Jan 2011

REVIEW!
SmITH & WESSoN BoDYGUARDS
vol.8, ISSUE 1 JANUARY 2011

THE ULTIMATE RESOURCE FOR THE ARMED CITIZEN
BE A GooD WITNESS
THE NEED-LEVEL THREAT CHIAPPA ARMS RHINO LOW LIGHT SKILLS MEMORY DISTORTIONS CONCEALMENT HOLSTERS
UScoNcEAlEDcARRY.com
Mark Walters and Tim Schmidt Uncover The Inside Secrets of Over 33 of the Most Popular Concealed Carry Holsters On The Market! When you absorb the information in this system, youll save $1974.21 by NOT having to buy holsters that will end up collecting dust in your holster drawer...
The Ultimate Concealed Carry Holster Guide
Concealed Carry Basics Volume 2:
Here are some video screen shots and sample workbook pages from Concealed Carry Basics Volume 2: The Ultimate Concealed Carry Holster Guide. Tim demonstrates the draw from sportcoat concealment while Mark gives his introductory talk in front of our giant table of holsters. One of the more fascinating aspects of our 35-page workbook is our detailed 5-point rating system. Each holster was rated on 5 different variables. This rating was then weighted and an average overall rating was given! Heres what youll get when you order Concealed Carry Basics Volume 2: The Ultimate Concealed Carry Holster Guide. 2-Disc DVD Set: Over 2 hours and 20 minutes of detailed analysis and commentary on over 33 of the most popular concealed carry holsters. Mark and Tim take turns discussing all the ins and outs of the holsters that work and the holsters that DONT work! 35 Page PDF Workbook on CD: The workbook contains even more detailed information and photos of each holster that is covered on the DVDs. Each workbook page contains a review summary, a five-point ratings graph, information on the company that makes the holster, and how you can go about getting one for yourself. Audio Interview on CD: After Mark and Tim spent three grueling days under the hot camera lights, they sat down and recorded a behind-the-scenes audio interview. Youll have your own CD of this recording where Mark and Tim talk candidly about their own personal carry-holster experiences.
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tIMS tHOUGHtS
EDItORS DESK
ACROSS tHE
Would You RatheR...?
was driving my three kids to school a few days ago and we were playing the Would You Rather? game. This is the game where each person takes a turn answering a seemingly random Would You Rather? question. For example: Would you rather have an unlimited supply of guns or an unlimited supply of ammunition? Now, none of the questions were as cool as this one because the game is somewhat politically correct... but I think you get the idea! So, it was my turn and my daughter asked me the question, Would you rather have ten kids or zero kids? I instantly responded, Oh, thats an easy one. Id rather have ten kids! Well, my three young children were surprised at my answer. They said, But Dad, having ten kids would be so much work! I smiled and told Here is my youngest son them, Yes, youre right, (1st grade) writing his having ten kids would punishment sentence 100 be a lot of work ... but I times: I will not teach could never imagine a people bad words. life with no kids! I share this story with you because I know that so many of you have kids and grandkids of your own. I also know that being a responsibly armed citizen is an extremely important step in providing the safety and security that your kids and grandkids deserve! What? Youre wondering what the attached picture has to do with any of this? Well, this is just my way of giving you a small glimpse into the daily trials and tribulations of the Schmidt household. Ten kids? Yikes... that would be tough. Heck, I can barely handle the three Ive got! Take care and stay safe,
Just one MoRe
ow much training is enough? The question can provoke hours of heated discussion, with plenty to think about on many different levels. How much is enoughto do what? To start exercising your rights? Why, none at all. You can do that today, starting where you are with the resources you already have. How much training is enough to be safe? To be competent? To be well-prepared to cope with an average bad guy? To be ready to cope with the extremes? The answer depends on how we mentally complete the question. But no matter how we complete it, How much training is enough? might be the wrong question entirely. At its heart, the question betrays an intention to stop learning at some point. To amass only so much knowledge, just so much skill, and then no more. Once weve reached some arbitrary point, the question implies, we will have attained perfection. A reporter once asked the great industrialist J. Paul Getty how much money was enough. Getty replied, One dollar more. At that time, Getty was very nearly the richest man in the world. Nobody knows what the future looks like. Nobody knows whether they will be attacked or, if they are, what form that attack might take. How could anyone know in advance how much knowledge or skill will be enough? So start where you are and then move forward. Take one more step along the path. Read one more book. Take one more class. Watch one more training video. Learn one more skill set. How much training is enough? One step more. Stay safe,
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JanuaRY 2011 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM

93 076 00
CONtENtS
JANUARy 2011
32 NOt FOR tHE WEAK-KNEED.
MASSAD AyOOBS MAG-40 CLASS IS
49
SMItH AND WESSON INtRODUCES A SCALED DOWN VERSION OF tHEIR POPULAR M&P.
FEAtURES
MeMoRY dIstoRtIons 19 BY MIChael MaRtIn
38 ChIaPPa aRMs RhIno ReVolVeR
24 sMIth & Wesson BodYGuaRd 38

BY duane a. daIKeR
BY GRant CunnInGhaM
Be a Good WItness 41 BY KathY JaCKson
the need-leVel 28 BY RoRY MIlleR thReat
44 holsteRs FoR ConCealed CaRRY

BY toM GIVens
32 MaG-40: a GRaduate deGRee In CIVIlan selF-deFense

BY duane a. daIKeR
MInI-Me: 49 M&P BodYGuaRd 380 s&W

BY GeoRGe hIll
36 Its YouR WeaPon MaIntaIn It!

