BALLISTIC BASICS

DEFCON 1

JUST THE LAW

NO MAGIC BULLET STORAGE WARS DANGEROUS FANTASY

CONCEALEDCARRY
CONCEALED
CARRY
THE ULTIMATE RESOURCE FOR RESPONSIBLY ARMED AMERICANS

APRIL 2014

volume11 issue3

JOTTO GEAR

INSTANT ACCESS INSIDE THE WALL

THE MIGHTY
.357 MAGNUM
THE PERPETUAL POWERHOUSE

SAFE
STORAGE

HEAVYWEIGHT GUN GUARDIANS

www.USCCA.com

OUT OF
REACH?
KEEP GUNS OUT OF LITTLE HANDS

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FEATURES

SECURE YOUR GUNS

49 JOTTO HOME SECURITY
SCI-FI STORAGE
54 OUT OF REACH?
AWAY FROM LITTLE HANDS
62 FIGHTING .410
LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING
67 BAGGING THE GUN
SIDEKICK OPTIONS
72 JUST ASK
AFTERMARKET ASSUMPTIONS
76 EXOTIC HOLSTERS
ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY
83 HOLSTER TRIO
THREE FOR THE SIG
88 ILLINOIS HOSTAGE CRISIS!
RANSOMED BY THE FOID SYSTEM
92 THE MIGHTY .357
STILL HITTING HARD AFTER 80 YEARS
98 SLING IT
BLACKHAWKS ON THE CASE
42 GUN SAFES

AGE GUN CLEANING

SPACE
MEET THE FUTURE
110 WHAT FRONT SIGHT?
ON TARGET AT THE EYE DOC
104

COLUMNS

BALLISTIC BASICS
NO
MAGIC BULLETS
24 LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN
BACK TO BASICS
28 ITS JUST THE LAW
FANTASY LAND
22

32

1
DEFCON
STORAGE WARS

DEPARTMENTS

114 INSTRUCTORS CORNER

118 ONE TO THE HEAD

6 PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
8 EDITORS SHOT
10 ASK THE USCCA
12 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
14 TRUE STORIES
20 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
34 GEAR WE LOVE
39 BATTLE BLADES
40 DRILL OF THE MONTH

APRIL 2014

5
WWW.USCCA.COM

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

BY TIM SCHMIDT

From One Responsibly

Armed American to Another...

YOUVE PROBABLY NEVER made it through the pages of Concealed Carry Magazine
at least not through this columnwithout seeing the phrase responsibly armed American mentioned a time or two.

APRIL 2014

6
WWW.USCCA.COM

Well, theres good reason for that. Regardless of the USCCAs mission to educate, train, equip, and insure responsibly
armed Americans all across the country, and regardless of
Concealed Carry Magazines place as the #1 resource for responsibly armed Americans, its still something you and
Iand all the people who put their time and hearts
into this great organizationhave in common.
When we get to the bottom line, its what connects us: our commitment to carrying firearms to
keep our loved ones safe.
But we both know theres a huge difference between occasionally carrying a gun for
self-protection and taking the ultimate oath
to do whatever it takes to protect the ones we
love. Now, Im not here to tell you what to
carry or where to carry or how to carry.
The best person to decide those things
is YOU. But if there is one thing we
can both agree on, its that being responsibly armed is
all about responsibility.
So when people ask
me why I do what I
do and what being
responsibly
armed
means to me, I always
start there. Indeed, the
first step to becoming
a responsibly armed
American is to make the
decision to carry a firearm
and then fully commit to that decision. Being armed is a serious matter. Theres simply no going halfway.
Next up? Training. We both know the
more we practice, the better we will be. So
practice, practice, practice. Practice makes
prepared!
Of course, we cant discount safety. And no,
Im not talking about trigger locks or gun safes
or secret bunkers filled with ammo. Im talking
about respecting guns, teaching your children

to respect guns, and following the universal safety rules every single time you pick up a gun.
And last but not least, theres one thing that brings all of
the others together: your mindset. Understanding the
physical and psychological weight of carrying a
firearm, practicing good situational awareness,
rehearsing scenarios in your mind...these are
all ways to transform yourself from someone
who talks the talk into someone who walks
the walksomeone who lives the life of a
responsibly armed American.
The life of a responsibly armed American is never glamorous. It doesnt come
with off days. And unlike other commitments we make that have tangible
results, being responsibly armed is
often about the things we cant see.
Security. Goodness. Peace.
But thats the way we want it.
After all, the best fight is the one
were not in. But if the fight
comes to us, we will be ready.
I believe without an ounce
of doubt that being a responsibly armed American is both
a right and a responsibility. But
whether we accept that responsibilitywell, thats a choice. Its a choice I
continue to make over and over again, every
single day.
Thank you for making that same choice.
Thank you for being a responsibly armed
American.
Take Care and Stay Safe,

Tim Schmidt

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EDITORS SHOT

BY KEVIN MICHALOWSKI

What have you

done for me lately?

FROM TIME TO TIME, I enter into animated conversations with people who have different, shall we say, world views.

APRIL 2014

8
WWW.USCCA.COM

Let me point out that I am not a man

who wears blinders. I may be a single-issue kind of guy when it comes to guns and
gun control, but I have an open mind and
always look at things from various points
of view before I spout off on a topic.
That is why I regularly go out of my way
to converse with those who hold different
beliefs than mine. I have a great and burning desire to learn more about everything.
So I truly want to know why people think
the way they do.
Recently I engaged a rabid anti-gunner on the topic of firearm safety as she
sprayed her venom about the number
of children killed as a result of accidental
shootings. The conversation came to an
abrupt end when I asked, What have you
ever done to further the efforts of firearm
safety?
The woman could not even list one of
the four cardinal rules of firearm safety.
She had been through no firearm training
at all and she had never spoken to anyonemuch less childrenabout the importance of firearm safety.
When I pointed out to her that gun ownership is not only a right but also a personal responsibility, she looked like a monkey
with a math problem. She could not seem
to fathom that it is gun owners who have
done more to train safe shooters than anyone else.
That question has become something of
a rallying cry for me now. What have you
done, today, to promote firearm safety?
The question is not just directed at anti-gunners who we know have done nothing, but for you and your friends. What
have you done today?
Have you offered to give a speech at
the local Lioness Club or FFA Chapter encouraging people to store guns and am-

munition properly and safely? Have you

discussed the firearm safety rules with
your children or grandchildren? Have you
shown your spouse or significant other
where and how you store your guns and
had a discussion about safety topics such
as using the proper ammo or keeping the
weapon clean and in good working order?
As honest, law-abiding gun owners, it is
up to us to set the example, to show the
world that we know what we are doing.
There are basically three groups of people involved in this debate: pro-gunners,
anti-gunners, and those who dont own
guns (but dont hate guns). We need
to show that final group of people
that gun owners are rational
people; that gun ownership
is not dangerous and that we
take pride and responsibility
in the rights we hold dear.
Ive said it before: the
best way to win this debate is to be the best gun
owners we can be. This is a
public relations battle that
we must win.
In case you have forgotten, here are those four rules.
Quiz your kids. Recite them
to your neighbors. Show the
world you care.
1. Treat every firearm as if it
is loaded.
2. Never point any firearm
at anything you are not
willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger
off the trigger until
you have made a
conscious decision
to shoot.
4. Know your target

and what is beyond it.

Share those rules and you will ensure
that unintended firearms injuries and
deaths continue to fall.
Stay safe. Train hard.
Kevin Michalowski
Executive Editor
Concealed Carry Magazine

ASK THE USCCA

Lawyer-Proof
Self-Defense?

APRIL 2014

10

MY QUESTION IS THIS: Would the modification of sights

be brought up in a lawsuit with regard to the fact that the gun was modified
from the manufacturers specs, much in the way as if you had defended
yourself with homemade reloads over factory-loaded ammo?

WWW.USCCA.COM

Would the opposing lawyers try to

say that you were hot dogging your
gun and made these changes in an
attempt to make it more lethal than
originally designed? Im just wondering
what legal protection one would have
in a situation like this.

Thanks again for all of your efforts to

make this fine magazine and provide us
with great information.
Robert, Visalia, CA
Robert ,
Though I will preface my response

with the standard I Am Not An Attorney disclaimer, I can tell you in good
conscience that sights, ammunition,
and other gun mods are basically never
an issue unless said modifications move
the firearm out of, as you refer to, factory specifications. The only area in which
you would be opening yourself up to serious legal vulnerability would be were
you to modify a safety mechanism in a
firearm. Allow me to explain.
Say you buy a pistol that features a

TO SUBMIT A QUESTION TO ASK THE USCCA,

VISIT US ON FACEBOOK AT FACEBOOK.COM/USCCA

President & CEO

Tim Schmidt
Executive Editor
Kevin Michalowski
Associate Editor
Ed Combs
Creative Director
Ken Wangler
Art Director
Dusty Reid
Copy Editor
Carla Dickmann
Photographers
Ken Wangler Dusty Reid
Columnists
Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D. Tamara Keel
K.L. Jamison, ESQ. Duane A. Daiker
M.D. Johnson Duncan Mackie
Mark Walters Tim Schmidt
Michael Martin
Contributing Writers
Beth Alcazar Gretchen Steele
Bob Pilgrim Robert Campbell
Scott Wagner George Harris
Steve Collins Rick Sapp
James L. Anderson Dave Morelli
Rob Reed C.R. Williams
Published for USCCA by:

Aftermarket sights and home-reloaded

ammunition are not legal concerns for
responsibly armed Americans as long as
certain standards are maintained.

Stay safe,
Ed Combs
Associate Editor

Concealed Carry Magazine (USPS: 022-302,

ISSN: 1550-7866), Volume 11, Issue 3,
April, 2014 Issue. Published 8 times a year,
monthly except combined issues:
Feb/Mar; May/June; Aug/Sept and Nov/Dec.
By Delta Defense, LLC,
300 S. 6th Ave., West Bend, WI 53095.
Periodicals postage paid at Jackson,
WI and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
Concealed Carry Magazine,
300 S. 6th Ave., West Bend, WI 53095

11
Signed articles in Concealed Carry Magazine reflect the views of the
author, and are not necessarily the views of the editors at
Delta Defense, LLC. Concealed Carry Magazine and the U.S. Concealed
Carry 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 Magazine
is prohibited without written permission.

WWW.USCCA.COM

As far as sights are concerned, youre

no more likely to take additional legal
heat over aftermarket sights than you
are for using jacketed hollow-points.
Your lawyer will simply point out that
police use night sights and JHPs because theyre the best tools for the
job, and you were only following their
lead and showing due regard for the
safety of your neighbors. Along those
lines, as long as you can prove that you
handloaded that cartridge with a powder charge and projectile to published
specifications that are no different from
those bought off the shelf in a store,
your lawyer should be able to outrun
the ambulance chasers.

National Advertising Director

Bruce Wolberg
(715) 445-8722
(715) 281-4075
ads@deltamediallc.com
bruce@uscca.com

APRIL 2014

backstrap safety and a trigger that, as

listed in the manufacturer-provided instruction manual, can safely be set to a
pull weight of anywhere between 5 and
14 pounds. If you have that trigger pull
set anywhere within that factory specificationthat designers specsyou
will not be vulnerable to any type of
special scrutiny were you to be forced
to defend yourself with that sidearm.
Even were such scrutiny proposed, any
competent lawyer would quash it within moments.
However, were you to set that factory
trigger at 5 pounds and then do something silly like hiring a crooked gunsmith to tap and pin down your safety,
thus disabling it, now you have gone
outside of the designers and manufacturers specs and would probably be
opening yourself up to increased legal
problems.

300 S. 6th Ave.

West Bend, WI 53095
(877) 677-1919 Customer Service

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

My 4-year-old grandson
found your magazine and had
to look at every page. You just
cant start them too early!
Thanks for a great service!
Bill, via email

Bob,
Thanks for your letter. I know there is a
debate about open carry vs. concealed carry, but I stand by my assertion that it is a
personal choice and only you can decide
how to best protect yourself. My goal in
life is to help more people carry guns all
the time, whether it be open carry or concealed. Guns reduce crime.
Stay safe,
Kevin Michalowski
Executive Editor, Concealed Carry Magazine

Working The Slide

Gentlemen,

Illinois Needs Concealed Carry

Your article in the January issue of Concealed Carry Magazine about the new
Illinois CCW update refreshed my memory of an incident my grandson experienced
several years ago in Chicago. While driving home from work on the near north side
of Chicago he knew his right front tire needed air, so he decided to pull into a gas
station hoping there was an air hose he could use. The attendant told him there
was a public air hose on the side of the station, so he pulled around and started
filling the low tire. Suddenly, four men attacked him from behind, the first hitting
him over the head with a cement block (breaking it in the process). The others
proceeded to punch and kick him while he lay dazed on the ground. Regaining his
senses, he reached for a piece of the broken block and swung, hitting two of them
in their shins. They both fell to the ground as he regained his feet and again swung
the piece of block, hitting a third in the head. At that point another gas station
customer came running to his aid, yelling as he approached the scene, and the four
assailants ran off, pulling their head-injured partner with them.
With the Illinois law against concealed carry, my grandson decided the only way
to protect himself in the future was to carry a gun illegally. At the time I couldnt
understand how a state could stop citizens from protecting themselves. I didnt
hesitate to condone his violation at the time, feeling my love for him above and beyond state law. Its unfortunate how some misguided legislators have cost so many
lives because of selfish political ignorance.
We are now a trained and licensed concealed carry family. Your magazine is
eagerly awaited every month. Its unfortunate we live in a world where we must
continually protect ourselves, but now criminals will have to guess and risk their
lives against who is and who isnt ready to do so.
Thanks and God Bless your efforts. John, via email

APRIL 2014

12

Concealed Or Open Carry,

The Choice Is Yours

WWW.USCCA.COM

Kevin,
Thanks for asking for comments. I live in Oregon and though I do conceal at times,
I normally open carry. Yes I give up a tactical advantage, but I believe I also deter
criminal action. I have worked as a police officer and have found most (almost all)
criminals are lazy and if there is even the slightest chance of resistance they will
move on, because they want easy prey. Have I been wrong before? Of course. But
the many times I have answered questions about Oregon law and open carry asked
by curious citizens have made for a more informed and intelligent populace.
Bob Summerfield, via email

I have a question regarding slides on

automatics: have you ever tested how
many pounds of force it takes to pull various slides on different guns or calibers?
I would like to carry an automatic, but I
cant pull the slide back on ones Ive tried
due to arthritis. Im sure that other seniors
have the same problem. I have talked to
manufacturers regarding this and they say
with a lighter spring the weapon will beat
itself to death. Do larger caliber handguns
like .45s have easier slides than something
smaller like a 9mm? If there isnt anything
available with an easy slide, Ill continue to
carry my revolver.
Thanks,
Bob Feierabend, via email
Bob,
We have not done a test on the force it
takes to draw a slide to the rear, but I have
noticed great differences in some pistols,
even those of the same caliber. For instance,
the slide on the Taurus Millennium G-2
seems much easier to retract than that of
the S&W Shield.
You may wish to consider a Beretta or
Taurus tip-up barrel pistol. They load by inserting a round into the barrel, then inserting the magazine. I know Beretta made the
Model 86 in .380, but you may have to look
for a used gun. I dont know if the model is in
the current catalog.
Stay safe,
Kevin Michalowski
Executive Editor, Concealed Carry Magazine

Do Things Change

At The Gym?

What are your thoughts on exposing

a weapon while changing in a gym locker room? Sooner or later youre going to

have to drop your pants and the secret

is outunless maybe you carry a pocket
holster. I carry a Ruger SR9c in a tuckable
IWB holster.
I know the academic answer. The Second Amendment allows me to keep and
bear a weapon. My state might impose
some stipulations on how that is done. My
municipality might impose further stipulations. And my gym might have its own
policy. They dont. I asked, and they had
no answer, as theyd never been asked the
question before; theyre looking into it.
My personal feeling is that because
I pay dues to join this private club, the
space is therefore private, not public. If the
weapon is unintentionally exposed in the
locker room, its no different from exposing it in my own bedroom. What do you
think?
BTW you guys are doing a great job.
Thanks,
Dennis Nord, via email
Dennis,
Your academic answer is pretty much
right on the mark. But if you really want to
avoid any possible problems, simply take
your holstered gun out of your pants and
place it in your gym bag before you go inside. Then the gun will remain hidden from
view and securely locked in your locker while
you exercise. You could discreetly replace the
gun and holster on your hip in a bathroom
stall after your workout. Taking those extra
steps will ensure you wont offend the sensibilities of anyone at the club.
But maybe if you are a member of a club
that doesnt like guns, you should find a new
club.
Stay safe,
Kevin Michalowski
Executive Editor, Concealed Carry Magazine

Error On Page 89
Of February Issue
The specs you list for the CM9 are NOT
for the CM9.
For example, unloaded weight is 16
ounces, not the 24 you have listed. Width
is .9 not 1.2 inches. Its DAO not SA/DA, its
striker fired not external hammer, etc.
Thought you should know about the
mistake. Otherwise a great article.
Larry Hull, via email
Larry,
My most sincere apologies for the error
that appeared on P. 89 of the Feb./March
edition.
The error crept in because of a simple yet
important production process I did not personally double check. I take full responsibility and will work to ensure it never happens
again.
I think you for your eagle eye and more importantly your patience. Here are the stats you
are looking for. We regret the error.
KAHR CM9
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 6+1
Operation: Trigger cocking DAO; lockedbreech; Browning - type recoil lug; passive
striker block; no magazine disconnect
Barrel: 3 inches, conventional rifling; 1 - 10
right-hand twist
Length: 5.42 inches
Height: 4 inches
Slide Width: .9 inches
Weight: 14 ounces, magazine 1.9 ounces
Grips: Textured polymer
Sights: Drift adjustable, white bar-dot combat sights
Finish: Black polymer frame, matte stainless
steel slide
Magazine: 1 - 6 rd flush floorplate
Humbly,
Kevin Michalowski
Executive Editor, Concealed Carry Magazine

Dear Dave,
Im very sorry to hear you found yourself
amid such an expensive cluster at the airport. Its frustrating that the very people who
hold the power to streamline or spoil a day
are often those who are least-versed in the
actual letter of the law or policy in play. Your
story is an unfortunately common one and
a reminder that no matter what evidence is
staring some folks in the face, they will never admit that theyre wrong. To paraphrase
Groucho Marxs Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush,
who were you going to believe, her or those
crooked hard copies of airline policy? If you
have the time and energy, you might send
a letter (or a photocopy of this page) to the
airline in question and hint that they could
perhaps rectify their representatives error.
An upgrade or discount perhaps, or at least
$38 worth of pretzels and warm towels?
Stay safe,
Ed Combs
Associate Editor, Concealed Carry Magazine

Send your letters to

Editor@usconcealedcarry.com

13
WWW.USCCA.COM

Ed,
I may not have a ton of experience flying
with firearms, but I never got to TSA with
my checked bag. It was the airline count-

er agent who decided everything. She

consulted the airline rules (which I had a
printed copy of from their website). I met
precisely what they prescribed. Some of
my ammo was bulk packed in the original
manufacturers boxes, without individual
dividers, something she had not seen before. She called a supervisor who would
not come to the counter to see for her/him
self, and rather took the easy way out of
allowing the counter agent to refuse to let
me check my ammo even though it was
in the original packaging. (She did allow
my charged magazines and my filled 50
round plastic ammo box, though.) Even
the opinion of the Las Vegas Police Sergeant didnt change her misguided opinion. I offered to give the ammo to the
Sarge, but he declined, stating that the
paperwork was overwhelming.
So, I spent $38 to have $65 worth of
ammo mailed back to me.
Dave P., via email

APRIL 2014

I carry wherever I can go legally and 99

percent of the time I open carry. I do this
for the reason you mentioned in your article about this subject. I see myself as an
ambassador for the Second Amendment.
The more I can carry openly, the more I
can help change the perception of those
who carry. I make sure I am very polite and
patient. I have had good conversations
with people because of my choice to open
carry. The tactical advantage is one that I

am willing to sacrifice in order to help my

brothers in arms come out of the shadows.
Tom, via email

TRUE STORIES

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
Compiled by Duncan Mackie

New Hampshire
CCW Holder Foils
Carjacking

A Nashua CCW holder reacted quickly

when an unknown man opened the passenger door to his car and got in. Drawing
his legally-carried concealed pistol, the
armed citizen aimed the pistol at the head
of the intruder and held him for police. The
authorities did not fault the gun owner for
his actions, noting that he was legally carrying the pistol and that the intruder admitted his plan to steal the car.
www.boston.cbslocal.com, Boston, MA

Armed Ohio

Homeowner Thwarts
Daylight Burglars

77-Year-Old Arizona Man

Shoots Home Invader
APRIL 2014

14

A Phoenix man was awakened at 3 a.m. by strange noises in his home. Having been
burglarized several times before, he took a shotgun with him when he went to investigate the noises. Encountering an unknown man in the front part of his home, he fired
one shot at the intruder, killing him. Police are investigating the incident.
www.abc15.com, Phoenix, AZ

WWW.USCCA.COM

Would-Be Georgia Jewelry Store

Robbers Take Hammer to Gun Fight

Two young men entered a Duluth jewelry store and smashed a showcase with a
hammer in a robbery attempt. Seeing what was going on, the armed store owner
drew a pistol and confronted the two, who immediately fled on seeing the owners
gun. Police are investigating the attempted robbery.
MyFOXAtlanta.com, Atlanta, GA

A Toledo man heard what sounded

like someone breaking into his garage at
11:30 a.m. Taking up his pistol, he went to
investigate the noise. Encountering three
young men in the act of breaking into the
property, he fired one shot at them, hitting
no one but putting the burglars to flight.
Police cited Ohios Stand Your Ground law
in discussing whether prosecutors would
file charges against the homeowner. That
law gives homeowners the benefit of the
doubt when using deadly force against attempts to invade a home, business, or car.
The Blade, Toledo, OH

Alabama Gun

Owner Stops Dollar

Store Incident

A man drew a pistol in an Orrville Dollar

Store, waved it in the air and ordered customers into a back room. As he was being
ushered into the back room, one of the
customers drew his legally-carried pistol
and shot the assailant, killing him and putting an end to the incident.
The Selma Times-Journal, Selma, AL

COMFORT WHEN YOU NEED IT.

Designed for Protection. Engineered for Comfort.
n82tactical.com

TRUE STORIES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

TN Homeowner
Fights Off Assailants
After Being Shot

A Knoxville man is in serious condition

after fighting off two men who invaded his
home recently. The two men shot the victim
multiple times, but he was able to retrieve
a handgun and return fire on the intruders,
killing one and putting the second to flight.
Police believe the 66-year-old homeowner
was acting in self-defense.
WVLT-TV, Knoxville, TN

Louisiana Granny

Gets Her Gun, Stops

Robbery by ShotgunToting Teen

Armed Massachusetts

Resident Foils Armed and

Masked Home Invaders

APRIL 2014

16

A Dorchester man confronted two armed and masked burglars with a gun when they
forced their way into his apartment in a mid-morning home invasion. Firing on them, he
killed one and put the other to flight. As the surviving burglar left the apartment building, he was quickly apprehended by a police officer who happened to be at the right
place at the right time. Criminal charges are pending against the surviving criminal. Police are investigating whether the defending resident has a license to own the handgun.
www.boston.com, Boston, MA

Pennsylvania CCW Holder

Wins Against Armed Robber

WWW.USCCA.COM

A Chester man was leaving a bar early one morning when he was accosted by an
armed man in a robbery attempt. The CCW holder drew his legally-carried weapon and
engaged the robber. In the ensuing exchange of fire, both men were wounded, the
robber fatally. Police referred the case to Delaware County prosecutors, who will decide
whether to file charges against the victim.
www.philly.com, Philadelphia, PA

A 63-year-old Shreveport grandmother

was at home alone one night when a 17-yearold with a shotgun forced his way into the
house and robbed her. After handing him a
bag of coins that she kept in a safe, she drew
a loaded handgun she kept in the same safe
and fired on the robber, killing him.
www.ksla.com, Shreveport, LA

Armed Oregon

Woman Prevents
Daylight Burglary

Normally Lisa Atkin wouldnt be home on

a Wednesday morning, but she was home
sick resting in bed when she heard what she
though were her dogs fooling around and
being puppy Labradors. When the barking
intensified, she got up to investigate and
brought her sidearm with her. She encountered a man who had broken into her home,
and was able to hold him at gunpoint until
police arrived and transported him to the
Lane County jail.
www.kezi.com, Eugene, OR

I carry.
Its my choice.
Its my right.
Its my Taurus.

