T-Man and Chewy — Firearms, self-defense, our rights, rants and musings

Gun Show Observations

by T-Man on February 23, 2009

Gun show observations

My son Jason and I attended a regional gun show yesterday. We arrived about twenty minutes before the doors opened and we were still about a half block back in a two person wide line, and there was a line behind us twice as long by the time the doors opened. Our estimation was a couple thousand people entered the show before 11:00 a.m. (the doors opened at 9:00 a.m.) and there were an equal number of attendees in line as we left.

We were at the show to buy ammunition if we could find it at a good price, as were about half of the people that entered the facility before us. We stood in line at the Georgia Arms booth for fifteen minutes or so to buy a mere 750 rounds of assorted ammunition at a cost of $200, four or five months ago the same order would have been about half the amount.

During our time in the line I watched 500 and 1000 round bulk cans (they had limited quantities available) along with 50 and 100 round packets of ammunition fly off their tables at the higher prices. Limited availability drove these sales regardless of price. This was confirmed when I heard some guys talking about the lack of ammunition availability from on line suppliers as we were walking back to the car.

We walked the rest of the show looking for possible deals on ammunition to no avail. What we found was high prices and limited quantities of the most popular calibers of ammunition.

As to firearms availability I was surprised to see the number of AR-15’s that were available. The other surprise was not that their prices were up, but that they were only up a few hundred dollars over pre-election retail prices. Don’t expect this pricing to stay as supplies dwindle.

I had no luck finding the pistol magazines I needed, even though there was a good supply of Glock, AR, and types for older pistols available at slightly inflated prices, I couldn’t find any for the new S&W’s.

The pricing was a mystery to me until I overheard two venders talking about the lack of sales and hard bargaining that had taken place at a gun show a week or two ago, so pricing was evidentially adjusted on the guns to reflect the limited amount of expendable dollars caused by the condition of the economy.

I don’t see things getting any better in the near future and in fact if this administration has its way it will get worse. So if there is a firearm(s) you want and ammunition you need I highly recommend that you pick them up when you see them.

Exercise your second amendment rights and fight to protect them. Join a state gun rights group and consider joining the NRA, or both, since they are our voice at state level and in Washington.

Handy Stuff

by T-Man on February 23, 2009

in Uncategorized

In my last several posts I’ve given my thoughts on foods, water, and first aid supplies for long term survival situations. Now I’m going to go over some items that may come in handy in a long term crisis situation.

Some of the items to consider would include additional flashlights (high intensity tactical lights like those from Surefire), a battery/hand crank style emergency radio, walkie-talkies (can be obtained at stores like WalMart), a camping stove with fuel, sleeping bags, a backpacker’s tent, and everybody should have one or more quality pocket knives as part of your preparation supplies. Space blankets are very useful items to have in your gear bags since they can be used to maintain body heat, as emergency shelter, etc.

The flash lights and radio are useful in any type of emergency situation. The camping equipment would come in handy in a bug out/evacuation situation. Additionally, a camping stove can be real handy when electricity is lost and your home is all electric. The walkie-talkies are good for staying in contact in many types of situations. And a good pocket knife has a myriad of uses in emergency situations. You can look at sites such as www.sierratradingpost.com or local sporting goods stores for camping supplies
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Make sure you have the extra batteries that you’ll need for flashlights, walkie-talkies, radios, or other battery operated devices. You’ll also want to keep a stock of paper products on hand: paper towels, toilet tissue, etc. Some additional clothing, beyond what’s in your 72 hour bag, should be considered as well, clothing that would make sturdy work wear while being low maintenance laundry wise.

If you stand a chance of dealing with long term power outages, you may want to consider purchasing a generator. If you decide to get a generator you will need to determine what your power needs will be i.e., if you want to run a light and a radio a small generator will be fine, but the more you want to run the larger the generator you will need. Generators can cost a few hundred dollars to several thousand depending on size. Regardless of size NEVER connect a portable generator into your home’s electrical system, doing so can injure or kill a power company worker that is trying to restore power to your area.