BY JosePh ChetWood
Signed articles in Concealed Carry Magazine reflect the views of the author, and are not necessarily the views of the editors at Delta Media, LLC. Concealed Carry Magazine and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association are registered trademarks of Delta Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2004-2010 by Delta Media, LLC. Reproduction, copying, or distribution of Concealed Carry Magazine is prohibited without written permission.
USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n JanuaRY 2011
COLUMNS 13 16
shaRPen YouR sKIlls
Dont Jerk The Trigger! BY GeoRGe haRRIs
DEPARtMENtS
03 tIMs thouGhts 03 aCRoss the edItoRs desK 06 letteRs to the edItoR 07 tRue stoRIes 08 thIs Is usCCa 10 dRIll oF the Month 11 lessons leaRned 12 stuFF We lIKe
StAFF
Publisher & editor Timothy J. Schmidt Managing editor Kathy Jackson art director Betty Shonts Circulation Manager Laura Otto Copy editor John Higgs Photographer Oleg Volk Column editors Duane A. Daiker Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D. Tom Givens George Harris K.L. Jamison, ESQ. Tamara Keel Duncan Mackie Mark Walters Contributing Writers Joseph Chetwood Grant Cunningham George Hill Michael Martin Rory Miller
CCM PRoFIle
Tony Lekas
22
the oRdInaRY GuY
Robbed And Carjacked In Your Garage: The Story Of Lee Michaels BY MaRK WalteRs
aRMed senIoR CItIZen
52 58
Choosing A Concealed Carry Holster BY BRuCe n. eIMeR, Ph.d.
BehInd the lIne

Low Light Skills For The Armed Citizen BY toM GIVens
ABOUt tHE COVER

Photographer: Betty Shonts Model: Concealed Carry Magazines Art Director Betty Shonts is seen here with a S&W Model 640 in a DeSantis The Insider holster worn appendix carry.
Published for U.S. Concealed Carry by:
60 62
Its Just the laW

Give It Back! BY K.l. JaMIson, esQ.
N173W21298 Northwest Passage Way, Jackson, WI 53037 (877) 677-1919 Customer Service (262) 677-8877 U.S. Concealed Carry Concealed Carry Magazine (USPS: 022-302, ISSN: 1550-7866), Volume 8, Issue 1, January 2011 Issue. January 7, 2011. Published 8 times a year, monthly except combined issues: Feb/Mar; May/June; Aug/ Sept and Nov/Dec. Membership is $67.00 per year. by Delta Media, LLC, N173W21298 Northwest Passage Way, Jackson, WI 53037. Periodicals postage paid at Jackson, WI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Concealed Carry Magazine, N173W21298 Northwest Passage Way, Jackson, WI 53037.
BallIstIC BasICs
Bore Axis Of Evil BY taMaRa Keel
on the BaCK CoVeR:

A third-generation Glock 23 rides in a G-Code convertible holster.
LEttERS tO tHE EDItOR

What happened?! I thought the whole purpose of CCM becoming an ad-free magazine was so that readers like me would get unbiased gun reviews that were not beholding to the manufacturers. After reading Diane Walls article on the Sig P238 in the October 2010 issue,, I would hate to see what a biased, manufacturer-coddling review from CCM would look like. Forget the fact that the little mousegun in question is chambered for a cartridge of which the effectiveness in a self-defense situation is questionable at best, and lets look at the facts of this review. Looking at the summary results of the article, what you basically have here is a flashy, gimmicky little pistol with lots of MIM parts (not even very high quality ones at that, judging by the excellent photo on page 41). A pistol which malfunctions frequently, shoots to a different point of impact with various types of ammo, and of which the popularity is riding solely upon two namesSig Sauer and John Browning. Trouble is, this little pistol seems to lack the best traits of both. If the trigger pull is so much stiffer than on a full-sized 1911 (and it certainly was on the P238 that I test drove), then whats the point? Mr. Brownings 1911 design was everything that this pistol lacks. Potency, accuracy, durability, reliability, and safety. Speaking of the latter, didnt Sig recall a bunch of the early P238s because they were discharging when the safety lever was manipulated? How much more epic can the failure of a pistol be? There are plenty of other mouse-guns out there with a much better reputation, and proven to have better performance than this pistol. The only real advantage I see this little gun having is its size and weight. When I need deep concealment, I pack a S&W M&P 360. Thats five rounds of .357 Magnum in a sub-14 oz. package that wears more comfortably than my wallet. How much more concealable are we trying to get here, and at what cost? Strip away the cute and neat factors, and what you have here is just another Saturday Night Special .380 pimp gun. Only trouble is, this one will set you back $700. More if you want the luxury of more than one magazine. Sig has completely lost touch with the true proponents of concealed carry with the production of this little novelty pistol, and has gone total marketing all sizzle and no steak. CCM should call them on it. Charley Ray Golden, Colorado When I get a gun for review, I base my rating on that particular representative of the model. I try not to let the manufacturers history of problems with the design influence me and I evaluate the piece with its mission in mind. The mission of these little .380 guns is not to be ones primary defensive weapon, except in situations where carrying a larger, more powerful gun is just not possible. In such a case, a tiny gun is better than no gun. I liked the P238 for its performance in the role of back-up defender. It was never meant to be a target pistol. I dont pamper my test guns. Theyre on loan for a limited time so they frequently go to the range with little or no break-in. Many manufacturers recommend at least 200 rounds through a gun before diagnosing issues and I rarely have time or ammo for that much preliminary work. The Sig was remarkably tolerant of ammo types and malfunction free (many high end full-sized 1911-style pistols are ammo sensitive, especially at first). Considering the longstanding reputation of the 1911 as a maintenance-intensive gun, the Sig did well there, too. As for CCMs policy of accepting no advertising and therefore welcoming honest reviews, I say kudos to them. Honesty can mean honestly liking something, too. Keep in mind that my opinion is only that of an experienced shooter and others persons results may vary. Diane Walls (In reference to a letter appearing in October 2010): I am an NRA instructor, a conceal carry instructor for Tennessee, and I was in law enforce-
due to volume received, not all letters can be answered. letters may be edited for space and clarity.
send your letters to: Concealed Carry Magazine Attn: Editor N173W21298 Northwest Passage Way, Jackson WI 53037 or email: editor@usconcealedcarry.com ment for over 25 years. The article written by Tom Givens (Back Up Guns for Civilians, July 2010) is an instructional piece. I have attended several of Toms classes he has been there and done it. He does not need me to ring his bell. Many CCW permit holders dont carry one gun, much less two. The article is informative and well written. Most bad guys have taken to attacking in pairs or a pack. As a LE I had back-up, radio, pepper spray, baton and a back up gun (BUG). As a civilian without all the accessories, I give you one guess what accompanies my main piece: a BUG. That is like carrying spare mags. In an emergency, drop the mag in the gun, slap a new one in, and keep going. No one will think you are a gunslinger and you will live to a ripe old age. Pedro G. Leal Isnt it wonderful to live in a country where we have such choices? ~ Editor In the article Carry Away from Home (Nov/Dec 2010) there is an error which I missed in proof reading. The statement that there were 13 million violent crimes in the US last year was incorrect. It should have been 1.3 million. That missing decimal point makes a big difference. I should have caught that mistake, and I apologize for any confusion. Any time I make a factual mistake, I own up to it and try to correct it. Tom Givens Thanks, Tom. This is what professional integrity looks likeand its why were pleased and proud to feature your work in Concealed Carry Magazine. ~ Editor
tRUE StORIES
CARRy A GUN... It
MAy SAVE yOUR LIFE.
the purpose of the true stories column is to report criminal encounters as they actually happened to real people, not idealized or sanitized versions of such events. sometimes armed citizens make mistakes, even bad ones, under the extreme stress of a deadly threat. We invite our readers to discuss these specific situations, and consider others ways the situations might have been handled, [ COMPILED BY DUNCAN MACKIE ] on the usCCa discussion forums at www.uscca.us/forum.
CleRK shoots Would-Be RoBBeR on FIRst daY at WoRK

