspects of my careeras a firearms instructor has been participating in thematuring of Defensive Shooting into its own distinctbranch of firearms instruction.Throughout much of the last 50 years,there has been little to distinguish “defensiveshooting” from “learning how toshoot a gun” in most people’s minds. Evenmuch of the advanced training offered inthe area of military, law enforcement andpersonal defense shooting has been littlemore than high-end marksmanshipor competition shooting. Luckily for usthat has been rapidly changing. Over thepast couple decades, more and more policedepartments and military units havebeen training in ways that are much morepractical for close-quarters defensive useof firearms. For example, in 2012, the FBIfinally evolved their antiquated approachto firearms training, joining much of theprivate sector in providing more realisticand vital, fast close-quarters shootinginstruction. They even modified theirqualification course to reflect what wedefinitively know are the realities of howfirearms are used for personal defense,by both professionals and responsiblyarmed citizens alike. This evolution is thefoundation of the Third Tenet of Professionalismin the Creed of the DefensiveShooting Instructor:I recognize that defensive shootingskills, along with the drills and gear used,are inherently specialized and usually distinctfrom those of target shooting, competition,and hunting endeavors.When people come to us as instructorsasking for training or advice relatedto home or personal defense, we owe itto them to address that question specifically.No self-respecting instructorwould suggest that someone get startedwith a hunter safety course, if thatperson is interested in carrying a pistolfor personal protection, nor would theinstructor suggest that the student joina trap and skeet club. Although it maynot be as self-evident, for all the samereasons, instructors should not start thatperson down the path of marksmanshipor training for competitive shooting, either.While hunting and target shootingare great pursuits, they no more prepareyou for defensive firearms use than drivinga taxi in a big city prepares you towin the Baja 1000 in an 800-horsepowersuper-truck.No legitimate defensive shootinginstructor would think of putting a studentthrough a hunter safety course, andthen handing them a CCW certificate(although some states allow that). Althoughthey both involve firearms, theyare non-overlapping magisteria. As ourart evolves, more and more legitimatedefensive shooting instructors are realizingthere are also vast differences betweentarget and competition shooting,and what we do. While the differencesare certainly not as stark, it’s importantthat we understand where the overlapsare, and where they are not.

THE THIRD TENET: DEFENSIVESHOOTING IS DIFFERENTBY ROB PINCUSAININGINERSThe primary reason for drawing a distinctionbetween isolated shooting skillsand defensive firearms training are thecontexts of intended use. The easiest waysto understand the practical differences are:In traditional target shooting, the goalis always to maximize your control overthe gun, while in defensive shooting,you should strive to apply the minimalamount of control necessary, as efficientlyas possible.In competition, you are trying toachieve a very precisely known goal asquickly as possible, without introducingthe variables that are part of defensiveshooting, such as not knowing howmany threats there are, which directionthe threats are coming from, or howmany shots it will take to stop the threat.Equipment for defensive shooting andother firearms endeavors is also vastlydifferent. While target shooting in yourbackyard, a malfunction is just an annoyance.But for a defensive firearm, reliabilityunder all plausible circumstances isa requirement. Similarly, while manualsafeties are no big deal in a controlledenvironment (target shooting, hunting,competition, training, etc.), a failure withone can cost you your life in a real situation.Lastly, the crisp, short triggers thatare so valued by those shooting tightgroups with little or no time pressure, area luxury rarely worth the safety concernsthey create (or the requirement of a manualsafety) in a defensive firearm.Lastly, the way in which you shouldtrain for defensive shooting skills, is dramaticallydifferent from training for othershooting pursuits. In defensive shooting,you will need to tie your performancewith the ability to process informationon the fly. In target and competitionshooting, people often talk about performance“on demand,” yet what theyreally mean is that you know exactlywhat you’ll need to do, you’ll have timeto prepare, and then you stand by at theready, waiting for the signal to performyour choreographed task. Bad guysdon’t give you a stage briefing, and rarelyis a defensive shooting something thatyou are even close to ready for. In fact,most would agree that if you keep yourawareness level high and see a threatcoming, you can most likely avoid it entirely,or take other action that will preventyou from having to pull the trigger.The most common defensive shootingoccurs when you are caught off guard,and you are forced to apply your skillswith no warning or specific planning. Inthe training environment, you can simulatethis need to process informationwhile performing your skills, by givingyour students commands during the drill(which forces them to figure out exactlywhat they need to do on the fly), by loadingtheir magazines randomly, and byvarying the number of shots that you callfor each target.Hopefully, as an instructor, you havealready accepted the reality of this Tenetin theory, and are now ready to startapplying it in practice. If you aren’t yeta defensive shooting instructor, as yougo through the many resources you haveavailable, make sure that the instructorthat you choose for yourself and yourfamily is one that understands preciselywhat they are teaching.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM85

GET READY TO RUMBLEBY KEVIN MICHALOWSKIVsAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM86»I’M GONNA START A FIGHT. Which pistol is better, the 1911 or the Glock?When the United States military adoptedits first auto-loading service pistol, the cavalrycharge was still an accepted and effectivemeans of fighting wars. In the 101 years sincethat pistol first hung on the hips of Americansoldiers, the face of modern conflict haschanged immeasurably and the Colt Model1911 has seen it all. Some say it is the greatestgun of all time.Legend? Yes. But Unsurpassed? Well…That John Moses Browning created awork of art when he designed what wouldbecome the Model 1911 pistol is withoutquestion. Yet, between that first design andtoday changes in everything from metallurgyto manufacturing have been eroding the1911’s dominance.But just as no art critic can change thebeauty of a painting by pointing out somefaults, I don’t want to be accused of deridingthe 1911 by claiming that some modern pistolsare better. Still, as much as I will try tomake this an objective look at various piecesof machinery, firearms selection remains avery personal and subjective decision.Perception No. 1:The 1911 “feels” like a pistol shouldThe feel of a pistol is perhaps the mostsubjective of the criteria used to judge one.Just about any experienced shooter will talkabout the “perfect” grip angle and ergonomicsof the 1911. But is that “feel” a product ofergonomic testing and development, or is itjust the feel of a gun that’s so common everyone“knows” how it’s supposed to feel?Take this little test. Make a fist. Now maintainthe fist and quickly, at shoulder level,point your index finger at the wall. There’sthe grip angle of the Glock.This speaks to pointability, recoil controland the natural ergonomic principles thatcreate better shooting. The bore axis on the1911 is higher than most of the newer pistolsin its class. The higher the barrel is aboveyour hand, the more leverage the gun hasworking against you as the projectile is fired.As a result you get more felt recoil. Customgunsmiths have been working to reduce theheight of the bore axis on the 1911 for years.Most of them apply a different grip safetyand modify the rear of the frame to allow theweb of your firing hand to be higher.The 1911 design wasn’t even 20 years oldbefore the military attacked it with the firstround of changes. Following World War I thechanges that became the 1911-A1 were adoptedfor various reasons, one of which wasthat many doughboys reported that shotsfrom their pistols were going low. It mayhave been the result of those tiny originalsights, or perhaps shooters were adoptingthat natural Glock angle and instinctivelypushing the muzzle down as they thrust thepistols forward at the charging enemy. Theend result left soldiers with a new archedmainspring housing that was supposed tohelp keep the muzzle up. It was a quick fixand typical of a government agency thatthinks hardware can overcome a trainingdeficiency.In real terms, most single-stack 45 ACPpistols, regardless of the maker, are easyenough to grip. But would you rather haveeight rounds of 45 ACP, 12 rounds of 40 S&Wor 45 GAP or 17 rounds of 9mm?Perception No. 2:The 1911 is a marvel of engineeringIt was in 1911. But as revolutionary as thepistol was when it was first built, moderndesign and production techniques leave the1911 looking like what it really is: a springboardfor better ideas. The situation thatimmediately comes to mind is the feed pathof 1911. The bullet, as it is stripped from themagazine, goes on a roller coaster ride beforearriving in the chamber. Is it any wonderthat 1911 owners all know about thingslike ramped barrels, internal polishing andworkshop magazine adjustments? A wholeindustry has sprouted around making the1911 feed reliably with anything other thanball ammo. Yes, you can make the 1911 designultra-reliable. Springfield Armory did itfor the FBI contract pistols, but it was a challenge.And didn’t anyone notice the look ofsurprise when a 1911 actually passed thatgrueling set of standards?You will never have to worry abouthand-fitting a barrel in a Springfield ArmoryXD or a Glock. You won’t have peened lockinglugs and if you buy a different barrel forsuch a pistol, you don’t have to wonder if youget the link, too. The beauty of advancingtechnology is that designers have been ableto use John Browning’s original ideas andmake them better. I would argue that holdingon to old ideas purely for nostalgia’s sakeputs you at a disadvantage.Perception No. 3:The 1911 is indestructibleThe 1911 is one tough gun. I’ve seen vid-

