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Joseph Terry

Command Presence for Self-Defense

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Handgun skills with Tiger McKee.

Why Command Presence is Important

No one looks forward to a gunfight. The great paradox of avoiding one is that the better your firearms and self-defense training, the less likely you are to engage in a violent altercation. That's due to command presence.

What is Command Presence?

“Command presence” is the dynamic projection of the skill and will sufficient to persuade someone to comply with your verbal orders. In other words, if you tell someone to do something (such as “back off”), and you look capable of effectively using a firearm while you say it, you're more likely to achieve compliance to your verbal commands.

Command presence is key to avoiding violent altercations, and it's explained in great detail in my How to Avoid Gunfights Online Course at Living Ready University. Command presence is something that everybody can learn, but you're not born with it. You learn to do it.

Good Reasons to Understand Command Presence

In the case of a prolonged social disruption, 911 dispatch will only function as long as the diesel in their emergency generators will allow them to function.

If the grid goes down, the average police department has a tank in the back with about two days' worth of diesel in it.

If the trucks can't refill the tank, dispatch goes down. And if dispatch goes down, law enforcement stops.

You're on your own for as long as the disruption exists. And under those circumstances, your ability to demonstrate command presence could be the only thing that keeps your supplies yours.

Learn More About Command Presence

The techniques for establishing command presence require practice. Lots and lots of practice. Start with the How to Avoid Gunfights Online Course from Living Ready University. It explains the must-know information for achieving compliance to your verbal commands in crisis situations. This is critical instruction, don't skip it.


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Is High-Velocity Ammunition Worth It for Handguns?

High-Velocity Ammunition Question

High-Velocity-AmmunitionIs high-velocity ammunition for your handgun worth the extra cost? – John Q., Living Ready reader

High-Velocity Ammunition Answer

Good question, John. My opinion is, for the average shooter, probably not.

Handgun ammo comes in many different loadings within caliber. High-velocity ammunition varieties (often referred to as “+P”) come with higher combustion pressures and more sophisticated bullet designs. Advanced projectiles upset more (increase their frontal area) to create a larger wound channel, and higher pressures produce more energy transfer into the human body. The desired result is faster incapacitation, and if you know you can handle it, this is a good thing. For experienced shooters the extra cost is well worth it.

What's the Problem with High-Velocity Ammunition?

The problem is higher pressures bring more recoil and muzzle flash. In some loadings, this means a lot more recoil and flash. This is especially significant when the gun must be fired at night.

High-velocity handgun rounds can create a muzzle flash or “bloom” (especially in today’s shorty handguns) so distracting that it can take you out of the fight tactically by destroying your night vision.

With a lot of practice, you can learn to tolerate the recoil and using a tactical light properly can reduce the flash effects. In my experience, most civilians and many cops don’t practice enough to overcome either side effect of the high velocity loadings. The increase in stopping power may then be offset by poor shot placement. And if you have not fired your “duty round” in the dark, you really have no idea what you are carrying.

Standard Velocity Ammunition May Offer Better Results

I teach my rookies that the most significant factor in surviving a gunfight is the ability to put an aimed round of adequate ballistics in the center mass of the adversary before they get one into you. That doesn’t mean that you rush the shot. It means that you quickly decide you need to shoot and smoothly present the gun, acquire the front sight and press the trigger.

Plus P ammunition has no positive bearing on that dynamic, and in fact, may retard it. If you fear the recoil or flash of the weapon, you will likely not be smooth and decisive when it counts. A solid torso hit with a standard velocity hollow point is better than a miss with your super-zipper-zombie-zapper any day.

Ammo choices have also been complicated by the shortages caused by the recent panic buying situation. Most folks don’t store a lot of ammo and you may find that your usual loading has vanished from the shelves. If that happens, I recommend a lower velocity loading than a higher one as an alternative unless you can get quickly to the range and try out the new stuff.

I don’t want anybody to feel under-gunned with standard velocity loads. Shot placement trumps bullet energy, and there is no such thing as a guaranteed fight stopper pistol bullet. (Remember, a handgun is what you take if you don’t think you are going to get into a gunfight.)

So in a gun store with staff you trust, ask them to recommend a standard velocity, hollow point load and practice with it. If you practice regularly with the ammunition you use for personal defense you should be just fine. When in doubt, go with standard velocity.

(Note: If you are really interested in how bullets do their job and what actual autopsy data suggests are the best loads for your gun, get the definitive work in the field, Handgun Stopping Power, by Marshall and Sanow. It is very readable and I recommend it highly.)