The use of Solar Panels is another source of power, but it can be quite expensive to get an array large enough to do anything more than charge a couple of 12 volt batteries. But this may be all the power that you require, so it is worth looking into.

If the weapons triad is part of your equipment you will want to consider setting up a bug out bag(s) for them. These bags can be either hard cases constructed of plastic or aluminum, or they can be soft cases made of quality nylon. You can set them up to have all (or at least two) of the weapons with their ancillary accessories (lights, magazines, ammunition, etc) securely set up in them. That way they are ready to go at a moment’s notice, should the need arise to gather up your weapons and supplies in a hurry. Or you can use a multiple bag set up.

I prefer the multiple bag set up for my weapons. I have nylon gun bags set up for each of my wife’s and my rifles, shotguns, and pistols (not counting my carry pistol). This three bag set up works best for me, as I like to keep each weapons platform separate and make them easier for us to handle, but I have seen some really nice multi-gun single case set ups. Quality gun cases can be obtained from: www.blackhawk.com, www.stormcase.com, www.elitesurvival.com, www.pelicancases.com, EBay, and most good sporting good stores.

If you live in a rural area you will be able to forage for game if necessary, if there are lakes or rivers in your area you need to have simple fishing tackle (hooks, line, sinkers) in your supplies. There are even backpacking (collapsible) style fishing pole combinations available. The ability to hunt and fish to augment your food supplies would be a real plus in a long term survival situation.

Additionally, regardless of where you live, urban or rural, you should have a supply of garden seeds in your supply stock piles. The ability to have a garden of any size planted with multiple yield plants like squash, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. would be a major asset.

An indoor garden set up that I highly recommend is a sprouting seed set up (seeds and growing trays). Sprouts are a good source of fresh greens that can be eaten fresh by them self or mixed/cooked with other foods. Plus, they can be grown anywhere in a short period of time.

Add, subtract, modify, but consider your needs and bring in your supplies. Don’t rely on the government to supply your needs in a crisis, short term let alone long term, because they may very well not be there when you need them.

Emergency Water Supply

by T-Man on February 16, 2009 · 2 comments

in Uncategorized

The next staple we need to discuss is the most important in long term (and short term) survival: WATER.

You need to keep a supply of bottled water on hand and rotate it on a regular basis for emergencies. The number of cases you need to have on hand will again depend on the number of people you are providing for and for how long. Rule of thumb is seven pints of water per person per day, or one case of 24 bottles will provide three days of water for one person.

You may want to add some extra for cooking. Remember, if you use water to cook pasta, etc. don’t discard it, keep it to cook more pasta or make soup. I recommend that at least a week’s worth of water be kept on hand to allow time for municipal water systems to be restored if they are affected by a natural disaster or to find a usable source of water in other crisis situations.

Another source of useful liquid (water) are the liquids in canned vegetables, it should be saved and utilized as soup broth. The more other liquids you can come up with the farther your stored water supply will go in a crisis situation.

Additionally, you should have some form of water purification for treating rain or pond water. You may also have to treat tap water if treatment plants go down. A MIOX purifier, like we issue to our military personnel, and some iodine tablets and/or Aerobic Oxygen (a liquid purifying agent) are my recommendations. They can be found on EBAY, www.nitropak.com, and other outdoor suppliers.

If you have to boil pond or rain water to purify it, keep in mind that all that is needed for purification is to bring it to the boiling point then shut off the heat and let it sit. Since any Pathogens that it may contain will die at 160 F (70C), the 212 F (100 C) boiling point will take care of them without losing a significant amount of the needed water to evaporation. You will also save on cooking fuel.

You will need to obtain water storage containers, so that you can store additional water if you have advanced warning of a disaster, and/or capture rain water or collect pond water. These containers are available in five gallon up to about forty gallon food grade plastic containers. One source of these containers is www.nitropak.com.

Another consideration for water storage and use would be camelback hydration packs, which allow you to carry about a day’s water requirement comfortably on your back. The packs have a tube attached to them that allows you to take a drink directly from them at any time. There are also cargo style backpacks available that have pockets built into them that accept camelback style bladders, thus you can carry food, cloths, etc. plus water in one pack. You can get both types of packs from www.blackhawk.com, EBAY, www.epoutfitters.com, and any local outdoor store.