eo of a police officer smashing the side windowof a car with his 1911 before firing at anarmed felon. The gun never malfunctionedand the shots were on target. But put a 1911side-by-side with some newer designs andstart feeding the guns magazine after magazineand see which one malfunctions first.Yes, factory original Glock sights are weakand fragile, but the rest of the gun goes onforever. Sure, you’ve heard all the slide separationstories about the Beretta but suchincidents were rare and have been corrected.There surely have been complaints about the1911 as well; it’s just that shooters and gunsmithshave had a century to correct things.And even with all that time and effort, I wouldstill put a box-stock polymer pistol from justabout any maker up against a box-stock 1911in a 5,000-round torture test.While the 1911 is a tough pistol, its designelements are more than 100 years old.There are better ways to build a barrel; betterways to lock it to the slide and better waysto make pistols feed and function. The 1911still works, but the newer designs are simplerand stronger.Perception No. 4:The 1911 can be all things to everyoneNow, we’re talking about the true strengthof the 1911 design! There are two reasonsthat the 1911 is the most customized pistolin the world. First, because it can be so easilycustomized. Second, there’s usually a need.And with a century of history, there is not apart or screw or pin that has not come underscrutiny. If someone can make a dollar by creatinga part for the 1911, he will be makingthat dollar far into the foreseeable future.The 1911 benefits from the economy ofscale. Make parts for a gun with a 100-yeartrack record and you have a big market. Getone percent of the 1911 market and you havesomething. There’s a reason why more thana dozen firms make 1911 pistols and severaldozen more do custom work and aftermarketparts. The demand for the parts is there. Peoplelove the 1911 and our economy requiresthat such a demand be satisfied.Are other pistol designs better? You bet.But those pistols are standing in the shadowof a legend and it’s really easy for shootersto say, “Yeah, that (insert the name of yourfavorite new design) may work now, but let’ssee what happens in 100 years.”There’s something to be said for power…especially staying power.

WHICH LASERS WORKBEST AND WHY?BY GEORGE HARRISJUSTASK»QUESTION: I have decided to buy a laser formy SIG P-229R, which is my everyday concealedcarry gun. My question is, which kind and why?APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM89

APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM90»ANSWER: There are a variety of lasers tochoose from, all of which will work — somebetter than others — depending on the application. Noone model or brand stands out above all the others butthere are some significant differences that need to beconsidered in order to find the best one for your purposes.The first consideration is the location ofthe laser and its compatibility with yourcurrent method of carrying concealed.Another consideration is changes in theexternal dimensions of the pistol causedby the addition of a laser and how thosechanges affect the shooting and handlingcharacteristics of the gun. Other considerationscan be mechanical in nature and,in some cases, whether you are a left- orright-handed shooter.I will give you the pros and cons of what isregularly available for most pistols and youshould be able to make an informed decisionas to what you equip your P-229 R withto best suit your needs.The newest on the market is a rearsight-mounted laser. For installation, pushout the original sight and push in the newsight. A real positive is that the laser beamand the natural line of sight are very closetogether. The sight does not add significantdimension to the outside of the gun, whichis a concern when carrying concealed, particularlyin a fitted holster. The downside inmy experience is durability. The poundingof the slide cycling every shot takes its tollon maintaining zero and the laser componentsthemselves.Dropping the gun from waist level on anyhard surface effectively disables the usefulnessof these sights. As you might imagine,the on/off switch is a bit tedious, thanks tothe size of the device and all but impossibleto operate without finger nails.Grip-mounted lasers are as easy to installas replacing the factory grips with anyaftermarket grip. They are durable and doan acceptable job of maintaining zero witheveryday usage. They have an on/off switchthat turns the laser completely off when notneeded and on for on-demand use via a secondpressure-activated switch controlled bythe strong hand gripping the pistol.On the not-so-positive side, these gripsincrease the grip circumference, whichmight make it difficult to reach the triggerfor those with medium to small hands.Some might find the extra girth of the gripschanges the comfort level of carrying thegun in the same manner previous to installingthe grips. If you are a left-handed shooterand use a grip method that stacks thethumb parallel to the frame, the laser can beblocked by the grip and made ineffective.Internal Lasers that replace the recoilspring guide don’t change the external dimensionsof the gun and are serviceablefor most purposes. From a precision standpointthere is no adjustment for a precisezero so you get what you get. The openingin the slide for the recoil guide to protrudethrough during recoil varies in many pistols;the fit might or might not be tight forconsistency from one shot to the next.Some companies take issue with replacingcritical parts in their guns with criticalaftermarket parts (takedown lever, recoilspring, and recoil spring guide in the caseof the P-229) and will not honor the warranteeshould something happen to the guncausing it not to function properly.The on/off switch is located in the takedownlever on the Sig versions and has tobe pressed from one side with the indexfinger or thumb to turn it on and pressedoff from the other side. I have found thattight-fitting holsters will turn it off automaticallywhen reholstering, which could be abenefit under certain circumstances.Dust cover-mounted lasers work verywell provided they are tight in their mounting.Most, but not all, are mounted on arail system machined into the dust coverof the pistol in front of the trigger guard.The problem that you run into is that evenwithin models of the same brand, the railsmay be slightly different. Quality manufacturersof rail-mounted lasers either provideadapters or sufficient adjustment to accommodatethe inconsistency in most cases.Set screws provide windage and elevationadjustment to adjust the beam tosuit the shooter once the device issecurely in place.The bottom line is that the lasermust point to the same placein relation to the muzzle for eachshot to ensure precise accuracy.Actuation methods vary frombuttons to knobs to toggle switches to pressureswitches on the end of a wire extension.All have their plusses and minuses.With this type of laser system the outsidedimension of the pistol is changed enoughto require a different holster to accommodatethe extra space occupied by the attachment.As much as size is an issue formost individuals that carry concealed, theincreased size could be a deal breaker.Durability usually parallels price withthese types of systems and none worth havingare inexpensive.Here are few thoughts to follow alongwith my previous comments that apply toall of the products mentioned above:Realize that the flight of the bullet andthe path of the laser beam are not thesame. They are similar to the sight line versusbore line of a scoped rifle. Zeroing thelaser at anything much closer than 20 to 25yards will increase the angle of departurefrom the initial zero to the point of potentiallymissing the target at farther distanceseven though the laser is on the target. Laserswith both vertical and horizontal offsetcompound the issue.To prove point of aim versus point of impactto the maximum distance you envisionusing the laser, start at three yards on a simplecardboard target with two shots to thecenter. Mark those shots so that you know atwhich distance they were fired. After the firsttwo shots, make the gun safe and move backanother three yards and shoot two shots.Continue this drill until you have madeit back to your previously decided distanceand then take it a little farther for the justin-casefactor. You will now know true pointof aim versus point of impact and thereforebe confident that if you ever need to usethe laser for personal defense, your likelihoodof success will be great.