And remember, please, every person has unique needs and capacities and every armed encounter is different. When developing your defensive tactics always get a second opinion.

Book Review: Deadly Force, Understanding Your Right to Self Defense

Deadly Force by Massad Ayoob.

Mas Ayoob’s latest work, Deadly Force, hits the ten ring on personal protection and the aftermath of a defensive gun use. Like his perennial classic, In the Gravest Extreme, it’s simply required reading for anyone who carries concealed.

When I was a rookie cop back in the 80’s, a copy of Mas Ayoob’s Stressfire, Gunfighting for Police made it around the graveyard shift complete with coffee stains and doughnut crumbs.   It was also full of real-world gun wisdom in a conversational style that made it seem like this guy was a street-wise beat partner sitting next to me in the unit. In his newest offering, Deadly Force, Understand Your Right to Self Defense, Ayoob delivers again — for the civilian with a carry permit.

Make no mistake. This is not a gratuitous parade of blood-and-guts anecdotes or a shallow skimming of the ability/opportunity/jeopardy triad. It’s a serious and comprehensive treatment of the key legal principles that both enable and constrain the civilian with a permit. As a result, this content-laden book requires disciplined attention because of the tremendous volume of information it contains. Most books in this field (including mine) are good basic treatments. Ayoob’s is grad school for the serious student. Just ponder for a moment the depth in this gem from Chapter 2: “If you act to the standards by which you know you will be judged, you should not be found wanting in the judgment.”

“If you act to the standards by which you know you will be judged, you should not be found wanting in the judgment.”

Massad Ayoob
Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self Defense

Fortunately, Ayoob has a rare ability to cover nuanced points with an economy of words and crisp style that is simultaneously educational and engaging. Especially helpful for the private citizen is his treatment of castle doctrine, furtive movement and what level of force may be legally used against a criminal who attacks with intermediate force weapons, including fists. The author also gives excellent coverage of the “Tueller Principal.” (If you carry a gun and still don’t know who Dennis Tueller is, that’s reason enough to buy this book.)

This book’s comprehensive review of the Trayvon Martin case is the most lucid I have ever read. Ayoob has a unique point of view that can only come from an expert who understands lawyers as well as he understands firearms. The prosecution of this case contains specific lessons for every civilian with a CCW.

My only criticism of the book, and it’s a tiny one, is that I wish Mas would have commented on the pro’s and con’s of retaining competent public relations counsel to try to manage the post-gunfight narrative and supplement a strong legal defense. Otherwise, this book is all in the ten ring.

In areas where politically ambitious DA’s are pimped by anti-gun media, you should presume that you are going to be charged criminally regardless of the inherent rightness of your defensive actions. Although this should never be a reason not to defend yourself — it’s better to be tried by twelve than carried by six — I think the information in this book is just as important to your daily carry as extra ammo.

You might survive a gunfight without either, but why would you risk it?

True Story: One Revolver, Two Cartridges and a Kitchen Timer

Smith & Wesson Model 10. Photo courtesy Rock Island Auction Company.
Smith & Wesson Model 10. Photo courtesy Rock Island Auction Company.

When it comes to training with a handgun, sometimes less is more.

While at a public range recently an elderly gentleman in clean but dowdy clothes walked slowly up to the station next to me on the right.  We nodded a civil “Hello” to each other and out of the corner of my eye I watched him open a small, scuffed-up canvas bag.

Out of it came hearing protectors, a well-worn 4-inch Smith Model 10 revolver in .38 Special, and a white kitchen wind-up timer.

We walked forward to the ten-yard target. He asked me, “Do you mind picking up my target?  I’m only going to be here a little while.”

“Sure,” I said.  And now I was really intrigued.

The range officer gave the clear-to-fire command. I dawdled to keep my eye on him.

From a new box of ammo, he loaded two .38’s in the gun, set the cylinder carefully to rotate counter-clockwise (a good sign that he knew what he was doing) and placed it back on the bench.  He then gave the timer a little turn and stood relaxed and ready.

At the “ping” of the timer, he moved with surprising alacrity, picked up the revolver and fired two double action shots in rapid succession, single-handed.

His target now wore two holes about four inches apart—one in and one just outside the bullseye.  With hardly a pause, he got out a small jar of Hoppe’s and cleaned the gun.

Not saying a word, he put his gun away and turned my way to leave while the line continued to shoot.  I gave him a thumbs-up and a grin.

He responded with a little nod and a sly wink of his eye.

When the line was cleared to check targets, one of my friends asked me, “What was wrong with that guy?”

I pointed at his target and replied, “Absolutely nothing.”