A Flint, Michigan woman had an unusual first day on the job at a convenience store. When Derrick Walker jumped through the window of her convenience store at 11 pm near closing time, the brand new employee didnt know whether he wanted to rob or otherwise attack her. Fearing for her life, she drew her handgun and shot him. Walker, 6 feet 4 inches and 250 lbs., died from his wounds. Police, who are still investigating the incident, report that the 38-year-old Walker was on parole, and had a long rap sheet including arrests for assault with intent to rob, larceny and assaulting police.
BeautY PaRloR RoBBeRY stoPPed BY haIR-doInG CoP

Off-duty NYC police officer Feris Jones was getting her hair done when Winston Cox, 19, entered and demanded money from the shops customers. Jones announced herself as a police officer and told Cox to freeze. He chose to shoot at Jones, missing her. The 20-year police veteran returned fire, wounding the robber in the arm and thigh. He fled on foot and was captured several days later. Officer Jones was praised at a police press conference for her courage and coolness under fire by the President of the New York City Patrolmans Benevolent Association, who reminded the public that police officers are on duty twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
MotheR oF tWo shoots tWo hoMe InVadeRs

Awakened during the night by noises in her front room, a Midwest City, Oklahoma mother of two got her gun and investigated. She found two men in the process of stealing items from her home. They had even stacked some of her belongings by the front door. Fearing for her life and those of her two sleeping children, she opened fire on the home invaders. One died at the scene of his wounds, and the second was wounded and apprehended by police when he sought medical attention. A third suspect who was acting as lookout was also arrested. Both survivors may face murder charges. Police say the homeowner did what she had to do, and the shooting looks to be justified.
iSTOCKPHOTO - ALASHI
anotheR aRMed hoMeoWneR thWaRts hoMe InVasIon

A Darlington, South Carolina homeowner awoke to the sounds of someone attempting to force entry into their home. Though they had called for police, the homeowner feared that the burglar was about to gain entry into the home, and fired on the burglar, 34-year-old Sammy Smith, hitting him once in the abdomen. Darlington County Police report no charges will be filed against the homeowner, and that they will have accommodations waiting on him upon his release from hospital.
aRMed hoMeoWneR Fends oFF thRee RoBBeRs