Remember water is necessary to survival; you can die of dehydration within three days. Public Water gets contaminated after many flooding situations, such as hurricanes, treatment plants can be targets for biological attacks, and in a pandemic there may not be anyone to run the treatment plants. Chemicals for water treatment may not be available during a crisis. So you need to provide safe drinking water for yourself and loved ones when the unexpected happens.

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Long Term Food For Emergencies

by T-Man on February 15, 2009 · 1 comment

in Uncategorized

If a pandemic or some other catastrophic situation were to occur, causing the country’s infrastructure to fail, you would need to be able to provide for yourself for an indeterminate period of time. Remember all services from both government and the private sector would be over loaded, or shut down all together in these types of situations.

We’ve mentioned go-bags and 72 hour bags for emergencies, but what happens if the situation lasts longer? Let’s look at what might be needed for more than 72 hours.

We’ll start by looking at long term food supplies. Then we’ll discuss water needs, first aid supplies, some gardening plans, and other supplies that may need to be considered in long term planning in subsequent posts.

First, the simplest and least expensive food supplies you can buy would be rice and a couple varieties of dried beans. They are nourishing and have a long shelf life. You should also have bouillon and some canned broth for flavor enhancement. Additionally, canned meats will add flavor and substance, but do not have a long shelf life and will have to be rotated regularly to keep them fresh. These foods can be obtained at Costco, Sam’s, or a grocery store.

Once you have the basics you should consider obtaining some good dehydrated foods from specialty suppliers such as Prepareness.com or Nitro-Pak.com. There are many varieties of breakfast foods, vegetables, and meat products available from these venders and others that will provide you with the nutrition that you need to sustain yourself.

If you look around, you can find canned butter and cheese from Australia, packaged to be stored non-refrigerated. These and other types of comfort foods can be found at MREDEPOT.com plus you can check EBay since some of the suppliers list products there.

The dehydrated foods store easily since they are packed in cans (don’t forget a manual can opener) and have very stable shelf life. Additionally, dehydrated foods take up much less space than their water-packed “normal” variety cousins. As an example: a #10 can of dried peas is equivalent to more than seventy cans of water packed peas. Think of storing a large can of coffee versus seventy cans of green peas.

Several varieties of dehydrated vegetables will make a very respectable vegetable soup, toss in lentils and spices and it’s wholesome, tasty, and filing.

Another product that can be considered is TVP [textured vegetable protein], it is a soy based dry product, as a substitute for meat. With the right flavorings and condiments it is not bad at all. It is also filling and provides important protein.

You should also have wheat and flour on hand to make bread and biscuits. Unless you store these in an airtight manner, they will need to be rotated quite often.

As long as you obtain a good verity of the dehydrated and canned foods you will be able to maintain the needed amounts of proteins and fats for a balanced diet.

The other food item that is a must have, is MRE’s (meals ready to eat). You should have a case, or more, on hand at all times. They are easy to store and ease to carry. There are civilian varieties available for back packers, but they tend to be more expensive than the military version. MRE’s are great food assets, since they were designed to provide military personnel in the field a balanced diet. Some sources for both types of MRE’s would be MREDEPOT.com, Preparedness.com, or you can check on EBay.
If you have pets you’ll need to provide for them. Chewy always has a week or more of dried dog food on hand. This could be augmented with rice or scraps. I bring more food in when storms threaten. He also has several months of his medications on hand (heartworm preventative, etc).

Once you have food supplies in hand you need to store them so that they are safe and readily available. We use five gallon, food grade plastic buckets to store beans and rice to keep them pest free, and optimize shelf-life. Their cylindrical shape also allows for adequate air circulation around the containers, beneficial to any long term food storage.

The need for long term food is very real when you consider the fact that hurricanes, floods, earth quakes, and blizzards happen. And the possibility of a pandemic from something like H5N1 Avian Flu is very possible.