Recommended:

Defensive Revolver Fundamentals Defensive Revolver Fundamentals by Grant Cunningham. Click here to get your copy.

Handgun Tactics: Using Cover Wisely

Handgun Cover Tactics.

For the best handgun tactics in a gunfight, use cover – just don’t hug it too close.

I’m from a generation that didn’t hug much. Between guys an iron handshake, an upper-arm grasp and a shoulder bump was about as far as it went. Now, hugs supposedly lower your blood pressure, increase your sense of well-being and foster good relationships. But there is one thing you don’t want to hug and that is your cover in a gunfight.

Keep in mind that the most likely armed encounter you’ll face is three shots against a single adversary at close range. Even so, it is important to understand the tactical use of cover if you have to deal with an active shooter, a bump-in-the-night or multiple armed adversaries.

Cover is something that will stop a bullet. Concealment is something that hides you from observation. All cover is concealment but not much concealment is cover.

If you have time to take cover when you present your weapon and issue your verbal commands it can provide an increased sense of control and get your head back into the fundamentals of grip, sight picture and trigger press.

One of the mistakes rookies often make in tactical live-fire exercises is that they “crowd their cover,” which means they get too close to it for maximum tactical advantage. Think about being close to cover, but not glued to it. Here are the reasons:

1. You will have better view of the total surroundings if you are back from your cover.
2. Tactical movement is easier if you are on your feet and able to scoot.
3. Being right next to your cover exposes you to ricocheting bullets.

In a gunfight, you want to be able to peek around the edge of your cover and deliver aimed fire with most of your body protected by the cover. Being too close can hinder that and make you vulnerable. For example, if you lead with the gun as you peek around a corner the handgun is easy for your adversary to grab.

Better to be back about ten feet from the corner and move laterally in short side-steps with your gun in high-ready to expand your view a little bit at a time. At the PD we call this “slicing the pie.”

The point is to clear progressive segments of the threat zone with as little personal exposure as possible.

Remember that when the lethal threat stops, so must your lethal response. Getting close to cover, but not crowding it could give you the tactical advantage you need to avoid shooting at all.

But the most important thing is that if you have to shoot, doing so from cover can help you prevail — so you can return home safely to your family … and give them a great big hug.

Making the Case To Carry Concealed

Handgun-Defense-CCW-1

Using deadly force to defend yourself is not a desirable event.  But its necessity makes it a good one, which is why you should carry concealed.

In a comment to one of my recent posts, reader “Woodsman” said:

“Violence, no matter how justified, will not advance what we consider good, but it allows those of us who do good, to survive.”

I think that is a profound and articulate statement of truth.

To use deadly force to defend yourself and those under your protection from lethal assault is not a desirable event. It’s actually a very horrible event, one made necessary by the possibility of a more horrible event initiated by someone else—someone who would do us harm for gain or amusement.

And before you think this argument rests in the lofty area of philosophy, I think it has some very practical benefits.

best-concealed-handgun-new-pistols-guideFree Download

Concealed Carry Guns: Semi-Auto Pistol Guide

This download covers the newest and most advanced semi-auto pistols on the market, plus you’ll get the must-have 44-page autoloader pistol catalog. Choose the best concealed carry handgun with this free download.

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In every CCW class I have observed, and in every crop of new rookies I have seen pass through the police academy, there are always one or two hot shot “crusaders.” They just somehow seem a little too eager.

Through comments, which run the gamut from subtle to blatant, they let it be known that they feel a duty through street justice to right the collective wrong of a culture that coddles criminals and fosters uncivil behavior.

Maybe it’s just me, but even when you take that sad cultural decline into account it seems dangerous for someone with such attitude and eagerness to put on a gun.

In the first place, it could cloud judgment when a sudden situation demands instant analysis of lethality of risk.

And if you have to shoot, any reputation created by that crusader attitude could work against you in police reports, at the DA’s office and in court.

Violent criminal predators are bad people. But if they assault you, killing one of them is not a feel-good activity (ask any cop who has survived a gunfight).

My astute reader was right. Violence does not create good, no matter how strong the justification for it. But what it can do is even the odds, allowing those with the tools to do so to do the ultimate good—to survive.

Editor’s Note: Feel like commenting on this story or have a question for Joseph Terry about concealed carry not covered here? Log in and post your question in the comments below.


Recommended:

pmr045_dvd_coverDVD: Make Ready with Massad Ayoob: Deadly Force FAQ
In this video Mas reviews the most often asked questions he has received over the years pertaining to the use of deadly force. Mas talks about what situations justify deadly force, disparity of force, castle doctrine, stand your ground law, presumption of justifiability, civil liability, the myths associated with defending yourself, and more. If you carry a firearm for self-defense or keep one in your home, this video is a must see.