A Flint, Michigan homeowner, accosted in his own driveway by three teens, used his concealed handgun to defend himself. Returning fire after one of the robbers shot at him, the homeowner killed one robber and wounded and put to flight the other two assailants. Police apprehended both teens later, and will arraign them as adults on robbery and felony firearms charges. The homeowner carries a gun because, as he puts it, his neighborhood has changed, and he has been robbed before.
tHIS IS USCCA
VOICES OF tHE USCCA
how did you decide that carrying a firearm was right for you?
After my stint in the United States Marine Corps was over and I entered the civilian world I have grown to love so much, it was a natural transition for me. In fact the few months after I got out, I did not carry due to financially trying to get my new life started, getting a job and a new place to call my own. I felt kind of like you do when you reach back throughout the day to make sure youve got your wallet with you and it is not there. Panic! Once I got my concealed carry permit I had my wallet, my carry weapon, and my peace of mind back. It just felt right again. Mark in Camas, Washington 1962 I was 15 years old. I had a Farm to Market drivers license and drove stock and produce to town for sale. When it was late, I would stay in town with friends. Being a teenager, I made sure I was always late. On one occasion I got to drinking beer and fooling around on the wrong side of town. Several of us got to be braver than we should have and started making snotty comments to some braceros who were in to harvest crops. One thing led to another and we (myself and two friends) got into a beef with three guys. A knife got pulled and my friends took off and I didnt get away in time but got trapped between these three guys. In short order I was robbed ($7 and change), beaten (176 stitches) and raped. I never told my friendsfrankly I never spoke to them again because they didnt even call the city police or sheriff. I ended up in the hospital for four days and suffered a broken zygoma and a broken mandible and got 176 stitches from blows with fists, feet, and clubs.
In this section, usCCa members share their challenges, experiences, and successes with each other, to the benefit of all.
My resolve in the hospital afterwards was that I would never, ever allow myself to be a subject of such brutality again. In fact, I would rather die than to subject myself to such abuse. For years I carried concealed, rather than to allow myself to be defenseless, regardless of whether or not it was legal to do so. For years I held the opinion that it was stupid for a state (such as Texas) to require me to bow and scrape and beg in order to be given a piece of plastic that says it is okay for me to carry concealed. Dammit! It is my right to carry concealed or open, and the 2nd Amendment says so. Still, that is not reality, so I finally went legal to please my wife. Even now I choke up just typing this. I havent spoken of this (or written of it) for several years, yet it is still as fresh as if it had happened yesterday. I avoid going by the neighborhood where it all happened, just so I dont have to remember all of it. When I do remember it, though, I remember ALL of it, including the pain and the humiliation. In fact, Im drizzling tears down onto my shirt right how and cant breathe through my nose because of the snot build up. It is hard to swallow and Ive got a knot the size of a fat squirrel in my chest. Ill get over it, but Ill never forget it. Also, I will never, ever be unarmed again. Anonymous I was raised in Wisconsin where there is no concealed carry. My liberal teachers drilled guns are bad for ordinary citizens into my head. Then I moved to a concealed carry state (Utah). I talked
to many people who had their permits, and also to many police officers who explained that it really was true that crime is reduced when citizens are armed. I even talked to some petty criminals who admitted that they did not molest ordinary citizens who might be armed. I then got my training and my permit. That was about 8 years ago. Today, I feel naked without my handgun. I feel so strongly about the 2nd Amendment that I now have gone on to earn my NRA Instructor Ratings and my Utah Concealed Carry Instructor credentials to help my fellow citizens become qualified to apply for and receive a permit. Jim in Salt Lake City, Utah My daughter had just graduated from college and was preparing to move to Dallas. That is when I started considering having her and me take a CCW course. What sealed the deal was a situation in Albuquerque. I had come in late to my hotel after an evening with family. I had to get up early the next morning to take a family member to the airport. My vehicle was at the farthest point from the building, and as I was walking towards it in a dimly lit and unguarded parking lot, I heard gunshots from two vehicles right across the sidewalk from where my vehicle was parked. As I ducked into my vehicle, I thought how sad it would be for me to be killed and not even have a chance to protect myself. A few days later, my daughter and I took the course. Bruce Combs I have always had firearms. However, just recently I realized that I am responsible for my familys defense. A lot can go bad in the 10-15 minutes (or longer) it takes for a policeman to respond. I decided to exercise my 2nd Amendment rights and carry a firearm full time. Mike in Georgia
Twenty years of my life were wasted, an hour or so at a time, just trying to get my hands on the application forms for a concealed carry permit. During those twenty plus years, I discovered only those with money, or friends in high places, are allowed to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights in the high population areas of this state. A little over fifteen years ago, I semiretired and relocated to a rural county in northern California. Thats when I learned not all California sheriffs are cut from the same cloth. Shortly after my move to this county I received my CCW permit, good in every county of the state, and a hearty handshake from my new sheriff, who thanked me for being a responsible citizen of my newly adopted county. For that, and other reasons, I love rural America. JR in Tehama County, California My time spent in Memphis as a student is a big part of what convinced me to become an armed citizen. Its a relatively safe campus (as safe as any gun-free zone can be....) with its own police department, but hearing all the stories of crime in the city made me start thinking about arming myself. Then my vehicle got burglarized in broad daylight in a department store parking lot; and then my sister and brother-in-laws house was burglarized while they were away on their honeymoon (and tried again while they were home); and then a couple of thugs armed with shotguns started robbing people on campus; and then a friend of a friend of mine got stabbed at a night club in downtown Memphis. Finally, I made the decision to check out a local shooting range, Range USA (awesome place, filled with awesome people), and my journey officially began. Shortly after, I became a gun owner in earnest and got my concealed carry permit. Brandon in Arkansas Area Coordinator for Arkansas Carry I grew up carrying guns for protection from animals and bad guys, and anytime I was in the mountains on horseback I had a gun on me. Years
ago, I started carrying in a shoulder holster which was concealed when I wore a vest or jacket. I was unaware at the time that it might be illegal to carry this way; it was simply a matter of convenience. One day I went into the bank in town and while inside I realized that I still had my gun on me. At that point I decided it would be a good idea to have a permit so I could legally carry everywhere I went. I found out while getting the permit that I still couldnt carry everywhere, but it was that one incident that initiated my application for a permit. Bob in Wyoming After several home invasions were in the news, I realized that where we live is so isolated that someone could break in and only the nearby cows could hear us. That tells you how far away any response from 911 would be. The incident that really sealed the deal for me and my wife to get our CCW permits happened in a gas station right next to a restaurant we go to often. Two 15 year olds held up the store and made a customer get on his knees. They shot him in the back. He was very lucky because he lived. I decided I will never be put in a situation like that and not have a way to defend myself and my family! Joe in Alabama I bought this house 13 years ago, and one day when I was in the garage (door down), I stopped what I was doing and broke for lunch, only to be confronted by the gas meter reader in my side yard. He asked me if I had been home all morning, and I replied yes. He then proceeded to tell me how he observed a man attempting to gain entry to my front door! Fortunately for me, he didnt. He was subsequently apprehended down the street trying the same tactics on other homes. That pretty much ruined my day. I couldnt stop thinking about what might have happened if he had gotten in and surprised me. I wore my snubby the rest of that day and contemplated various ways to fortify my house thereafter. At that time, Ohio didnt have CCW. So I
just took my chances and prayed for the day I could carry and defend myself legally. The older I get, the more I value my training and have done my best to encourage people I know to go after their licenses. I only hope we can preserve it for future generations. Phil in Cleveland, Ohio I grew up with guns. As far back as I can remember, my grandfather carried one and later my father did, too, and everyone always had one in their vehicle. Wasnt so much about breaking the law, but was just the way the rural folks did. I know all the older men had always carried and it seemed natural for me to carry. After I had gotten to the point in my life that I was disabled and not able to defend myself or my family as I once had been able to, and the state went to Shall Issue, I knew was time to get a carry permit. The world has grown so much more hostile than when I came up that it seemed a very good choice. Before when I was carrying a weapon, I never thought the same as I do now; with CCW your mindset changes. I have always had natural instincts to watch and be aware of my surroundings and never sit with my back to the door in public, but now I truly realize the responsibility that carrying a weapon places on a citizen exercising his 2nd Amendment rights and his God-given right to protect himself and his family. CCW is what a normal citizen has to do in these troubled times. Michael in Mississippi
NExt ISSUES qUEStION:

How many people know you carry, and how did you decide whom to tell? How did your friends and family respond when you told them you were thinking about concealed carry?
Send your comments to tips@usconcealedcarry.com. Each entry must use fewer than 75 words, and must be signed either with a complete name or with a first name plus location. Due to volume received, not all submissions can be acknowledged. Entries may be edited for length and clarity.
tHIS IS USCCA
DRILL OF tHE MONtH
1 - RELOAD - 2
By tOM GIVENS OF RANGEMAStER
s with many drills, this one seems deceptively simple at first glance, but done properly it enhances a number of skills. To set up for this drill, place a single IDPA or IPSC target, or an 8 x 11 inch piece of typing paper at 5 to 7 yards. Your goal is to keep all hits inside the zero down zone of the IDPA target, the A zone of the IPSC target, or all on the sheet of typing paper. Shoot as quickly as you can keep all of your hits in the desired zone. Start with your pistol loaded with only one round, holstered in your normal carry mode. If your gun is an autoloader, have an empty magazine in place in the pistol. Have a loaded spare magazine or speed loader on your person. Ideally, use an electronic timer to give you an audible start signal and record your times for each run. This is vital to determining at what points you are wasting time and to track progress. On the signal, draw your handgun and fire one round, at which point your gun will be empty. Immediately perform an empty gun reload, get back on target, and fire two additional rounds. This simple drill works on a variety of skills. Lets look at them individually: The first skill is your presentation from the holster. If you are out in public and need your gun, you will have to present it from the holster before you can do anything else with it. Next comes the first shot. The first shot is always the most important shotits the first one that can get to the target and start to change things in your favor. It is also the hardest shot. On the first shot, the shooter must establish a firing grip, get the gun to the eye/target line, establish a relationship with the trigger, establish a relationship with the sights, and establish
PHOTO BY B. SHONTS
StARt WItH yOUR PIStOL LOADED WItH ONLy ONE ROUND, HOLStERED IN yOUR NORMAL CARRy MODE.
a relationship between the sights and the target, all before a first round hit can be launched. This process is critical to success. Next comes the empty gun reload, also called an emergency reload. I believe this skill should be practiced frequently. If your gun runs dry during a fight, the less time it is unloaded the better! Work on keeping the gun just below your line of sight while reloading, to allow your primary vision to stay on the target while your peripheral vision aids the reloading process. Next comes another first shot. The most likely shot to blow in this drill is the first shot after the reload. If your hands come out of a firing grip on the pistol to reload it, or to fix a malfunction, the next shot is another first shot. You must reacquire a real firing grip, make contact with the trigger again, and get the sights back on target, before you start shooting again. This takes practice. Finally, by firing two shots after the reload, we ensure that you have seated the new magazine fully and reacquired a proper grip on the gun. This drill can be varied to avoid boredom and stagnation. Start at the Ready sometimes, and vary the target or the distance. Always try to get faster at getting all hits. Working this drill into your practice routine will deliver benefits out of all proportion to the amount of work to set it up. H Rangemaster Memphis, TN www.rangemaster.com (901) 370-5600
10
tHIS IS USCCA
LESSONS LEARNED
CALLING tHE BLUFF
By USCCA MEMBER JEFF CAMPBELL
tHE SUSPECt FOLLOWED HIM HOME tO GEt EVEN...
let me start by telling you I carry all the time, every time.
uring a January blizzard about 8 pm on a dark, snowy and windy evening, I decided to give the driveway apron a quick shovel before taking a shower. I bundled up, neglecting to holster my pistol, not thinking I would need it in the front yard of my crime-free suburban neighborhood during a blizzard with nobody on the streets. I had just finished clearing the driveway apron when my elderly next door neighbor and his wife pulled up in their SUV. He exited his vehicle to wish me a Happy New Year. We were standing with our backs to the dimly lit street because of the wind, my hood obscuring my peripheral vision. I had placed myself in an unintentional code white awareness level. The only thing on my mind was cutting short the conversation with the neighbor, as the wind was howling and I wanted to get back inside. Suddenly, with no warning, a male voice bellowed from behind us, What the f____ is your problem! Both the neighbor and I turned around to face an unidentified very large angry male who had walked up behind us without either one of us noticing him, apparently looking for a confrontation. In a commanding voice I said, Excuse me, what do you need. He again screamed, What the f____ is your problem you Mother f______er! He was directly addressing me, not my neighbor. I again in a commanding voice said, I dont know what you are talking about or who you are so I suggest you back off.
PHOTO BY B. SHONTS
The stranger then raised his fists while advancing. I back-stepped, extending my left arm, open palm out, as in a stop signal while reaching under my parka with my right hand as if retrieving my pistol (that I sure wished was on me and not in my safe) and in a very commanding voice said, Stop right there. I am armed and I will shoot you if you threaten my life. He stopped dead in his tracks, glanced at my neighbor who was frozen like a statue, then turned and walked away. He walked about a block and got into a car with its lights on, but remained parked there. My neighbors wife had already called 911. My neighbor claimed to have never seen this person either. Thirty minutes later, I learned the rest of the story. On my neighbors trip home, he had been involved in an altercation with the suspects vehicle on the interstate, allegedly nearly causing an accident. Unbeknownst to my neighbor, the suspect followed him home to get even or finish the incident. The suspects car became stuck in the drifted snow a
block away and he abandoned his car and walked to the SUV in front of my house. He assumed I was the driver, directing his anger toward me. The police detained him while he was attempting to unstick his car that we had assumed was simply parked. We declined to pursue the matter especially since the police made no mention of me threatening the suspects life or being armed. The police released him; he got his car turned around and was escorted away. I called the suspects bluff and got away with it this time, my commanding voice probably convincing the suspect that I was truly armed. Every scenario is different and presents itself with no advanced warning or appointment. Im sure this will never happen again in my lifetime, but if it does, Ill be prepared to back my commands up. H [Ed: As long as criminals have access to cars, there is no such thing anywhere as a completely safe neighborhood.]
do You haVe a stoRY FoR lessons leaRned?