738 FS
Available in .380 ACP
The lightest semi-automatic
Taurus firearm at only 10.2 oz.
View our complete collection
of concealed carry firearms
at TaurusUSA.com.

TM

Brittney L.

Decatur, GA
TM

/TaurusUSA

@taurususa

CarryOnMovement.com

LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Gun rights group sues University

of Florida over gun rules

The University of Florida filed a request to dismiss a gun rights groups lawsuit
against it. The university said Florida Carry Inc. has no standing, or sufficient interest
in the cases outcome, because none of its members are affected by the universitys
policy, according to a request filed with the 8th Judicial Circuit Court.
The university also repeated that the amendment to its policy for guns on campus
complies with Florida Carrys recent court victory against the University of North
Floridas policy for guns in cars.
In a phone conversation with UF general counsel Jamie Lewis Keith, Florida Carry
Executive Director Sean Caranna didnt discuss suing the university or opposing its
policy for guns in university housing, according to a sworn statement from Keith.
The dismissal request is a common step in federal cases, less so in state ones,
Caranna said in an interview. His group is challenging the universitys policy on guns
in cars and university-owned housing. Both Caranna and UF spokeswoman Janine
Sikes have acknowledged state law prohibiting guns on college campuses.
The heart of the case is whether university housing counts or if its considered a
students home, giving students the right to store guns in their housing, Caranna
said. No one is holding class in their car, no one is holding class in their dorm, no one
is holding class in off-campus apartments owned by the university, he said. Those
are not part of the education environment.
Sikes could not comment on pending litigation.
From WUFT News 1 February 2014

New York passes first major gun

control law since Newtown

APRIL 2014

20
WWW.USCCA.COM

New York lawmakers approved the toughest gun control law in the nation,
expanding the states existing assault weapons ban and addressing gun ownership
by those with mental illnesses in the first major legislative action in response to the
Newtown, Conn. school massacre.
The measure passed the state Assembly 104-43 after passing the state Senate 4318. Gov. Andrew Cuomo quickly signed the legislation. This unfortunately required
tragedies and loss of life to actually spur the political process to action, Cuomo said in
remarks minutes before signing the bill. This will be the toughest gun control package
in the nation, Sen. Jeffrey Klein, leader of the Independent Democratic Conference
that shares majority control with Republican senators, had told The Associated Press.
All in all, it is a comprehensive, balanced approach that will save lives.

In a statement, the National Rifle

Association said it was outraged,
and called New Yorks gun control
bill draconian. The NRA expressed
skepticism about the new law in a
statement: While lawmakers could
have taken a step toward strengthening
mental health reporting and focusing
on criminals, they opted for trampling
the rights of law-abiding gun owners in
New York, and they did it under a veil of
secrecy in the dark of night.
This legislation is not about hunters,
sportsmen, or legal owners who use
their guns appropriately, Cuomo said.
It is about reducing gun violence and
making New York a safer place to live.
Legislators in other states also are
moving forward with gun control
legislation.
In New Jersey, one of 18 new gun
bills submitted to the legislature would
require gun buyers to submit to a
psychological evaluation. A bill requiring
gun owners to register annually, and
another requiring all guns to be kept
in lock boxes when not in use may be
introduced in California. In Connecticut,
state Sen. Beth Bye wants to limit access
to assault weapons and high-capacity
magazines, and require that firearms be
registered by model and serial number.
From U.S. News 15 January 2014

U.S. judge upholds

Connecticut gun
control law

A federal judge upheld Connecticuts

gun control law, saying the sweeping
measure is constitutional even as he
acknowledged the Second Amendment
rights of gun owners who sued to block it.
The law, which Gov. Dannel P. Malloy
signed last April after months of
negotiations in the legislature, was not
entirely written with the utmost clarity,
U.S. District Judge Alfred Covello said
in his 47-page decision. Still, several
provisions are not impermissibly vague
in all of their applications and, therefore,
the challenged portions of the legislation
are not unconstitutionally vague.
Lawmakers, responding to the
shooting massacre at Sandy Hook
Elementary School that killed 20
children and six educators on Dec.
14, 2012, banned the sale of largecapacity magazines and made more
weapons illegal under the states assault

 South Carolina

kicks back ban on

concealed carry in
restaurants

no gun control law has ever reduced

crime, they now realize they have to
strengthen the laws affirming their
constitutional rights before they are
further chipped away.
From The Washington Times 28
January 2014

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APRIL 2014

President Obama and his gun-control

buddies were successful in pushing
through new restrictions on the Second
Amendment in eight states last year.
But now, South Carolina has bucked
the trend and moved to strengthen the
right to bear arms.
Gov. Nikki Haley is expected to soon
sign a bill, which passed the General
Assembly on Thursday, that allows for
concealed carry in bars and restaurants.
Gun owners will still have to have a
legal permit and not drink alcohol. This
is the first gun-related state legislation
to be sent to a governor this year.
Doug
Mayer,
the
governors
spokesman, said that she will sign any
bill that doesnt restrict the rights of
guns owners. South Carolina was one
of only two statesthe other being
Louisianathat outright banned guns
in places that served alcohol. And, of
course, the District of Columbia does
not recognize any carry rights outside

of a few very limited circumstances.

The National Rifle Association (NRA)
has been pushing for this legislation for
a year. The bill also extends the term of
a license and improves the application
and renewal process.
Mr. Obama and his moneyman Mike
Bloomberg exploited the tragedy at
Sandy Hook Elementary School in
Newtown, Conn. to advance their gun
grab agenda in 2013. But Americans
realized that infringing upon their
Second Amendment rights must have
a proven public safety purpose. Since

CHOSEN BY ISRAELI POLICE MADE IN ISRAEL TRUSTED IN AMERICA

weapons ban. While the act burdens the

plaintiffs Second Amendment rights, it
is substantially related to the important
governmental interest of public safety
and crime control, Covello ruled.
Brian Stapleton, the lawyer for a group
of Connecticut organizations that support
gun rights, pistol permit holders, and
gun sellers, said he will appeal. This is a
disappointing decision, but not entirely
surprising, he said. This is a long way
from over. Stapleton said the ruling
acknowledges the plaintiff s Second
Amendment rights before it guts them.
Attorney General George Jepsen said
the law is entirely appropriate, sensible
and lawful.
We will continue to vigorously defend
them in the event of any appeal that may
be filed of this decision, he said.
Stapleton
said
Covellos
acknowledgment
that
firearms
magazines are in common use and have
a lawful purpose are important facts that
bolster the argument of opponents to
gun restrictions. He also cited Covellos
statement that the Connecticut law levies
a substantial burden on the plaintiff s
Second Amendment rights.
From ABCNews.com 31 January 2014

BALLISTIC BASICS | LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN | ITS JUST THE LAW | DEFCON 1

TAMARA KEEL

THE NAME MEANS

NOTHING. BULLET
PLACEMENT STOPS
THE FIGHT.

NO MAGIC
BULLETS

AS I WRITE THIS, another wave of ballistic hyperbole is

sweeping across the Internet. Theres a new bullet out! It sets
the paradigm on its ear! Gun owners are drooling for this, the
last bullet youll ever need! Blah, blah, blah, yakkity-shmakkity.

APRIL 2014

Stick around long enough and youll notice this phenomenon

happen every few years. Youre sitting there, minding your own
business, and the next thing you know, friends from work or church
or the book club who know you as The Gun Expert are coming up
to you and asking about this bullet thats being hyped in the mainstream media as either the surest felon-stopper since Wyatt Earp or
the biggest menace to society since John Dillinger.
Its rare for something as esoteric as a projectile design to
come to the attention of the non-gun press. Generally for that to
happen, it takes one of two things: either a mainstream manufacturer made an unusually poor PR choice in the bullet naming
* coughBlackTaloncough *, or someone has launched a buzzword-laden press release with all the discrimination of a desert
island dweller putting notes in bottles.
It makes me sad when the latter happens because the press release is bound to be latched onto by the anti-gun media, who know
as much about terminal ballistics as the monkeys at the beginning
of 2001: A Space Odyssey did about interplanetary space flight. You
or I may titter behind our hands about ultimate this and devastating that, but there is a certain journalist demographic who is going
to read those wild claims and go running to their word processors
to complain about the latest death-dealing, cop-killer, baby-slaying,
homicide bullet.
Lets go back again to Winchesters Black Talon. Does anybody
think that if they had named it the Blossoming Petal Home Defense
that there would have been anywhere near the same level of controversy surrounding it? (Bear in mind that essentially the same projectile is being sold today as the Ranger-T; there are some in the pistol
on my hip as I type this. Its been 20 years and the media doesnt
seem to have caught on.)
When a new Magic Bullet is launched and makes media waves, I
always apply two filters as to whether its worth chasing down. The
first filter is Are the police using this? This is not necessarily because
I think that the police are all-that-and-a bag-of-chips in the gear-selection department, but theyve generally been okay with bullets for
the last 15 or 20 years and, should I ever have to justify my choice of
rounds in a courtroom, it would be nice to be able to say I LEARNED
IT FROM WATCHING YOU, OKAY? like the kid in the commercial.
The second filter? The second filter is Is this cartridge sold in sixround blister packs with pictures of explosions and rappelling ninjas
on them? Because if it is, well, Im just not Operator enough.

23
WWW.USCCA.COM

BALLISTIC BASICS | LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN | ITS JUST THE LAW | DEFCON 1

ED COMBS (GUEST EDITORIAL)

BACK TO
BASICS
SOLID FOUNDATIONS
YIELD RELIABLE RESULTS

EDITORS NOTE: Typically, Bruce Eimer, Ph.D. prepares the

Legally Armed Citizen column, but Dr. Eimer is taking a short

sabbatical and Ed Combs, Associate Editor of Concealed Carry
Magazine, will stand in until Eimers return.

APRIL 2014

25
WWW.USCCA.COM

We often cover the finer points of carrying concealed

in this magazine. We sometimes embrace the minutia,
such as the differences between the latest 110-grain, leadfree 9mm frangible ammo or the benefits and drawbacks of old-school
Jordan-style combat revolver grips. However, I also understand that were
growing every day here at the USCCA and as someone who was once new
to shooting, I remember sometimes feeling self-conscious about asking a
basic question of someone who was occupied teaching an advanced course.
To those who are new to carrying concealed or even new to shooting, I
would like to personally extend my welcome and congratulations. To those
who are old hands, Id ask that you read on, as a responsibly armed citizen is
never above auditing a beginners course if for no other reason than to play
gotcha with the instructor.
Listen, I dont want to get shot with anything.
In break room conversations and online discussions, hearing or reading
this usually means that someone is calling at least a temporary truce in one
of the age-old self-defense battles: what is the best self-defense cartridge or
sidearm for concealed carry?

APRIL 2014

26

Though we all agree that we dont want

to receive projectiles of any sort, the selection of a self-defense handgun is one of the
most personal decisions a woman or man
can make. While the decision is being made,
the buyer will be bombarded from all angles with hundreds of anecdotes from just
as many amateur experts wholl crow ceaselessly about bullet type, powder charge,
barrel length, and service history. Theyll be
cowed as a lightweight for choosing what
their uncle considers a puny round or condemned as a wannabe gunslinger if they
choose what their brother-in-law deems
overkill. Unfortunately, this can lead to
some would-be responsibly armed citizens
scrapping the whole plan and taking up
Frisbee golf instead.
Now, I bear no grudge against Frisbee
golf; my goal is to pair interested responsible citizens with a sidearm that will fulfill the
following criteria, neither of which I consider more important than the other:
1. It has to be a sidearm that you can
comfortably and accurately fire. If youre
scared of it or if you can barely hit the water
from a canoe, its not an option.
2. It has to be a sidearm that you will
actually carry every day. Be it a $200 .22 revolver or a $2000 custom 1911, the gun left
at home because its too heavy or inconvenient to carry is the gun that wont be with
you when you need it.
As long as those two criteria are met, I
have exactly zero interest in arguing revolver versus auto, 9mm versus .45 ACP,
jacketed hollow-point versus safety slug,
or double-action-only versus single-action/
double-action.
Now, there will be some adjustments
made once the above criteria have been
met, principally geared toward ensuring
that the individual selects the most powerful and highest capacity firearm within his
or her ability, comfort, and price range. At
the end of the day though, my goal remains
the same: I want every responsibly and legally armed citizen to possess and carry a
sidearm that he or she can effectively and
reliably deploy, and I dont care what the Internet has to say in the matter.

TOUCH, SALESMAN

WWW.USCCA.COM

If youre new to shooting or carrying

concealed, youve probably noticed that
firearms, holsters, ammunition, and other
items that round out your everyday carry setup follow the lead of other specialty
equipment: you can basically spend as little
or as much as you want on them. Heck, Ive
been shooting for 20 years and I still some-

times find myself holding two items that

seem identical, wondering why the only
difference between them appears to be an
extra zero on the end of one of their prices. Though there are clearly differences in
quality between products and these differences are often reflected on the price tag, Ill
never forget what I once heard a traveling
salesman on the Southwest Chief en route
to New Mexico lament into his scotch and
soda: You dont always get what you pay
for, but you always pay for what you get.
Indeed.
Of the many benefits offered by Concealed Carry Magazine, I think I love the
equipment and firearm reviews the most.
No one has the time or resources to run
field actuals on every last pistol, holster,
and laser on the market today. As someone
who has written some of these reviews I can
tell you that we dont either, but the hundred-plus contributing writers we employ
offer a tremendous wealth of information
when it comes time to select your next
piece of equipment. The particulars that
can so often make selecting a gun or holster
dicey hand size, body type, et cetera are
addressed in the reviews we bring to you
in every issue, and the result is fewer items
shipped to your door making the return trip
to their point of origin, inconveniencing you
and depriving you of the gear you need to
protect yourself and your loved ones.

MIND AND BODY

Once an individual selects a sidearm, he
or she usually takes the next logical step
and enrolls in an empty hand or combat
readiness program. Now, I admit that Im
not only more motivated to train in self-defense and combat handgunning than the
average concealed carrier, Ive negotiated
myself into a better position to do so. The
day I graduated from the law enforcement
recruit academy and first put on that Deputy Brown, I did so with not only a sobering
understanding of the responsibilities I was
shouldering, but also with a giddy glee only
found among those who know theyre gaining access to a really good time.
You see, firearms and self-defense training
is not only required among law enforcement
professionals, its downright encouraged.
A little background: once I had earned
the title of law enforcement officer in the
Badger State, I quickly signed on to several training-centered email lists that would
contact me regarding upcoming Federally
funded training opportunities. I availed myself of them whenever possible and at no
cost to myself or my department, and the

opportunities did not end with firearms.

There were hostage negotiation seminars,
empty hand control clinics, crash courses
in emergency combat medicine, and everything else a growing boy could ask forall
you can eat.
I understand that not everyone has the
opportunity to train in such a way. However,
I also ask that you acknowledge the following two realities:
1. Not drawing a paycheck with your firearm does not excuse you from your responsibility to train with it, and
2. Under certain circumstances, carrying a concealed firearm will only do you so
much good if you are completely defenseless without it.
If you are a mostly-able-bodied individual,
you should strongly consider augmenting
your firearm training with at least a basic
self-defense course, if for no other reason
than to improve your reaction time and build
your situational awareness capabilities.
Since the advent of the Internet, there
has been a flood of training manuals, DVDs,
circulars, and YouTube videos available to
the responsibly armed citizen. Gone are
the days when tactical training was only
available through the backs of magazines
and four-figure-a-day combat ranches, and
every woman and man who makes the decision to carry a sidearm really owes it to
themselves (and everyone else) to get as
much training in as they can.
The downside of all of the available training options is very similar to the downside
of any wide selectionthere will be wheat,
and there will be chaff. Im not willing to
throw a number out there, but Ill put it this
way: theres Gunsite Training Center and
other nationally-known programs of their
caliber, there are lesser-known but still very
competent and professional local instructors, and then theres the local yo-yo who
runs Rex Kwon Do Super-High-Speed Tactical Academy and Used Auto Glass, LLC.
You dont necessarily have to enroll in the
first option, but I really dont want you to fall
for the third one.
So how does one choose? The Web has
provided modern consumers with historys largest dartboard at which to throw
money, and no one wants to make a blind
bet on something as important as firearm
or self-defense training. Fortunately, there
are a few simple guidelines you can follow
to ensure that youll never feel the sting of
shelling out hard-earned cash for time that
would have been better spent doing draw
drills or crunches in front of the television.
For pistol and concealed carry classes at

all levels, contact USCCAs training division.

We can put you in contact with USCCA-certified instructors closest to your area, instructors who can arm you with the information
and training necessary to better prepare
yourself for a lethal force encounter.
For hand-to-hand and self-defense classes, consult your local Sheriff s Office or Police Department. Though they are not likely
to allow you to attend in-house training
with their deputies or officers, they should
be able to steer you in the right direction
and might even hook you up with the same
instructors they employ to train their own.
If theyre not willing to offer on-the-record recommendations, start calling martial
arts academies. Ask them how long they
have been in business and for info that will
allow you to contact others who have attended their programs. If you are not interested in making regular martial arts training
part of your life, do not commit to any program until they understand the following:
1. You are not interested in taking up karate as a hobby. You ARE interested in defensive tactics geared toward stopping a threat
and escaping, not winning trophies with
sparring points and flashy katas. Repeat this

to them as many times as you have to, and

do not be afraid to hang up the phone.
2. You are interested in training that will
not necessarily be compressed into one
30-minute session, but that will not become
another appointment youll have to keep
for the next six months.
Though online and home video instruction is available and common, there
really isnt any substitute for actual person-on-person, force-on-force contact
when it comes to self-defense training. Save
the videos and discussion boards for after
youve built a foundation of the basics and
have some experience upon which to draw.
If you follow these guidelines and exercise
a little common sense, you should be able to
avoid the pitfalls sometimes encountered by
those looking for professional instruction in
concealed carry and self-defense. An ounce
of prevention beats a pound of cure, especially when the prevention is good exercise,
good practice, and good thinkin.

EDUCATE, TRAIN, EQUIP, AND INSURE

of what you might like in a concealed carry sidearm or holster, I really do believe
that reviews from trusted and professional
gun writers like those who contribute to
Concealed Carry Magazine supply you, the
readership wing of our family here at the
United States Concealed Carry Association,
with the vital information you need to make
informed decisions regarding the gear and
guns upon which youll staking the safety
of yourself and your loved ones. We understand the gravity of such a responsibility,
and we are honored that you choose to
involve us in your EDC plans. I thank you
for your time, I thank you for your consideration, and I thank you for helping the
USCCAs Concealed Carry Magazine become
what it is: the ultimate defense resource for
responsibly armed Americans.
Stay safe out there and if you do ever
have to fight, cheat your tail off.
Ed Combs
Associate Editor

Opinions outnumber humans on this

planet. Though I believe that Internet
crowdsourcing has its place for rough ideas

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BALLISTIC BASICS | LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN

IT DOESNT
HAVE TO
MAKE SENSE

ITS JUST THE LAW | DEFCON 1

K. L. JAMISON

FANTASY
LAW

the
factsUnfortunately,
mean very little
to some judges and
juries. Be advised.

HE WAS ONLY TRANSPORTING HIS GUNS

APRIL 2014

29
WWW.USCCA.COM

from his old residence to a new one. But this was New Jersey.
New Jersey Law presumes possession of a firearm outside the
home to be illegal, and the unlucky guest of honor must prove that
he falls into one of the very narrow exceptions1. This sounds like some
unconstitutional fantasy, but is very real. Unconstitutional fantasies
are troublesome only when the subject comes to the attention of the
authorities. Regrettably, the guest of honor was depressed over marital
difficulties and his mother phoned the police in the vague belief that they
would make him less depressed. (This is not the function of the police.)
After determining that the guest of honor was not a danger to himself
or others, the police searched his car and found unloaded guns in
a locked container. He was arrested for possession of firearms
and hollow-point ammunition outside the home.

This has never been the law in any state except

the fantasy state of this prosecutors mind.
This prosecutor is now a judge.