You need to decide what length of time you are planning for, my recommendation is at least six months, as well as how many people you need to provide for. Then plan accordingly and bring in your supplies. Don’t rely on the government to provide your needs, short term or long term, because they may very well not be there when you need them.

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A Higher Level Of First Aid

by T-Man on February 14, 2009

in Uncategorized

In continuing with long term survival preparation procedures we need to discuss First Aid.

The 72 hr kit will have a first aid kit in it, but it will not be a comprehensive enough kit for extended situations. In an extended crisis you not only have to be able to take care of minor cuts and scrapes, you must also be able manage illness and major trauma.

A standard first aid kit will normally contain bandages, a couple of 2×2 gauze pads, two 4×4 gauze pads of pain reliever, a roll of kling gauze, first aid ointment, tape, and some type of pain reliever. Extended first aid kits will need more 2×2’s and 4×4’s, 5×9 trauma bandages (at least four), several more rolls of kling in various sizes, more bandage tape, and quick clot (or its equivalent), to manage bleeding in major injuries. You should have suture kits and butterfly strips, to close wounds. Splints, triangle bandages, and ace bandages, to treat breaks and sprains. Other supplies needed are sterile water, alcohol, peroxide for wound cleaning and sterilization. Add iodine, bacitracin, and neosporin for use as topical antiseptics. A burn-management kit and Vaseline gauze for treatment of burns and sucking chest wounds will be needed. Instant cold and heat packs are also good to have on hand.

Don’t forget that you will need to have several types of pain/fever relievers on hand i.e., Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen sodium, and aspirin are all recommended. Allergy treatments like Tylenol sinus, Benadryl, and Sudafed. Anti diarrhea and nausea treatments are needed.

Don’t forget to try and stockpile any subsistence medications you may need, difficult with or without insurance, but worth attempting.

It is highly recommended that you learn how to set fractures, suture wounds, manage dehydration, and severe trauma in an advanced first aid course and/or have a trained paramedic in your support circle.

This medical supply list and training recommendation may seem extreme until you remember that there may be no or overwhelmed medical resources in a major disaster or pandemic, and even as extreme as this may seem, it is just the tip of the iceberg.

A .22 for self defense

by T-Man on February 7, 2009

in Hand Guns

The persistent question about a defensive handgun is: “Can I use a ……for Self Defense?”

Inevitably the caliber of weapon in question is a .22. The simple answer for “Can it be …” is, YES. But the real question should be: “Do I want to rely on a .22 for self defense?” The answer is: NO.

Although .22s are fun, inexpensive, and less intimidating to shoot (for new shooters) then larger caliber handguns, they are not effective for use as a primary defense weapon. Even with the advancements in ammunition they just don’t have the first or second shot trauma shock abilities that are needed for defense shooting.

Before everybody gets their skivvies in a bunch, I know .22s have killed a lot of people. I saw more than one fatal shooting caused by a .22 or .25 during my law enforcement career, but that doesn’t mean they should be used as a primary defensive handgun. If they are used as a backup, or a weapon of last resort, I have no problem, you just have to be cognizant of the fact that shot placement is critical in order to create the maximum wound trauma effect obtainable.

If you want a small, light weight, hand gun to carry there are several very good ones available in .38/.357, .9mm, .40cal, and .45cal. These are the calibers of choice for a defensive handgun. The absolute smallest caliber to rely on for self defense would be a .380 caliber pistol loaded with good hollow cavity ammunition.

If you get a quality weapon, obtain proper firearms instruction, and practice you will find that shooting a larger caliber handgun is really no harder than shooting a .22. And, you will be using a handgun that is capable of eliminating a threat in a self defense situation.

Remember if you plan on using a handgun for self defense, you must train so that the weapon becomes an extension of your body. That way you won’t have to think about how to fire the weapon, you will have the confidence that the weapon is large enough to stop the threat, and you will be able to concentrate surviving the situation itself.

The weapon triad

by T-Man on February 2, 2009

in General safety, Hand Guns, Self defense

Along with your Go-bags, another thing that needs to consider is the inclusion of firearms into your defensive survival plans.