Concealed Carry Magazine pays $100 each for true personal experiences told by USCCA members. Close calls, near misses, and defensive gun uses (with or without shots fired) all teach important lessons! Submissions must be shorter than 600 words; we reserve the right to edit for clarity and space considerations. Send your stories to Lessons@USConcealedCarry.com
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tHIS IS USCCA
STUFF LIKE
WE
laseR aMMo
The SureStrike Laser Training Bullet from Laser Ammo offers a convenient, affordable way to protect yourself and your family while practicing dry fire at home. Laser Ammo package includes As long as the SureStrike SureStrike laser bullet with is in place, the semi-aubarrel rod and end cap, sturdy tomatic firearm cannot carry case with extra battery and load a round or fire a bulrod extension, six small reflective let. Bonus: while dry firtargets, and a step by step user ing, the shooter receives guide to get you started. Firearm immediate feedback not included! from the laser flash, seeing exactly where the shot would have gone with each press of the trigger. Laser Ammo USA (516) 858-1262 www.laser-ammo.com Bianchis CarryLok holster provides good security and fast access in an outside-thewaistband format.
editor note: The following businesses make concealed carry gear that USCCA members or writers recommend. these are not paid advertisements. they are personal recommendations from us to you. none of the businesses on this page have paid any money to be placed here. If you come across a product youd like to see featured on this page, please send an email to products@usconcealedcarry.com.
The Intruder, from DeSantis, offers adjustable tuckability and rides inside the waistband.
desantIs IntRudeR and BIanChI CaRRYloK

I have holsters from several main name people and I find that my main carry holsters are DeSantis for IWB and concealed and Bianchi CarryLok for OWB. For years I have been trying to find the minimalist holster, thinking less would equal comfort. I was wrong! The DeSantis Intruder (IWB and tuckable) keeps the gun away from me and spreads the weight such that all day carry of a Kimber full size 1911 is easy and comfortable. Full size Glocks the same. It was entries and articles from this website that pointed me in that direction. Thanks all! Anonymous post in USCCA member forum DeSantis Holster Bianchi (800) 424-1236 (800) 347-1200 www.desantisholster.com www.bianchi-intl.com
sIde GuaRd holsteRs

Erik Srigley at Side Guard Holsters creates beautiful, functional, and very sturdy leather products. The side guard that gives the company its name refers to the way the holsters cushion the user from potentially-sharp corners on the firearm, with a leather backing that prevents the slide from making contact with delicate skin. Im particularly impressed with how durably these products are made, notes CCM managing editor Kathy Jackson. They look like theyll last a lifetime! Side Guard Holster prices begin at less than $50. Side Guard Holsters (651) 263-1434 www.SideGuardHolsters.com Side Guard Holsters (clockwise from top): Quick Clip, Minimal Snap, Double Clip, The Slide.
seCond aMendMent FoundatIon

Action Request: If you have a gun-related blog or website, give the Second Amendment Foundation a hand by linking to their website at www.SAF.org. If you do not have a website, consider making a donation to help continue SAFs crucial work with gun-rights lawsuits such as the successful Heller and Chicago cases. Second Amendment Foundation (800) 426-4302 www.SAF.org
12
SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS
PHOTO BY B. SHONTS
A trigger jerk is a mismanipulation of the trigger causing the shot to go somewhere other than its intended location on the target.
[ BY GEORGE HARRIS ]
DONt JERK tHE tRIGGER!