APRIL 2014

30
WWW.USCCA.COM

The case was State v. Brian Aitken. The

judge conceived the fantasy that there was
insufficient evidence that Mr. Aitken was
transporting guns to a new residence. He
conceived the further fantasy that this was
his decision. Judges exist to make legal decisions. Juries exist to make fact decisions. This
was a fact decision. Three times the jury sent
out questions asking if there was an exception to the law. The judge refused to allow
an answer. The judges fantasy prevented the
jury from learning the truth. Bound by this
fantasy, the jury found him guilty and he was
sentenced to seven years in prison. So offensive was this exercise in fantasy law that even
Governor Christie was moved to commute
the sentence so that Mr. Aitken could be free
while appealing his conviction.
Ably represented by Evan Nappen, the
foremost authority on the fun-house mirror
that is New Jersey gun law, the conviction
for illegal transportation was struck down in
March, 2012, four years after Aitkens arrest.
His conviction for possession of hollow-point
ammunition is currently being appealed to
New Jerseys Supreme Court.2
It is not only judges in fun-house mirror
jurisdictions who make fantasy decisions
about firearms law. A contestant in the reality show that is the American justice system
was found to have a cartridge in his possession at the metal detector. He was arrested
and told that it was illegal to bring ammunition into the courthouse.3 This is not true.
Ammunition is banned by rule, not by law.
It is a crime to bring a weapon into a courthouse, but in that state ammunition is not
considered a weapon.4 A number of persons
have been arrested for the crime of openly
carrying weapons. A certain percentage of
these persons have won lawsuits against the

police because there

was no law in their
state against open
carry. Another percentage of this population tells the police officer that there
is no such law under
the fantasy that the
officer will apologize
and send them on
their way. YouTube
is bombarded by
videos of persons deriding officers for their
ignorance. These persons are usually arrested or cited for some variation of contempt
of cop, a very real if uncodified law.5
A lawyer was warned by a sheriff s department that his Black Talon ammunition was illegal. He nodded and smiled, as
he would at any insane fantasy, and was
released. Police cannot be expected to
know all of the laws they are expected to
enforce.6 A certain level of tolerance is required. Good manners are essential.7
Police called to reports of domestic violence often confiscate all guns in the home,
to include guns belonging to the victim. This
is often blamed on policy. There may actually be a policy that requires that victims be
disarmed under the fantasy that common
citizens cannot possibly protect themselves
and might hurt themselves in an attempt to
do so. This fantasy amounts to deprivation of
property without due process of law. The injured party can sue the department and get
attorney fees and punitive damages.8 In one
case the abusive spouse returned with another gun and killed the now defenseless victim.
In some jurisdictions prosecutors labor
under the fantasy that all shootings must
be a crime. This fantasy is common in rural
areas in which shootings are so rare that no
standard of real crime exists. In one rural
county a clerk tried to stop a thief; however,
being on crutches, he found the task beyond
his abilities. He called 9-1-1, twice, and fired
warning shots, all while in a struggle with
the thief.9 At last, being beaten with his own
crutch, he fired at the thief. The thief survived
and did an imitation of a victim, sufficient
for the prosecutor to file attempted murder
charges. At the preliminary hearing the witnesses demonstrated that for the thief to be

a victim the bullet would have had to turn

corners. Wrapped in his fantasy, the prosecutor did not notice. He was quite annoyed
when this ballistic fact was later demonstrated by the defense.10 People hate having
their fantasies discredited.
Another rural prosecutor was presented
with a local farmer who had stayed at his
mothers home while she was away. He was
attacked inside the home by a local teenage
burglar whom he killed in self-defense. The
prosecutor filed Second-Degree murder
charges, telling defense counsel his fantasy
that burglars can only be shot when crossing the perimeter of the home.11 After losing the criminal case the prosecutor told The
Oprah Winfrey Show that one can only act in
self-defense in ones own home.12 This has
never been the law in any state except the
fantasy state of this prosecutors mind. This
prosecutor is now a judge.
When a Missouri man was forced to kill
a member of the ultra-violent MS-13 gang,
the county prosecutor quickly found it to
be self-defense. The prosecutor for the small
town conceived the fantasy that he must be
punished for firing a gun in the city limits.
Missouri law states that a person cannot be
prosecuted for acts of self-defense.13 In his
fantasy the prosecutor thought that he could
disregard state law, and a trial was scheduled. At trial, one of the investigating detectives declared that it was not self-defense,
despite the county prosecutors decision,
because the victor could have retreated. The
shooting took place in an empty parking lot
that extended for 200 yards in any direction
and the nearest shelter was beyond that.
When asked to where the defendant might
have retreated, the detective pretended not
to understand the question.14 In all fairness
this was not a fantasy. The detective was altering his testimony to fit the prosecutors
fantasy. Fortunately there were eyewitnesses
and justice triumphed over fantasy.
It is a popular fantasy, to the point of being an urban myth, that one must carry proof
of ownership along with the gun. Except for
National Firearms Act weapons there is no
such federal requirement. No state law to
this effect has come to light.15 Police continue to seize guns, claiming the owner must
have a bill of sale. No other species of property is treated in this manner. Guns have the

advantage of a nationwide registry of stolen

guns. Private citizens do not have access to
this registry but police agencies can easily
determine if a gun has been stolen. If a gun is
not on this list the presumption must be that
the gun belongs to the person from whom
the police took it.
Then there are the people who are confirmed in the fantasy that all gun owners
want to kill them.16 In 1982 Lt. Frederic E.
Williams, a 13-year member of the Washington D.C. Special Police, was summoned
to the prosecutors office.17 When he left
he was arrested for possession of an unregistered gun. The gun in question was his
service revolver which had been issued to
him by Washington D.C. to protect Washington D.C. The prosecutor claimed to have
felt intimidated by the presence of his gun.
Investigation found unregistered bullets in
the unregistered gun and six more charges
were added. There was a three-day jury
trial at which the prosecution argued that
although summoned for an official meeting, he was off duty and should not have
carried his gun. He was acquitted and the
prosecutor broke down in tears.18
An anti-gun activist in Kansas City was fa-

mous for her debate performances in which

she claimed that the gun rights debater was
waving a gun in my face, trying to intimidate me. No one else ever saw a gun at these
debates, waved or otherwise. Those who
knew the anti-gun activist were convinced
that this was not a lie; she really believed that
she saw guns. The media believed that she
was a reliable source.
Kevin L. Jamison is an attorney in the Kansas
City Missouri area concentrating in the area of
weapons and self-defense.
Please send questions to Kevin L. Jamison
2614 NE 56th Ter Gladstone Missouri 641192311 KLJamisonLaw@earthlink.net. Individual answers are not usually possible but may be
addressed in future columns.
This information is for legal information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. For
specific questions you should consult a qualified
attorney.
(1) Nappen, Nappen on New Jersey Gun Law,
www.evannappen.com 1997 at 12. There is a 2014
edition. (2) Sale of his book on the case finances
his appeal; see www.bannedbykickstarter.com. (3)
Author witnessed the incident. Regrettably, the
Bar Association discourages lawyers from throwing

business cards at such events. (4) It doesnt have

to make sense, its just the law. (5) Brandishing,
creating a public disturbance, interference with a
law enforcement officer. It costs the officer nothing;
they get paid to be in court. (6) There is an excellent
French movie from the mid-1980s that makes
this point. In My New Partner the lead character
demonstrates that no one can enforce all of the laws
in his over-regulated society. He finds no problem
with using them to his personal advantage. (7) See
The Law and Manners Concealed Carry Magazine
July 2009. (8) See Give it Back! Concealed Carry
Magazine January 2011. (9) See Warning Shots
Concealed Carry Magazine August 2011. (10)
Author was defense counsel. (11) There actually was
case law to this effect at the time. It did not apply,
however, when the burglar attacked someone inside
the home. Local activists later changed the law to a
classic Castle Doctrine. (12) This could be another
column. (13) RSMo. 563.074. (14) Missouri law
requires retreat only if it can be done in complete
safety. (15) Certainly not impossible, but no citation
has ever accompanied the fantasy. (16) They call
us paranoid, but Josh Sugarmann writes Every
Handgun is Aimed At You, New Press 2002. (17) The
Districts Special Police is a curious organization that
protects government buildings. They are certified
police with the power of arrest but do not take their
guns home after their shifts. (18) Conversation with
defense counsel.

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BALLISTIC BASICS | LEGALLY ARMED CITIZEN | ITS JUST THE LAW | DEFCON 1

CARELESSNESS CAN COST YOU

MOST OF US WHO CARRY firearms for self-defense are extremely

conscientious about how and where we carry our guns in public. But what we
do with them when we are not carrying is equally important. Whether in our
homes or in our cars, we need to carefully consider how we store our guns.
First, be sure to check the laws on
home and vehicle storage in your state
(and any state you visit). They are often
vague and open to dangerously broad
interpretation. Some safe storage laws
can even make you subject to criminal
prosecution or a civil lawsuit for crimes
committed by a thief who stole your
guns. As always, ask your attorney for
recommendations. You do have an attorney, dont you?
When it comes to home storage, we
suggest you consider several factors.
What is the physical layout of your residence? Do you live in an apartment or
condominium, a townhouse, or a single
family home? Is a gun safe an option?
Next, consider your living situation.
A retired couple with no children has
less to worry about than young marrieds with toddlers or teenagers. And an
unmarried 20-something with several
roommates may have different issues to
consider.
A perfect example is the horrible case
of the graduate students who had a party during which a drunk guest walked
into a bedroom, found a loaded gun on

the nightstand, picked it up, pointed

it at another guest (who was passed
out on one of the beds), and pulled
the trigger. Now, setting aside for a
moment the stupidity of the shooter,
what sane person has a beer-bash
and leaves guns lying around?
If you have very young children
and you want to have your firearm
readily available for self-defense
in the middle of the night, you can
check out any of the gun vaults
designed just for that purpose.
They allow quick access by you,
but not a 4-year-old who might
wander into your bedroom at
2 a.m. Good ones arent cheap,
but what is your childs life worth?
Weve all read tragic stories involving young children that
occurred when people did incredibly stupid things with their
guns. Here are just a few recent
incidents:
In Arizona, a man was fatally
shot by his 4-year-old son. Ironically, the
dad was an Iraq military veteran. The
circumstances were not complicated.

Everyones situations are different,

but knowing how and when to properly

secure your firearms is an essential part
of being a responsibly armed American.

while many states do not require permit

holders to unload their guns before storing them in a vehicle, never leave your gun
(even for a brief visit to a no-guns venue)
in the glove box or consolethese are the
first places smash-and-grab thieves look.
If no trunk or lockable compartment is
available (as in many pick-ups), use a lockable steel case cable-locked to the frame of
the seat. And remember to lock your car,
too! Every year across the country, guns are
stolen from vehicles, an astonishing number of which were left unlocked. Be smart.
Be safe.
The RV presents yet another challenge
in that there is widespread legal disagreement as to whether it is a vehicle or a residence. This is important because where
your firearm may reside can depend on
whether the RV is moving or not. Some
states specify that while moving, it is a vehicle, but while parked it is akin to a motel. Others consider it a domicile only if
parked in a designated RV facility (hint:
the parking lot of a Wal-Mart may not qualify). Find out.
As an extra precaution when I travel,
I print out both the official government
carry and transportation of firearms rules
and keep them in a file folder in my car. If
you are stopped, it will at least show due
diligence on your part.
Also, be very wary of travel to or through
states like Illinois, New York, and California
that are extremely hostile to guns and gun
owners. Horror stories abound of visitors
imprisoned for violating some obscure rule.
A particularly frightening case happened this past New Years Eve, when a
Florida man and his family were stopped
in Maryland. Simply because of the way
his wife answered his questions, the officer called for backup and for 90 minutes,
multiple officers tossed the SUV, frisked
everyone, and badgered them with accusations even though there were no guns in
the vehicle. They were finally released and
officials later apologized, but the damage
had been done.
The incident should serve as a warning
to the rest of us, because whether at home
or on the road, it will occasionally be necessary to store our firearms. It is therefore
imperative that we do everything possible
to protect ourselves and our families, both
physically and legally.

33
WWW.USCCA.COM

do incredibly stupid and dangerous things,

especially when they have their friends
around and no adults are present.
So be absolutely certain that when no
responsible adult is home, your guns are
in a condition that prevents any unauthorized access. Remember that if your actions
are found to be legally negligent, you can
face both criminal prosecution and/or a
civil lawsuit, especially when children are
involved.
Also, consider how many outsiders have
access to your residence, especially when
you are not home. Do you leave a spare key
with a neighbor? Sure, you trust the neighbor, but does the neighbor have a teenager? I recall just such a case that occurred in
Chicago back when I lived there.
A next door neighbor had been given a
spare garage door opener by the gun owner in case he got locked out. The neighbor
just happened to have a teenage son. Now,
the son was a genuinely nice kid, but, as often happens, he had friends who werent so
trustworthy.
After describing the awesome gun collection in the house next door, his friends
prodded him to show them. Since no
adults were home in either house (the gun
owner and his family were on vacation), the
son agreed. Unfortunately, while everyone
else was admiring the guns in the cabinet,
one of the boys slipped away and secretly
unlocked the sliding glass door.
Later, the larcenous friend came back,
broke in, and stole several guns and other
valuables. Realizing what must have happened, the neighbors son at first said nothing about his unauthorized tour of the
house. But eventually the thief was caught
and prosecuted, and the truth did come
out. As a result, the son was prosecuted as
an accessory, and a lengthy and ugly civil
lawsuit resulted. The neighbors did not remain friends.
Storage in a vehicle presents unique
risks, even more so if your travels will place
you in a state that does not recognize your
carry permit/license. It is vital that you understand the local rules for transporting
firearms. This is often complicated by the
range of vehicles we have today.
An unloaded, cased firearm in the trunk
of a normal sedan is likely to be considered
legal in most states. But SUVs and pickup
trucks present greater challenges. And

APRIL 2014

The man and his son were visiting friends,

and apparently someone left a loaded
handgun where the boy could easily find it.
He picked it up, pointed it, and pulled the
trigger. After a single gunshot wound to
the chest, the father was pronounced dead
at a local hospital.
In my home state of Minnesota, another 4-year-old shot and killed his 2-yearold brother. What is particularly disturbing about this incident is that it appears
at least half a dozen
loaded handguns
had been left lying
around in plain
sight,
easily
within reach of
the child.
In Kentucky,
a 5-year-old shot
his 2-year-old sister.
According to the story,
Stephanie Sparks paid little
attention as her 5-year-old son,
Kristian, played with the rifle
he was given last year. Then, as
she stepped onto the front porch
while cleaning the kitchen, she
heard the gun go off, a coroner said.
Youre probably asking yourself, who walks
out of a room, even for a moment, leaving
a 5-year-old playing with a real gun? Answer: someone who will regret it forever.
In each of these cases, adults who should
have known better were egregiously derelict in their duties to protect their young
children. Even a few seconds of inattention
can lead to a lifetime of regret. The emotional trauma is simply unimaginable.
In the case of married couples, divorce
is highly likely, often within a year. Think
about it. If you are the one who facilitated,
however unintentionally, the death of your
child, your partner can no longer look at
your face without remembering what you
did. It is simply too painful.
And if the adults involved will suffer with
the consequences of their actions, imagine
what the children in these cases are going
to face, especially when they reach the age
where they fully comprehend what they
have done.
In the above cases the children were all
barely more than toddlers, but teenagers
are often no better. Even those who have
been properly trained in firearm safety can

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APRIL 2014

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3 Maratac Tac-Pad 5 LaserLyte Training Tyme Kit

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LaserLyte has combined their most popular laser

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system for entry-level laser training. Includes the
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high-ride/low-ride shell cant position. Neoprene accept 1-inch timbers and are the most efficient paper
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kineticconcealment.com MSRP: $76.95 MSRP: $59.95

APRIL 2014

37
WWW.USCCA.COM

BATTLE BLADES

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APRIL 2014

39
WWW.USCCA.COM

DRILL OF THE MONTH

Now What?!? The Phase Two

Malfunction Sequence

IN THE LAST EDITION we talked about the Phase One malfunction drill
(thats when you get a click instead of a bang) and how to clear it: Tap, Roll, Rack.
The Phase Two malfunction is something a lot more pressing. You move directly to Phase Two if your Tap, Roll, Rack
sequence from Phase One does not work.
Well, that is not entirely true. The first
step in correcting any pistol malfunction is
to move to cover. If your pistol is not working you had better not be working on that
pistol out in the open. Hell, you had better
not be fighting from out in the open, but
if you are, at least have a gun that works.
So, you suffer a malfunction and complete the Phase One sequence and, upon
returning to the fight, you find that your
gun still is not functioning. Here is what
you do:
Move to cover.
Strip out the magazine.
Rack the slide at least twice.
Insert a fresh, fully-loaded magazine.
Rack the slide again.
Return to the fight.

APRIL 2014

40
WWW.USCCA.COM

I wish there was a catchy acronym for

that, but there is not. Take some time and
memorize the sequence.
After you move to cover, the Phase Two
malfunction sequence begins with stripping out the magazine, because the magazine or ammo supply is usually the root of
the problem. At the same time, when the
magazine is out of the pistol, the slide will
rack freely to help extract any fired brass
or unfired round that may be left in the
chamber.
When you strip out that magazine, do
so with authority! The reason for lashing
out at the bad magazine is this: you may
be suffering from a failure to extract and
the resultant double feed. That is where
the fired round is not pulled from the
chamber of the pistol and the next round
in the magazine is pushed into the back of

the shell casing. This binds up the action.

It also makes the magazine very difficult
to extract. You need to hit the magazine
release and yank down hard on the magazine baseplate. If that doesnt work you will
need to pull the slide to the rear and use
the slide lock lever to lock the slide open.
As you rip out the magazine you will likely
notice a loose round bouncing around the
chamber area and the magazine well. With
the magazine out the round can fall out
through the well.
Now that that is done, rack the slide several times to make double and triple sure
any round left in the chamber is extracted.
Now grab a new magazine, insert it
briskly and rack the slide to chamber
a live round.
You may now return to your previous life-saving activities. If, after running the Phase Two malfunction sequence, your pistol still does not fire
you have two choices: if you live in an
area where it is legal you can reach for
your backup gun and press the fight.
If you are without said backup gun, bail
out! Flee. Cut and run. You are out
of the fight and your pistol
needs more work than

an immediate action drill can provide you.

Run this sequence until it is burned into
your memory. This is a skill you will only
need under the direst of circumstances. At
that point you want the movements to be
automatic.
Stay safe. Train hard.

BY KEVIN MICHALOWSKI

STEP

Strip the magazine out of

the firearm. Do not rely on
just hitting the magazine
release - GRAB IT and PULL
IT out of the firearm. Once
youve got it out of the mag
well, drop it on the ground.

Rack the slide several

times. Semi-autos should
not be babied - pull the
slide all the way to the rear
and release it, allowing the
extractor to do its job.

STEP

STEP

Insert a fresh magazine,

rack the slide, and resume
life-saving activities.

APRIL 2014

41
WWW.USCCA.COM

 When you are not carrying your firearm

you can rest assured that it is protected
behind layers of steel. The idea of a safe - a
steel box equipped with a strong lock - has
not changed much over the years, but the
details of construction and quality have
improved greatly with modern technology.

YOUR CONCEALED CARRY FIREARMyour security blanket in a time

of stressalso
needs security when youre not wearing it. Count yourself
fortunate. Options are available for every need and in every price range.
Lets take a look at a couple of them.
AT HOME, WITHIN REACH
GunVault (800-222-1055; www.gunvault.com) has developed numerous options for securing firearms, options that give owners quick access. Depending on
the size you buy, these little safes also provide hidden storage for valuables and,
of course, keep small children at bay.
Exteriors are typically 16-gauge steel, about .06 inches thick. Inside, theyre
lined with protective foam. Thats sturdy enough to secure your gun from the
common thief, says GunVaults Kevin Renwick, some nervous teenager in a hurry who might carry a screwdriver or maybe a hammer. An experienced burglar
who walks into your home with industrial grade bolt cutters and a 4-pound bash
sledge, though, will walk out with your gun.
These affordable protective units can be mounted in practically any direction
under a table or on a bookshelf. Plenty of features and options are available depending on the unit: separate over-ride key locks, tamper indicator, interior light,
spring-loaded door, 9-volt battery operation with low battery warning, motion
detector and audio alarm, and additional security cables.
The option that sets GunVault apart is biometric technology: fingerprint scanners that provide quick access. The 9-pound MiniVault Biometric (GVB 1000), for
example, measures about 5x8x12 inches outside with an interior that is 3x7x11.
The fingerprint scanner allows fast, codeless entry. Theres no combination or
code to remember and the standard unit accepts up to 15 prints so your spouse
or brother or even a different finger can be used to open it if your primary
scanned finger is covered in sweator blood. If the battery fails, theres a power
adapter for access.

HEAVY METAL PEACE OF MIND

43
WWW.USCCA.COM

BY RICK SAPP

APRIL 2014

SECURE
YOUR GUNS

BROWNING

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Constructed from
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protection against both
theives and fire. More info
available at browning.com.

MSRP:$3,999
The uniquely designed SpeedVault Biometric (SVB 500) uses a fingerprint scanner and activation button. The 7-pound unit remembers up to 120 individual fingerprints and is an option for home or
even the office because it has multiple mounting options. The SVB
500 measures 6.5x3.5x13 inches outside and 2.25x5.75x8.5 inches
inside. A separate model, the SV 500, uses a four-button keypad.

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APRIL 2014

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PREVENTS RUST WHEN CARRYING

Cuts through stubborn bore deposits for
easier, more thorough cleaning. Ideal for
automatics and semi-automatics. No
more grease on slides needed. Sticks to
metal like a magnet to prevent rust
caused by perspiration and rain. Will
prevent rust in the gun safe.

WWW.USCCA.COM

www.GreatGunOil.com

AT HOME, HEAVY DUTY

If you have multiple firearms at home, if you hunt and shoot
three-gun competition or perhaps collect early-model Smith &
Wesson revolvers, a heavy-duty floor safe looms in your future.
Here, Americas obsession with shopping can go a long way to giving you just what you need for security and access because in the
world of behemoth safes, practically anything goes.
Vault Pro (800-299-6929; www.vaultprousa.com) builds big, solid, heavy-duty safes. At 5 feet high with a 25-inch width and depth,
the Warrior is a small Vault Pro model that is designed to maneuver
into a narrow space such as a closet. Its 10-gauge (.13-inch thick),
bent three-piece steel body is complemented by a .25-inch solid
steel front plate/composite steel door and a .63-inch steel frame.
Base models weigh 500 pounds650 pounds if theyre double-stepped.
Although the feature increases a safes weight, a properly built
stepped door locked against a stepped frame is far superior to a
flat door. Vault Pro hand cuts and fits step system doors that provide extra protection against some thug jamming a thin pry bar
between the door and frame. Step systems use seamless bent steel
on the outside edge of doors and layered steel within frames. This
provides additional strength and a door thats resistant to warping
even in hot home fires.
The Warrior has external hinges. Vault Pros Tony Darling says
this may not look as goodor seem as secureas invisible internal hinges, but the Warrior comes with steel locking rods (bolts)
on both sides, plus top and bottom. If a thief were to grind off the
outer hinges, the door would remain solidly in place.
Hinges (and weight) are important because they may determine
safe placement. Internal hinges may only allow doors to open 90
degrees, which can complicate a rooms fixed design. External hinges allow 180 degrees of door movement.
To protect contents during a fire, the Warrior uses Palusol sodium
silicate-based gaskets to seal the door closed. This stand-up safe is
rated for content protection for 40 minutes when the safe is exposed
to 1200-degree F heatabout the intensity of a typical home fire. Additional fire protection can be guaranteed with heavier steel plating.

CANNON

WARRANTY
Cannon Safe is the only
manufacturer that offers a
lifetime Zero-Cost Warranty, including retrieval of
guns from a damaged safe
and freight to and from
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cannonsafe.com.

WALLVAULT
MSRP:$249.99
guns; the other side is adjustable shelving
with a full-length top shelf.
Advice? Get something larger than you
need today, Darling says. Your gun collection is only going to grow.

IF THE WALLS COULD SPEAK

Wall-mounted safes are popular in movies. Hidden behind painted mountain landscapes, they seem secure, invisible. These
are excellent attributes because the U.S.
experiences more than two million home

APRIL 2014

45
WWW.USCCA.COM

Everything about the Warrior can be

upgraded, from the shell, upgraded to
3-gauge (.25 inch) steel, to digital locks and
ceramic fireproofing (to 2300 degrees F and
two hours of protection).
Including fires from cooking, electrical
malfunctions, smoking, and heating, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
says a quarter-million U.S. homes go up in
flames each year. And judging by videos
posted online, it only takes a few minutes
for a home to become completely engulfed.
You will not have time to open the safe and
grab your guns and valuables and make sure
the spouse and children, your wallet, credit
cards, car keys, smart phone, and computer
are all outside in the yard before billowing,
choking black smoke suffocates you.
Vault Pro reinforces vital areas such as
locks to protect against drill and punch attacks. The Warriors 10-bolt locking system
uses a formidable Sargent & Greenleaf lock.
According to Tony Darling, some safes are
padded with layers of commercial-grade
drywall, which is inexpensive, but limited
in its protective ability. Concrete is used
for layering in others, but concrete is heavy
and absorbs water that can cause rust and
deterioration. Vault Pro offers a ceramic
filler option, because ceramic is a dry, lightweight material that provides fireproofing
well beyond drywall and with no corrosive
properties.
The Warrior gun safe will hold 20 long
guns with room for handguns and ammo,
but the most popular configuration is a split
interior. One side holds eight to 10 long

CANNON

CANNON

ARMORY
With more than enough room to
spare, the Cannon Armory Series
boasts an 80-gun capacity and is
available in 50- and 60-cubic foot
models. Both are fire-safe rated at
30 minutes and include Cannons
Zero-Cost Warranty.

MSRP:$2,399
burglaries a year.
American Security (951-685-9680; www.
amsecusa.com) builds a series of wall
safes that fit between wall studs. Their
wall-mounted WEST2114, for example, has
a heavy duty steel body with a .19-inch steel

APRIL 2014

46

door and flange. Dual live bolts help

protect against pry attacks.
The electronic touch-screen lock of the
2114 has a 3.75-inch touch screen LCD input display. It accepts two user codes and
shows door-open events for the most re-

cent 14 entries, plus low-battery indicator,

time, date, and touch keypad.
The 2114 comes with an emergency keylock override with two keys, a power override battery box, built-in spy-proof function,
motion detector alert, and has two removable shelves inside. Weighing 31 pounds

WWW.USCCA.COM

CANNON

H8

GUNVAULT

Smaller than traditional

upright safes, the Cannon
Home Guard H8 weighs just
297 pounds and is available
in 5- and 8.5-cubic foot
models.