PHOTOOF THE MONTHONCE IN A LIFETIME SHOTMEDIA DIRECTOR KEN WANGLER CAPTURED THISMOMENT ON THE LIVE FIRE RANGE AT GANDERMOUNTAIN ACADEMY IN LAKEVILLE MINNESOTA.PHOTO BY KEN WANGLER» YOU COULD TAKE 10,000 PICTURES AT THE RANGE and nevercapture the split second when the burning gases form a ring as theyleave the barrel. That’s exactly what CCM Media Director Ken Wanglercaptured at the Concealed Carry Expo in Lakeville Minnesota this pastFebruary. For more of Ken’s photos, check out our cover, this month’sMember Profile, Gear we Like, and more!APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM91

CONSIDERTHESE BASICSBY CR WILLIAMSEditor’s Note: Theauthor reports he has begunto get away from theidea of ‘defensive’ fightingor the use of ‘defensive’weapons because we don’t“defend ourselves” withfirearms, we counter-attacksomeone who is attackingus. Furthermore, thinkingabout “defense-defensive-defending”all the timecan get you conditionednot to counter-attack assoon and as intently asyou need to in order toprevail in a fight. Defensealone does not win fightsand does not preserve life.Counter-attacking does.Begin, therefore, to thinkless of defending and moreof counter-attacking ifyou want to increase yourchances of winning.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM93

»I’LL BE HONEST WITH YOU: I’ve never been very interested in theshotgun as a fighting weapon. There a several reasons for that, but in theinterest of brevity I’ll tell you the primary one: The shotgun does not offer asmuch flexibility in the fight as the rifle. A rifle (carbine, really, as I prefer theshorter barrel of the carbine, but I’ll use the term rifle throughout this series)allows me to go from very short to very long range or from center-of-massto center-of-eyeball shots without significant pause or adjustment.Because of this preference, I’ve had to consider various aspectsof the use of the rifle by someone with no background in militaryor law-enforcement operations (like me), and I’ve had toconsider its use as a counter-offensive weapon in the place, thecircumstances, and the environment in which I live. In the courseof these considerations, I have studied what others have to sayabout fighting with rifles and I have trained with and soughtadvice from those who have experience. I don’t have all the answers--notall the answers I want, at least. But I hope you can findsomething here that will help.The single most important concept I can pass on to you is this:AS SOON AS YOU CAN, GET SOME TRAINING. The training must focuson fighting not marksmanship. If you don’t know the basicsof marksmanship, you need to get them first. After that, though,you need to find teachers who will teach you how to fight with therifle. You need to find teachers and companies that teach you tofight the way you are most likely to fight, not the way a member ofa SWAT team or infantry squad fights.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM94THINK ‘INFANTRYMAN’ NOT ‘RIFLEMAN’I think too many of us are too enamored with the concept ofthe rifleman, from the sharpshooters of the Revolutionary Warthrough Sergeant York to scouts and snipers and beyond that. Inthe back of our minds, we hold the image, the hazy dream of theperfect shot and the setup that makes it for us: careful movement,proper positioning, good sight, smooth and steady trigger work. Ithink all of that is there, in the back, forming a framework for whatwe think we should be doing with the rifle.That is a dangerous illusion we need to get rid of if we’re goingto be effective rifle-fighters (or gun-fighters, period).The attitude we should adopt about the rifle is more that of theskirmisher than the sharpshooter. Think of the infantryman workinginside Stalingrad and Fallujah getting into across-the-streetand inside-the-room fights. We need to be able to deal with chaosclose in. We need to understand there will likely be no perfectshot, just the best one we can get in the middle of the morning inan unlighted house or on the run from a group of rioters who arenot content with destroying property alone.Furthermore, you have to think like an individual and isolatedskirmisher or infantryman, not like a member of a squad or organizedunit with additional resources on call. You are not the memberof a team. You will be unsupported and alone with nothingbut your weapon and the skill and experience you put behind it

to help you. Pistol or rifle, you are the first responder to your ownemergency. Start preparing your mind with this central thought:It is only you, your rifle, what you have at hand. (1)PRO-ACTION, RE-ACTION, DOMINATING-ACTION“You draw the pistol to defend yourself. You pick up a rifle todominate the situation.”That is a paraphrase of a quote (Either from Gabe Suarez or JeffCooper; I am still unsure of the original source.), and I agree withit. We carry pistols mainly because we don’t or can’t carry rifles.Pistols are not the best weapon to win a fight with. If I knew forcertain that I was heading for a fight or a fight was heading for me(and I could not avoid the fight), I would get a rifle. Then I wouldget friends with rifles. I would not tell myself the pistol is perfectlyadequate and all I needed. I don’t want a fair fight, either. I want,if I can get it, dominating range, power and precision and everyadvantage I can get over my attacker(s). So, I choose the rifle if Ihave the chance and the choice of it.The question for most of us, non-military/non-law-enforcementusers of the rifle, is how quickly and how easily we can establishor re-establish dominance in the fight. That answer dependsto a large extent on our “starting position” at the time we perceivea fight coming on. I will separate that into two broad areas: proactiveand reactive action with the rifle. I will further separate thatinto two range areas: close (contact to 50 yards) and long (beyond50 yards). I will be further separating the proactive area into tosub-categories, short-notice action (a few seconds to a half-minuteto get ready to fight) and full-warning setup situations (at leastthree or four minutes and longer to prepare). The reactive area isthe same as the handgun: zero or near-zero warning of action requiringyou to go from zero to full-on counter-violence as immediatelyas you can. I will spend the greatest amount of time on theareas of short-notice action at close ranges for two reasons: Specifictechniques, tactics, and concepts explored for this range will be theones you will use most often, and (mainly) because I believe thisis the most likely area over which you will deploy and employ thecounteroffensive rifle (or any long-gun, for that matter).The first concept I will address is the basic setup of the counteroffensiverifle: Types or kinds of rifles, considerations about caliberand ammunition choices, modifications or add-ons to make iteasier and more effective as a fighting instrument, and ideas forsupport equipment for the rifle. Follow-on articles will provide suggestionsabout how to use the rifle to effectively protect yourselfand others both specific and general. There will then be explorationsof the reactive environment and of situations where you havetime to fully prepare for possible action with the rifle. I also intendto briefly explore deployment and use of the rifle in and aroundvehicles specifically.For now, I want to leave you the following concepts for your consideration.Consider it homework. Trying out the suggestions listedbelow will give you a new understanding of the capabilities of yourrifle and your limitations with that rifle. Try taking your rifle to thepistol bay at your range and running the same drills with it in thesame way you do with your pistol. Consider how to take advantageof the higher precision potential of the rifle under the same timeconstraints and circumstances with which you would use a pistol.Then: Look at the mount and presentation of the rifle the same wayyou look at the drawstroke and presentation of the pistol. Are yougetting the rifle into the fight effectively?Start working the other side! Strive for fully ambidextrous shooting,maneuvering and manipulation of the rifle and the pistol.Begin thinking about what you have to do at across-the-roomand across-the-street distances with a rifle instead of a pistol inyour hands.Stay tuned this will be interesting.1. In some situations and under some conditions you mayhave supporting arms and partners, sure. For those situations,you should train and get training that focuses on small units andteamwork. For the most common likely employment of the counteroffensiverifle, or pistol for that matter, though, you need to bethinking solo operator.CR Williams is a former Suarez International Staff Instructor andauthor of the “Gunfighting, and Other Thoughts about Doing Violence”series of books. Volume 1 is available now in e-reader versionsat www.lulu.com and www.amazon.com. To find out moreabout the books and access additional material or to ask questionsor make comments or requests, contact him through his website atwww.inshadowinlight.com.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM95

BATTLEBLADESBY KEVIN MICHALOWSKI» IN A DEFENSIVE situation you maynot be able to open a folding knife. But moststraight-blade knives are too big and bulky forevery-day carry. Now Spyderco offers the Enuffline of straight knives that are the perfectcombination of light weight, durability and accessibility.With three different blade designs; aleaf-shaped blade, a clip point and a sheepsfoot,there is something for everyone. All three Enuffknives use the same sheath design. Injectionmolded from polymer, it features two “ears” atthe mouth that snap around the leading edgeof the handle scales to hold the knife securelyin place when sheathed. A thumb “push-off” onone side of the mouth supports an easy drawwith simple thumb pressure,while the universaldesign of the sheath cavityLength Overall 6.75” (171 mm)Blade Length 2.75” (70 mm)Blade Steel VG-10Cutting Edge 2.54” (65 mm)Weight 3.8 oz (108 g)Blade Thickness .157” (4 mm)Handle Material FRNallows all three knives to be inserted with theedge facing in either direction. All Enuff sheathscome complete with Spyderco’s versatile G-Clipattachment, which supports both belt carry andclip-style inside-the-waistband carry. The G-Clipis configurable for vertical, horizontal, or diagonallycanted carry and can be attached to bothsides and both faces of the symmetrical sheath.The sheath also includes multiple mountingholes to allow both high and low-ride attach-ment of the G-Clip.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM96