target than a trigger jerk. Often the shot from a flinch misses the target entirely, usually impacting the ground between the shooter and the target. Many shooters and instructors use the terms flinch and jerk interchangeably when attempting to diagnose the problems of a shooter who is not achieving the desired result on their target. In fact, the most that they have in common is not hitting the intended location on the target. A trigger jerk almost always comes from the conscious side of the brain and is stimulated by the visual input into the brain. The two prevalent issues here are apparent movement of the gun on the target and/or the presence of an acceptable sight picture, and the gun doesnt discharge because the trigger finger hasnt and isnt applying enough pressure on the trigger to release the firing mechanism to fire the shot. Gun movement in relation to the target comes from not knowing what you really need to see to hit the target. Instead of keeping visual attention on the sights through the discharge of the shot, the shooter allows eye focus to drift past the gun toward the target as the trigger is moved. This usually is in proportion to the trigger movement so that the eyes are focused on the target just prior to the bullet arriving, therefore verifying where the target was hit. The problem here is that apparent movement of the gun increases in relation to the target as the eye focus transitions from the gun toward the target. This increases anxiety in the shooters mind as the gun hovers on and then off the target as the trigger is moved. The jerk comes from the attempt to fire the shot at a specific point in time that would coincide with the guns position on the target. This mis-manipulation of the trigger, usually accompanied by the compression of the rest of the dominant hand on the grip moves the muzzle off the target prior to the bullet exiting the
how many times have you heard this phrase being used?
f you havent heard it before, you havent been shooting before: Dont jerk the trigger. This is a common admonition to new shooters and experienced shooters alike. The overlying questions are: what kind of behavior are we trying to correct and why is it taking place in the first place? Once we discover the answers to those questions, then we have to address how we are going to go about remedying the problem and what are we going to do to minimize its effect on our future shooting experiences. A trigger jerk is a mis-manipulation of the trigger causing the shot to go somewhere other than its intended location on the target, usually low and to the inside of the shooters firing hand. Often a flinch is confused with a trigger jerk because the resulting shot impacts at an unintended location as well. The terminal impact of a flinch is usually farther from the desired point of impact on the
13
muzzle, resulting in frustration and disappointment. The fix for this situation is very simple. By keeping the eye focused on the gun and not in front of the gun, the apparent movement of the gun on the target will be minimal. A good verification of the desired visual attention on the gun is to see the smoke, flash, blast at the muzzle on either side of the front sight and the brass exiting the ejection port every time the gun fires. If you are not seeing any of the previously mentioned, your eyes are shut at the moment of discharge. (A remedy for blinking or shutting the eyes at the moment of discharge is coming up later in the article when discussing cures for flinching.) Any time the gun seems to be moving excessively on the target enough to make you want to time the shot when the gun is in the proper relation to the target, there is the high likelihood of a trigger jerk because eye focus has transitioned toward the target. Bring the eye focus back to the rear sight and shift it slightly forward to the front sight keeping it there until discharge is realized. Another condition that promotes trigger jerk is when we shoot multiple shots, multiple targets or both, particularly under time constraints. As we are shooting the series of shots, the trigger finger doesnt keep up with the visual input and the temptation to force the shot off overcomes our patience level. We then jerk the trigger in an attempt to fire the gun as an acceptable sight picture is recognized. We must be patient in this case and operate the trigger smoothly to make the shot. A contributing factor to this situation comes from the way we may have been taught to shoot. The building block approach is a good one, but we must be taught that we can multitask by merging these segments of shot delivery rather than executing them one at a time. A good analogy is hitting a ball with a bat or a similar tool. We must keep our eye on the ball as it approaches us, but to hit it with the bat, we must swing the bat as we are looking at the ball which means that we have to merge our visual and tactile skills to be successful. Coming back to the gun, as the sight picture is developing, the trigger must
PHOTO BY B. SHONTS
By KEEPING tHE EyE FOCUSED ON tHE GUN AND NOt IN FRONt OF tHE GUN, tHE APPARENt MOVEMENt OF tHE GUN ON tHE tARGEt WILL BE MINIMAL.
be moving as well so that when the sight picture is right (visual input) the trigger finger fires the shot (tactile input) and success is achieved with no wasted time. With a little practice the eye drives the shot delivery in a manner in which every time an acceptable sight picture is seen on a target that we intend to shoot we have a subconscious shot deliveredwhich is the purest and most accurate method of hitting a target. This is where trigger jerk due to impatience goes away. A third, but less prevalent reason for trigger jerk is fatigue. Occasionally we shoot more than our physical strength will allow us to move our trigger finger independent of the rest of our hand. When this condition takes place, our whole hand convulses in an effort to assist the trigger finger in moving the trigger far enough to fire the gun. At this point its time to change hands or call it a day. If it is necessary to fire more than can be comfortably fired on a regular basis, consult a physical trainer to strengthen the forearm muscles in order to increase endurance. Condition both arms equally and the desired performance will come quickly. Flinching is a condition that materializes out of our subconscious mind. It is a physical response to an event that is perceived as unpleasant and possibly dangerous to our physical well being. Most often when dealing with firearms it is stimulated by loud noise and uncontrollable movement of a metal object in the area of our head and eyes. The physical response is usually exemplified by the shooter closing their eyes while pulling the trigger and simultaneously pushing the gun away from the head and eyes. This action more often than not moves the muzzle of the gun off the target decreasing the likelihood of success to almost non-existent. The reason for this phenomenon is rooted in the crisis control center of the brain called the amygdala. Take a moment and think of how you would react if an unexpected loud noise were to occur the moment you were reading this. I would like to suggest that your train of thought would be broken, you would close your eyes momentarily, you would move involuntarily by tensioning your muscles and most likely would leave your seat in an effort to escape what you perceived was threatening you. This is largely what happens when a flinch takes place. Conventional training suggests that if you shoot enough, perhaps thousands of rounds, that you will eventually overcome the flinch phenomenon. This could be true, but there is an alternate
14