MSRP:$329.99

MSRP:$972

GVB1000
and with a 733 cubic inch interior, this safe
measures about 22x15x4 inches. It shouldnt
be hard to find a picture to cover it.

SAFE BUYING CONSIDERATIONS

the fire protection, and with a much better

UL burglary protection rating, expect to pay
five to six times the cost of the Sporter, or
about $6300 plus shipping. At the opposite
end of the budget spectrum, the small GunVault Biometric GVB 1000 carries a suggested retail price of $320.

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APRIL 2014

1. Size: What do you have to secure? Jewelry and firearms, of course, but also collections, family heirlooms, and important paperwork (birth certificates, passports, stock
certificates, bonds, an honorable discharge,
and the title to your home). If you expect
to have little in the way of valuables, then a
small-to-medium safe is practical. If you live
large and have a big family, a more substantial investment is warranted.
2. Weight: In their online brochure, Cannon Safe (909-382-0303; www.cannonsafe.
com) suggests that safes weighing less than
1000 pounds can go on the second floor,
but a safe weighing more than that should
be placed on the ground floor. Cannon,
which builds safes in many sizes and colors,
may overstate the case, but argues, A beautiful and elegant safe can be an attractive
feature to your home dcor and make a nice
addition to a room.
3. Cost: Money should not be a consideration when protecting your firearms and
valuables, but everyoneeveryone I know,
at leasthas a budget, and big companies like Browning (801-876-2711; www.
browning.com) have a safe for every budget. Brownings 58x30x20-inch, 490-pound
Sporter SP20 with a mechanical lock holds
20 guns and accessories. It can be purchased for about $1100 or less with free
shipping and set-up if purchased locally.

The Sporter is built with 12-gauge (.11

inch) steel with a 1-inch composite door
and is fire resistant to 1200 degrees for 45
minutes. At the high end, Brownings Pro
Series Pinnacle 47-gun safe is three times
as heavy as the Sporter, but offers an extra
foot of headroom. Pinnacle safes offer twice

4. Fire: Several testing companies offer product certification for fire. Check the
standards posted such as 1200 degrees for
45 minutes and then check for the closest
fire station, assuming that closer equates to
quicker response time. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and Intertek (ETL) evaluate
safes, and ETL actually allows consumers
to confirm a sellers claim for fire protection
(ETL 30, 60, or 90 minutes at 1200 degrees
F). Liberty (801-925-1000; www.libertysafe.
com) notes that safes defend against fire
with layers of fireboard and thick steel. Fireboard is drywall with a layer of fiberglass reinforcing the gypsum. More fireboard layers
and thicker steel plus a good door seal give
valuables better protection and, of course,
cost more. (The Palusol heat-expanding seal
expands up to seven times its size.) Libertys
545-pound, 17-gun Deluxe 17 ($1100) offers
75 minutes of protection from 1200-degree
fires, a 92,000 BTU heat absorption rating.
The Deluxe 17 has four layers of fireboard
in the ceiling and three in the walls, door
jambs, and door. The slightly smaller Explor-

Biometric access has become a

very popular feature incorporated
into many gun safe designs, such as
the GunVault SpeedVault SVB500.

GUNVAULT

SPEEDVAULT
er 12 ($500) in Libertys Centurion line
offers 30 minutes of protection at 1200 degrees F (62,000 BTUs) because it is built with
only two layers of fireboard in the ceiling,
one in the walls, and two in the door and
door jambs.
5. Accessories:
a. Interior outlets for 110, RJ45, and USB
to plug in items such as dehumidifier rods
(recommended) and electronics without
drilling holes through the safe body.
b. Adjustable shelving, padded interior
flooring, an accessory door-component
hanger or shelving, and interior lighting for
dim light access.

MSRP:$334.99

c. Check the warranty for length of time,

repair, and parts replacement. Will a representative repair the safe in place or does it
need to be returned to a dealer? Is the warranty transferrable in case you sell the safe?
d. Your needs may run to jewelry trays,
pistol racks and rifle rods, desiccants and/or
dehumidifiers, blackpowder warning stickers, motion sensors and tampering alarms,
special cool pockets for accessory items,
and lighting kits. Wherever you position
your safe, make sure it is bolted as securely
to the floor and/or wall as possible.

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DISCREET, SECURE

HOME FIREARM STORAGE

Burglars look for guns, but they wont

find them in your house after you install
this great in-wall unit. Striking a balance
between security and accessibility, the
Jotto Home Defense Cabinet features a
biometric lock for quick access to secured
firearms. And it is quite literally hidden
in plain sight, mounted directly into
the wall and covered with a full-length
mirror. Anyone with a few basic tools and
the ability to read the instructions can
install the safe in a couple hours.

APRIL 2014

50
WWW.USCCA.COM

Safe storage of firearms in the home

has spawned its own industry, and there
are offerings at every technological and
price level ranging from simple steel cabinets to bank-like vaults. It can seem that
the choices are simply too numerous. If
you buy a sheet-metal lock box on sale
at the farm supply store for $49.99, youre
betting that a criminal wont find it and
either pop it open with a hatchet or carry
it away to open at his leisure. If you invest
in a massive 120-gun behemoth, youre
banking on the unit being too heavy for
a criminal to move (and that he forgot his
stethoscope).
You may be challenged by spatial limitations, as not everyone has the room for
what turns out to be a safe the size of a
small closet. You may be challenged by
aesthetic considerations, as some people
simply dont wish to integrate into their
home dcor a safe that one could imagine being dropped on Wile E. Coyote. Ultimately, youre challenged by the need to
secure your firearms against unauthorized
access while maintaining quick access for
yourself. That just got a lot easier.
Jotto Desk has been in the public safety business for years, initially supplying
law enforcement agencies with computer mounts for patrol vehicles and later
branching out into lockable, reliable vehicle longarm and handgun storage. One
of their newest offerings, the NRA Home
Defense Cabinet by Jotto Gear, is an impressive addition to their lineup.
As a youngster in the 1980s, the thought
of a mirror that slid aside to expose a fire-

STEP

Following the included instructions

carefully, measure the distance between
wall studs and mark the area of the wall
to be removed. Be certain of plumbing
and wiring locations before cutting.

arm that could only be unlocked with a

fingerprint scanner was something out of
a movie. Now that I carry a supercomputer
in my pocket every day, I shouldnt be surprised that such a mirror is available to the
general public.

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CALL 1-860-347-2505

APRIL 2014

Featuring a proprietary biometric access system and a sliding mirrored front,

this unit is like an IWB holster for your
house. Installing between and secured to
two 16-inch-on-center wall studs, to the
untrained eye it is simply a full-length wall
mirror as one might see next to a closet.
However, once the mirror is slid aside by
activating a latch at the top of the wood
frame, the firearm or firearms are exposed
and a small red light guides authorized users to the pre-programmed print scanner.
Sliding the door open activates the scanner for approximately 20 seconds.

STEP

Remove the wall material

and prepare the cabinet mirror
for installation. This includes
connecting the wires from the
battery pack to the locking units.

 A fingerprint scan
allows authorized
users access to firearms
stored behind the wallmounted mirror.

APRIL 2014

52
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STEP

Insert the wall unit into the opening and secure

the storage unit to the studs with the lag bolts
provided. Once the unit is securely in place you may
install and do the final connections to the locking
units to ensure proper firearm fit. A protective plate
covers the action and trigger of the longarm and
that must be adjusted to specific firearms.

The instant the software recognizes an authorized fingerprint, all secured firearms are unlocked and ready for access. A
low-level red light allows authorized users to see what theyre
accessing without compromising their night vision, and after
eight seconds, the unit re-locks (though must still be closed
manually). At the very top of the storage unit, there is a shelf
for flashlights, ammunition, magazines, and other emergency
gear. Available with a medium finish or unstained, the mirror
itself can be set to slide either left or right and is extremely
easy to operate.
Installation is as simple as measuring and cutting out an
area between two studs, assembling the cabinet, screwing
the unit to the studs, and programming the biometric locking
systems. The system runs on 6 lithium-ion AA batteries and
does not have to be wired directly to house current, and alert
lights will notify the user when the batteries are ready to be
changed. The biometric controls can also be interfaced with
home alarm and smart home systems, increasing security and
allowing the authorized user to augment existing home security plans.
Once the master fingerprint has been programmed into the
access system, additional authorized users can be added to
the biometric scanner, making for simple and easy access to
firearms while at the same time restricting those firearms to
authorized users only. Once programmed, the unit can also
be reset to factory settings by the master finger scan for reprogramming as necessary. The unit can recognize up to 99
different fingerprints. This means that all ten fingers of each
person in a household can be programmed into the unit for

WALL UNIT

Securely stores one AR or AK pattern rifle or shotgun and one sidearm

Mirror measures 60 x 21 inches and can be set to slide either right or left
Biometric access system can be set to allow multiple persons access to firearms
Available in a medium stain or unfinished to be matched to home dcor
Automatically notifies users when batteries are low
Made in the USA
Interactive online chat and telephone customer support
When closed, the unit looks like any other wall mirror. But hidden behind and
securely locked in place are the tools you need to defend your family. Installation is
quick and easy and the biometric lock can recognize up to 99 fingerprints.
ease of access, ensuring that no matter
what the circumstance, authorized access will be possible.
The manufacturer stresses that this
product is not a gun safe, and that nothing replaces proper gun safety, proper
storage protocol, or proper instruction
of children and other household members regarding safe gun handling. Moreover, one should exercise extreme caution whenever cutting holes in the walls
of their residence. If you are not certain

of the location of wiring and plumbing,

consult a contractor.
Models are available to secure a single longarm or a single longarm and
sidearm and range in price from $950
to $1,250. Purchase information and instructional videos are available at nrajottogear.gojotto.com.

 Securing guns against unauthorized access is essential, especially in

homes where children are present.

OUT OF
REACH?
KEEPING GUNS OUT
OF LITTLE HANDS
BY BETH ALCAZAR

MUCH TO MY CHAGRIN, my mother loves to share that when I was a toddler, my

babysitters nicknamed me Boom Boom. That moniker wasnt given to me because of

weight or girth or because of an affinity for loud noises. Apparently I was a bit rambunctious
and overly enthusiastic when I was little, and I would tend to leave a delightful little trail of
devastation wherever I went; I was in perpetual motion and I was into everything. For this
reason, many of our friends and family members were well-versed in the following routine: if
we were visiting, they would clear off everything in my path and put away everything within
my reach. No coffee table or side table remained decorated when I was near. Breakables,
collectibles, and everything else of value were quickly whisked away to safer locations, lest
Boom Boom should happen upon them and wreak havoc!
Yes, those were the days. And parents love to share (and secretly hope)
that their childrens children will be just like themor, perhaps, be a little worse than they were. What better way to appreciate what our parents had to endure than to face the same catastrophes with our own
offspring?
To my parents secret contentment, out of our three children we currently have one Boom Boom in our household. My husband and I nicknamed him Disaster. Nothing seems to be safe when he is around. But
as painful (and perhaps as questionable) as it was to alter the well-known
routine from my youth, I simply refuse to put valuable items, decorations,
or knickknacks out of reachor to ask anyone else to do so. Instead, I
choose to teach my boisterous, action-packed toddler that certain things
are not to be touched.
Have I been successful with this tactic? Well, in some ways. Ive become
like a screeching parrot, spouting out, Dont touch! Not a toy! Dont
touch! countless times during any given day, but my constant nagging
has, without a doubt, made a dent in my sons naturally destructive ways.
Now 4 years old, he is fairly well behaved around the untouchable objects in my home and, believe it or not, I can trust him (to a certain extent,
and with some not-so-subtle reminders) to back away from the no-nos in
the homes of others.
Learning the importance of staying away from others belongings is
the whole idea behind my dubious decision. If I simply remove
all the valuableor dangerousitems from my sons
grasp every time hes near, then how will he ever
learn to respect others and their possessions?
In the long run, Id much rather display some
Gorilla-glued tchotchkes and have a child
who understands why we cannot touch or
play with everything than have every ornamental item intact and be constantly worried
about my son when hes out of my sight.
APRIL 2014

55
WWW.USCCA.COM

On a similar line of thought, this is one

reason why we dont lock up our guns.
Granted, we dont display them on a table
runner next to an amber-crystal Lalique
vase, but we choose to teach our children,
first and foremost, to respect guns and not
to touch them or play with them, no matter
where they are located or kept. Fundamentally, we believe that the guns in our home
need to be safely and securely stored at all
times in such a manner as to prevent our
children from having unplanned or unsupervised access to them.
Even so, the question remains: How do
we store guns and keep our children safe?
I think that most parents would agree that
there is no such thing as being too careful
with children and firearms; there are too
many terrible examples of young ones who
have been injured or who have injured
others. Some kids are just too immature to
understand the importance of gun safety.
Others will get caught up in the natural
curiosity surrounding something thats
potentially dangerous or forbidden. Fortunately, there are many effective options
available for keeping firearms out of little
hands. In addition to rigorously teaching

56

gun safety, every parent needs to choose

what method or option works best for his
or her family.

tion, and in a secure, locked safe is arguably

the most effective way to protect the little
ones in your home.

SAFE IN THE GUN SAFE

TUCKED AWAY

For the majority of my mom friends who

own guns, a safe is the number one, common sense, go-to option of choice. After all,
a good gun safe is fire- and theft-proof, designed to best even the most crafty, power-tool-wielding grownup, so theres an excellent chance that it will keep firearms out
of the hands of even the most high-spirited
or unruly toddler.
A safe is an overall practical and sensible
choiceespecially in homes with several
guns to storeand while nothing is ever
foolproof, a gun safe is a big deterrent for
children of any age and any activity level.
As a friend and retired NYPD detective lieutenant mentioned, Locking up firearms is
basic, and keeping the ammo locked up
somewhere else is a no-brainer.
Will guns become unnoticed and uninteresting when they are locked away? Not
probable. Will a safe protect your children
in every situation? Not possible. But storing
firearms unloaded, separate from ammuni-

Some of my gun-carrying friends sing

the praises of the concealed carry purse. It
might not be the latest fashion craze, and it
might not hold all the items that moms typically tote around, but these purses offer a
sound option for parents who are on the go
and who choose to carry. With a separate,
lockable compartment, these specially designed purses enable moms to teach little
hands to stay away while providing assurance that these same little hands wont
pull out a snub-nosed .357 Magnum when
theyre digging around for bubble gum.
Theres also the option of wearing a
concealment holster. You can rest assured
that your children arent playing with a gun
thats secured around your arm, hip, thigh,
or ankle. However, packing isnt practical
or appropriate for preparing an afternoon
snack, shooting some hoops, or participating in an all-out tickle war. If youre really
concerned about an armed intruder in your
home while going about your everyday

 Techniques for securing a firearm against unauthorized use can be as elaborate as a biometric safe or as simple as a cable lock. Either way,
responsible storage needs to be a top priority.

routines, then you should, as the detective

lieutenant stated, depend on a strong perimeter, good lighting, and good door and
window locks. A gun should be the last
thing on your mind.

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

My next-door neighbor told me an interesting story about her grandmother, who
owned a pretty nifty nightstand. The top
moved back to reveal a gun storage compartment, she explained. You couldnt tell

the compartment was there, and the back

had a lock to keep it from accidently shifting if a child tried to move it. I would love to
have one of those.
Id love to have one of those, too. And
aside from clever concealment shelves,
mantles, clocks, mirrors, and benches,
there are also hidden compartments in
bookshelvesand even in the books themselves. These concealed spaces and hollowed-out safes are handy and convenient,
but they dontand shouldntfool chil-

dren. Kids are smarter than we give them

credit for, and a gun
stored in the pages of a particular book or
behind an unusual mirror is likely not hidden from them at all. Research has shown
that children who live in homes where
guns are kept are almost always aware of
where the hiding spots are located, even
if the parents believe the children dont
know. Its much better to talk about gun
safety and to be open and honest about

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the location of firearms within the home

and to teach children, up front, about respecting guns and leaving them alone.

will be different for every family. If you

have a Boom Boom or a Disaster in
your household, your storage methods
may be more extreme and may even
KEPT OUT OF REACH
change over the years. My husband
Several of my friends also acknowl- and I regularly discuss safety
edged that they keep guns in hard-to- and talk about whats best for
reach locations, like on top of an armoire our children, and were always
or up high on a shelf. Out of sight, out of looking into what would be
mind can be the first layer of safety. Our the most effective options
gun, for instance, is stored, unloaded and available to us. But no matter
with the magazine removed, in a hard- how conscientious we are
shell case on a shelf in my husbands clos- about securing the firearms
et. Its out of sight, out of mind, and out of in our own home, we unreach for my childrenbut easy enough derstand that our kids will
for the rest of us to get hold of in case of be spending time in other
a dangerous situation. The key issue here places and know that what
is selecting a place that isnt tempting to weve taught them over the
kids and to never be fooled: the secret years about safety will be put to
location is most likely not a secret at all.
the test if they ever come across
As the detective lieutenant reiterated, a gun.
In the long run, children learn best
Keeping guns on a high shelf or hidden in
a drawer or anywhere else in the home is by observing the adults around them. As a
no measure of safety from children. They gun-owning parent, if I consistently pracwill know where the guns are and will be tice safe conduct, my actions will teach
safe conduct. And, ultimately, thats the
able to reach them, no matter what.
Overall, when it comes to keeping most effective gun safety there is, no matguns out of little hands, what works best ter where our firearms are stored.

GET THE DROP

ON INTRUDERS.

You must always remember that the

same firearm you keep in your home
to protect your children could also be
misused by those who are not properly
trained. Secure storage is imperative.

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APRIL 2014

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NO LONGER JUST FOR

SQUIRRELS, THE .410
IS READY FOR BATTLE

FIGHTING
BY M.D JOHNSON

KILLED MY FIRST game animal, a fox squirrel, as a lad of 8 in 1972.

MyIfathers
firearm of choice for me was a hand-me-down Harrington &
Richardson .410 single-shot. With a hefty thump, that squirrel saw me
pass from observer to participant; a full-fledged hunter. The .410, as she
had for my father, had again proved worthy as a field piece.

During the intervening four decades between then and now, I reckon Ive always had a
.410 or two here at the house, includingbut
not exclusively limited toa pair of Savage
M24 .22/.410 O/Us, a Mossberg M183 bolt action (my fathers latest designer squirrel gun),
and a pretty little import side-by-side which,
though absolutely beautiful to behold, proved
a greater frustration than finery when taken
into the dove fields. Still, each .410 had her
place in the rack, and some, like the old H&R
hammer gun, a legitimate place in the timber.

APRIL 2014

63
WWW.USCCA.COM

.410

Primarily known as a small game cartridge for

most of its service life, modern loadings of the .410
shotshell are more than capable of fulfilling
self-defense duties as well.

But never once have I considered the

.410 a candidate for that all-important spot
in the corner within arms reach of the bed,
a place reserved for the Holy Grail of Shotguns: the home defense firearm. To me, the
.410 just seemedwell, she seemed awfully small, especially when the safety and
the general well-being of my family was
threatened. No, Im not a follower of the
Bigger Is Better Theory; however, I do subscribe to the Bring Enough Gun Theory, as
well as attend the School of Peace Through
Superior Firepower. In my mind, neither of
these describe the .410 in a home defense
or personal protection role.
So, why are we considering it now, or are
we even considering it at all? As much sentimental value as I and many other 50-somethings put on the .410first squirrel, first
dove, first cottontail, Grandpas shotgun
does it truly, and I mean legitimately, have a
place in the corner? Are we willing to stake
our lives on what many refer to as that little pop-gun? Or does the diameter of the
bore, not to mention that which makes up
the shot charge, really make a difference at
a distance of 9 feet in a dimly lit hallway?
Lets look at what we have, shall we?

THE SITUATION

lets look at this a little further. As a shotgunner for some 40 years, believe me when
I say its much easier to miss a targetand
miss it entirelyat a short distance (e.g. 4
yards) with a shotgun, any shotgun, than
it is at a greater distance, such as 40 yards.
This is due simply to the nature of shot
charges to spread horizontally, vertically,
and in length as the distance from muzzle
to downrange grows greater. In fact, at 10
feet, a traditional shot charge consisting of
pellets onlyyes, even buckshot, e.g. #4
(.240 diameter)may be just slightly larger than a golf ball; that same charge at 120
feet, however, will measure roughly 48 to 50
inches side to side, depending on the choke
or constriction at the muzzle (if any exists).
So, lets recap. Youre opting for a shotgun, a .410 in this case, because common
thinking suggests multiple pellets or projectiles allow for a greater margin for error
than do single projectiles, such as a .38 caliber hollow point. Multiple projectiles (pellets) also, its thought, translate into multiple target strikes per trigger pull. In theory,
both make sense; however, at 10 feet, its
not only possible, but highly probable a
shot charge will more resemble a single
projectile than it will the hoped-for swarm
of bees. In other words, were back to an
easy-to-miss type of situation. Note that
this characteristic applies to all shotguns,
not just the .410.
So does this nullify the .410 as a home
defense option? Thanks to modern technology, and advancements in ammunition
in particular, the answer is a definite maybe
yes/maybe no.

The shotgun, modern or otherwise, loaded with multiple projectiles (as in shot pellets versus a single bullet-esque slug) is and
always has been a short-range weapon. Period. This characteristic, then, makes it the
perfect choice for a home defense firearm,
as the typicaland here the key word is typical, as exceptions always existdistance
between Good Guy and Bad Guy in a homeTODAYS AMMUNITION
fire situation is approximately 10 feet.
It makes sense to initially answer this
Believe it or not, there are home deshort-range weapon equals short distance fense-specific shotshells available today
question with a resounding yes; however, for both the 2- and 3-inch .410. I say that

The selection of .410 shotshell ammunition available today runs the gamut from
sporting to self-defense and from pellets to proprietary projectiles.

APRIL
PRIL 2014

64

somewhat in amazement, as even 10 years

ago, personal/home defense .410 rounds
were unheard of. And while Foster-style
slugs for the little gun were indeed being
made, finding them ranked right up there
with locating Jimmy Hoffas remains.
Still, the truth of the matter is that .410
personal/home defense ammunition is
being made and is available. Whats more,
this innovative ammunition has, to some
extent, lessened the minimal spread issues
discussed above. Winchester, for instance,
offers their PDX1 Defender line of ammunition, which includes both a 2-and 3-inch
format in a .410. The former contains three
of what Winchester calls plated Defense
Disks (DD), each weighing approximately 68 grains, along with 12 copper-plated
BB pellets; the latter, four DDs and 16 BBs.
Reminiscent of the blackpowder-using settlers Buck n Ball loadsa bullet and pellets together atop a powder chargethese
specialty rounds provide the penetration of
a heavier single projectile with the multiple
hits-on-target offered by a traditional many-pellet shotshell. Winchester also offers
an Old School #000 buckshot load for the
.410 with three pellets in the 2 and five
in the 3-inch.
Other companies have jumped on the
.410 home defense bandwagon. Hornady
has their .410 Critical Defense round, consisting of a .41 caliber FTX (FlexTip) slug
over a pair of .35 caliber round lead pellets.
Big Green, aka Remington, features their
four-pellet load of #000 Buck in a 2-inch
.410 format called Ultimate Defense, while
the folks at Federal spotlight a 3-inch hull
containing nine #4 Buck pellets (Premium
Personal Defense) in addition to 2- and
other 3-inch platforms holding #000 Buck.
The Big ThreeFederal, Remington, and
Winchesterall offer either a 2- or 3-inch
rifled slug, or both, in the .410.