NEVER AN ACCIDENTBY KEVIN MICHALOWSKIAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM97

APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM98»I WILL NEVER USEthe term accidental dischargewhen talking about a firearm.That is because firearms donot fire themselves. They donot “go off.” There is a specificseries of steps that must becompleted in order to make afirearm go from quiet to loud.If that firearm becomes loudbefore you intend it to becomeloud, you are negligent.In the interest of discussing personal sponsibility, I will explain the circumstanc-reesof my one negligent discharge; just soyou know I speak from experience and amnot talking down to anyone.Way back in 1992 I was preparingto leave my house in South Dakota. Istrapped on the holster and removed myBrowning Hi-Power from the cabinet. Thepistol was unloaded so I inserted a magazineand racked the slide. Then, for somereason known only the Almighty, I decidedto lower the hammer by holding the hammerand pulling the trigger! What occurredis what my kids would today call an “epicfail.” The round went down through thecorner of the mattress, through the carpetand into the bedroom floor. I cleared theweapon, dropped it on the bed and raceddownstairs to the living room to inspectthe ceiling. I figured if I needed to applysome spackle it would be dry before mywife got home from work. Luckily therewas no hole in the ceiling. Also luckily I didnot have the gun pointed at my leg.The results of a negligent discharge canbe anything from embarrassing to horrific.We are talking about the potential fora dead child, here. I own that round. I takefull responsibility for my failure that dayand it will never happen again.So let’s take a look at why it happened.What did I do that made it happen? Inshort, the discharge occurred because ofunnecessary gun handling. I was touchingsomething and doing something I didn’tneed to be doing. That pistol should havebeen carried cocked and locked. I intentionallypulled the trigger. Idid exactly what needed tobe done to make that gunfire and, guess what? Thegun worked. The firing pinhit the primer, the primerlit the powder, and the gassesshot the projectile out of the muzzle.So then, the first rule should be never tohandle the firearm more than you need to.Load it. Make it ready. Holster it and leaveit alone until you are faced with an emergency.The second rule is one of the four cardinalrules of gun safety: Never put yourfinger on the trigger until you have madea decision to fire. This does not mean youshould put your finger on the trigger “whenyour sights are on the target.” What if youare holding a person at gunpoint? The badguy has his hands in the air and is givingup. But because he is a lying dirtbag, youwisely keep him covered in case he suddenlythinks he can get the drop on youand become a deadly threat again. So youhave him covered. He is giving up and youget startled. Your sympathetic reflex couldcause you to jerk the trigger. Now you justshot someone who was trying to surrender.That puts you in a world of trouble.Some of you who know the other cardinalrules might say, “Well, you shouldn’t›› Simply removingthe magazine does notmake a pistol safe. Youwill also need to visuallyand physically inspectthe chamber to ensurethere is not a liveround in there.have had your gun pointedat him.” I disagree. Youare not supposed to pointyour gun at anything youare not willing to destroy.You are willing to destroythis particular dirtbag, it’sjust that right then and there you did nothave a legally justifiable reason to do so.Go ahead, point your gun at the dirtbag.The gun will not “go off” if your finger is noton the trigger.Now we are to the point of discussing howwe insure that we always keep our finger offthe trigger until we have made a consciousdecision to fire. In a word: Training.You can train yourself to do it. But youhave to be vigilant and you have to traincorrectly. I’m counting on you to be a responsiblegun owner so let us agree herethat you will do both.YOUR OLD FRIEND: DRY PRACTICELearning to keep your finger off the triggerwill all but eliminate the chances of anegligent discharge. In fact, I believe havinga finger on the trigger is really the onlyway a properly functioning and well-maintainedfirearm will discharge. So, let’s start.Keeping your finger off the trigger, takeyour properly functioning and well-maintainedfirearm from its holster and, keep-

Typically, a negligenT discharge iscaused (iT does noT simply occur,iT is caused) during whaT some folks call“adminisTraTive” gun handling.ing the pistol pointed in a safe direction,press the magazine release and removethe magazine. Set the magazine aside.Now grasping over the top of the slidewith all four fingers (keeping your fingersclear of the of the ejection port) retractthe slide briskly and fully to the rear andwatch the chambered round fall to theground. Lock the slide to the rear and visuallyand physically inspect the chamber toensure it is empty. Pick up your live roundand move the loaded magazine and thelive round out of the room in which youwill be training. There should be no liveammo ANYWHERE in the room in whichyou will conduct your dry practice.If you use a revolver; same drill. Depressthe cylinder latch and dump the rounds.Get them out of the room.Now, return your unloaded firearm tothe holster and let’s practice your draw.By the numBers:Reach down with both hands and lift yourcover garment high and out of the way.Acquire a firing grip on your pistol withyour strong hand. Ensure your trigger fingeris outside the holster and away fromthe trigger area.Pull the pistol straight up and rotate ittoward your target. This is where a shooteris most likely to put his or her finger onthe trigger. It just feels right because ergonomically,that is where the index fingergoes. But we have other plans. Raise yourfinger up away from the trigger guard. Ifyour finger is long enough get it up thereand find that ejection port. Now your fingeris away from the trigger!Release your cover garment with youroff hand, bring the pistol up to meet thatoff hand and establish a two-handed firinggrip.Push your arms out toward the targetand align your sights.Now you have your gun out, your sightsare on the threat. Notice there is still noneed to put your finger on the trigger.Once you decide to shoot. Move your fingerto the trigger and press it all the wayto the rear.So that covers negligent dischargeswhen drawing your firearm. Followall those rules and you will never have anegligent discharge while drawing. Whatabout other times?After you shoot and the threat isstopped it is time to top off. Raise your fingerup to the ejection port and conduct areload. You can see how elsewhere in thisedition.Typically, a negligent discharge iscaused (it does not simply occur, it iscaused) during what some folks call “administrative”gun handling. Some instructorssay there is no such thing as “administrative”gun handling and all handlingshould be tactical. But you know as wellas I do that gun owners load and unloadtheir guns and regularly put on and takeoff a holstered gun. So, what to do?First rule, keep your finger off the trigger.There is only one time you are everrequired to touch the trigger when youare not in a deadly force situation. Can youname it? Some pistols, most notably theGlock, require that you pull the trigger inorder to field strip the gun. I hate that. ButGaston Glock did not ask me when he designedthe pistol. So, barring that instance,the rule is simple. Don’t touch the trigger.Here is an example. You come homefrom a long day and decide to remove yourdefensive firearm for the evening. Undoyour belt, slide your holster with the gunstill in it off the belt and place both itemsAS A UNIT into your gun safe. In the morning,dress yourself the way your mothertaught you and slide the holster with thegun in it back onto your belt. Very simple.How about on training day and thecleaning that follows. Chances are goodthat you are going to want to removeyour expensive hollow points from thepistol and replace them with FMJ trainingammo. Put your gun on just as described

›› This is a bullet wound. You don’t want anything like thisanywhere on your body. You certainly don’t want to inflicta wound like this on your own body or on the body of afriend or relative. Follow the rules laid out here and youwill never experience a negligent discharge.above. Then with your strong hand reach down and depress themagazine release button WHILE THE GUN IS STILL IN THE HOL-STER. Remove the magazine with your strong hand, leaving thegun in your holster. Strip out the rounds from the magazine andreplace them with training ammo. Reinsert the magazine. Reachover with your weak hand to hold the pistol in place and slap themagazine firmly to seat it. Now leave it alone. Yes, you still have ahollow-point in the chamber. So what? Use it for your first traininground.Now training is over and you want to clean your pistol. This isthe most dangerous time. With your pistol in the holster removethe magazine just as described in the paragraph above and setthat magazine aside. Now, as described higher above, move to asafe location and come to what we describe as Position No. 3 ofthe draw (some folks call this Position No. 2) and retract the slidefully and briskly. Allow the live round to fall on the floor. Keepingthe pistol pointed in a safe direction physically and visuallyinspect the chamber to see that it is clear.Now you may conduct your field stripping.You will notice that the only time your finger is on the trigger iswhen you are faced with a deadly threat. Unless of course you owna Glock and need to pull the trigger for field stripping. If you followall the rules laid out in this article, you will never have a negligentdischarge. Because, to make a gun go loud you have to pull thetrigger. Don’t do that unless you are on target and ready to fire.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM100