I’m not talking only about a defensive handgun, but rather a three gun battery, referred to by some as the Triad of Firearms. The guns to be included in this battery would depend on where you live and what you may have to accomplish with each weapon.

The first gun to consider for this set up is, of course, the handgun. I’ve already mentioned my preference of a revolver for inexperienced shooters, or for those that just plain like revolvers as their weapon of choice. But, if you prefer, and you can use an auto pistol comfortably, that works for me as well.

The second gun would be a shotgun. This can be one you already own for hunting or one that you buy specifically for self-defense. I recommend it be a 12-gauge pump action shotgun. A 20 gauge can be used, but the 12-gauge is preferable. I recommend the following shotgun shells: 00 or 000 buckshot, used to take game or for primary defense. #5 or 6 bird shot that will be usable for taking fowl or defensive inside a home, and lastly, you should have some slugs that can be used for game, but is also good if you needed to try and stop a vehicle.

The third firearm is a rifle. It can be a bolt action hunting rifle or a military style auto loading rifle. You need to have an appropriate amount of ammunition for the rifle (40 to 60 rounds for a hunting rifle and a couple hundred rounds for military style as a rule of thumb) Additionally, a .22 caliber rifle can be combined with a high powered rifle to give you foraging versatility.

The idea of this three-gun battery of weapons is to provide you with the tools that you may need to defend yourself or provide food or both depending on the situation you find yourself.

You may be an urban/semi-urban resident that has weathered a hurricane or flood that may need to kill a snake or rabid animal displaced by the storm. The shotgun with birdshot will be your friend. Both the shotgun and pistol may also be needed for protection against looters. The rifle may not come into play in this situation, but it may, depending on how far away from the city you live since large predator animals may become a problem.

Think it through and decide what your potential yearly threats may be (fire, hurricane, flood, etc). Research the possibilities that other problems such H5N1 Avian Flu or another form of 9-11 attack may occur. Then pick your firearms along with other needs accordingly.

Be prudent and proactive.

It’s easy to forget to remember

by T-Man on January 31, 2009

in Awareness, General safety

This morning was an interesting one for me in regard to urban awareness and preparedness.

First off Chewy and I had to drive into the tire store to get tire repaired. I could have done the repair myself, but road hazard coverage is kool. Once at the store I took Chewy out of the car so the technicians could work on the car, and so we went for a short walk then returned to work bay area to watch the repairs being completed.

I felt comfortable in the area since I had patrolled it when I was on the PD. This combined with my interest in watching the work being performed meant that my awareness level was down. Chewy was relaxed once he met the technicians in the shop, so all was good. Wrong. While my attention was diverted watching the tire being balanced, Chewy alerted, jumped behind me, and went into protection mode.

What was happening?

I turned to face a young male dressed in dark cloths, sun glasses, and a knit cap pulled down low on his head within ten feet of me.

Fortunately, it was just another customer, on the smarter side of the intelligence scale since he stopped dead in his tracks. I calmed Chewy down, apologized and we spoke for a few minutes, but Chewy stayed between us instead of returning to my side the whole time we talked. There was just something about this young college student that kept Chewy in a Level One Alert mode even though I had accessed him and was fine.

Bottom line for our learning experiences here: Had I been alone and this person had meant me harm he would have been on top of me before I knew he was there because I was in a comfort zone, with a lot of ambient noise (taking away my sense of hearing), and I hadn’t checked my surroundings in several minutes. My bad but a good example of what you need to do to stay safe in an urban environment.

Next, I stopped by the gun shop to see how business was doing and visit with the guys that work there. I did some bench racing with the manager, an armature sports car racer, in between the calls and customers he handled. Business was brisk with at least three firearms sold from stock and two pistols special ordered during the forty five or so minutes I was there. Not bad volume for a Friday morning.

The significance of this visit to awareness was an encounter I had with a new gun buyer.