WWW.USCCA.COM

Okay, but does the availability of ammunition labeled as

home defense automatically
transform a mediocre hunting shotgun (note to self: let the Letters to the
Editor begin) into a true-to-life personal
protection piece? And what about traditional .410 ammunition, the 11/16-ounce
charges of #4, #5, or #6 shot? Might not they
serve just as admirably in a home/personal
defense role, and at half the price, as the socalled specialty rounds? And if so, do they
then legitimize the .410 as a crime-stopper?
Before we make a decision, lets take a look
at the shotguns designed to eat and then
regurgitate these shotshells.

THE SHOTGUNS
I reckon any shotgun can be called
a home defense weapon. Whether the
piece in question is worthy of wearing
that title is another matter, as any shotgun can, on the spur of the moment, be
called into duty as a home defense firearm. That said, Im of the opinion that tis
better to have something than nothing.
But there are specifically designed tactical and/or home defense shotguns out
there chambered for the .410. Mossberg
has their Model 500 HS410, with an 18inch barrel featuring a unique vertical
forearm/slide arm, full-length stock, and
close-quarters spreader (cylinder bore)
choke. Saiga (Izhmash) has quite an interesting semi-automatic AK-47-esque
weapon chambered in both .410 and
12-gauge. A sure winner for the most
aesthetically pleasing .410 home defense
gun, the Stoeger Coach Gun is a classic
side-by-side sporting 20-inch fixed fulland-full barrels, double triggers, and a
gorgeous walnut stock. Remington has a
Model 870 pump-action in .410 bore, as
well as a gas-operated Model 1100.
Several
manufacturersRossi,
Harrington & Richardson, and
Baikaloffer break-action .410

single
shots,
with Baikal putting their name
on a utilitarian side-by-side with some
possibilities. That said, and I believe the
verdict would be unanimous here, the
phrases single shot and home defense
are seldom, if ever, used together in this
modern age.
In the case of the .410 as a home defense option, however, were not talking
exclusively shotguns. The now-familiar
Taurus Judge and Raging Judge revolvers
are capable of handling 2- and 3-inch
.410 shotshells as well as their originally
intended .45 Colt ammunition, and have
grown in popularity among the home
defense crowd since the introduction of
The Judge in 2007. Not to leave the .410
wheel-gun wagon empty, Smith & Wesson
brought out the six-shot Governor, their
.410/.45 ACP/.45 Colt, in 2011 to reasonably positive reviews.

THE RESULTS
So there are .410 shotguns, personal protection specific and otherwise. And there
is a variety of .410 ammunition, both traditional and so-called home and/or personal

Revolvers such as the

Taurus Judge (above)
and the Smith & Wesson
Governor are capable of firing
.410 shotshells and are potent
defensive arms.
defense. But availabilityor rather, the existence of firearms and ammunitionisnt
the question here. The question is whether
or not the .410 bore is a legitimate home
defense choice.
At the range, one thing became immediately clear from the muzzle of my two test
guns (a Mossberg M500 HD410 and a Taurus Judge, both shooting the 3-inch shells):
if given the choice, no sane human being
would volunteer to be hit with any load
coming from a .410. This includes traditional birdshot, buckshot (000 and #4), and
either the Critical Defense or PDX1 loads.

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APRIL
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Ranges were what many would define as

across the room distances (12 to 18 feet
and 6 to 8 feet in the case of the revolver)
and patterns fell into a range of from 2 to
5 inches, depending, of course, on the firearm. However, I considered (and I believe
most would agree with me) that the results
were more than satisfactory at home defense distances, where here satisfactory
could be defined as both (1) capable of
placing hits on target, and (2) effectively
neutralizing an immediate threat should
the shot be put on target.
At the risk of being repetitive, the question remains: Is the .410 a legitimate home
defense choice? Before answering the
quandary myself, I posed the question
on a state Internet outdoor forum that I
frequent. I wasnt searching for gospel,
mind you, but opinions from a handful
who might know a thing or two about the
subject. The posts were interesting to say
the least, and included such things as Its
better than throwing rocks, but far from
ideal, Id have more faith in just about
anyone with limited firearms background
using the .410, Bigger isnt always better,
and I have a .410 loaded by the bed. Slug
followed by buckshot followed by slug.
Ought to do the trick.
The general consensus among the respondents was that while the .410 is light and
very maneuverable (especially in the revolver platform), the cartridge seems a bit on the
small side to play a home defense role. This
line of reasoning, however, concerns the .410
bore as compared to larger shotguns and not
to any number of extremely popular handgun calibers such as .38 Special and .45 ACP,
in which case it would be difficult to classify
the .410 as small.
That seems to be the biggest factor as to
whether or not the .410 qualifies as a realistic home defense firearm: sizeor rather,
the size of the projectile (or, in the case of
a buckshot or specialty round, the projectiles). More accurately, the perceived size of
the projectile(s) seems to be giving some
pause. When you consider rounds such as
the Critical Defense (with its .41 and .35
caliber projectiles), traditional 000 Buckshot (.36), or Foster style slugs (.41) and lay
them side by side with the 9mm (itself a
U.S.-translated .355 caliber) or the .40 caliber, it becomes clear that sizephysical
sizeisnt a factor.
Ammunition capacity might be a vari-

able that, for some, knocks the .410 out of

contention. However, if someone were to
invest in the Saiga IZ104 and either a 10- or
15-round stacked magazine (or, my personal favorite, a Promag 30-round drum), this
variable, like size, becomes a rather moot
point. Dont want to spend $150 on a drum?
Midway USA lists a 10-round stacked magazine for $69; likewise, SGM Tactical offers
both 10- and 15-round magazines for under $50 (though neither can be used with
3-inch shells or with Winchester PDX1 or
Federal Premium buckshot). Regardless of
the amount spent, its clear that firepower,
i.e. capacity, need not be a concern when it
comes to the .410 in homefront use.
Sohow do I, a dedicated Mossberg
M500 12-gauge in the corner and 9mm in
the drawer guy, feel about the .410s role
in home defense now that all the research
has been done? I admit, my first words to
Editor Kevin Michalowski upon starting this
feature were as follows: Personally, I think
the idea of a .410 as a home defense gun is
dumb. Its like shooting an elephant with a
pellet rifle. Yeah, it might kill him eventually,
but before hes dead, he might do something bad to you. If youre going to go to the
extent to purchase, feed, and practice with
a gun intended to kill another human being,
make it a firearm that will, without question,
get the job done. And I dont think the .410,
even with todays so-called Personal Defense Ammo, fits that bill.
Pardon me, folks, while I take another bite
of crow. After extensive hands-on with a
variety of specialty .410 home/self defense
ammunition and firearms, Ive come to the
personal conclusion that the .410, ballistically and in the proper platform (here I refer
to reliability, functionality, and capacity),
can serve and serve well as a home defense
piece if one is willing to become familiar
with the firearm and its limitations which
I believe are few. And here, I want to reiterate the statement, become familiar with
the firearm: in other words, practice and
preparation. Presently, Im working with
my wife, Julie, and Mossbergs HS410 to
create for her a female user-friendly Home
Alone firearm, and a Saiga IZ104 is on order
along with two 10-round magazines and a
30-round drum. As I mentioned at the start
of this, I believe in Peace Through Superior
Firepower. Even in the case of zombies.

R
O
F
E
G
A
R
O
T
S
E
L
ACCESSIBON AND TRAVEL
TRANSITI
B Y C R W IL L IA M

APRIL 2014

G
N
I
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BAG
N
U
G
THE

67

 Depending on your
attire and the
circumstance,
a shoulder
bag can be
the most prudent manner
in which to
transport a
firearm and
extra ammunition.

Depending on which
gun I carry, I choose
a different bag. The
choice is based on
ease of storage, ease of
carry, ease of access,
versatility, and capacity.

With the exception of

a shotgun and a lever-action rifle, all of the guns
I own are storedeven
when in the safein almost-ready-to-go condition. Magazine-fed rifles
have a loaded magazine
inserted, so all that is
required is to pick it
up and run the bolt. Pistols are stored
with loaded magazines in the same
container. Open the bag or box, get
the pistol and a magazine, load, rack,
go. The revolver has speedloaders and
speed strips standing by. I can pick up
any stored weapon with the exceptions
noted and have at least a few rounds
ready to go within seconds.
To facilitate this, most of my handguns
are stored in the safe in bags of various
types. In particular, two guns are stored
specifically to fulfill established roles.
Because of the roles they are assigned, these two pistols are stored
and carried fully loaded with magazines in and a round chambered.
As the roles are different, so are
the bags used to carry them,
chosen to allow ease of storage,
ease of carry, ease of access, versatility, and capacity.

TRANSITION: WILDERNESS
TACTICAL SAFEPACKER
One role is that of what I call a transition
gun. I work in an NPE (Non-Permissive Environment) and so am prohibited from carrying in the workspace. I am allowed, however,

The selection of sidearm-oriented bags

available to the responsibly armed citizen
has never been wider than it is today.
These packs from Maxpedition are the
Gearslinger (r) and
the Jumbo.
APRIL 2014

68

to keep a weapon stored

in my vehicle as long as
it is locked away and out
of sight from outside. The
transition gun covers the
period of transition from
home to workplace and
back. (At home, I can and
do put on my regular carry weapon.)
For the transition role I use a Glock 17
and carry it in a Safepacker, a small flat pack
made by Wilderness Tactical LLC. The Safepacker, originally designed to be a protected carry system for mountain rescue units,
is a versatile system that can offer a number
of options to any concealed weapon carrier.
It is available in different sizes to accommodate subcompact up to full-size handguns.
In addition, a spacer can be obtained so
that a larger Safepacker can keep a smaller
handgun in position to draw, which is done
by release of a Velcro seal along one side of
the pack. Releasing the weapon is done by
either pulling the side open with the support hand while obtaining the firing grip,
or by the quicker method of running the
hand into the Safepacker the same way you
drop it to the holster to obtain the master
grip. Your hand going in will force the Velcro open more than far enough to draw the
weapon normally.
The Safepacker has a wide belt loop that
allows it to not only be worn on the belt like
any outside-the-waistband holster, but also
attached to a seatbelt to keep the weapon
secure while still allowing access if needed
in the vehicle. I use a shoulder strap, which

WWW.USCCA.COM

is available as an option to carry it slung

over a shoulder so that the right-handed
Safepacker (there are left-handed versions
available as well) falls to the left hip at the
9 oclock position. Ive carried crossdraw this
way before, so the access and presentation
are familiar to me. There is also a hand strap
to make it easier to carry in your hand like
a large notebook or small tablet. The main
compartment has a pocket that fits a spare
magazine and there is a Velcro-sealed pocket in the flap that can be used to store additional magazines or other items.
In practice, the Safepacker with the Glock
and spare magazine is slung before I walk
out the door in the morning and placed
within easy reach in the vehicle for the drive
to work. Once parked, Safepacker and contents are locked into a small fire-resistant
box that contains two additional magazines in carriers. Additional magazines are
stored in a separate shoulder bag (currently
a canvas messenger bag as popularized on
the TV series 24, sometimes called a Bauer
Bag or Jack Sack because of its use by the
main character). The process is repeated after work: the Safepacker is unlocked and set
within easy reach and then slung when I get
out of the car. Once I have my regular carry
weapon on in the house, the Safepacker is
set beside the bed to support the carbine I
use for a home defense weapon.
This is a very sturdy and well-built carrier.
The material is solid and wont give enough
to allow trigger movement of the gun inside. Ive had mine for over three years now
and it shows no signs of giving out. If you
want a versatile carry system, especially one
that doesnt look particularly like a holster, I
recommend looking at this system.

TRAVEL: TERRORIST INTERDICTION

BAG, ONE SOURCE TACTICAL
Whenever I go very far outside of the city
I live in, I like to have another weapon and
additional ammunition close at hand to
back up the gun or guns that are attached
to me. Currently, the role of travel gun is
assigned to a Glock 34, the 9mm Practical
Tactical model. It in turn is carried with a
G18 (30+rd) magazine in the well and stored
with additional magazines inside a Terrorist
Interdiction Bag, a product of TSD Combat
Systems sold through One Source Tactical.
The TIB is a small (12.5 inches x 10 inches)
multipurpose shoulder bag that is designed
for weapon carry and support above and

 Magazines, emergency
medical equipment, backup
flashlights, and spare batteries all fit in this Bail Out Bag
from 5.11 Tactical. Everyday
carry items fit with ease.

beyond what can be carried on the body.

(It can be thought of as the civilians equivalent of a police officers Active Shooter Bag,
which is in fact what it is designed to be.)
The main compartment has three thin pockets sewn into either side and on one side,
three magazine pouches that will hold AR
or AK magazines. End pockets on either side
allow for items such as food packs, blowout
(trauma) kits, or water bottles to be carried,
and there is an outside flap-covered pocket
that can be used for additional storage or
as a dump pouch for empty magazines. The
main and side pockets have study zippers,
while the outside flap pocket uses both
a snap closer and Velcro to secure its
contents.
For the travel gun, I use one of
the magazine pockets as a holster.
The G34 fits inside with the trigger
fully covered, oriented so that I can
reach in and get the master grip on
it just as if it were in a holster on
my belt. The magazine fits easily
without stretching any part of
the bag or making extraction
the least bit difficult. Additional
magazines are stored in another
magazine pocket, and several
G17 magazines rest in the
bottom of the bag with a
simple paddle holster to
use if I want to carry the
gun outside of the bag.
In practice, the TIB is
placed on its side on the passenger seat and opened so that all
I have to do is reach in and grip the
weapon and Im in business as needed. A hand strap lets me, if necessary
or advisable, grab the bag and pull
it with me as I exit the vehicle and
there is a shoulder strap and a waist
strap I can use to securely wear
it hands-free after that. Thus, it
also functions as a bail out bag to
provide additional support if I need

to fight away from or outside of the vehicle.

It does all this while presenting enough of
a non-tactical look that it doesnt warrant
a second glance when I carry it through a
hotel lobby or similar public area. The low
profile and the capability and flexibility of
the carry methods make it worth looking at
for your weapon carry or weapon-support
needs.
I prefer and sometimes require flexibility
and multi-purpose-ness from equipment
such as bags and packs. The shoulder bag
that carries rifle magazines one day may end
up holding a pistol and magazines another
day. Still another day, that same bag may
become the work stuff carrier, toting
whatever I want to take to work to
keep with me at my desk. The range
bag could become a suitcase or
small duffel bag or vice versa
depending on the need of the
mission and the moment. The
two packs I discuss here meet
those requirements: the TIB
because of everything that
could be carried in it and the
Safepacker because of the
several options it gives me
regarding how to secure and
carry the pistol inside of it. In
the same way they do this for me,
I believe they can do it for you.
I would not commend them to
your attention otherwise.
You be safe out there. And if you
cant be safe...be dangerous.
CR Williams is a former Suarez International Staff Instructor and author
of Facing the Active Shooter and other books. All are available at www.
amazon.com. To find out more
about the books and access additional material or to ask questions
or make comments or requests,
contact him through his website
at www.inshadowinlight.com.

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SAFETY,
ACCESS &
THE LAW
STORING YOUR
FIREARMS AT HOME
BY GEORGE HARRIS

73
WWW.USCCA.COM

the gun safe has been an ongoing discussion in our household for a
while. There doesnt seem to be a real clear answer to the question.
What are your thoughts or suggestions that might help us find a
suitable solution to this minor dilemma?

APRIL 2014

QUESTION: The balance between having a gun available when we

might
need it and keeping our guns and ammunition stored safely in

ANSWER: When I think of firearms in the home, I weigh my and my familys

personal
safety against the safe storage of firearms and ammunition for other
uses. Now, my wife and I have adult children, and they often visit with their
children. We also have visitors that drop by occasionally, along with the
periodic presence of utility workers doing what they do to maintain the
infrastructure of the property. My particular solution to having access to a
firearm when I need it, while ensuring that no unauthorized person has
access to my other firearms, is to have a gun on my person with the firearms
and ammunition not in use stored and secured in separate locations. That
gives me immediate access to a firearm if I need it but also allows me to
maintain a high level of safety and security for my equipment.

This is but one example of an answer to

your question. There are so many variables
to the equation that it would be impossible
to cover them all, but Ill try to present some
food for thought so you can make logical and
workable decisions for your household.
One of my neighbors has teenage kids
that are very social and have people coming
and going on a perpetual basis. They have
decided to keep all of their firearms and ammunition in locked vaults to eliminate the

potential of an unauthorized hand coming

in contact with them. Their answer to quick
firearm access should they need one is to
have biometric lock boxes located in strategic locations out of plain view in their home.
Another neighbor is a confirmed bachelor, although he is very friendly with another neighbor who is a retired and unmarried
French Teacher. He has a number of guns that
are kept in an old style glass front gun cabinet as well as a few stashed in easy-to-access,

CL-43
Flashlight

APRIL 2014

74

Gun safes come in all shapes and

sizes. Pendletons King Series safes
come standard with .25-inch thick steel
exterior and 100 percent fully-welded
seams. Other options to look for may
include Interior racks that rotate for
quick access, door designs that fit your
needs, and internal organization that
works for you.

WWW.USCCA.COM

hidden locations just in case they may be

needed on short notice. I rarely see visitors at
his home, so he has a degree of safety along
with what he considers his need for access to
a firearm should the occasion arise.
Each of us lives our lives under a slightly
different set of circumstances. You have to
weigh the perceived need and immediate
accessibility of a firearm to protect yourself
and your family versus who might have access to your firearms without permission, and
this counts for whether or not you are home.
There is no pat answer, but I personally would
rather have it and not need it than to need it
and not have it.
I should mention that we live in a state
where firearms ownership is accepted (and
for many people expected). Not all are so
fortunate. More and more left-leaning states
and municipalities have restrictions regarding how unattended firearms and ammunition can be accessed and stored in the home,
business, or motor vehicle. This makes it incumbent on you to ensure that the storage
locations and access methods that you have
selected fall within the local guidelines to
keep you out of trouble on all fronts.

 Lights inside a
safe will eliminate
fumbling for guns or
valuables on a gloomy
day or following
a storm when the
electricity goes out.
Safe lights operate
on back-up interior
batteries.

RATINGS MATTER

Higher ratings mean more protection

APRIL 2014

75
WWW.USCCA.COM

Prior to purchasing a safe for firearms and valuables, it will be worth your time
to review your homeowners insurance or visit your agent. The policy may stipulate a UL standard or certification. UL stands for Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a
world-wide safety consulting and certification company. UL provides safety-related validation, testing, and training services to a wide range of clients, from manufacturers to government regulators and private insurance companies.
Your home safe will have a UL rating. In case of a loss, that rating may determine the amount or percentage you are contracted to recover.
Here is the UL Burglary Classification listing for a combination-locked safe. With
home security safes (as with any consumer goods), you get what you pay for:
TL-15 15 minutes of protection against common mechanical and electrical
hand tools.
TL-30 upgrades to 30 minutes of protection.
TRTL-30 30 minutes of protection, but adds cutting torches.
TRTL-60 upgrades to 60 minutes of protection.
TXTL-60 60 minutes of protection, but adds high explosives.

 Exotic leathers arent just for looks - they can add

durability and comfort to your carry system.

WEAR
SOMETHING
WILD!

COWHIDE IS NOT YOUR ONLY

CHOICE FOR A HOLSTER

BY R.K CAMPBELL

APRIL 2014

77
WWW.USCCA.COM

IT COMES TO HOLSTERS, some ask if exotic skins are worth the

WHEN
time and money to obtain. That is a valid question, as its true that good
quality leather and Kydex will do most of what needs to be done when
securing a sidearm to your belt. Some like the looks of an exotic and wish to
treat themselves to something different, but there are a number of professionals
that feel there is a real advantage in exotic leather. The first question concerning
an exotic holster must be to assess the design and execution. If the maker gives
us a good quality bovine leather holster at a fair price, then we will consider his
exotic gear. (A few makers work only in horsehide and fewer still only in exotics.)
Common questions include asking if exotic finishes add bulk to the holster and if
they are simply for show. These questions are usually followed by
why do they cost so much money? Once we have confirmed that
the maker has a good design and is able to execute a good
quality holster the answers come easily: Exotic material
adds longevity and durability to a holster. Sharkskin and
stingray are especially credible for use in professional grade
leather. For those that use gear hard and wear it on a daily basis, sharkskin is a
great investment as it is practically scuff proof and wears very well.

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All exotics are not created equal, and

remember that when you look at an exotic
holster youre looking at a leather holster
covered in an exotic hide. Exotic hides
themselves are fairly thin, and there is
nothing the maker can do about that. The
maker bonds the exotic skin to a leather
holster by gluing or stitching, and only
by using a thin leather component along
with a thin exotic component is a holster
turned out that isnt any thicker than usual
(though a little thicker isnt bad in a true
hard use holster). There are good reasons for
choosing an exotic holster and resistance
to wear and tear is at the top of the list.
Appearance is next, and if you feel that you
would like an exotic and are purchasing
it simply because you can, that isnt a bad
idea. For many of us, purchasing an exotic
is like putting stag grips on a pistol. Sure,
they feel warm to the touch and have a
jigged pattern that offers good adhesion
without snagging clothes, but synthetic
grips cost less. Stag is breathtaking when
done correctly and life is short enough
without spending it with an ugly gun; so it
is with exotic holsters. The maker has a lot
of expense involved when offering exotic
hide holsters, as he must purchase a broad

array of exotics to offer a decent selection.

A maker cannot buy a holster-sized hide but
must purchase a section large enough for
ten holsters or more; this is a lot of inventory,
and some exotic leathers are more difficult
to work than others.
I want to stress again that only a seasoned
holster maker is capable of turning out a
properly constructed exotic holster. The
nuances of angle, cant, and draw must be
understood. The maker must have perfected
his craft in leather before addressing the
exotic. As an example, Michael Taurisanos
holsters are never off-the-shelf. Each one is
tailored to the individual customers needs
and carry mode. Michael is a former Deputy
Chief of Police and a master maker recognized
worldwide. While he began crafting leather
at an early age, he put together his first
holster after an on-duty incident in which
a duty holster failed and the duty weapon
hit the ground (unfortunately not a rare
incident at the time.) What followed is a
career in leatherworking and the building
of a reputation for quality and integrity of
design. A maker with a good reputation for
quality at a fair price is DM Bullard. The DM
Bullard Combat holster is respected for its
draw angle, balance of retention and speed,

 The Combat Holster by DM

Bullard, shown here in Rust
Elephant with magazine
pouch, is a rock-solid
carry platform and starkly
unique. MSRP: $250/$100;
dmbullardleather.com

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and quality manufacture. The holster is even

better when configured in rust elephant or
sharkskin. The waxed inside of the holster
affords a brilliant draw, and the outside isnt
likely to scuff easily. A perfect combination,
leather for speed and an exotic to extend
wear. These holsters offer exceptional
craftsmanship in high quality material and
are well worth their price. I particularly
like the design when it comes to carrying
Magnum revolvers, as the added strength
seems to allow a thinner holster that rides
higher.
A talented maker at Cassidyscasuals.com,
C & C Leather, offers one of the most used
exotics in my collection. Snakeskin isnt
as rugged as some by reputation but you
could not prove it by this holster. The maker
has managed to combine rose python and
first grade leather into a line of holsters.
While also offered as an option for a welldesigned belt slide, Darryl turned out a very
nice crossdraw in rose python at my request.
It looks good and feels right. Over the years
snake and lizard skin have had a reputation
not equal to sharkskins for durability. There
may be something to such a claim, but
perhaps the holsters responsible for this bad
name werent always properly manufactured

or maintained. I have seen holsters in boa

that are a decade or so old, and they look
just fine. A crossdraw occasionally strikes
the truck door and has to be tough, and
mine is a great holster I use often.
Jack Gully of K Bar J Leather Company offers many variations of leather gear, including one of the finest shoulder holsters built.
Their #1 belt holster is an Avenger type with
excellent design and a reinforced holstering
welt. My example is crafted in ostrich skin.
The ostrich skin holster features dots from
the quills and a very distinctive look, while
ostrich leg looks more like alligator. (I prefer
the ostrich with quills.) Ostrich looks sharp,
is durable, and sheds moisture well, but
isnt easy to work. The DM Bullard holster illustrated below is for the Glock 19, and the
balance of speed and retention is excellent.
Exotic holsters work well with black tactical
guns and this is a great combination.
Barber Leatherworks has created new
designs that are interesting, efficient, and
capable. The choices are mind-boggling and
the majority of the holsters are available in
exotic leather or with exotic trim, usually on
the sweat guard or the holstering welt. Barber has worked hard to make his concealment holsters as thin and narrow as possible

and painstaking attention is paid to every

angle of every holster he produces. These
are first class holsters and the addition of exotic leather simply makes them better.
Nothing shows the versatility of the exotic rig better than the holster from Defensor.
This is a tuckable, inside the waistband holster and an on-the-belt holster as well. The
design is a good one, but the sharkskin element adds a lot to the package. To maintain
the thin profile needed for concealed carry, there are no metal or Kydex inserts. The
sharkskin construction is rigid enough to
maintain retention even when the holster is
used as an OWB. I like the option of having a
tuckable holster, and for the small cost of obtaining a spare kit for that option, why not?
The Alsaker holster illustrated features a
caiman overlay and the color and contrast
are excellent. The exotic component is scuffproof and simply adds to pride of ownership.
The Alsaker OWB design features enough
offset from the body to offer a rapid presentation from concealed carry. The maker is a
working cop that knows how to craft a good
holster. Stitching is good and the holster
has stood up well to the same test given the
other holsters in this review: several dozen
rapid draws from concealed carry.