Watch a preview

Fast Draw Vs. Good Ready, Part 2

Good-Ready-Part2

In Part 1 on this topic, I suggested that keeping a good eye on your environment and getting your hand on the gun early — what I call the “Good Ready” — was preferable for armed citizens over trying to depend on a quick draw in a life-threatening situation. That raised a few hackles.

I made three points:

  • Practicing quick draw with a loaded piece is one of the most dangerous activities in gun training.
  • Some holsters do not stand up well to the 200 replications it typically takes to get a fast presentation seared into muscle memory.
  • When startled with a sudden threat, adrenalin makes fumbles more likely.
Photo: Flashbang Holsters
Photo: Flashbang Holsters

After 30 years coaching and training on the range, I’m sticking with these observations.

However, a few additional points are warranted. A good shooting school can teach almost anybody to dramatically increase their speed of presentation while maintaining control of the gun.

This training breaks the draw down into steps that concentrate on grip, clearing the holster (and concealing garments), a “rock” into position for contact distance or a “push” into a two-handed shooting platform for aimed fire.

Brand name holster manufacturers make highly durable products. A quality holster should stand up well to repetitive draw training and an emergency.

Practicing fast draw with a loaded gun is very dangerous unless closely supervised. So is replacing the gun in the holster if you have your finger inside the trigger guard. Which activity is most risky? To my knowledge no data supports either contention. It doesn’t matter. Both are risky.

Unless you are Robocop, if you are confronted with a lethal threat your brain will flood your body with adrenal secretions that cause the “flight-fright-freeze” response. What we need to pay more attention to are the inevitable physical effects of sudden dramatic increase in respiratory and cardiac rates, tightening of major muscle groups and reduction in fine motor skills.

CCW-Guns-CoverFree Download

Concealed Carry Guns: Semi-Auto Pistol Guide

This download covers the newest and most advanced semi-auto pistols on the market, plus you’ll get the must-have 44-page autoloader pistol catalog. Choose the best concealed carry handgun with this free download.

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These effects dramatically degrade handgun manipulation skills from what we are used to at the range or competition course — places where paper, metal plates and bowling pins don’t wear prison tats and carry knives or crowbars.

I am aware of no data that quantifies the number of assaults that are so sudden that they preclude getting the hand on the gun while it is still in concealment.

They happen, as do clear prior indications of impending threat. My point is that for the average CCW holder who is not likely to practice much, let alone get professional training, it is far more important to concentrate on threat identification and getting a good grip on the gun than to depend on fast draw to get you out of a jam.

Reality check: If your assailant is within twenty feet of you and initiates a sudden unsuspected lethal attack, your draw will probably end up in a grapple (as every rookie cop learns in defensive tactics class at the academy).

So work on a smooth presentation, but no matter what be ready — good and ready.

Editor’s Note: Feel like commenting on this story or have a question for Joseph Terry about concealed carry not covered here? Log in and post your question in the comments below.


Recommended:

12 Essentials of Concealed CarryGrant Cunningham's 12 Essentials of Concealed Carry Download (PDF)

Concealed Carry Tips: Toss the Decoy Wallet

Meryll/Shutterstock.com
Meryll/Shutterstock.com

Here’s a way you may be able to avoid having to use your handgun in self-defense, thanks to a simple trick that costs less than $30.

If you carry a legally concealed handgun for protection an old trick might become a last-chance tactical option. That trick is the decoy wallet.

Back in the ‘70s, in crime ravaged cities where executives and street hoods worked cheek by jowl, some executives who couldn’t carry guns for protection carried a second wallet for deception.

When confronted by a mugger they simply reached into their off-side hip pocket, tossed what appeared to be their wallet and ran like hell in the other direction (undercover cops used the same trick if they got bounced on a stakeout and didn’t want to get made.

It’s an option for the concealed carry permit holder smart enough to know that throwing thirty bucks worth of fake wallet at a street thug may be a lot cheaper than throwing a hundred grand at a good defense lawyer.

I know … I know … I’m going to get lots of colorful invective like, “This is cowardice!” or “We need to take back our streets!” and “If somebody threatens to hurt me they should get shot!”

Really? Do you understand that even if you are in the right you may still be criminally charged? Are you aware that if you are not criminally charged and you own property, you may be subject to civil action by the dead thug’s grieving widow and children (who will get polished up by their lawyer and placed in the front row of the court room just opposite the jury box).