ADVANCED FIREARMS TRAININGADVANCED TRAINING INREAL-WORLD SKILLSBY DUANE DAIKERAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM101

APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM102›› Being able to hit yourtarget with a shotgun is amandatory element in theMAG-80 class. Students alsolearn the best ways to mitigatesome of the oppressiverecoil of the shotgun.»I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH to attend Massad Ayoob’sexcellent MAG-40 class in 2010 in Live Oak, Florida. MAG-40 is the first 40 hours of training offered by the MassadAyoob Group (MAG). I reviewed this course extensively inthe January 2011 issue of CCM. I described the experienceas the equivalent of a graduate degree in the use of deadlyforce. Without a doubt, the MAG-40 curriculum is largelyabout the legal and practical implications of the use ofdeadly force by civilians. This is an important topic that islargely ignored, or as least glossed over, even by some ofthe best self-defense schools in the country. However,this aspect of civilian training is critically important. I highlyrecommend that anyone who contemplates using afirearm for self-defense take the MAG-40 course.MAG-80 is the next class in the MAGsequence. In essence, MAG-80 is the second40 hours of training available from theMassad Ayoob Group. Since MAG-40 is apre-requisite, you will have completed afull 80 hours of training with Mas Ayoobwhen MAG-80 is complete.The MAG-80 curriculum is an extensionof MAG-40, but is quite different. Withmost of the serious classroom work havingbeen completed in the first course, MAG-80 students spend much less time in theclassroom and more time on the range. Iwould estimate that only about 10 hoursof this class is lecture, and the rest is rangetime and practical exercises.The majority of the range time is focusedon further development of handgun skills.After a brief review of the basics, the classquickly moves on to more advanced handgunskills, like shooting from alternativepositions—combat crouch, high and lowkneeling, and prone. With each positionthe instructional staff explains how andwhy such positions are important, andthe students practice with both dry andlive fire. The lessons also include shootingfrom awkward positions that you may notget into intentionally, like flat on your backor sitting.Students are also introduced to support-hand-onlytechniques, includingdrawing the pistol, reloading and malfunctiondrills, all done with the weakhand only. With so many repetitions ofdry and live fire some students figure outeither their equipment is wrong, or theymay be wearing it incorrectly, for effectivesupport-hand access.The MAG-80 curriculum also introducesthe defensive use of the shotgun. Whilestudents can opt to bring a carbine instead,the course material is clearly focusedon shotgun-specific techniques. The staffcovers all the shotgun basics, including afew techniques to shoot full-power loadswithout pain. By the end of the week,students are able to work a shotgun withconfidence, including shooting with theprimary or support arm only.The MAG-80 shooting drills include afair dose of student competition and otherforms of artificial (and sometimes self-induced)stress to test the students underpressure. Clearly everyone understands,especially after the lessons of MAG-40,the intense stress of a self-defense incident.While that level of stress cannot be

eplicated, some stress can be applied tostudents in various ways. I am not allowedto disclose all of the techniques used inclass—some of the techniques need to bekept in confidence to ensure future studentshave the best experience. Sufficeto say that the techniques are unique andvery effective. All the students in my classagreed that performing the new skills wewere learning under pressure was a greatconfidence builder and an invaluable partof the class experience.Another significant component of MAG-80 is handgun retention and disarmingdrills. Despite having taken a lot of training,I had very little exposure to these topics.The entire class spent a portion of everyday outside working against other studentsin drills with dummy guns. The techniquesfocus first on keeping possession ofyour own handgun and defending againsta take-away from your hands or from yourholster. However, we also learned how totake a handgun away from another person—whetherto take his weapon or to getour own firearm back after a successful gungrab. I had not fully considered the importanceof this training before MAG-80, and Inow believe this is one of the most importantaspects of the course.Of course, one of the best features ofMAG-80 is Mas Ayoob himself. Mas needslittle introduction in shooting circles. Heis one of the best-known self-defense andfirearms trainers in the world. He has beenteaching police officers since 1972, andcivilians since 1981. His landmark book,A Day at the Range...»THE FIRST TIME I MET MASSAD AYOOB it was hot and humid; anuncomfortable morning in what would be an uncomfortable Wisconsinsummer day. We were at the Ripon Gun Club and I was preparing for thefirst leg of a training adventure with a man I had only spoken to overthe phone. Back then, I was a book editor and was working on CombatHangunnery with Mas. Since he was going to be close by, I figured I shouldattend a class.Once all the students filed into the plywood shack that served as aclassroom, Mas moved to the front and said, “I bet you are all wonderingwhat this foul-mouthed little Arab is going to teach you today.”It was a perfect start for what would turn out to be an outstandingclass. The lecture was minimal and we moved to the range rather quickly.As eloquent a public speaker as Mas is, everyone could tell he was reallyat home demonstrating techniques on the range. I instantly embraced histeaching style. All students were instructed in various methods and thenencouraged to “try them all and pick the one that works for you.” There wasno dogma or unrealistic demands . If a shooter got better results with onestance over another, that shooter was encourage to adopt the stance thatprovided the best available results.We all focused on the basics. The goal was to get rounds on target whilereally thinking about what we were doing. It seemed to me that everyindividual exercise enhanced the one before it and all the little tidbits ofknowledge got pushed into one eye-opening learning experience. Studentsgot individual attention when needed and Mas would regularly pull peopleaside to encourage them, not just correct them. We were given the chanceto see the results of our actions and judge those results against the resultsof what we were instructed to do. By the end of the day, everyone was hot,sweaty and tired but a much better shooter for the instruction.KEVIN MICHALOWSKIAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM103

»›› The MAG-80 course goesbeyond the basics providinghands-on instruction in defenseagainst gun grabs. Weaponretention is a key element inadvanced defensive training.SustainedSuperiorPerformanceMASSAD AYOOB has authored thousandsof articles in gun magazines, martialarts publications, and law enforcementjournals. He is the author of morethan a dozen books on firearms, self-defense,and related topics, including “Inthe Gravest Extreme,” widely consideredto be the authoritative text on the topicof the use of lethal force. He has threedecades of experience training civiliansand law enforcement officers and is recognizedas an expert witness in mattersof self-defense and deadly force.The winner of the OutstandingAmerican Handgunner of the YearAward in 1998, Mas has won severalstate and regional handgun shootingchampionships. Ayoob is one of thevery few Five Gun Masters among the10,000-member International DefensivePistol Association, and was the firstto earn that title. He served 19 years aschair of the Firearms Committee of theAmerican Society of Law EnforcementTrainers, and several years as a memberof the Advisory Board of the InternationalLaw Enforcement Educatorsand Trainers Association. In addition toteaching for those groups, he has alsotaught for the International Associationof Law Enforcement Firearms Instructorsand the International Homicide Investigatorsseminars.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM104In the Gravest Extreme, continues to be one of the besttexts on the civilian use of lethal force. In addition to hislegal acumen, Mas is a skilled shooter, being one of only ahandful of people in the world to earn a Five Gun Masterranking in IDPA. Students in MAG-80 get to know Mas a bitbetter and to fully understand his passion for the materialhe teaches. The pace of MAG-80 allows for more personalinteraction with Mas, which we all appreciated and enjoyed.Mas’ entire instructional staff, however, is top notch. Thecast of instructors can vary, and will be different in otherparts of the country. I can only speak to the regular stafffor the classes held in Live Oak, Florida. Without a doubt,this is one of the most talented and knowledgeable instructorcadres you will find. They are all champion competitiveshooters and well versed in the MAG techniques and curriculum.I don’t have the space to mention them all, but everyone of them taught me something. When we are on therange, there is an instructor for about every two students—so meaningful personal instruction was almost constant.Although the MAG classes are taught all over the country,I find the Live Oak experience hard to beat. Live Oak isa small town a long way from anywhere, but the trainingfacilities are excellent. In addition to a comfortable classroombuilding in town, the class has access to two differentoutdoor range facilities. Moreover, any equipment needsduring the week can be filled at the excellent ProArms gunshop in Live Oak.