The exotic accent from Barber

Leather Works serves a purpose.
This holstering welt supports the
handgun as it is holstered and prevents the holster from collapsing
after the handgun is drawn.

Ostriches quill dots make for a

very visually distinctive holster.
This model, the Bodyguard from
DM Bullard Leather,
offers an excellent angle for
concealed carry.

This is a custom variation of

the Alsaker holster with a thumb
break design. The Alsaker custom
exotic holster is full of both style
and function. Note excellent
stitching.

WWW.USCCA.COM

BARBER
LEATHER
MSRP: $175

DM

ALSAKER

MSRP: $250

MSRP: $150

BULLARD

HOLSTER

 DM Bullards Combat Holster is

available in several custom exotic skins
- in this case, black shark. Sharkskin
is renowned for its longevity and
resistance to wear and scratching.
MSRP: $250; dmbullardleather.com

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 Hopps Holsters
has created a
special edition
with this IWB: a
pink-dyed ostrich
holstering welt
is offset by pink
stitching.

HOPPS

HOLSTERS

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Another quality specimen comes from

a master barrel maker. For more than forty
years, Bar Sto Precision has been a leader in
match-grade stainless steel handgun barrels
and has branched out into some of the finest
precision-made parts and grips as well. The
holster I obtained is crafted from elephant
hide and warrants close examination: It features a neutral draw angle, which means it
rides high on the belt and gives the user
excellent draw speed. The holster conceals
well under a proper covering garment and
best of all it may also be worn crossdraw.
There are few holsters that are acceptable
for crossdraw wear, but this one makes the
grade and gets the job done in an admirable
fashion.
If you cannot afford a full-blown exotic
holster, you may opt for a quality holster
with exotic trim. Contrast is visually appealing and the stronger material, strategically
located in high-wear areas, serves well to
extend holster life. As an example, two of
my most used holsters are from Jeremiah
20:11. These holsters are no nonsense, with
excellent fit and finish and good molding
to the long bearing surfaces, trigger guard,
and frame of the handgun. To enhance the
performance, both are fitted with an alligator sweat shield. The common sweat shield
goes a long way toward speeding the draw
and preventing the slide and sights from
gouging the skin. Alligator trim is a good
option, as it is both affordable and striking
in appearance.

and you dont get to the top of the food

chain by being thin skinned. Sharkskin is
very tough and simply wiping the holster
off will be all of the maintenance needed.
It is available in black, tan, and brown. The
great advantage of sharkskin is that its high
abrasive factor results in a good tight lock
between the holster and the belt when
worn properly. Additionally, sharkskin is less
expensive than other exotic materials and
seems practically impossible to wear out.
Drop it on the pavement, scuff it up, and
brush it off.

A LOOK AT SOME OF THE

TYPES OF EXOTICS SKINS

OSTRICH

SHARKSKIN

Dont mess with this primordial predator.

Scientists believe there are sharks at least
hundreds of years old roaming the ocean

ELEPHANT SKIN
The pachyderm is thick skinned and impervious to giant African insects as well
as brush. Many holster makers claim that
elephant hide is tougher than sharkskin,
although this is difficult to prove. Elephant
skin holsters are available in black, honey,
and burgundyamong other colors. Elephant skin is among the most attractive and
distinctive of skins and shares the general
characteristics of sharkskin.

ALLIGATOR
Alligator is rated high for toughness but
most makers and the author rate it just a
step below sharkskin. This hide has a lot
of flash and character, is available in many
different finishes, and is less expensive than
other exotics. Alligator is used in sweatguards and welts in leather holsters and
overall is a good choice for holster material.

Ostrich is distinctive and offers a bit of

show and flash. Ostrich makes a fine-looking holster, but it is not quite as rugged as
sharkskin. There are a number of finish options including black, tan, and gray. This

material has proven acceptable for daily use,

and the ostrich holster illustrated has been
in my rotation for many months.

SNAKESKIN
After years of using boa and rattlesnake
on occasion, I can comment that the various
snakeskins, while inexpensive compared to
other exotics, are the least durable of the
exotic leathers. They are primarily for show
and while generally as durable as leather,
they are not the top choice when paying a
premium for a holster. An exception is a nice
rose python holster I picked up from C & C
Leather.

HORSEHIDE
Horsehide is more expensive than bovine
leather, and while not quite an exotic, it is
nearly so when done properly. A question
that is often fielded regards shell horsehide. The shell of the horse is a subcutaneous layer of tissue and muscle below the
surface of the hide. It is the most non-porous leather known to man and has virtually
no visible grain, giving it the appearance of
shiny plastic. As you use a shell product, you
will notice that it burnishes and gets shinier
with age. The typical shell is an oval-shaped
piece of leather approximately 18 in diameter, meaning a manufacturer must piece it
together in order to make an average length
belt.

EXOTICS AS ART
One of my favorite holsters from Holsterworx features a haunting image of a young
lady etched in leather. While traditional
leatherwork isnt usually classified as exotic,
I can think of no other niche for such a holster. There is a new class of leatherwork artisan coming, and they are producing incredible designs well worth your time. These are
not designs to litter the hobby room as you
appraise and discard each holster in turn
these holsters are investments and expressions of your personal taste and character.
Select the design that will best meet your
carry needs and then consider embellishments. Though the exotic holster is indeed
an art form, if you contract through a quality leatherworker, you can rest assured that
though youre getting a handsome accessory, at the end of the day you also possess
top-quality lifesaving gear.

9
3
2
R
U
O
Y
S
IN
A
T
THIS TRIO CON
BY ROB REED

APRIL 2014

R
O
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THE

83

THE CHOICE OF A HOLSTER

is one of the most important decisions

involved with carrying a gun on a
daily basis. A good concealed carry
holster balances the often-conflicting
demands of gun retention, easy
access, comfort, and concealability.

My personal carry pistol is the Sig

P239. This single stack pistol is the
little brother of the larger Sig P226,
with a shorter frame and slide. Ive carried the Sig for several years and have
found it to be an accurate and reliable
weapon.
I prefer inside the waistband carry for
most purposes. The three IWB holsters
Ive used with this pistol include a production leather holster, a custom clip-on
holster, and a custom Kydex holster. Each
holster has its own advantages and Ill look
at each in turn.

BOND ARMS

USA DEFENDER
CALIBER: .38/.357
ACTION:BREAK
ACTION: BREAK
LENGHT:5
LENGHT: 5 INCHES
WEIGHT:19
19 OUNCES
CAPACITY: 2 ROUNDS

GALCO SUMMER COMFORT

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The production leather holster is the

Galco Summer Comfort which, according
to Galco, is made from reinforced saddle
leather construction. A reinforcement
band sewn across the holster mouth
keeps the holster from collapsing when
the gun is removed to allow for easier reholstering. The holster attaches to
the belt with two straps which snap on
and off to allow the holster to be put on
without having to thread it though the
belt. There is no sweat shield. The Summer Comfort is designed for strong side,
behind-the-hip carry, with a significant
butt-forward cant.
I first used this holster when I attended
the SigArms Academy Semi-Auto Pistol
Instructor class several years ago. I drew
and reholstered my pistol hundreds if
not thousands of times during the fiveday class and during that time, the snaps
remained secure and the holster stayed
in place on my belt for all but a handful
of times. I found that the reinforcement
band kept the holster open for one-handed reholstering after almost every draw
as well. Considering that was maybe a

ALESSI

TALON
MSRP: $80

years worth of drawing and reholstering

all in one week, I did not begrudge the
rare instance when a snap popped loose
or a second hand was required to open
the holster mouth to secure my sidearm.
By the end of the class Id fallen in love
with the little Sig and resolved to upgrade to it from the 3-inch S&W Model
65 I had been carrying. Unfortunately, as
well as the Summer Comfort worked in
the training environment, I found that it
did not work for me long-term as an ev-

eryday carry holster. Over time I found

that traditional behind-the-hip carry was
not as comfortable for me as carrying the
pistol in front of the hip, and due to its
butt-forward angle, the Summer Comfort
did not work in that location. I needed another new holster.

ALESSI TALON
The answer was the Alessi Talon, a
version of which Id previously used for
my S&W revolver and promptly ordered

for the Sig 239. The Alessi Talon was designed by the late Lou Alessi and is still
made by Alessi Holsters of Buffalo, New
York. Made from premium cowhide, it features a sweat guard on the body side and
is attached to the belt with a strong Kydex
clip. The gun is held in a butt-forward position, though the angle is not quite as
pronounced as the angle in the Summer
Comfort. Thus, the Talon works well both
for traditional behind-the-hip carry as
well as for carry in front of hip from anywhere between about 12:00 to 2:30 for
a right-hander. The Talon does not have
a reinforcement band and will collapse
when drawn, though I later discovered
the Talon Plus does offer a reinforcement
band around the mouth (though at the
expense of slight addition to the holsters
thickness).
Ive used this holster for several years for
everyday carry. At first the holster was too
tight and noticeable effort was required to
draw the pistol. I remedied this by wrap-

ping the pistol in a plastic bag and leaving

it in the holster over several nights. The
plastic bag trick, along with some practice draws, eventually broke the holster
in enough so the pistol could be drawn
smoothly. In use, the Kydex clip attaches
firmly to the belt with a hook on the underside that engages tightly to the bottom
of the belt. This is lightyears better than
the cheap metal clips often used on budget IWB holsters, and the clip on this unit is
guaranteed for the life of the holster.
Although the company advertises
that the clip can be attached directly to
the pants (and it does stay in place once
there), Ive found the weight of the pistol
without a belt will make my pants sag
on that side and I do recommend that a
good gun belt be used. I particularly like
the clip because I hate having to thread
a holster through my pants every time
I put the gun on or take it off. My only
complaint, other than the initial tightness
of the holster, is that the non-reinforced

mouth does collapse on the draw and

requires two hands to reholster. Had I
known about the Talon Plus at the time,
I probably would have ordered it instead.

DALE FRICKE ARCHANGEL

APPENDIX CARRY
Dale Fricke is a small Kydex holster maker in Montana who specializes in concealed
carry holsters. Many of his designs are optimized for appendix carry. I ordered one
of his Archangel Appendix Carry holsters
when I needed a holster for a training class
that would allow me to carry my Sig 239
in the same position I used with my Alessi
Talon, yet would allow for easy one-handed reholstering. (I hadnt learned about the
Talon Plus at the time.)
The Archangel is a Kydex IWB holster set
up with a zero cant angle specifically for
appendix carry and is constructed from a
single piece of folded Kydex. The holster
features a sweat guard on the body side, dehorned edges, and two adjustment screws

DM

BULLARD

MSRP: $74.95

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SUMMER
COMFORT

APRIL 2014

GALCO

FRICKE

ARCHANGEL
MSRP: $95

to allow for a custom gun fit. The holster attaches to the belt with two flexible plastic
or rubber straps that are screwed into the
holster body, and the straps feature snaps
to allow the holster to be easily worn or
removed. Although the straps are set up
for totally neutral angle, the screw attachments can be loosened, the straps adjust-

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ed, and the screws re-tightened to allow

the angle of the holster to be modified. I
do not know if this is a deliberate design
feature or an unintended benefit of how
the straps are attached.
Ive used this holster in a multi-day pistol class, worn just in front of my right hip,
and also in a local defensive pistol match

moved back to just behind the right hip.

I did have to play with the adjustment
screws a bit to find the tension level that
held the gun securely while still allowing
an easy draw, but the adjustments were
easy to make with a Phillips screwdriver.
As set, the straps hold the holster securely
when the gun is worn in the appendix carry

WWW.USCCA.COM

 There have never been more options available for IWB carry than there are
today, and these three are fine representatives of the breed.
position. I later experimented by loosening
the screw attachments to change the position of the straps slightly for the defensive
pistol match. I had a few problems with one
loose strap allowing the holster to move on
the belt until I went and retightened it, but
since changing the strap angles is not an
advertised feature and there wouldnt have
been a problem had I not been monkeying
with the screws, I dont consider that an issue. I found the Archangel worked particularly well in the appendix carry position,
especially when I pushed it a little closer
to my midline than where I normally carry
my gun, and that it was also suitable for behind-the-hip carry. The only downside was
that I found the Kydex less comfortable for
all-day carry than the leather Talon, though
I attribute much of this to plain personal
preference.

the advantage of being optimized for appendix carry while still being well-suited
for behind the hip carry, and it would be
a good choice for anyone looking for a
Kydex IWB holster. As in many things, the
best choice out of these three will depend
largely on what you need the holster to do
and your own personal preferences.

RESOURCES:
Galco Summer Comfort MSRP $74.95
http://www.galcogunleather.com
Alessi Talon MSRP $80.00
http://www.alessigunholsters.com/
Archangel Appendix Carry MSRP $95.00
http://dalefrickeholsters.com/

CONCLUSIONS

SM

TI
RIO

ENTER CODE CCMAG FOR 10% OFF YOUR PURCHASE

87
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PAT alty!
G
TIN speci
O
M
PRO IS OUR

APRIL 2014

In the end, I found all three of these

holsters to be useful additions to my
collection. The Alessi Talon remains my
everyday carry holster and I recommend
it for anyone who wants a high-quality,
clip-on, IWB holster. The Galco Summer
Comfort is my choice for when I want to
carry in the traditional behind-the-hip position and I recommend it to anyone who
wants a leather holster for that purpose.
The Archangel is a nice example of a more
contemporary Kydex design, though I
found it less comfortable than either of
the two leather options (but that may be
my personal bias toward leather holsters
surfacing again). The Archangel does have

HOW THE FOID

ACT IMPACTS
GUN OWNERS
BY GRETCHEN STEELE

ILLINOIS
HOSTAGE
CRISIS!

IMAGINE THIS: you are barred from owning,

possessing, or purchasing a firearm or ammunition

without first applying to a governmental body for a

photo ID and registration card. Only after procuring
this card will you be allowed to exercise your
Constitutional right as a law-abiding American citizen
to own, possess, or purchase a firearm or ammunition.
Any type of firearm. Any type of ammunition.

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As ludicrous as this may sound, that

is the reality that Illinois residents have
faced every day since 1968 when the Firearm Owners Identification Act (430 ILCS
65/) was passed. Never known for being
a gun-friendly state, this act does nothing
to instill any confidence that Illinois will
be changing its feelings about firearms
any time soon. In a nutshell, any Illinois
resident who wishes to own, possess, or
purchase a firearm or ammunition must
be registered as a valid Firearm Owners
Identification (FOID) cardholder.
It is important to note that the FOID card
is entirely separate from an Illinois concealed carry permit, and without a valid
FOID card, no concealed carry permit can
or will be issued to any Illinois resident.
The FOID card was created in 1968 by
the Firearm Owners Identification Act as a
way to identify those persons ineligible to
possess or acquire firearms or ammunition
as part of a public safety initiative in the
State of Illinois. Again, the FOID card is not
a conceal and carry card.
Per this Act, any Illinois resident who
acquires or possesses firearms or ammunition within the state must have in their
possession a valid FOID card issued in his
or her name, and must possess it even
when purchasing firearms or ammunition
outside the state of Illinois. When making
purchases in a different state, the resident
must present his or her valid FOID card to
the merchant for verification via a call-in
system operated by the Illinois State Police. (Interestingly, and to the chagrin of
many Illinois residents, nonresidents are
not required to present a FOID when purchasing firearms or ammunition in Illinois;
a simple photo ID will suffice.)
Illinois currently defines a firearm as
any device, by whatever name known,
which is designed to expel a projectile or
projectiles by the action of an explosion,
expansion of gas or escape of gas. Excluded from this Act are any pneumatic guns,
spring guns, paintball guns, or BB guns,
though there are still some restrictions
on these exemptions regarding the size
of projectile and maximum muzzle velocity. Antique firearms are also exempted as
long as the Illinois State Police determines
they are collectors items and unlikely to
be used as weapons.
Ammunition is defined as any self-con-

DELAYS, DELAYS, DELAYS

An Entire Hunting Season Down The Drain

Knowing full well the delays faced (especially by women) in the renewal process,
I attempted to renew my FOID card well ahead of its expiration date so I would be
assured a valid FOID in time for hunting season.
What I encountered was a nearly 12-month exercise in frustration and futility
that resulted in me sitting out an entire hunting season. My first application mysteriously disappeared from the system; it simply couldnt be located. No record
existed. Re-submit, said the representative from the Illinois State Police. These
directions were only made available after multiple phone calls that either simply
went unanswered, were routed to voice mail, or during which I was placed on hold
for up to an hour.
Application number two and yet another check for 10 dollars was sent, and once
again it was a repeat of the first application fiasco. How could I keep disappearing
in the system? No one was willing or able to answer that.
Once I was finally able to get a real live person from the ISP on the phone, I provided them the all-important number printed on my canceled check, the number
that at least in theory meant my application had been processed and a FOID card
had been either issued or denied.
I was told that the number I provided matched nothing in their system and was
thus declared incorrect and invalid. Once again, I was told my best course of action
would be to resubmit the application.
Hoping and praying that the third time would be a charm, I once again resubmitted an application (and check!) to the bureaucratic machine. The mandated
30-day window came and went. 60 days came and went. Finally, when the 90-day
mark was looming, I received my long-awaited FOID card.
Long after squirrel, deer, and duck season had come and gone.
tained cartridge or shotgun shell, by whatever name known, which is designed to be
used or adaptable to use in a firearm.
At first glance, obtaining a FOID card
appears to be a rather simple and straightforward process. Complete the application
that can be downloaded from the Illinois
State Police website, obtained from a firearm retailer, or through an online company
who promises to obtain your FOID card for
you at fees ranging anywhere from $8 to

$30. Attach a photo and check for $10,

mail it to the proper address, and presto, you have a FOID card. Since the FOID
Act mandates the ISP to either approve or
deny all applications within 30 days from
the date they are received, one would reasonably expect to receive their FOID card
in that time frame. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is far different.
A 2012 audit of the FOID Program by the
Illinois Office of Auditor General revealed

121 orders from the circuit court

clerks were not reported to the
National Crime Investigation
Center (NCIC).
These findings, coupled
with other issues revealed by
the 2012 audit, paint a clear
picture that the FOID system
in Illinois clearly lacks effectiveness and is
limited in achieving its goal of promoting
and protecting the safety of the public.
One must ask why law-abiding firearm
owners in The Prairie State adhere to this
system and jump through all of its hoops.
The answer is simple: violations for owning or possessing a firearm without a valid FOID can range from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class 1 felony. Such a smear
on ones record would seriously and negatively impact any future application for a
FOID card, and thats regardless of other
legal standing. There is, of course, an appeal process for those who have had their
application denied or their FOID revoked,
but it is an extremely onerous process that

Legal hurdles galore must be cleared

in order to obtain a FOID card in Illinois,
and the system responsible for their
administration is often fraught with
backlogs, dead ends, and clerical errors.
often requires the intervention of legal
counsel and the assistance of an appellants legislators.
Sadly, until politicians in Illinois are made
to see that the FOID system is not only a
costly and ineffective program but also
unreasonably burdensome to responsibly
armed citizens, law-abiding residents of Illinois will continue to be subjected to this
particularly draconian piece of legislation.

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that the ISPs Firearms Services Bureau did

not process all FOID applications within
the required 30 days. In fact, of the 903,139
approved applications processed during
2008, 2009, and 2010, only 64% were approved within the mandated schedule.
Nor were denials issued in a timely manner. The same audit found that for applications received during 2008, 2009, and
2010, ISP turned down 20,152 and over the
three-year period, only 71% of the denials
were issued within the required 30 days.
Horror stories abound among Illinois
residents, reporting wait times as long as
six months to a year, especially on renewal
applications. Women in Illinois report that
due to the need for a background check
on every name ever legally used, those
with marriages or divorces involving name
changes rarely received their cards within
the 30-day window.
New Illinois residents who intend to possess firearms or ammunition have 60 calendar days after obtaining an Illinois drivers license or Illinois identification card to
obtain a FOID. Given the history of long delays in receiving a FOID, this can be difficult
to achieve in the mandated time frame.
The delays in receiving a FOID put otherwise law abiding citizenscitizens who
are showing due diligence in trying to follow the letter of the lawin a position of
violating the law and risking arrest solely
due to the inability of the FOID system and
ISP to adequately process applications and
renewals. Many a hunter in Illinois have sat
out an entire hunting season simply because a renewal was not processed in the
legally mandated time frame.
The timeliness of renewals was not the
only issue discovered in the 2012 audit.
While Illinois would like you to believe that
the FOID system is a wonderful tool for
keeping firearms out of the hands of the
mentally ill, the 2012 audit revealed that
there are significant deficiencies in the reporting of individuals with potentially disqualifying mental health conditions to ISP.
During 2010, only 3 of the 102 circuit court
clerks submitted mental health court orders to ISP as required by the Act. Further,
56 of the 121 orders received from circuit
court clerks during 2010 did not contain
information determined by ISP to be necessary, such as date of birth, gender, or
race. The audit also found that 27 of the

 Designed in 1934, the .357

Magnum cartridge is the bigger,
badder brother of its predecessor,
the .38 Special. In the years since
its development, its power and
versatility have kept it popular with
both law enforcement officers and
private citizens.

OF THE GREATEST combat cartridges ever devised

thatSOME
are still in common use are 100 years old, and so are the

platforms that fire them. The ones that come to mind are the .38
Special (1898), the 9mm Luger (1901), the .45 ACP (1904), and
the youngster of them all, the .357 Magnum.