And if you must use lethal force and start out behind the action curve, (you are already at the mercy of his weapon) tossing a decoy wallet, or even your real one at the feet of the armed assailant may take his eyes off your gun hand just long enough to even the odds.

No “trick” is ever foolproof nor should be depended upon to overcome lack of situational awareness or training in the fundamentals. But the decoy wallet has worked in the past — and might just give you that crazy little edge that saves the day.

Editor’s Note: Got a question for Joseph Terry about concealed carry not covered here? Log in and post your question in the comments below.


Recommended resources for concealed carry:

Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, 2nd EditionThe Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, 2nd Edition

The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery

Armed: The Essential Guide to Concealed Carry

Find more resources at
gundigeststore.com/tactical

 

Concealed Carry Basics: Beware Sympathetic Muscle Response

Indexing the Handgun

In the stress of a gunfight, sympathetic muscle response can cause you to unintentionally fire your weapon. Here’s how to avoid it.

Firearms trainers are always warning you to keep your trigger finger “indexed” along the frame of the gun until you have something to shoot — that is, keep it out of the trigger guard.

There are many reasons for this but the dangers posed by sympathetic muscle response rank high on the list.

Sympathetic muscle response occurs when the muscles of the hand contract involuntarily to an environmental stimulus that causes the major muscle groups to contract.  If you have your gun out in response to a threat this might happen if you tripped, or were startled, or had to duck a close strike with a weapon.

Under those circumstances, if your major muscle groups contracted and you had your trigger finger inside the trigger guard (and safety “off” if a semi-auto) or a revolver (no safety) there is a good chance you will fire the gun whether you intend to or not. The trigger finger pulls the trigger “in sympathy” with the other muscles that are contracting.

Remember, you are legally responsible for where every bullet ends up whether you intended to put it there or not.

In your shooting drills, always keep the trigger finger outside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot. If confronted with a threat you should still keep your trigger finger indexed until you run out of de-escalation options.

Editor’s Note: Got a question for Joseph Terry about concealed carry not covered here? Log in and post your question in the comments below.


ABC-CC

Joseph Terry Presents the ABC's of Concealed Carry

This book is perfect for you if:

  • You need to develop a better understanding of the elements of concealed carry.
  • You aim to broaden your grasp of the legal elements of CCW.
  • You desire new and practical training drills to make your weapons handling more proficient.

Shooting with Corrective Lenses: Bad Eyesight and Concealed Carry

Shooting-With-Corrective-Lenses-Lead

Just because you wear corrective lenses doesn't mean you can't hit the broadside of a barn. Follow these handgun shooting tips to overcome less-than-perfect eyesight.

Legally carrying a gun concealed is not just for young adults with 20/20 vision. Take me for example, for whom the days are long gone when, in semi-annual qualifications at the police department, I pounded out groups that could be covered with one hand.

As time went on, my groups opened up a bit but were all “center mass.” Still, several years before I retired, I had to start choosing between seeing the sights or seeing the target.

At concealed carry classes I observe lots of good folks with corrective lenses. And in those states where a shooting qualification is required, I shouldn't chuckle — but I still do — when they squint with noses held high in the air using bifocals to see the front sights. Don't do this.

If you get in a jam that requires you to pull your gun, you are not going to assume that ridiculous posture to pick up the sights through the bottoms of your glasses. Adrenalin will drive you into a semi-crouch and your vision will tunnel on the threat.

If the gun fits your hand and you practice regularly, you may get hits at contact distance whether you can see the sights or not. If the gun doesn’t fit and/or you don’t practice with it often, you will probably miss.

The best solution to old eyes like mine is adding a laser designator to your gun — or buy a new handgun that comes equipped with a laser. Use your glasses to read the paper. Use the laser to run the gun (an added bonus is that with the right verbal commands, the laser can help you de-escalate).

Remember, all lethal encounters are different and everybody brings unique needs and capacities to the fight.

Concealed Carry Tactics: Forget Fast, Get a Good Ready

Time is your friend. So get ready, not necessarily fast.
Time is your friend. So get ready, not necessarily fast.

Here are 3 reasons why you should take the “Good Ready” approach rather than rely on quick draw when it comes time to defend yourself with a handgun.

Back in the day, we referred to pulling the gun from a holster as “the draw,” and speed of the draw was a much sought-after skill.

If a cop in training couldn’t get the gun out of a retention duty rig and engage a target (starting with a good grip on the gun) in less than one and a half seconds, they were not ready to go on the street.

With fast hands and lots of practice, an officer can punch out two rounds center mass at contact distance, in about three-fifths of a second.