›› Group pictures are common at MassadAyoob Group training events. As is learningto shoot from non-standard positions.OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A SELF-SELECTING CROWD OF SHOOTERSWHO ARE VERY SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR TRAINING ANDTHEIR COMMITMENT TO THE SECOND AMENDMENT...Perhaps another reason to take the MAG-80 course is the students.Obviously this is a self-selecting crowd of shooters whoare very serious about their training and their commitment tothe Second Amendment. After five days of intense classwork,you definitely form bonds that can lead to lasting friendshipswith your fellow students. Many of us we were reunited withfriends from our MAG-40 class as well.Since only graduates of MAG-40 or the Lethal Force Instituteequivalent (LFI-1) are eligible to take this course, the group I amspeaking directly to is relatively small. However, I hope that myreview of MAG-80 will help nudge some of you toward takingthe first step with MAG-40. Not only is the MAG-40 materialabsolutely essential on its own, but it also brings you in to theMAG family and the wealth of more advanced training available.There is actually another 80 hours of training offered inMAG-120 and MAG-160 that goes well beyond anything offeredto civilians in any other schools to my knowledge.I can summarize my thoughts in a few sentences. You need toget training. The best training in the proper use of lethal forceand its consequences is MAG-40. So do yourself a favor and embracethe MAG-40 experience, and then keep going to MAG-80and beyond. I plan to try to help out with classes in Live Oakwhen I can, so I hope to see you on the range!LINKSmassadayoobgroup.comproarmsinc.comcityofliveoak.orgDuane A. Daiker is a contributing writer and columnist for CCM,but is otherwise a regular guy—not much different from you.Duane has been a lifelong shooter and goes about his life as anarmed, responsible, and somewhat opinionated citizen. Duanecan be contacted through his website, www.realworldcarrygear.com, or though his public page on Facebook, and welcomes yourcomments and questions.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM105

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REMEMBER THESE TIPSWHEN TALKING TOA DISPATCHERBY M.D JOHNSONDial911The Right WayAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM107

»SOME THINGS JUST SEEM — WELL — EASY. Falling off alog to use the cliché. Riding a bike, once you’ve learned how.Speed-reading a “Fun with Dick & Jane” book. Dialing 911.There’s really nothing to it. You pick up the phone and dial thenumbers 9 and 1 and 1. Or, as is oft the case now, you pressand hold your pre-programmed speed-dial selection, and you’reinstantly patched through to the 911 operator. Easy, right?APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM108True, the mechanics of calling the emergencynumber — 911 — are easy; however,when the emergency professional on theopposite end picks up, things can get a bitdicey. What do you say? What do you ask, ifanything? What do you do?A former accountant, Julie Brownell hasbeen working as a dispatcher for the JonesCounty (Iowa) Sheriff’s Department for thepast 12 years. Sitting opposite Brownell,Courtney Soppe adds another nine seasonsto the women’s impressive professionalcommunications resume at the department.Recently, I had an opportunityto sit with the women in the midst of theirmorning shift, and ask them if, indeed, dialing911 was as uncomplicated a task as onemight believe. Most interestingly, what thetwo had to say was both lengthy and quiteeye-opening.At the heart of the 911 system is the operator,a trained professional schooled inthe art of dealing with the general public,often under the most trying and severe ofsituations. “Depending upon the individual,”Brownell began, “the training beginswith three to six months of on-the-job skillsacquisition. That is, sitting here at the terminalwith current dispatchers and learningthe process. Then you go on, in our case,to the law enforcement academy in DesMoines, where there’s a 40-hour course,along with testing and retesting and moretesting.”“It’s constant learning,” Soppe said.“We’re learning something new every day,including such things as CPR. Each of us,”she continued, “must be certified in CPR,and maintain that certification annually.”“Why CPR?” I asked.“We have to be able to give instructionsto a caller in what to do in a 911 situation,and that might involve the administrationof medical care, like CPR,” Brownell replied.The next question I asked seemed, evento me, ridiculously elemental; however, Iwanted to know. When does it seem properand fitting to call 911? The house is on fire.There’s an armed intruder downstairs in theliving room; you can see him from the second-floorlanding. Obviously the answer isyes in both cases when it comes to shouldyou/shouldn’t you.But what about situations such as a straydog in the yard? A suspected drunkendriver on the interstate? A strange vehicleparked across the road?“Don’t be afraid to call 911,” Brownellsaid. “If it seems suspicious, if it seems dangerous,don’t hesitate to call.”However, when I asked about initiatingthe conversation with the qualifier “This isn’tan emergency,” she responded, “If it’s not anemergency, why did you call 911? A betterchoice — or, rather, a better plan of preparednesswould be having the county sheriff’soffice or the local police department onspeed-dial. I’m not saying not to call 911;I’m saying consider the situation, and thenmake the decision as to what agency to contactbased on that information.”The first thing the 911 dispatcher/operatoris going to ask isn’t the nature of theemergency but rather the location of thesituation. “We need to know your location,”Brownell said.“Not your phone number.” Soppe said.“We need to know where you are. Situationsdon’t always happen at home. Youmight be shopping. You might be at thecorner of such ‘n’ such. You might be thethird or fourth call we’re handling regardingthe same situation, a traffic accidentfor instance. So it’s very important that weknow exactly where you are.”“But what if I’m not from the area, butrather a visitor or simply passing through,and don’t know exactly where I am, per se?”“We’re going to ask you a lot of questions,”Brownell said. “We’ll ask for landmarks.Can you see a blue 911 house marker?And if you’re calling from a cell phone,I’m going to have this 911 tracking screen.It may not get me to your exact location,but I’m going to get close.”Nine-one-one tracking screen? As thewomen demonstrated, cell phone technologyis at the place where communicationsofficials (in this case a 911 operator), canlocate with, a fair amount of accuracy, thesource of a cell call using the triangulationprovided by transmitters — the phone, andthe towers which receive and resend thesignal — and the receiver which is the 911communications center.This information prompted me to ask thequestion/statement: “This technology beingas it is, doesn’t it make sense for anyoneand everyone have a cell phone, regardlessof whether they use it as a primary meansof communication? An older gentleman,perhaps, who still hunts or fishes or doesoutdoor photography, often by himself?”“Absolutely,” Brownell replied. “I huntand fish and mushroom hunt, and I’m neverwithout my cell phone.”“We do have a lot of people,” Soppe added,“that have cell phones which are activatedonly for their emergency capabilities,

the 911 capabilities thephone comes with.”Returning to thesubject of information,Brownell pointedout the importanceof being as specific aspossible with the informationyou’re providingthe 911 operator.“What’s your home address?”she asked me.When I answered, an aerial view of myhome, with my pickup in the driveway andmy boat in the yard, immediately appearedon her monitor.“With this,” she said, “I can zoom in andout, and see your home from all differentangles. You tell me, for instance, an intruderis trying to access your home from the backdoor. I ask south? You say yes. Now,” shecontinued, “I can send officers directly tothat part of your home. Right to the southdoor.”Using the above scenario as, perhaps,BE PREPAREDTO GIVE THE 911OPERATOR AS MUCHINFORMATION ASYOU CAN. THE FIRSTQUESTION ASKEDOF YOU WILL BEYOU LOCATION.DISPATCHERS NEEDTO FIND YOU FIRST.the ultimate example,let’s take it a step further.Said intruder entersthe home where,you, the homeowneruse deadly force, i.e. ashotgun, to eliminatewhat you perceive asa threat to your healthand well-being, and tothat of your family. Theintruder is killed. Onceensuring the safety of your family, you call911; the operator answers. “Is saying, ‘A manbroke into my home. I think I’ve killed him.’an admission of guilt?”“I can’t answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to that,” Brownellsaid. “It’s going to depend on your state ofmind at that very moment, as to what you’regoing to say. So it’s difficult to answer thatprecisely — yes or no. Right or wrong.”Perhaps — and note, these are my words,not Brownell’s — in such a situation, if youcan compose yourself to the point of thinkingrationally, it might be best to say, “An intruderentered my home. There has been ashooting. Please send law enforcement andan ambulance.”Something to remember, and a sidebarintroduced by Brownell, all 911 calls are recordedin their entirety, and retrievable bylaw enforcement personnel with the clickof a mouse. What am I, personally, saying?Know that you’re being recorded.“The entire time we have the (911) lineopen,” Brownell said, “it’s being recorded.”“Why?” I asked.“It could end up in court,” Soppe told me.“It’s something — the conversation — thatcan be used in court if it has to be.”To recap: Whether a landline or a cellphone, it’s important to have both 911 andlocal law enforcement, i.e. sheriff or police,assigned a pre-set separately as part of thespeed-dial application. Should a situationarise, it’s your task to determine the significanceof that situation to the best of yourability and, armed with that evaluation,open a line of communication to the properagency.If in doubt, Brownell suggested early on inour conversation, it’s never wrong to call 911,thereby letting the professionals make theemergency versus non-emergency decision.Second, be generous with detailed andvery specific information — where you are?For example, “south side of the house” asopposed to a vague “outside.” If you don’tknow your location, supply the operatorwith as much geographical information aspossible, such as landmarks, street signs, ortopographical features. “Anything — anybit of information — has the potential tobe significant,” Brownell said. “And has thepotential to help us locate you and get personnelto your location more quickly.”Third, try to stay calm while providingthat detailed information, but understandyou can rely on a trained 911 operator tohelp calm you; after all, it’s in their best interest— and yours — to ensure you stay coherentso that they can get the informationthey need to get you the help you need.It’s all in a day’s work for them but theycould use a little support from you, the caller.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM109