While browsing one of counters I overheard one of the customers start wavering about what type of handgun, auto pistol or revolver, he was buying. The salesman was about half way through completing the paperwork on a Ruger 9mm auto pistol, so I asked the salesman if he’d mind if I assisted him with the customer.

I asked the customer how familiar he was with hand guns, as it would make a difference in my advice. He said he was military officer and had a fair amount of familiarity. I told him he should be fine with the pistol he had picked out as long as he was comfortable with handling it at night in a stressful situation, otherwise he may want to consider a revolver for its ease of use by less experienced shooters.

He then asked about the possibility of trading the pistol he was purchasing in about six months for one of a larger caliber. When I asked why, he said he thought he might need the larger caliber for protection. So I started to explain modern expandable bullets and wound trauma, that’s when it came out that he was a surgeon, so I continued my explanation and answered some of his other questions about defensive shooting and training practice.

During this conversation, I noticed his wife reacting adversely to what I was saying. Having seen this same reaction many times while teaching self defense and defensive shooting, letting her know that I was well aware of how gross it sounded, but that it was the way things really are in defensive altercations.

Her answer to me was beyond the pale.

“I don’t like guns and don’t want anything to do with them because I have been ROBBED three times, once with a gun in my face.”

And yet, she wanted to hear nothing about learning how to protect herself in any manner. You can bet your bottom dollar that she will be the first person to complain if the police are not where she is to protect her if another altercation were to happen.

Now keep in mind if a pandemic from something like H5N1 Avian Flu, a hurricane, or earth quake were to occur in our area, her husband would be working around the clock at the hospital, which means she will have to fend for herself, but won’t have the skills to do it because of her attitude.

This way of thinking is not what is needed in today’s society. We have to be self reliant so that we are able to take care of ourselves in a time of crisis. Keep in mind that there will be no police, emergency medical services, or fire fighters available during major crisis situations. They will be busy taking care of central points of trouble and themselves. Add to this the personnel cut backs to all government services caused by the economic crisis right now and the problem worsens.

Responsible people need to get their supplies, get the training needed in first aid and self defense, be vigilant, and be ready to take care of themselves and their loved ones.

Be proactive. Be aware. Be ready to be self reliant. Make your voice heard.

Scarcity driven by demand

by T-Man on January 29, 2009

in Hand Guns

I just finished putting an ammunition order together and it’s obvious to me that availability and cost are not getting any better since my last mention of the situation on these pages.

Why do I say this? That’s simple: the order I received today contained only half of what I ordered, which was not a surprise as I had received two emails asking how to proceed with my order because items weren’t available. Then, when I was putting tonight’s order together I had a hard time finding what I needed, the company was almost completely out of stock of affordably priced practice ammunition for my handguns and unless I wanted to pay almost $30 for a20 round box of .223 caliber rifle ammunition I was out of luck there. Add to that when I did put a specific type of ammunition in my on line cart, inevitably when I tried to update the quantities I wanted, I would get a message telling me that the quantity I requested was not available or there were maximum quantity limitations imposed when they had the ammunition in stock. Plus the price has gone up for the last several months when new stock arrives, sometimes as much as a couple of dollars a box.

This situation is not limited to just one supplier, but also the others that I normally deal with, as well as many others that I just tried to make purchases from.

The product supply/cost problem is not limited to ammunition alone. It also affects parts, accessories, and the weapons themselves. Examples would be: high capacity magazines, I was finally able to order two factory magazines for my wife’s 9 mm after a long search, at double what I paid three months ago, and I have not been able to buy spare magazines for an AR-15 rifle, at a fair price, in two months. Certain repair parts have also become hard to obtain and dealers are having problems keeping high capacity handguns in stock, while military style rifles have long waiting lists for special orders, if they can be found at all. It started slowly earlier in the year with the cost of ammunition increasing from manufacturers every couple of months, but once the election was held and won by Obama, the products flew off the shelves causing shortages and some major price increases on what is available .

As I have advised in a previous post this administration is known for its anti 2nd amendment leanings and will most probably introduce legislation that will drastically affect certain weapons and ammunition. And because of that this trend of increased pricing and low availability will continue for some time and may even get worse.