Cops have to be fast because their job requires them to closely approach an unknown-risk subject. It may place them behind the action curve if that subject makes a quick move for a gun or knife.

If you're not a police officer, you (thankfully) don’t have that obligation and I would much rather you concentrate on a “good ready” than a quick presentation. Here’s why:

  1. Practicing “quick draw” is one of the most dangerous of all firearm training activities (which is why most ranges prohibit shooting from the holster). Keep your trigger finger outside the guard until you are on target. Do not practice fast presentation with a loaded weapon! Have a room for presentation practice only and never take ammo into that room.
  2. Many concealed carry holsters do not stand up well to repeated grabs. If you are truly committed to becoming smooth and quick — and that means at least 250 replications — get two identical holsters, one for practice and one for regular wear.
  3. When pumped up on the adrenalin rush of a sudden threat, fumbles are likely. It's better to get a good, early grip on the gun rather than rely on speed of the draw, if at all possible.

What is a “good ready” for a civilian? It means situational awareness at all times and taking proper defensive action prior to the need to present the weapon.

From one hundred feet, identify potential threats and move laterally to avoid them. From fifty feet, if you have a specific threat, and the totality of the situation demands it, go to your shooting stance and get your hand on the gun under the concealing garment. From twenty feet, if the threat has the apparent intent and capacity to do you lethal harm, smoothly draw and present in a “low-ready” position and issue your verbal warnings. From closer than 20 feet, an attacker can close the distance and grapple you before you can get the gun out.

What about crowds? If the sociology of the crowd is benign then stay to the edge, note your exits, have a discrete impact weapon in your hand and hope for the best. If the crowd is questionable, you have already made two tactical mistakes: You have sacrificed distance and voluntarily placed yourself in a high-risk environment. (Let’s see if you can explain that to the D.A.)

If you carry a gun but not a badge don’t worry about “fast.” Instead put time on your side … and get a good ready.

Editor’s Note: Got a question for Joseph Terry about concealed carry not covered here? Log in and post your question in the comments below.


How to Avoid Gunfights DownloadWant to learn more from Terry? Get his How to Avoid Gunfights – Living Ready University Online Course instant download.

Is Everyday Carry (EDC) Really Necessary?

Seriously, is it really necessary to carry all the time? You bet it is. Photo by Corey Graff
Seriously, is it really necessary to carry all the time? You bet it is. Photo by Corey Graff

A fellow retired cop buddy recently asked me if I still carry every day after all these years. “Yep,” I replied, “Murphy’s law of inverse proportion still applies.” (The probability of an event increases in direct proportion to your lack of preparation for it.) Let me give you an example.

I was going for a quick little errand on my Harley recently when I decided to leave my gun home due to the hot weather. I passed a local park with a vehicle parking area elevated above a busy playground and, out of the corner of my eye, saw a guy open his trunk, take out a scoped rifle and get back in his car with it.

In cop vernacular, that was an official “Oh S—!” moment.

I positioned myself and the bike uphill behind the subject (still in his car), got dispatch on the cell phone and gave them, in this order; situation, location, description of the vehicle, description of the subject and description of me and then stayed on the phone with dispatch while keeping eyes on the subject. (I figured if he started to set up on the kids, a fifteen-hundred pound Harley made a pretty good impact weapon.)

Three units arrived. The officers made a professional approach, guns at high-ready and proned the guy out. I stayed back and let them do their thing. (Don’t ever approach officers who have their guns drawn or you will instantly become part of the problem.)

It seems he was just a regular guy with no priors — and no smarts — who'd bought an air rifle and couldn’t wait to get it home to take a look at it. After they sent him on his way with a stern admonition the cops came over and thanked me for “dropping a dime” as we spent a minute or so admiring the Harley. Then they left and we all went about our business.

Now, what would I have done had I been packing my pistol? Exactly the same thing.

That's right. This dufus never presented a lethal threat to anybody and being stupid is not a capital offense. I would have begun my response exactly the same way with a “suspicious circumstances” call for uniformed officers.

If he threatened the kids directly prior to the arrival of the cavalry and I had to take action, at least they would know my physical description as the “good guy.” I would have made a stealthy approach (to neutralize the distance advantage of his rifle) got him at gunpoint and commanded him to drop his weapon.

But I wasn’t armed. And so I got lucky. This time.

Lesson learned? Carry every day — or just as sure as I write these words sooner or later Murphy’s gonna get ya!

Editor’s Note: Got a question for Joseph Terry about concealed carry not covered here? Log in and post your question in the comments below.