INSTRUCTOR’SCORNERTHE FUNDAMENTALS:ALIGNING YOUR MUZZLETO THE TARGET» IN THE FEBRUARY/MARCH ISSUE, I explained howa solid grip with full arm extension served as the basis for the “naturaland neutral” Isosceles shooting platform. This shooting platform matchesthe body’s natural reaction to face an attacker head on and to pushthe arms out defensively. As a result, this allows shooters to “train theway they’ll fight.” This month I’ll be talking about another shootingfundamental, namely, how to align your muzzle to the target.BALANCING SPEED AND ACCURACYBefore we get into the options for aligning ourmuzzle to the target, let’s first talk about what’s moreimportant—speed or accuracy? The answer is, it depends.If we’re talking about a typical day at the rangeor in the field, we’ll usually measure the effectivenessof the shots that we’ve fired based upon their accuracy,rather than on how quickly we were able to get offthe shot (missing fast when you were hoping to getthat trophy buck won’t impress anyone, including thebuck). In a defensive situation however, we won’t havethe luxury of taking an unlimited amount of time to getthe “perfect” shot, instead, we’ll need to balance thetwo factors of speed and accuracy. Those two factorswill constantly be in balance, and we’ll need to make asplit second decision on which factor is most importantfor the specific circumstances we find ourselves in. Forexample, if we’re trying to hit an active shooter in themiddle of a crowded mall, accuracy will be ultra critical;but if a knife wielding attacker is already stabbingus, then speed will be critical, and a margin of error often or even fifteen degrees will still mean a hit. Yourdecision on speed versus accuracy will not only affectthe outcome of the situation, it will also affect how youchoose to align your muzzle to the target. Three primarymethods are used for target alignment—usingunsighted fire or “point” shooting (which prioritizesspeed over accuracy); using a flash sight picture (whichprovides an equal balance of speed and accuracy); orusing sighted fire (which prioritizes accuracy overspeed). You shouldn’t necessarily think ofeach of these methods as being absolutelydistinct, instead, you can think of themas being on a sliding scale. On one endis unsighted fire (which is not the samething as un-aimed fire), which literally ignoresthe sights and gets the firearm up ontarget as quickly as possible, and at the otherend is sighted fire, which requires us to focuson the front sight, and precisely align the frontsight, rear sight, and target, for as accurate ashot as possible. Everything in-between, includinga flash sight picture, is a combination of thetwo to one degree or another. Here’s the catch—during a violent attack, that pesky amygdala burieddeep in our brain (mentioned in the last issue)might just limit how far we can move toward theaccuracy end of the scale. Here’s why: The brain’sautomated responses to an attack will most likelyinclude the motor cortex locking our head andeyes on what the brain perceives as the most criticalpart of the attack. Evolutionarily speaking,that might have meant the teeth of an attackingwolf; today, that might mean the knife or gun inthe hand of the attacker. The net effect meansthat it may be difficult, or even impossible, tosee our firearm’s sights, eliminating sightedfire as an option. That’s actually okay—unlikea scored competition on the range, the goalof defensive shots isn’t to place rounds into a

BY MICHAEL MARTINPoint Shooting Whether you’re pointing a finger, pointing a dart gun,or pointing a firearm, the human body is designed to point. With the arm,hand and finger at full extension, the body has a natural, straight line fromthe shoulder to the fingertip, and we’re born with the ability to point thatstraight line with a high degree of accuracy. When pointing a firearm, you should train toelevate the firearm up into your line of sight (regardless of your method of target alignment),which allows even more accurate pointing than if the firearm is below your line of sight.dime-sized hole. Instead, our goal is what’s referred to as defensiveaccuracy. Defensive accuracy can be thought of as any round thatsignificantly affects the attacker’s ability to continue his attack. Defensiveaccuracy doesn’t mean that we need to place our shots inthe same dime-sized hole that we might go for when we’re tryingto impress our friends at the range, but it also means that we can’tsimply “spray and pray,” with no regard for where our shots land.The great news is that even when using unsighted fire, our accuracycan still be amazingly impressive at the close distances (withnearly ninety percent falling between 9—15 feet) that would typicallyaccompany a violent attack. Working up the scale from speedto accuracy, let’s take a look at each of the three methods of targetalignment one at a time.UNSIGHTED FIREPoint or “Intuitive” shooting doesn’t discard the idea of alignment,it simply makes the pistol’s muzzle an extension of the armsand hands, and points the fully extended arms and hands at thetarget. Think of this as no different than how you’d extend yourarm and point your finger at any object. At the close distancesthat would typically accompany an attack, you’d have no problemaccurately pointing at an object much smaller than the size of ahuman being. As mentioned in last issue’s column, the Isoscelesstance enables point shooting by its nature—with the arms at fullextension, the barrel of the firearm is pointed directly at the target.In other words, the firearm becomes an extension of our armsand hands—where they point, the gun points. When using thismethod, our advice is to focus on the exact spot where you wantyour rounds to land, rather than focusing on the entire target. Justlike pointing your finger at a spot on the wall is more specific thanpointing at the entire wall, focusing on a spot on the target willenable more accurate shooting. Speaking of accuracy, the averageperson’s margin of error with point shooting will deviate by onlya few degrees from his or her natural point of aim, allowing fortight shot groups at 10 to 15 feet, and even tighter groups at closerdistances. Finally, think about point shooting in the same way you“shoot” a squirt gun—you don’t use the squirt gun’s sights and yet,more often than not, you can hit your “target” center of mass.Violent attacks will be fast, and they’ll be close. Yourmotor cortex will very likely lock your eyes and yourfocus onto the weapon in the attacker’s hands.Forcing your eyes to change focus from a sixfoottall attacker to a three-millimeter widefront sight, may simply not be possible.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM111