BY SCOTT W. WAGNER

93
WWW.USCCA.COM

THE WORLDS FIRST MAGNUM

CARTRIDGE WITHSTANDS
THE TEST OF TIME

APRIL 2014

MIGHTY
.357

Designed in 1934, the .357 Magnum

was the most powerful handgun cartridge
in the world until the .44 Magnum arrived
on the scene in 1955. Dirty Harry aside, the
.44 Magnum has never been considered a
true combat round. While the .44 Magnum
eclipsed the .357 Magnum in terms of raw
power, the .357 remains the most powerful
combat-capable cartridge ever devised.
When fired from 4-inch vented test barrels, the power of the .357 ranges from 575
foot-pounds of energy with a 130-grain
bullet at 1410 fps to 774 foot-pounds of
energy with a 180-grain bullet at 1485
fps. These energy levels are well out of
the reach of any other commonly utilized
combat rounds, including the .40 S&W and
the .357 SIG.
The .357 Magnum was designed by
Smith & Wesson and Winchesters Ammunition Division as a law enforcement and
sporting cartridge. It was nothing more
than the .38 Special case lengthened by
1/10th of an inch to prevent chambering
in lower-pressure .38 Special chambers.
However, the shorter .38 Long Colt and
the .38 Special can be readily chambered
and fired in revolvers and derringers
chambered for the .357 Magnum. .38
Specials and .357 Magnums are loaded
with the same weight range of bullets,
but with very different velocities. The .357
Magnums ballistics trounced those of the
high-power pistol cartridge of the 1930s:

the .38 Super Auto. The .38 Super launched

a 130-grain FMJ bullet loaded to a velocity of 1300 fps and was developed as a law
enforcement round that could penetrate
the early body armor worn by gangsters.
Yes, the .357 Magnum could do that, but
had the added bonus of supposedly being
able to crack the engine blocks of gangster getaway cars. Even
if it couldnt crack an engine block, the .357 Magnum could penetrate car
bodies and disable the
people inside, or disable
critical parts within the
engine
compartment.
The first .357 Magnum
Serial Number 1 with
a 3-inch barrelwas
presented to the director of the FBIJ.Edgar
Hooverand the rest is
history.
Even though .357 Magnum revolvers like the
Model 19 Smith & Wesson
I began my law enforcement career with
no longer occupy the primary place in police duty holsters, the mighty .357 still has
a place in the holsters of hunters and outdoorsmen, civilian permit holders, or as
backup guns for law enforcement officers
even if a number of these are guns loaded
with the less powerful .38 Special rounds.

The .357 Magnum

has the justly-earned
reputation of being
the king of combat
handgun rounds with
regard to stopping
power due to the
massive levels of
kinetic energy it
can generate.

www.RonsHolsters.com
A conceal carry holster
that is great for driving,
riding a motorcycle, ATV
or bicycle, etc.

APRIL 2014

94
WWW.USCCA.COM

Todays .357 Magnums are available

in platforms not conceivable in 1935.
One of the first new platforms was the
22.5-ounce Smith & Wesson Model 60
stainless 5-shot J-frame revolver which
appeared in 1996. The very first of these
guns limited the maximum .357 bullet
weight to 125 grains. If a heavier-weight
.357 round was used,
recoil forces could loosen the bullets in the
remaining rounds, causing the cylinder to lock
up. The barrels on these
early guns are marked
for 125-grain .357 bullets onlythere is no
such restriction on bullet weight for .38 Special
rounds. Those restrictions were only applicable for the first couple of
years of production until
the bullet jump problem
was resolved. The new
generation of J-frame revolvers have no such limitations.
Ultra-lightweight
Scandium
.357
J-frame revolvers later appeared that reduced the guns weight from 22.5 ounces
down to an unbelievably light 11.4 ounces. I have never had a desire to test fire
one of these revolvers with full-power .357
Magnum rounds. I did own a nice Scandium frame revolver that Smith & Wesson
unfortunately no longer makesthe .357
Magnum Mountain Litewhich sadly, I
no longer own. That gun was based on
the larger L-frame, and was a seven-shooter weighing 18.5 ounces. One cylinder of
.357 ammo per range session was more
than enough fun for me. .38s were no
problem, but .357s were attention getters.
I say this only to give you an idea of what
the 11-ounce Scandium J-frames might be
like when touching off full-power loads.
Other modern .357s not imagined in 1934
are semi-automatics, seven- and eightshot revolvers, and derringers.
The .357 Magnum has the justly-earned
reputation of being the king of combat
handgun rounds with regard to stopping
power due to the massive levels of kinetic
energy it can generate. Kinetic energy, if
high enough, can cause a shockwave effect that increases tissue damage beyond

You can move around

without any limitations
or restrictions.
Holds any semi-automatic
pistol and spare magazine
or any J-frame revolver.
REVIEWED IN
JANUARY ISSUE

MAKE 80% OF THE WElGHT OF YOUR WEAPON

DlSAPPEAR WlTH THE WRAP-AROUND DESlGN

COONAN

.357

CALIBER: .357 MAGNUM

ACTION: SINGLE-ACTION
LENGTH: 8.3 INCHES
WEIGHT: 42 OUNCES
CAPACITY: 7+1 ROUNDS

The Coonan .357 Magnum Automatic combines the ergonomics of a 1911-pattern

pistol with the legendary fight-stopping power of the .357 Magnum cartridge.

sales reps assertion about the controllability of the .357 in a gun this small about as
much as I would believe a used car salesmans assertion that the car I was interested in was only driven to church by an
elderly lady on Sundays. This sales rep was
telling the truth, because I wanted to keep
shooting it with full-power loads. I was
amazed at the comfort. MSRP of the Bond
Arms Defender is $504, with interchangeable barrels in varying calibers available
for about $140 each.
With the three guns and my Shooting
Chrony Beta chronograph in tow, I headed out to test the effect that barrel length
and action type have on velocity. I decided
to use the X357SHP 145-grain Winchester
Super-X Silvertip Jacketed Hollow-Point
load. While the Silvertip load is considered
old tech compared to some of the more
95
modern hollow-point designs, Silvertips
are still excellent self-defense loads. The
145-grain weight bullet splits the difference between the very light 125-grain hollow-point .357 rounds and the 158-grain
heavyweights, and can do a bit of every-

WWW.USCCA.COM

coil spring (included with the gun), it will

also fire .38 Specialsbut I dont feel the
need to, since this is a mild recoiling .357. I
figured that the Coonan would be the .357
Magnum power champ with its 5-inch barrel and semi-automatic action.
For the revolver, I used a Century Arms
International Pietta 1873 single-action
revolver with a 4.75-inch barrel. This finely crafted Single Action Army clone is
improved by a transfer bar safety system
that allows it to be safely carried with all
six chamber holes loaded, unlike the original. Piettas are Italian-made and the workmanship is impeccable. The Pietta 1873
shoots dead-on with .357s or .38s, cycles
smoothly, locks up bank-vault-tight, has a
minimal flash gap, and retails for $350. Still
self-defense capable for those who prefer
this type of gun or for those with hand
strength issues, the Pietta represents one
of the best firearm deals on the market.
For a short-barrel .357, I used the Bond
Arms USA Defender with a 3-inch barrel. The USA Defender weighs 19 ounces, which helps tame recoil a bit, but the
shape of the grip is what really tames the
recoil. It spreads the force across the hand
so you end up with a smile on your face
rather than a painful grimaceafter each
shot. When I first tested one at a writers
conference in 2012, I believed the Bond

APRIL 2014

that caused directly by the bullet itself,

and the .357 has that kind of energy.
But what happens when barrel length
is decreased or increased or a different
action type is used? Will the .357 Magnum
still remain a powerhouse defensive and
outdoors carry round?
To find out, I selected three different
.357 Magnum handguns that featured
three basic action types. Handily, each gun
also featured a different barrel length.
The first was the stainless steel Coonan
Arms Classic .357 Magnum 1911. The
Coonan is, in my opinion, the finest 1911
variant out there, and is an excellent field
or combat pistol. I have been working with
a sample for most of this year and can tell
you I would not hesitate to carry this gun
on duty or in the woods, concealed on
my person, or secured in my nightstand
for home defense. In fact, I dont carry it
on duty because security holsters arent
available for it; it is just a tad oversized in
the slide area. While grip width from front
to rear is also bigger than a 1911, it is not
so big as to be ungainly. All controls are
standard 1911. The Coonan has never malfunctioned, is beautifully executed, and
is damn fun to shoot. It is a fine whitetail
deer gun for those who are skilled with
it, and is an outstanding value with an
MSRP of only $1375. By changing the re-

thing. Factory listed velocity is 1290 fps from a 4-inch vented barrel, which generates a healthy 535 foot-pounds of energy.
From the Coonan, the Silvertip rounds bested the factory velocity
ratings by a large margin. The highest velocity was 1454 fps; lowest
was 1444; and the average was 1449 fps. The average figure yields
some 675 foot-pounds of energy. What other self-defense gun/cartridge combo can match that?
I knew the Pietta would yield lower velocities than the Coonan
simply because of cylinder flash gap and a -inch shorter barrel. The
Piettas highest velocity was 1358 fps, and the lowest was 1313, with
an average speed of 1335 fps. Kinetic energy of the average speed
figure is 573 foot-pounds, which blows away the factory specs.
The Bond Arms derringer was an unknown. Obviously there
would be a large velocity dropI just wasnt sure how much. The
highest speed from the Bond was 1054 fps and the lowest speed was
1041 fps. The 1047 fps average velocity yielded 352 foot-pounds of
energy, which is well above the Winchester .38 Special 125-grain +P
Silvertip (which is rated at 945 fps and 247 foot-pounds of energy
from a 4-inch test barrel). Those who say that the .357 Magnum is no
different than a .38 Special +P round out of the same short-barreled
firearm are, well, mistaken. The .357 can still outclass the .38 by at
least 100 foot-pounds of energy.
The .357 Magnum is still very much alive and kicking, and for
those who select the right firearm for their purposes it is ideal for
concealed carry, home and property defense, or as a trail or hunting
arm. Even if you dont always need the full power of the .357 Mag-

BOND ARMS

USA DEFENDER
CALIBER: .38/.357
ACTION:BREAK
ACTION: BREAK
LENGTH:5
LENGTH: 5 INCHES
WEIGHT:19 OUNCES
CAPACITY:2
CAPACITY: 2 ROUNDS

The Bond Arms USA

Defender can chamber
and fire both the .357
Magnum and .38 Special
cartridges. Differing
barrel lengths and
calibers are available at
bondarms.com.

num, you can always keep a firearm chambered in .357 stoked with
the lighter but still capable .38 Special. If you havent considered the
.357 because of all the press surrounding more modern arms, take
a step back and reconsider the .357. It is a very viable choice.
APRIL 2014

96
WWW.USCCA.COM

Winchester Ammunition www.winchester.com

Smith & Wesson www.smith-wesson.com
Coonan Arms www.coonaninc.com
Century International Arms
(Pietta Importer) www.centuryarms.com
Bond Arms www.bondarms.com

GUN SMUGGLING MADE EASY

SLING IT
BY BOB PILGRIM

CARRY ENOUGH GUN

Like esteemed African big game hunter and author Robert Ruark,
I am a proponent of carrying enough gun. Though I do not advocate
off-body carry such as a purse or portfolio for retention reasons,
I believe that I have found a compromise method of concealment
that permits me to smuggle the proverbial cannon into any
environment where firearms are not legally banned.

APRIL 2014

99
WWW.USCCA.COM

DIVERSION CARRY SLING PACK

Sling packs are everywhere and are
more secure than purses that are normally hung from the shoulder because the
carry strap bisects the body and is draped
over the opposite shoulder. Removal of
the sling pack requires lifting it over the
head or dropping it past the feet. No one
will be easily snatching your sling pack. It
also takes some effort to put the sling pack
on the ground, which might mean you are
more likely to keep it close and not set it
down as often.
Blackhawk arrived a bit late to the concealed carry sling pack scene, yet has improved the breed with its ambidextrous,
16-ounce Diversion Carry Sling Pack (DCSP).
Constructed of 420-denier nylon, the pack is
13 inches long by 7 inches wide by 3
inches deep in a teardrop shape with multiple high-quality, lockable, main-compartment zippers with large oval easy-grip pull
tabs. It is large enough to accept full-size
5-inch handguns. However, main compartment space for ones gun hand is limited,
and extracting a firearm from its ambidextrous, nylon, and Velcro anchored universal
pistol holster is challenging. Things would
work better if the main gun compartment
would completely unzip and open
wider like a fanny pack. I
think the system would
be more efficient with a
Velcro-fastened,

elastic scabbard that could accept most

handguns and would hold the firearm
with elastic tension.

CROSSBREED OHAI
MODULAR HOLSTER
My preferred solution to the
above-mentioned retention and presentation shortfalls was to contact CrossBreed Holsters and
acquire one of their beautifully made Ohai Modular scabbards that
firmly affixes to the
packs Velcro-lined
pocket. This setup
with CrossBreeds
attendant magazine
pouch is far superior to BHs system and
even my elastic recommendation, but unfortunately costs as
much as the pack does.
In further regard to
overall size, I would like
the bag to be a little
larger for true multi-purpose capabilities. That
enlarged practical profile
combined with a mesh water
bottle compartment would also
augment its benign discreetness.
For large blokes, sling adjustment
length may be barely adequate.
Considering my findings, my Robar
customized Glock 29 in 10mm was
the perfect fit for the pack and me.
In addition to its 10-round standard
magazine, I carry a 15-round magazine
as a spare, giving me 26 powerful manstoppers.

DEPLOYMENT SPEED
AND PROBLEMS
APRIL
PRIL 2014

100

While this is far from a speed rig, I

ran some emergency presentation
drills from 10 yards. This consisted of moving the pack from
rear to front, ripping open

WWW.USCCA.COM

The main zippered compartment on the

Blackhawk Diversion Carry Sling Pack offers
ambidextrous access. Users can also change
the orientation of the sidearm within the bag to
better suit their carry and EDC preferences.

the pouch with my left hand, drawing the

Glock while stabilizing the pack with my
support hand, and firing one shot center of
mass at the threat.
Taking great care to keep my finger clear
of the trigger until the pistols muzzle was
oriented downrange and breaking a sighted shot, my average time for 10 runs was
4.02 seconds. However, I made no attempt
to get my support arm and hand out of
the way as the Glocks muzzle crossed it
and I made no attempt to precisely place
the shot. All I was concerned with was hitting the target as quickly as possible. I also
attached a colored ribbon to the toggled
zipper, so I could readily identify it and
access it more quickly. After several draws
the ribbon ripped. One of the first things
you need to do is to attach a strong lanyard or parachute shock cord to the toggle that you will use to open the pack or
you will risk missing it entirely or end up
grabbing both toggles and not being able
to open it. Rummaging through my climbing gear I came up with nylon sling and it
works great.

the Glocks butt was presented vertically to

my right hand. This move north also created
a larger orifice for my hand and I was able to
clear the pocket without struggling as much
to get past pocket material. It also created
space for CrossBreeds magazine pouch and
my G20 15-round ammo reservoir.
As previously mentioned, this limiting
factor would be further alleviated if the
compartments zipper opened further. If
trouble is anticipated and cannot be avoided, the sling pack can be carried up front

with the pouch open. While not necessarily

left open, this is exactly how I would situate
the pack while behind the wheel driving or
sitting in a chair at a table. In other words,
the DCSP doesnt have to be taken off and
set aside when engaged in many common
activities. Unfortunately, this speed-oriented move created another problem that may
be a game changer for many contemplating this type of carry system: with the butt
riding diagonally, the Glocks muzzle is also
oriented diagonally and down, which will

This setup with CrossBreeds

attendant magazine pouch
is far superior to BHs
system and even my elastic
recommendation, but
unfortunately costs as much
as the pack does.

APRIL 2014

101
WWW.USCCA.COM

As illustrated in Blackhawk brochures,

with the pistol oriented butt down in the
pack it will, after moderate activity, fall out
of the universal holster unless the provided universal holster retention strap is fully
tightened and firmly meshed into place.
However, pistol liberation will take both
hands and several seconds to accomplish.
Pistol bail out also occurred with the CrossBreed holster, but I was able to correct this
problem by relocating it as far forward as I
could, near the packs apex, and reorienting
the guns butt so it rode diagonally on my
back toward the packs compartment zipper.
Subsequently, when I slung the pack around
to my chest and opened the compartment,

 With the proper concealed carry bag, a sidearm, extra ammunition,

water, and other necessities are always within easy reach.
sweep everyone seated below me on my right when I am
standing upright.

CAREFUL HURRY
You will need time to present your
firearm with this pack. Anticipate
problems, so you dont have to rush
the process. Careful hurry is the mantra and this will enable you to smoothly draw your firearm without having to
stabilize the pack with your support
hand, and you can get that appendage out of the way before you pop
it from its scabbard and cross flesh
and bone with the guns muzzle.

OTHER POSSIBILITIES
APRIL
PRIL 2014

102
WWW.USCCA.COM

When the pack is up front it

covers my heart and a good portion of my lungs. Instead of the
padded backing the pack has,
a sheet of Level IIIA Kevlar might
be more appropriate? At its widest
point, which bisects the neck, its adjustable strap is a little over 3 inches in
width. From there it tapers down to 1.2
inches where it attaches to a nylon strap

adjustable for length. The strap has a

male plastic clip that inserts into one of
two female buckles situated on the left
and right at the base of the pack. This
allows the pack to be adjusted for rightor left-handed shooters. The back of the
strap is rubberized with a rough texture
to keep it from slipping off the shoulder. Instead of a pocket for a cell phone
or other accessories, about a third of the
way down the sling two nylon loops are
present. A pen and pencil, small flashlight,
and etc could be clipped here. Instead, I
took my Benchmade 580 Barrage folding
knife and slipped it into these loops. The
only drawback to the single strap is that it
cuts into the carotid area when climbing
or reaching overhead.

MOVING QUICKLY
The pack balances nicely and does not
swing laterally like a backpack does when
running. But, without a belly band it will
bounce up and down and your handgun
will leave its moorings unless it is tightly
strapped down. However, as mentioned
above, presentation within a limited time
frame may be frustrated by the BH holster

lack thereof and that is relatively secure,

BHs Diversion Carry Sling Pack will
satisfy that requirement. It will also
not restrict you to Mouse Guns
with limited ammunition reserves
and will serve as a short duration
emergency bail out bag.

CONTACT
Blackhawk
6160 Commander Parkway

Augmented
with gear from
CrossBreed,
the Diversion
Carry Sling Pack
proved to be
an excellent
choice for
average-sized
individuals,
but those with
larger hands
may experience
some problems.
arrangement. If certain pre-deployment
precautions are taken and the firearm
is stored properly, the BH sling pack is a
limited, but good, bail out bag. If none of
the aforementioned changes were made,
I would not carry a round in the chamber
unless the firearm had manually operated safeties or the weapon was designed
to be carried hammer down in the double-action mode with a heavy trigger.

COED COMPATIBILITY

CONCLUSIONS

CanCanConcealment.com

www.

Safe Sexy Holstering

FEATURES
*Reholstering Tabs
*Magnetic Retention
*Military Grade Elastic
*3 Rows of Hook & Eye
*Silicone Non-Slip Tacti-Grip

Proudly Made
In The USA

Visit our website or call

us at 888-753-9298

Visit us at the NRA Convention

in the Taurus Booth # 4448

103
WWW.USCCA.COM

In spite of my criticisms and suggestions, this is a well-made piece of gear

that is intelligently designed overall and
will perform its mission well. If you want
a concealment system that you can wear
anywhere with any type of clothing or

CrossBreed Holsters LLC

224 North Main
Republic, MO 65738
1-888-732-5011
info@crossbreedholsters.com
www.crossbreedholsters.com

APRIL 2014

Although the DCSP has a more feminine look, that profile can be diluted by
careful color selection. It can be acquired
in Grey/Blue, Grey/Black, and Black/Red.
As mentioned above, a larger version
would also increase its masculinity, but
while perfect for women it is certainly
suitable for knuckle draggers as well.

Norfolk, VA 23502
1-800-694-5263
ww.blackhawk.com

ULTRA-SONIC
MEANS ULTRA-CLEAN
WITHOUT THE WORK
BY DAVE MORELLI

SPACE-AGE

APRIL 2014

105
WWW.USCCA.COM

The dirty old days of gun cleaning

are over for shooters who choose to
employ the newest technologies.

 The Italian Gun Grease

Company also makes sonic
cleaner solutions. I used some
on a particularly caked-up .22 LR
1911 conversion, and the grime
all came off in the bath with very
little brush work.

MUST BE KEPT CLEAN! Cleaning any firearm is important to keep it

FIREARMSfunctioning
properly and to preserve the fine finish as long as possible.

APRIL 2014

Guns these days are made with a wide

variety of corrosion-resistant materials.
Poly plastics, stainless steel, and aluminum
will resist corrosion, but powder and metal
fouling must be removed from these materials to keep the firearm functioning when
it might be needed most.
Carrying a weapon concealed on your
person also causes another problem for
those who want to keep their guns clean:
lint and fine dust from your clothing will
make their way into the crevices of your
gun. The areas behind the trigger, around
the hammer, and anywhere lint can get
into the inside mechanism will require
cleaning. Your clothing, or at least my
106 clothing, collects fine dust during the day
that also shows up in the workings of the
weapon. In hot weather, an all-day coating of perspiration on the weapon may be
added to the equation. This could lead to
surface rust on the outer metal, and even
WWW.USCCA.COM

if you carry a plastic gun, some of that perspiration will make its way into the metal
parts of the weapon.
Carrying in an ankle holster really subjects the gun to fouling as the feet are close
to the ground and kick up dirt and dust. I
suggest inspecting an ankle weapon each
night when it is removed to ensure dirt
does not build up excessively. However,
when you carry concealed, it isnt uncommon for your weapon to need a good
cleaning even though you havent shot it
recently. (Hopefully this wont be the case
and your training regimen will merit a
good regular scrubbing.)
Normally, shooting the pistol will require
the chamber, barrel, and areas around the
ramp to be cleaned periodically. Most people, myself included, do not disassemble
the pistol beyond field strip for every cleaning. If you are a revolver fan, you would not
break it down further than pulling the cyl-

inder (if it is a S/A) or opening the cylinder

(on a D/A). Taking the action apart would
be done less often, if at all, and most people would have a professional conduct further disassembly.
So now that we are carrying our concealed pistol, what is going to happen to all
the dirt and lint that gets into the workings
of the gun that we dont take apart every
time we clean it? Rather than taking the
weapon down yourself and risking sending springs and parts into orbit, there is another option. Sonic Cleaning is not a new
concept but it is getting more common,
and as this happens the cleaning units are
becoming affordable to commoners. They
are also becoming more downsized to accommodate the private gun owner and
not just the big shops.
Although Brownells carries the large
professional units, they also carry smaller
models more reasonable for home use by
concealed carriers. Now the private citizen
can keep their weapon in factory-clean,
tip-top shape in just 10 to 15 minutes per

session. The chemistry used

One of the home-sized
L&R Sonic Cleaning
in these sonic cleaners also Tank system with one- cleaning units available
involves non-toxic materials button operation. The through Brownells is the
tank above holds the
that wont permeate your
HCS 200 by L&R Ultrasoncleaning
solution, and ics. It comes as a kit with a
skin or make your nose hairs
fall out. Some of the clean- the oil tank sits on top tank and screen basket to
when in use.
ing agents smell like the gasuspend parts, a lubricating
rage-oriented orange cleantank, cleaning solution and
ers on the market, and if you think it cant water displacing oil, and some small tools
clean unless it smells terrible, you should to aid with cleaning. The basket will fit
know that these cleaners have come a most field-stripped pistols or revolvers and
long way. I have been using full-strength for you Dirty Harry fans, the Model 29-sized
Simple Green to clean my guns for awhile revolvers can be put in partially with the
now, and it not only has a pleasant odor barrel sticking out. It is big enough to clean
but is also non-toxic to my hands and the the internals and cylinder area in one sesenvironment.
sion and the barrel can be turned around

Boberg
.
.Arms
7+1 9mm +P Reverse Feed Superior Ballistics
O.A.L. 5.95 Barrel 4.2

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107
WWW.USCCA.COM

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APRIL 2014

O.A.L. 5.1 Barrel 3.4

 A sampling of several other Italian Gun

Grease products. Im partial to the readyto-spray containers.

done in another pass or cleaned with a rod.