Concealed Carry: Holster Alternatives for Women

Photo courtesy Concealed Carry for Women.
Photo courtesy Concealed Carry for Women.

Some concealed carry holsters tend to work better for women than others. Here are some guidelines to use for holster alternatives.

If you're an armed woman with a concealed carry permit you've declared your independence from fear. However, holster considerations may be different for you because of the delights of physiology.

The gentle arc from hip to waist is more profound on many women making the top of the gun or holster “bite” when using an inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster. While many women prefer a tailored look and thin belts, belt carry is prone to “print” or wobble.

This drives many to purse carry. That’s fine if you understand the benefits and risks. Purse snatches are common on city streets but that's not the only danger. A handgun should never be carried in a purse mingled with other contents because of the risk of objects getting inside the trigger guard and creating an accidental discharge, or fouling the action and jamming the gun.

Fanny Pack for Women.
Photo courtesy Concealed Carry for Women.

Many vendors offer excellent concealment purses with dedicated pockets for the gun. Get a revolver with an enclosed hammer for this application because, if the circumstance demands, it can actually be shot through the walls of the purse.

Another option suitable for casual wear is a fanny pack. Although this is a slower option than belt carry, if you keep good defensive space it provides excellent security and is quite comfortable when worn on the strong side just in front of the hip bone. Small revolvers and semi-autos fit easily into belt packs.

The expensive black leather or ballistic nylon ones are guy swag. Colorful nylon offerings from the discount stores work just fine. You can buy several in different colors and match them to your outfits. One tip if you go this route: Tie a three inch loop of cord or yarn through the zipper that opens the pistol pocket so you have something easy to grab.

Editor’s Note: Got a question for Joseph Terry about concealed carry not covered here? Log in and post your question in the comments below.


Concealed-Carry-For-Women-BookEditor's Note: Concealed Carry for Women, a new book by Gila Hayes, is now available. It takes a comprehensive approach for women who have decided to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense. Click Here to Get Your Copy

How to Pick Your First Concealed Carry Holster

The author recommends a leather holster with thumb break retention strap, like this model from Blackhawk.
The author recommends a leather holster with thumb break retention strap, like this model from Blackhawk.

A Gun Digest reader asks, “I’m taking my first concealed weapons class with a small frame 9mm pistol. Can you recommend a specific holster to get started?”

Great question. I can point you in a general direction but holster selection is like dating success: highly subjective and dependent on many factors. So don’t be surprised if you end up shopping around some.

To start with, focus on four things: (1) leather, (2) belt mount, (3) high ride, and (4) thumb snap. Several excellent manufacturers (Bianchi, Galco, De Santis) offer models with all four of these features.

And here are the reasons. When you start carrying concealed regularly—and you should carry more days than not if you are truly serious—don’t be surprised if you feel awkward, uncomfortable and self-conscious. These are common and perfectly contextual reactions. Flow with them. They will pass with experience, but do take them into consideration in first holster (and gun) choice.

I recommend leather because it conforms over time to your use.

I suggest an integral security strap that releases with a thumb snap, because it is common for new shooters to worry about the gun somehow coughing itself up and out of the holster. The strap is mostly psychological but it is comforting for most new users I chat with.

“High ride” means that the gun should ride with half of its weight even with or above the belt loops. This tucks the mass of the gun just below the ribs and for many people is a much more comfortable carry position when seated.

Women may find lower carry more comfortable. Because females tend to have shorter torsos, and broader hips than men (pelvic arch) they are often advised to choose a low ride holster to keep the handgun from poking into their rib cage. But with a small frame revolver—my recommendation for most women—the curved grip still rides well in a high ride design because of the shorter barrel. Low ride favors standing, high ride favors sitting.

Choosing between outside-the-waistband (OWB) and inside-the-waistband (IWB) is also highly subjective. After many years of leather OWB I went “minimal” and used a soft neoprene IWB with my Model 60 or my SIG 239, .40. This was so comfortable a carry method I would actually forget I had the gun on. The tactical problem is that if you have to pull your gun to deter an attack, it is near impossible to re-holster it easily because the neoprene collapses. With gun out, if you’re a cop and have a badge to “windmill” when the police come you’re in good shape, if you don’t you will probably get proned-out and be subject to some rather dramatic language.

I really like the OWB Kydex-type holsters except that I can’t find one that fits my Ruger SR9C (my current “little buddy”) with laser designator. Generally speaking, IWB seems more comfortable and OWB seems more tactical. If you carry every day in a “high risk” environment then I would say go OWB. However, if you carry “just in case,” try IWB.