Therefore, if you need ammunition it is in your best interest to buy it on a regular basis as it becomes available. You should have enough on hand to get through several practice sessions and qualifications, plus have what you need in good self defense ammunition for your Go Bags, as well as general carry if you carry, or will be carrying a firearm for self defense. Likewise, if there is a special weapon (handgun or rifle) of the high capacity variety, that you want, you should go ahead and buy them now. The same goes for extra high capacity magazines. I’m not saying panic buy, but rather buy what you need or want before they get ridiculous in price, or are no longer available.

Be concerned about your 2nd amendment rights and execute them in a judicious manner. Let your elected officials know how you feel.

Be vocal. Be involved. Be an advocate.

Carrying a fire arm: First principles

by T-Man on January 26, 2009 · 2 comments

in General safety, Hand Guns, Self defense

Chewy has taken up his post at my feet, so it must be time to start tonight’s discussion. I’m going to go over some points related to carrying and using a firearm for self protection.

First of all, as I have stated before, if you present a firearm you need to be ready and willing to use it. It is not to be used to try and intimidate or scare someone. If you pull a firearm you had better be doing it to save your life, the life of a member of your family, or intervening in a situation that justifies the use of deadly force.

Additionally, you need to be in compliance with your state’s laws in regard to carrying a concealed weapon, and have gotten the proper training so that you are proficient in the use of a firearm. I would suggest that you put as much practice time at a range as you can and if at all possible receive advanced training in weapons handling.

Pick a firearm that has decent stopping power. I’ve already said that I like .38 caliber revolvers for new shooters loaded with the proper defensive ammunition. If you choose to carry a semi-automatic pistol it should be either 9 mm or a 40 caliber (a .380 cal semi-auto with modern self defense ammunition is the absolute smallest caliber to rely on).

The preferable position of carry is on the strong side hip as it is the most natural efficient position to retrieve a firearm from. But if you are not going to carry on your hip you should use a purse, briefcase, back pack, or shoulder gear bag that has a pocket dedicated to a firearm (there are many of these purse/bags available). Another method of non-hip carry is in a shoulder holster carried under you weak side arm. There are now special T-shirts that have sewn-in retention pockets/bands, but they are mostly to facilitate concealment and not recommended for someone who suspects they might have to draw the weapon rapidly (unless well-practiced). Regardless of how you choose to carry a firearm you need to practice drawing it from its carry position. It needs to be a reflexive operation; otherwise in a stressful situation you will not be able to deploy your weapon in the very few seconds you are likely to have.

Keep in mind that most firearms altercations take place within twenty one (21) feet and many are within five (5) feet, touching distance, so you have to be able to get a firearm into service in less than a second or two, possibly from an unusual position or while moving.

If you’re in a vehicle you end up with a difficult set of problems which include getting your weapon out of its holster, most likely shooting point blank across your body. This means that your range practice has to include some close hold instinctive shooting (you really need to get instruction from a competent defensive shooting instructor for this). Don’t forget the noise you will encounter with a firearm going off in the enclosed space of a vehicle, it can be quite shocking and momentarily stun the unwary.

A new tool that will aid you in an awkward instinctive position is a laser site. My recommendation is Crimson Trace handgrip sights, or another brand of this type, since they don’t require special holsters and they are activated by your natural shooting grip.

Remember if a firearm is to be incorporated in you self defense plans, you need to have extra ammunition in your go bags. Rule of thumb would be: a spare magazine for auto-pistols or two speed loaders/speed strips for a revolver in a go bag, and at least fifty rounds (100 rounds preferred) in your 72 hour bag for each firearm you have with you.

I’ve touched on some of the basics to be considered if you want to carry a firearm. You need to do some research, ask questions, get competent training, and practice your skills in order to properly carry and use a firearm for protection.

Responsible gun ownership is just that: responsible. It requires time and attention, practice and planning, monetary investment in the weapon itself, training, and ammunition to gain – and keep – proficiency. Lastly, but by far the most important thing a firearm requires is the understanding that once you pull the trigger you can never take that bullet back.

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