One of the first guns I put into the cleaner to see how well it
worked was a Colt Officers Model that I routinely carry on my
ankle. It had been a while since Id shot it and it looked like a
well-used dust mop with all the dirt and lint under the hammer
and trigger. Id even handled a traffic accident where the vehicle
had gone into a pasture and hit an irrigation pivot. The field was
as wet as a swamp and when I stepped into one of the wheel
depressions, the gun was totally immersed as I sunk in up to
my knees. I thought this would be a good test specimen for the
cleaning system.
The system plugs into a standard 110 outlet and the cleaning
solution is really easy to measure out: it comes in an 8-ounce
bottle, and you just dump it in and fill the tank the rest of the

APRIL 2014

108
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way with water. The gun parts go into the basket and are then
lowered into the cleaning tank. The Colt had wood grips that I
removed before giving it a dunk in both the cleaning and water-displacing oil bath, and I would recommend not trying any
cleaner on exotic grips without first giving it a thorough check.
The company recommends de-gassing the fresh solutions,
which takes the trapped air out of them. This is done by running
the machine for five to 10 minutes before dunking the gun parts.
This gun was really dirty. It had been dunked in muddy water
and worn on my ankle for several weeks, and I shot several hundred rounds through it just for good measure. I field stripped it
and laid its parts out in the basket and put it into the cleaner for
15 minutes. The cleaning solution turned cloudy and then black
after a few minutes and when I pulled the basket out the gun
was clean, even around the ramp and throat where the fouling
really builds up and gets baked on.
All the areas around the hammer, trigger, safety, and other
openings leading to the inner workings were clean and free of
dirt or lint. I rinsed the parts off in clean warm water and blew
off the excess with compressed air; the gun was factory new
clean inside and out without taking it apart beyond a field strip.
Once the parts were dry I returned them to the basket to lubricate them. The oil tank is separate from the cleaning tank but
the same basket is used to hold the parts. The oil tank fits over
the cleaning solution bath and contacts the liquid; the sonic action is transferred to the oil tank through the cleaning liquid.
The oil that came with the L&R system had a very slight odor
of water displacing oil similar to the type you would dunk a hotblued part in after rinsing. This oil will drive out any remaining
water drops and coat every part of the entire gun with a light
film that will dry to protect and lubricate the metal. I kept the
parts in the oil for about 10 minutes before pulling them out to

When I stepped into one of the wheel

depressions, the gun was totally immersed is being vibrated and you can see
drain, keeping them in the basket
suspended over the oil bath and as I sunk in up to my knees. I thought this teensy bubbles coming off of the
draining the remaining oil off of them
loosening the grime. Whatever it
would be a good test specimen. doesparts,
and back into the tank. Then I placed
in there, it loosens the bad stuff on
the guns and washes it away.
Revolvers cleaned up just as well as autos. On combat revolvers, the only takedown done is to remove the grips, open the
cylinder, and hold it open during cleaning with the included
jig. I cleaned a couple of Ruger Vaqueros, taking the cylinders
out and removing the grips before placing the separated parts
in the basket for cleaning. The only difference would be that
a cleaning rod would have to be pushed down the barrel and
cylinders after the cleaning and lube cycles. The cowboy loads I
shoot arent moving that fast, but there is a little lead fouling in
the throat of the barrel and the sonic action loosens this up to
be removed easily with a bore brush and patch.
Whether your guns are duty guns and tools of your trade,
competition guns, self-protection guns, or just plinkers, they
need to be clean to work flawlessly when they are called into
action. Carrying guns concealed is as hard on the guns as shooting them, and the Sonic System could be the answer to your
cleaning needs.

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APRIL 2014

them on a sheet of paper towel to finish draining and drying.

Once the parts were dry and could be assembled, they were
lubed and ready to go.
I usually like some grease or oil on the slide rails of my 1911
and a drop of lube inside the barrel bushing. I also usually wipe
down the whole gun with a super-light coat of oil, especially
if it is a blued model, to protect it from perspiration. The nice
thing about sonic cleaning is the internal parts of the gun get
cleaned and lubricated every time the gun is cleaned, not once
a year or never.
I was turned on to Italian Gun Grease recently and have been
using their products. They carry sonic cleaning solutions and other products for the gun owner such as lubricants, carbon cleaners, and copper eliminators. What I really like about their sonic
cleaners (apart from the fact that they work really well) is the
packaging: they come in the bottle with a measuring chamber
for mixing out solutions. No need for a measuring cup; I like that.
I really wanted to test out this sonic cleaner business, so I shot
my Colt .22 conversion unit on a Colt frame until it wouldnt
strip another round out of the magazine. We all know how filthy
.22 ammo is and how hard the fouling dries into the area around
the barrel, and I thought it would be a perfect scenario to see
how well this sonic cleaner would do on a really dirty gun. (As
an added bonus, I got to shoot the gun dirtyI love my job.)
The cleaner performed well, cleaning all the crud off of the
ramp, barrel, and slide areas.
Italian Gun Greases other products come in pump-type spray
bottles. Im always looking for sprayers to put my solvents in
because I find that is the easiest way to administer the product,
and dipping brushes into solvent and knocking over bottles is
a thing of the past in my shop. The pump sprayers will soak a
patch or spray right into the bore to be spread around by the
bore brush. I like Italians Copper Eliminator for cleaning precision rifles without the heavy ammonia smell. Their Carbon Eliminator breaks down the fouling quickly, and they have spray lubricants and rust protection products as well. I really liked their
grease for the rails on my AR bolt and the slides on my 1911.
The sonic cleaner did a great job, but partway though the
time in the cleaning solution phase I pulled the basket up,
brushed the trouble areas with the included toothbrush-sized
brush, and then replaced the basket for the rest of the cycle.
Just like before, the gun came out clean as new and after drying,
into the lubricating oil it went. (The really caked-on fouling will
come loose with extra time in the solution, but a little brush will
take it right off.)
The solution will not remove copper or lead fouling because
it cannot dissolve these metals, but the solution plus the sonic
action will lift the metal fouling and loosen it from the barrels.
After I ran a patch through the barrel or a brush then patch, the
barrel was shiny clean. The sonic action looks like the solution

WHAT
FRONT
SIGHT?
THE RIGHT WAY TO TALK
TO YOUR EYE DOCTOR
ABOUT SHOOTING
BY JAMES L. ANDERSON

RECENT EYE EXAM resulted

inA new
glasses for me and, since

additional glasses could be ordered

at a discount, I decided to purchase
prescription shooting glasses in stylish
safety frames. The eye doctor said he
was a hunter and understood my need
to focus on the front sight of my pistol
when shooting for accuracy. He assured
me that matching the same bifocal
prescription of my regular glasses was
the right choice, declaring that, ...the
top part of the lenses would cover a
range of distances. When I arrived at
my indoor range and put on the new
shooting glasses, I looked into a mirror
and beheld the manifestation of a
celebrated professional. I soon realized
that I could maintain that image only
as long as I refrained from pressing the
trigger. After donning my shooting cap
and ear protection, I swaggered on to the
range and swiftly sent out a B-8 target
to 7 yards. After racking the slide, I raised
my pistol into my line of sight. What
presented itself was a perfectly focused
target with a blurry, silhouetted object
in front of it. The object was presumably
my hand holding a pistol, both of which I
had seen quite clearly earlier through the
lower portion of the bifocal lenses.
Your eye care professional must
understand that your needs as a
shooter differ from those of
the average person.

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I dropped the magazine, but then elected to shoot the chambered round. Merely
pointing at the target, I pressed the trigger.
A hole appeared just inside the black, so all
was not lost. I would be wearing my regular glasses with the identical prescription
when I was out and carrying, and I now
knew I could achieve adequate defensive
accuracy with them.
Back at home I taped up a yardstick and
measured the distance from my eye to the
front sight. I arrived at 24 inches from my
eyeball to the front sight.
I took this information to my eye doctor
who remained unconvinced, still insisting
that my focus should be on the target.
Armed with a copy of Michael Martins
Concealed Carry and Home Defense Fundamentals, I demonstrated that the front
sight, and not anything else, should be in
sharp focus. Grudgingly the doctor figured
out a new prescription for my shooting
glasses. I was fortunate that the original
lenses could be returned for credit toward
the newer prescription.
When I received my new and improved

APRIL 2014

112

glasses, I headed straight for the range

to test my new set of eyes. I was instantly confronted with a strange image. What
I saw was the hammer and rear sight of
my pistol in razor sharp focus. The front
sight was pretty fuzzy and the target was
shrouded in fog. If I was flying an airplane,
I would be on instruments.
The next time I went to see the eye doctor I carried in a gun. Not a real one, but a
plastic toy gun that had dimensions similar to my Sig. I had painted the front sight
orange so as to emphasize to the doctor
that it needed to be in sharp focus. I nearly had to sign an oath in blood that these
glasses would only be used for target
shooting and nothing else. Fortunately I
am not a hemophiliac.
Holding the toy pistol up, the doctor
and I went through the various test lenses
to arrive at a prescription that would put
the front sight in focus. Once again I did
not have to pay more for the latest prescription lenses.
When these lenses arrived I went to the
range with trepidation. I took my time

The ability to acquire a quick, consistent sight picture is essential for both
defensive and competitive shooting. Be
sure that your glasses or contacts - as
well as your backups - are up to the task.
sending out the target and loading my
magazines. I then took a deep breath,
racked the slide and raised my Sig. If the
image I saw was given musical accompaniment, it would have been the finale of
Beethovens 9th Symphony: Halleluiah
Halleluiahits the site picture when
shooting for accuracy,
What I learned from my experience was
that ordering prescription shooting glasses involves educating the eye doctor on
what a shooters exact needs are, because
they are unusual. Be certain the eye doctor
completely understands the demands of
the shooters sight picture when shooting
for accuracy with a pistol. I recommend
taking a toy gun to the doctors office to
illustrate the sight picture you require.

WWW.USCCA.COM

Editors Note: As the author mentioned

above, the glasses he purchased were specifically for target shooting at the range.
Please ensure that you can obtain effective
defensive pistol shooting accuracy with
your daily eyewear; you will not have time
to change your glasses when confronted
with a deadly force scenario. If you cannot obtain effective combat accuracy with
your current eyewear, you might consider
getting a new prescription.

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INSTRUCTORS CORNER

Firearms Instructor
Mistakes, And How
To
Avoid
Them

IN THE LAST TWO ISSUES, my focus shifted away from offering advice to new concealed carry permit holders,
and I began a new series of articles focused instead on offering advice to new concealed carry permit instructors.

Since I first began writing this new series, weve held the first
three USCCA Certified Firearms Instructor training courses in
Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois (with many more scheduled
for 2014 and beyond). During those classes, weve had a chance
to certify nearly 200 professional firearms instructors after those
instructors attended our intense, three-day course, with topics
ranging from how to market your firearms training business to
understanding exactly how to present the USCCA Concealed
Carry and Home Defense Fundamentals classroom PowerPoint
and videos. The classes also included multiple practical
exercises, virtual range exercises, and live-fire training. As part
of those classes, I also get the chance to present the Top Ten
Mistakes, and in a wonderful testament to the men and women
who have attended our course, weve had universal agreement
that the mistakes discussed in this series are mistakes that well
avoid as USCCA-Certified Firearms Instructors. In this issue, Ill
wrap up the series with mistakes #7 through #10.
APRIL 2014

114

you gain their confidence as a subject matter expert by wearing

your dirty camouflage jacket and greasy blaze orange hat and
sporting a five-day growth of beard? Do you exude expertise
when you say, Let me show you this bad a-- f---ing gun? Let
me ask that question another way: Lets say youre concerned
that a spot on your chest might be skin cancer. Two doctors are
available for you to meet with. The first dresses professionally;
his clothes are new, clean, and pressed, and hes cleanly shaven
with neat hair. The second looks like he hasnt showered or
shaved, hes wearing the aforementioned camouflage jacket
and blaze orange hat, and he says, Let me take a look at that
f---ing spot. Dont let it throw you that Im talking about firearms
instructors versus doctors. A professional is a professional, and
students know when a non-professional is standing in front
of them. Your students arent looking for someone to fish with
or another hunting buddy. Theyre looking for a professional
firearms instructor, and they want to believe that you have the
answers theyre looking for. Look and dress the part.

WWW.USCCA.COM

MISTAKE #7: PRESENTING AN UNPROFESSIONAL IMAGE.

What do your students want to see when they see you
standing in front of their class? Do they want to see a reflection MISTAKE #8: TAKING A DO WHAT I SAY,
of themselves? Do they want to see someone that could be a NOT WHAT I DO APPROACH TO CLASS.
Like your children, your students are going to pick up more of
hunting or fishing buddy? Or do they want to see an instructor
with an aura of confidence, professionalism, and knowledge? what you do than what you say.
Ask the average firearms instructor what their number one
Too often instructors believe that they can gain their audiences
trust by acting, talking, or dressing as an everyday guy. In reality, goal during any range exercise should be, and youre very
that approach backfires. For example, if your audience is rural, do likely going to hear, The safety of my students. At least you

BY MICHAEL MARTIN

should hear that. So when it comes to those range exercises

and your handling of your personal firearm, are you making
the mistake of, Do what I say, not what I do? When you pick
up your firearm, are you absolutely ensuring that your finger
remains outside the trigger guard until youre on target and
have made the decision to fire? Are you exhibiting the best
muzzle control of anyone on the firing line? Or are you falling
into the trap of, Im the expert here, I can get away with things
that my students shouldnt do. The reality is, students will buy
that attitude up to a point. Weve all seen countless episodes
of TV shows where the host implores the audience, Do not try
this at home! and then theyll go on to do something that we
shouldnt, well, try at home. But thats TV, folks. As a professional
instructor, if youve just finished telling your students that their
muzzle shouldnt cover anything theyre not
willing to destroy, and then you go on to use
your Glock with the integrated laser sight as
a teaching aid to point out really interesting
things on your PowerPoint slide, what do
you think your students will remember? Will
they remember the Universal Safety Rules
covered 15 slides ago, or will they remember
the fact that their instructor didnt really
think it was important? If you instruct your
students to never step in front of the firing
line on a hot range and an hour later you
step across the line to pick up your dropped
magazine, what will they remember? As with
war stories, instructors can fall into the trap of
misunderstanding what makes them look like
a professional to their students. Acting above
the rules doesnt make you look like a professional; it makes
you look like an amateur. If you want to keep a professional
aura about yourself, dont just talk the talk. Walk the walk.

When I explain the purpose of a personal and home

protection plan to my students, I not only discuss that its
a plan to help keep them physically safe, I also describe it
as a plan to keep them financially and morally safe as well.
While its easy to understand protecting ourselves and our
families physically, the Id rather be judged argument fails
to recognize the financial and emotional aftermath that
can occur after a use of force, especially when the attacker
has been injured or killed. While wed like to think that any
defensive use of force on our part would be viewed as a slamdunk in our favor, reality is far more complicated than that.
There are too many stories of individuals who did everything
right when it came to a defensive use of force, but still found
themselves charged with a crime and facing jail time, the loss
of their firearms, and economic ruin. Each
year, we hear heart-wrenching stories of
people just like us who lost their jobs or even
their homes because of the financial burdens
associated with defending themselves in
court after defending themselves on the
street or in their homes. Even in cases where
the legally armed American did everything
right, the defendant might find himself
or herself accepting a plea bargain rather
than gambling it all and running the risk of
complete financial ruin.
To illustrate where the Id rather be judged
approach fails, lets look at an example. Lets
say that youre asleep late at night when
youre suddenly woken by the sound of
breaking glass. Rather than calling 911 and
barricading yourself in your bedroom, you decide to grab
your home defense shotgun and investigate, because after
all, your instructor told you that, Its better to be judged by 12
than carried by six. You silently descend the staircase a step
at a time, all the while hearing sounds of an intruder in your
basement. As you step off of the bottom step, you suddenly see
the intruder silhouetted against the basement window, and
you shout a warning to Freeze! Instead, he turns toward you,
and you see a flash of metal in his hands. Reacting instinctively,
you fire a blast in the intruders direction, and he drops to the
floor. With a shaking hand, you turn on the basement lights,
only to discover that youve just shot and killed your 15-yearold neighbor, and the flash of metal in his hands turns out to
be a six-pack of beer that the young man has just stolen from
your basement refrigerator. Investigators later tell you that
your neighbors friends had challenged him to steal the beer
from your home, and youre charged with manslaughter. If that
scenario happened to you, how comforted would you be by
the words of your instructor that Its better to be judged by 12
than carried by six? Or, would you hope beyond hope that you
could reverse the clock and make a better decision? Months
later and hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, would
you be satisfied knowing that you were alive and about to be

Acting above the rules

doesnt make you look
like a professional; it
makes you look like an
amateur. If you want
to keep a professional
aura about yourself,
dont just talk the talk.
Walk the walk.

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115
WWW.USCCA.COM

MISTAKE #9: TEACHING WITH AN APPROACH OF ITS

BETTER TO BE JUDGED BY 12 THAN CARRIED BY SIX
WHEN IT COMES TO THE LEGAL USE OF FORCE.
Ill often comment in my classes that the law isnt a
mathematical formula where a situation can be plugged in
on one side of the equation with the answer of Guilty or Not
Guilty spit out on the other side. I believe in properly educating
my students on what the law says, how its been interpreted in
the past, and how it may be interpreted in the future, perhaps
in their very own case. However, too often Ill hear the legal
conversations that should be taking place dismissed with the
comment of, Id rather be judged by 12 than carried by six. I
understand the sentiment of that adagethat is, I get the fact
that wed rather have the right to defend our life or the life of
a loved one and deal with the fallout than to not exercise that
right and most certainly be injured or killed if were subject to a
violent attack. But the Id rather be judged statement ignores
the fact that the actual violent attack or home invasion is just
the first of three injuries our students might face.

disservice, and your advice (or lack of

advice) may ultimately get your student
killed or jailed.

MISTAKE #10: THROWING OTHER

INSTRUCTORS UNDER THE BUS.
If youve spent any time at all on
concealed carry forums, youve most
likely seen a response of, Who was your
instructor? when a new permit holder
asks a basic question. That question in
reply to a question is not only unhelpful,
it also ignores the facts of Mistake #2
(assuming that students will retain

Available with standard or concealed holsters.

judged by 12 strangers, half of whom

were selected by the prosecutor? Or
would you dream about stepping back
to the decisions that you made leading
up to the event?
The bottom line is that as a defensive
firearms instructor, never forget that
the word defensive is in your title. If
your primary (or only) focus with your
students is to teach them defensive
shooting fundamentals and you dismiss
legal or conflict avoidance topics with
the Id rather be judged statement,
then you are doing your students a

APRIL 2014

116

Quick Access, comfort

And sAfety.

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everything theyre taught in class).

But beyond that, the question implies
that something was wrong with the
instructor, his or her teaching methods,
or his or her intelligence. Unfortunately,
the concealed carry marketplace is
rife with instructors eating their own
and targeting other instructors as bad
instructors. But bad instructor doesnt
usually imply bad, illegal, or dangerous
information (no instructor is teaching
that there are only three Universal Safety
Rules rather than four); it usually implies
a lack of public speaking skills, or a lack
of professional materials or appearance.
If thats the case, then the market can
decide which instructors succeed and
fail. Other instructors dont need to
pile on and drive them out. While we
dont have an official USCCA Certified
Firearms Instructor Creed, during our
certification classes I walk our audience
through the following points, stressing
their importance in being an ethical and
professional firearms instructor:
As a USCCA Certified Instructor, I will
never publicly insult or slander another
instructors teaching style, method, or
content.
If given a choice, I will privately
assist another instructor if I believe that
he or she has incorrect or outdated
information rather than publicly
slandering them.
I believe that my own public
standing will be elevated by the ethical
way I conduct my business, and through
my own teaching methods, content, and
professionalism rather than by tearing
other instructors down.
When asked a question by a new
permit holder, I will never ask, Who
was your instructor? and instead, Ill
answer the question to the best of my
ability, regardless of how many times
Ive answered it previously.
Michael Martin
USCCA Chief Instructor

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ONE TO THE HEAD

BY MARK WALTERS

You Cant Fix Stupid

I FEEL SORRY FOR SOME PEOPLE. Certain folks simply elicit sorrow by the very nature of circumstances
that are beyond their control, such as the very sick, crime victims, wounded veterans who risked their lives for us, or those who
play by the rules busting their asses every day working one, two, and in many cases three jobs.

APRIL 2014

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WWW.USCCA.COM

Others game the system by screwing all

of us. My heart goes out to people who
deserve assistance and help but cant
get it because theyre employed, those
whose diseases will take their lives, or
whose sacrifices have relegated them to
a life of struggle doing the simple tasks
they used to (and we do) take for granted.
I do my part when and where I can and
I know how hard the good people here at
the USCCA work to do their part not only
as individuals but also as an organization.
The company either sponsors or attends
many events held by such organizations
as Habitat for Humanity, The United Way,
and many others. Yes, certain groups of
people need and deserve our assistance.
Stupid isnt one of them.
I used to feel sorry for stupid people. I
dont anymore and I can thank the entire
duration of this America-hating presidents tenure in office and his socialist
agenda for those sentiments. And I dont
feel bad about it. Not in the least. No sorrow whatsoever for stupid people. For the
last 8 years (Im including the 2-year campaign leading up to the 2008 election),
Ive watched as millions of Americans
have flown the flag of stupidity. Ive sat
back as millions of my fellow citizens
and sadly, millions of criminals who do
NOT belong in this countryhave overtly
done everything in their power to usurp
this nations greatness and her exceptionalism.
Ive watched as an entire party (Democrats) in power have sold their souls to
an America-hating agenda which demonizes the freedoms we hold sacred in
this country and in the process, mock and
attack those of us who hold traditional
American valuesthe very values that
made America the greatest nation on

Earth. Ive sat back and watched as the

Republican Party has enabled this America-hating agenda to metastasize right
before our eyes, all of it made possible by
stupidity.
Stupid adjective
not intelligent: having or showing a lack
of ability to learn and understand things
not sensible or logical
not able to think normally because you
are drunk, tired, etc
slow of mind
given to unintelligent decisions or acts:
acting in an unintelligent or careless manner
lacking intelligence or reason
Although I could provide dozens of
examples of stupidity in this Obamanation, in the interest of column space I
will limit myself to one glaring example
that all Americans can relate to: so called
Obamacare. I personally know people
who have made the following statement,
Whats wrrrrrong with everyone having
healthcare? Thats a typical, feel-goody,
do-goody, and liberal question from a
feel-goody, do-goody, dopey liberal who
feels rather than thinks. In fact, the very
same person who made that statement
to me now hates Obamacare, as it has
stripped her family of their health insurance and exploded their cost to obtain a
new, lower-quality policy. Yup, now they
hate it. Which begs the question, WTF
were you thinking in the first place when
you voted for this &$%#???
Oh, you werent?
(See above definition.)
What does this have to do with your
right to bear arms? EVERYTHING! One
of the main tenets of this socialist in the
White House is to disarm the populace

and make everyone a slave to the state

(Did he just say slave?) by sucking the stupid into believing their forms of gun control are reasonable and common sense.
They count on your stupidity when they
lie to you about their intentions and their
real desires. Then and only then can they
begin to fully enact their America-hating
goals. This regime relies on it. It needs
YOU stupid.
Me? I have no longer have time for stupid and neither do you. I have no time nor
do I have any desire to converse with stupid. I call stupid what it isstupid, and as
one famous fictional character reminded
us, stupid is as stupid does. Want to see
real life examples of what lies ahead for
all of us and our firearm freedoms when
stupid is allowed to fester and grow? See
New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Illinois,
California, Colorado, and others. Those
of us who are willing to think must outnumber the stupid who wont and unfortunately, when the stupid outnumber
those of us who think, we learn lessons
that only elections can teach us. With the
mid-terms upon us this year, you better
hope stupid stays home!