FLASH SIGHT PICTUREWhen the situation we find ourselves in pushes the requirementsaway from speed and toward accuracy, it may be necessaryto use our firearm’s sights to achieve a more precise shot.For the most accurate shot, three indexes must be aligned—thefront sight, the rear sight, and the target. But as mentioned,the automated responses experienced during a violent attackmay literally force your eyes to lock on the attacker, making itdifficult (or impossible) to focus on the front sight. However, ifyou’ve trained to elevate the firearm up into your line-of-sight,it may be possible to at least gain what’s referred to as a “flashsight picture.” Put simply, a flash sight picture occurs when theshooter is able to get a rapid “overlay” of the sights on the target,without focusing on the front sight, and without taking thetime to gain perfect sight alignment. A flash sight picture willhave the target in perfect focus, with the front sight and rearsight both visible (but out of focus) on the target. Said anotherway, the shooter looks for a “flash” of the sights on the target toverify proper alignment, rather than using the sights to attainproper alignment. As mentioned earlier, it’s important to lookat the exact spot where you want the round to impact. Then,when the firearm is elevated into your line of sight, a “flash sightpicture” occurs (the front and rear sights overlay the spot thatyou want to shoot) and the trigger is pressed.SIGHTED FIREIf your brain allows it, the most precise shot will require that youswitch your focus from the target (where the brain and eyes will wantto focus), to the front sight. This is the best method to ensure propersight alignment. When focused on the front sight, it will be in completefocus, the rear sight will be semi-blurred, and the target will bethe blurriest thing in your sight picture. When targets are up close(10—15 feet), misaligned sights are more forgiving, but as your targetpushes out beyond typical attack distances, even an alignmenterror of 1/16 of an inch will translate to more than 12-inches of errorat 50 feet. Double the error in sight alignment (or double the distance),and you’ll double the error on target.RANGE EXERCISESReading about accurately putting rounds on target is one thing, butproving it out on the range is another. The problem is, most rangeexercises have one thing in common—they’re usually not timed; andthe typical goal is to make as small a hole as possible to impress yourfriends, and to make you feel good about yourself, your firearm choice,and your grasp of the shooting fundamentals. To push my studentsbeyond that comfort level, I typically recommend a balance of rangeexercises—ones that push the students toward the speed end of thespectrum, ones that push them toward the accuracy end of the spectrum,and ones that force a balance between speed and accuracy.Two of my favorites are the “Aim Small/Miss Small” and the “SEB” drill.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM112

Flash Sight PictureA “flash sight picture”occurs when the shooteris able to get a rapid“overlay” of the sightson the target, withoutfocusing on the frontsight, and withouttaking the time to gainperfect sight alignment.The shooter looks fora “flash” of the sightson the target, to verifyproper alignment, ratherthan using the sights togain proper alignment.Sighted FireWhen the requirementsfor precision requirethat you must usesighted fire, it’simportant to focus onthe front sight ratherthan the target for themost precise shot. Thefront sight will be incomplete focus, therear sight will be semiblurred,and the targetwill be the blurriestthing in your sightTHE “AIM SMALL, MISS SMALL” DRILLIn the movie “The Patriot,” Mel Gibson’s character advised one ofhis sons to “Aim Small, Miss Small.” While I normally don’t look tothe movies for shooting tips, in this case, it’s good advice. Like golfershave known for decades, training on a smaller cup while putting,produces greater accuracy when presented with a larger target.That same, “Aim Small, Miss Small” theory applies to shootingaccuracy. To run this drill, the shooter starts from the low or highready position, and fires a single round at the back of any target.The shooter then fires strings of two to five rounds at the hole he orshe just made.Goal: This exercise is designed to force an intense concentrationon accuracy by making the “target” no larger than a bullet hole.Many shooters will allow their degree of “slop” to be dictated by howlarge their target is, so the “Aim Small, Miss Small” drill is designed toforce extra attention on precision.Things That a Coach Can Watch For: Watch for shooters attemptingto shoot the smaller, numbered targets with the samespeed that they use to shoot the larger square in the silhouette.If they are consistently missing the smaller targets, they’ll need toslow those shots down. On the other hand, if they are shooting witha consistent speed for the large and small targets and consistentlyhitting each target, they can afford to speed up their shots on thelarger square.Next issue: Trigger ControlTHE “SEB” DRILLThe “SEB” Drill is my favorite speed and accuracy drill, taught tome by Rob Pincus from I.C.E. Training Company. Starting from theholster or from the low or high ready position, the shooter will fireon command of an assistant at an SEB target. The assistant will varythe commands between calls of “Up!” and one of the numbers (suchas “Two!”) On a call of “Up” the shooter will fire at the large square inthe high center of the silhouette, and on the command of a number,the shooter will fire at the appropriately-numbered shape surroundingthe large silhouette. The assistant can choose to call more commandsof “Up” or more commands of the numbered shapes, in orderto vary the shooter’s need to balance speed with accuracy.Goal: This exercise will force the shooter to vary his or her balanceof speed and accuracy on the same target and within thesame exercise.APRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM113

ONE TO THEHEADadjective\’ stu-p d, styu-\BY MARK WALTERSAPRIL 2013 WWW.USCCA.COM114THE ART OF STUPID» THAT’S NOT MY DEFINITION. It came from Webster’s dictionary but I like it because itfits the anti-gun crowd to a T and in my line of work I get to see and hear it all when it comesto certain people who fit the definition. Although it may not seem nice to use that word todescribe someone, well, I’m not nice nor am I trying to be.I’m about up to my neck bone trying toreason with the anti-gun crowd. It’s easyto sit there and cock your head like a Chihuahuawhen trying to wrap your headaround what some of these people try topass off as logic. Don’t just take my wordfor it; listen to Ms. Christie Heffner, formerCEO of Playboy Magazine.During a recent on-air conversation withtalk radio giant Mike Gallagher, he and Idiscussed her comments to the ultra-liberalJoe Scarborough on MSNBC. You won’tbelieve this ... seriously, look at this!“Yes, last year we hit a record numberof murders from guns (in Chicago) andthis year we are already outpacing lastyear’s numbers. Now there are contributingfactors that are not under anybody’scontrol and may seem odd, but they arefactually true. One of them is actually theweather. There is a dramatic increase ingun violence when it is warmer. And weare having this climate change effect thatis driving that.”Seriously? Climate change?I couldn’t make this garbage up if I tried.This is the kind of idiot logic that the liberalgun haters use to try to justify the fact thattheir failed gun control policies are gettingpeople killed. Their model city, Chicago,is a killing field. Thirty-plus years of thetoughest anti-gun laws on the planet andthis is what these people conjure up as legitimatereasoning?While discussing these boneheadedcomments on Armed American Radio,Tampa’s Talk 860 WGUL’s Joe Weaver asked,“How then would Ms. Heffner account forthe fact that Florida and other warm climatestates have nowhere near the levelof gun violence as Chicago yet remain substantiallywarmer all year long?”There are two dynamics in play here— stupidity and dishonesty. Ms. Heffneractually seems to believe her own moronicstatements so I’ll attribute her thoughtprocess to pure stupidity. For utter dishonesty,let’s take a look at some commentsfrom former Senior White House AdviserDavid Axelrod as they pertain to the topicof Chicago’s gun violence:“We live in Chicago and one of the reasonswe have such a huge problem is allaround us are areas with weak laws andwith very lax background checks and a lotof illegal guns flow into this city.”He then acknowledged that Chicagohas “a gang problem that is more pervasivethan other cities.”Kool-aid drinkers close your eyes. Youmight not like to read the fact Axelrodknows better and is being blatantly dishonest.In other words he’s lying. Yeah, OK... Chicago is the last bastion of gun controlsanity and it’s the other states that are responsiblefor that city’s inability to controlits violent criminals. Another crap sandwichbrought to you from the chefs overat Team Obama’s “Blame the Other Guy”kitchens.If you’re foolish enough to bite into it,don’t choke, we need you around makingstatements like these so we can continueto make fun of you.Through no fault of our own, we aslaw-abiding gun owners we have beenforced to take a stand. Part of that requiresus to no longer allow these fools to getaway with this trash. These idiots need tobe called what they are and you need toaccept the fact that you simply can’t arguewith stupidity and dishonesty.By the way, Ms. Heffner might want toconsider the following before she makesan idiot of herself. The average high temperature(according to www.weather.com)in Chicago during January (the month sheattributed the city’s record gun deaths to“global warming”) is a blazing 31 degreesand the average low is 18. Meanwhile accordingto the same source, Tampa’s temperaturesduring the same month averagehighs of 70 degrees and lows of 52. If Ms.Heffner’s theory is correct, Tampa shouldbe awash in gun murders.Let’s take a look.According to the Chicago Police Departmentquoted in the Chicago Tribune,the city had 40 murders by Jan. 28. Later,I called the Tampa Police Departmentinforming them of Ms. Heffner’s gun violence-globalwarming theory insistingI wanted to give her the benefit of thedoubt. Imagine my shock to hear from theTPD public relations officer that Tampa, asof Feb. 5, had yet to record its first murder.(She also laughed at Ms. Heffner. I reallyliked her; she was fun.)I tried Ms. Heffner, I really did.Now I’ll just leave it at, “You’re stupid.”