One additional tip: Be sure to check out the articles and blogs at gundigest.com and feel free to post questions there. I’m sure many of our readers will have other good opinions.

How Risk Profile Influences Concealed Carry Holster Choice

Flashbang Holsters entered the market with a unique under bra holster for women, but quickly expanded its line to include more traditional holster options like these excellent "Baby Face" models - for women and men carrying under varying circumstances and risk profiles.
Flashbang Holsters entered the market with a unique under bra holster for women, but quickly expanded its line to include more traditional holster options like these excellent “Baby Face” models – for women and men carrying under varying circumstances and risk profiles.

Your life circumstances affect your “risk profile,” which has as much bearing on choosing the best concealed carry holster as which gun you choose to carry.

I get asked a lot of questions about concealed carry holsters, usually focused on comfort and security for the weapon. Those are important attributes but rank below an often overlooked factor of greater importance—your personal risk profile.

If you're an armed professional whose employment requires you to go in harm’s way, the most important variable would probably be speed of presentation. This “high-risk” profile would warrant a Kydex-type holster, worn on the belt on the strong side, with a slight forward tilt.

For most shooters in this risk profile, including a civilian whose life situation places them in a dangerous environment, this is likely the carry method that would facilitate the quickest draw from a standing position.

However, if you are a civilian (male) who is fortunate enough to live in a low risk town but must traverse a bad area on your regular commute to work, the most important variable might be ease of access while seated in the car.

For this application an ankle holster may be the best choice, allowing you to get to the gun quickly while in the car. Car-jacking is usually best resisted from within the car. You can present from the ankle in about one quarter of the time it takes to unclip the seatbelt, get through your cover garment, twist your torso radically and present the gun from a belt holster.

Because ankle holsters usually require a smaller pistol or revolver, when arriving at work it can be discretely transferred from its “driving position” to a jacket pocket without getting out of the car.

For women in this risk profile, a belt carry cross-draw would probably be the quickest presentation but it is less comfortable than an ankle presentation for most people and it requires pants.

If you are fortunate enough to live and work in a relatively safe area and want to be armed “just in case,” then the most important tactical variable is likely comfort. If carry becomes tedious it will soon be discarded out of habit.

When choosing a concealed carry holster, both gun and comfort play obvious roles. But keep your lifestyle and personal risk profile in mind, too—it's critical to getting the best practical fit.

Concealed Carry Reciprocity: Practical Advice Before You Travel

Concealed Carry Reciprocity, Sig P232.

Before you take a trip across state lines, heed this key advice on concealed carry reciprocity before you encounter the police.

Reader “allendavis58” asked about concealed carry reciprocity. (“Reciprocity” refers to certain states that may recognize the concealed carry permits issued by other states.)

Here's some practical advice from my perspective as a retired cop.

Imagine yourself getting “made” [Someone notices your concealed gun. – Editor]  in a state that is not the one that issued your permit. The cops are called. The officer asks you for your CCW permit and says, “I don’t know if this is valid here.”

“But they told me it was when I got it,” you say. “And I checked it on the Internet.”

Most cops couldn’t care less about what is legal in your state of residence. And you need to presume that many cops will not know if your out-of-state permit is valid in their jurisdiction. Do not expect that they have some magic “list” in their patrol car for a ready reference.

Getting a definitive answer on the validity of your permit may take only minutes or it may take a lot longer. Whether you are detained until that is reconciled or let go with an admonition would probably be considered within the realm of “officer discretion” in most areas.

But there is one important thing you can do to make it easier for cops where you travel to send you on your way with a handshake and a smile: Get a citation that documents the reciprocity agreement between your home state and the state in which you're traveling.

A reciprocity agreement is going to be documented somewhere. It may be in state criminal law or in your state's Department of Justice rules and regulations.

When you get your permit, be firm that you need a “citation” that documents the reciprocity in the state you will be traveling through.

If you already have your permit, get back in touch with your instructor and ask them to help you find the necessary citations. If the vendor that issues your permit claims multi-state validity as a sales point, the burden of proof is on them to provide citations. Confirm this before you take the class.

Now imagine you are back in the situation described above. If any question exists about reciprocity you tell the officer, “The citation for reciprocity in (state) is DOJ policy 162-(a) 12.” This gives the officer something easy to check and may—I say again “may”—get you a smile and a “No worries, buddy” send off without even doing the check.

We always need to remember that the most important law is the law of necessity. You do what you gotta do.

Just be sure you get a citation for each non-resident state you plan to travel in, even if you have to pay an attorney to research it for you.

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