method of overcoming this innate self preservation response when we feel endangered that requires less time and ammunition. It is important to understand why the sound of a gun and the movement (recoil) in our visual field would be objectionable especially if we had been shooting for a while. In the arena of adult learning it is generally accepted that the average human can process 5 to 7 bits of information in their conscious minds simultaneously under ideal circumstances. As the stress level increases, the number of information bits that can be processed decreases. This varies with individuals, but typical results show that only 2 to 3 bits of information are being processed when working with firearms. In conventional firearms training the student is taught stance, left- and righthand grip, breathing, sight alignment, sight picture, and trigger control among other things. There is no room in the conscious mind to process all of this information much less worry about what the gun sounds like or how far it moves in recoil. Since the subconscious mind downloads information of this type by way of the conscious mind, there is little chance that the subconscious has gotten the message that the noise and movement of the gun is of no consequence to the physical well being of the rest of the body. Understanding how the brain learns and responds to threatening situations is essential to successfully eliminating fear of the gun and controlling the flinch response when working with guns. Flinch can be overcome with lots of rounds and time or with a magazine or two of ammunition and experiencing the Flinch Inoculation Drill used by the Sig Sauer Academy staff and their students. When working with new shooters or experienced shooters with the bad habits associated with flinching, the key is to explain what was covered in the previous text about flinch response and then provide them with a positive learning experience through practical application. The Flinch Inoculation Drill allows
the shooter to focus on gun noise and gun movement. Step one of the drill is to have the shooter point the gun into a suitable back stop with no target and fire the gun with their eyes closed. The initial point of attention is the sound of the gun. The shooter is allowed to listen to each individual shot until they are comfortable with the sound of the gun. Step two is to feel the push of the gun in the hands as the muzzle lifts and settles with each discharge. The eyes are still closed in step two and the shooter is allowed to shoot until they are comfortable with the feel of the gun during discharge. In each of the two steps, 5 to 6 rounds is the average that the shooters need to accomplish the task. Step three is to allow the shooter to watch the gun movement from each side and then the rear while only focusing on how the gun actually moved in their hands, again allowing the number of shots needed to satisfy the shooter. These three steps allow the shooter to assure the subconscious mind through the cognitive download of practical experience that the sound of the gun and the movement of the gun is of no consequence to the safety and integrity of the shooter. At this point there is no fear of the gun and little reason to flinch when firing the gun in the future. On rare occasions, experienced shooters may have to perform the Flinch Inoculation Drill periodically because of long term deeply ingrained habits that sometimes surface at the most inopportune times. The phrases Dont jerk the trigger or Stop Flinching do nothing more than reinforce negative behavior when left by themselves as a means of skill improvement. The shooter must dig down to the root cause of the issue, understand what must be done to solve the problem, and implement the solution. The preceding information should give the reader something to think about and work on for their future shooting development. Simple Is Good! H [ George Harris has spent over 30 years in the field of adult education with more than 17 years at the SIG SAUER Academy. ]
IN SHORt...
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15
CCM PRoFIle
tONy LEKAS
AN EMERGENCy IS NOt tHE tIME tO BE tRyING tO FIGURE OUt WHAt tO DO.
Tony Lekas sees having a firearm as the epitome of both independence and personal responsibility. Tonys wife, Alicia, is an Appleseed instructor and Shoot Boss. Shes holding a Marlin 795 rimfire carbine with M14-like Tech peep sight.
[ BY OLEG VOLK ]
tony lekas grew up in disarmed Chicago, on the south side, in an area known for its high crime rates.
ven without firearms, situational awareness and contingency planning in case of a threat came naturally. And he always had an urge to be independent. To him, that meant doing what he wanted so long as no harm came to others, and it also meant taking responsibility for himself and the results of his actions. On that ethical foundation, Tonys introduction to guns came naturally. In 1979, Tony moved to New Hampshire for work (he is a software engineer). After his time in Chicago, he greatly appreciated the New Hampshire environment of freedom. Gun rights have always been a part of that freedom, but Tony became a part of the wider proliberty movement in New Hampshire, running as a Libertarian Party candi-
date for State Representative and becoming Treasurer of the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire for several years. More recently, Tony tried to help move the Republican Party in a pro-liberty direction through the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire. He has been a vocal and capable supporter of the Free State Project since its inception. Earlier in life, Tony had not thought much about firearms. He had no problem with people having them, though he enjoyed few opportunities to try guns for himself. But once he tried shooting, his interest developed quickly. In part, he got interested because shooting well was a challenge, and in part because he came to see having a firearm as the epitome of both independence and
personal responsibility. He has done his best to share that capability for independence by teaching NRA classes: Home Firearms Safety, Basic Pistol, and Personal Protection in the Home. He is also an NRA Range Safety Officer. Tony believes that coming to firearms and shooting as an adult makes it easier for him to understand what beginning students may be going through. One of the first handguns he purchased was a new Sig Sauer P229. He felt strange when first handling it. While supporting private ownership of firearms intellectually, he had apparently absorbed a vague feeling from the culture that handguns were a talisman of evil. After becoming familiar with the firearm and gaining some competence at shooting, he became comfortable with guns, but Tony believes this experience helps him better understand why some students are initially uncomfortable handling
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Tony has been teaching firearms safety courses for many years, both to groups and to individuals. Here, a new shooter receives personalized instruction using safe, inert dummy rounds.
Devon, Alicias grandson, poses in his marksmanship practice gear. He is among many new shooters coached to proficiency by Alicia and her colleagues at Appleseed. knew that unless the firearm was comfortable and easy to conceal I would not continue to carry over the long run. After trying various carry methods, he eventually settled on carrying a small .38 Special revolver in a pocket holster. If his pants are on, Tony is armed. Sometimes he carries the Sig P229 in an inside the waistband holster as well, but most often he carries the revolver alone. Tony says that it would be foolish for him not to carry, especially having gone to the trouble and expense of learning how to do so. If ever he would be in a situation where he could have saved lives but had left his gun at home, he would feel guilty. After hearing Suzanna Gratia Hupp speak about her experience seeing her parents killed [at Lubys cafeteria, Killeen, Texas] while she was helpless because her handgun was in her car, Tony decided that he never wanted to be in such a position himself. Tony often tells people that he carries defensive sidearms any time when hes dressed and where it is legal. Some of his listeners ask him if hes paranoid. His response: I have two good-quality commercial fire extinguishers at home, and when I go out in the woods I carry some basic survival and first aid supplies. I expect and certainly hope to go through my entire life never having to use them. The same is true for firearms. I do not carry a firearm because I expect to use it. It is a matter of being prepared. If I was going to go where I expected to use it I would not go there. I am not insane and I am not looking for a fight quite the opposite. Soft-spoken, eru-
firearms. That empathy and understanding make him a patient, effective instructor to a very diverse shooting student body. His early experience of planning for safety in a high-risk Chicago environment helps with planning better armed responses to possible future threats. Now living in much safer New Hampshire, Tony finds that maintaining alertness over the long term takes a deliberate effort. Ensuring physical comfort of concealed carry is important. I know myself, he says. And I
17
While semi-auto pistols like this Sig Sauer 229 in .40S&W (right) are Tonys preferred primary weapons, the shrouded hammer Smith & Wesson 638 revolver (above) is also his frequent companion for discreet pocket carry. He finds it especially helpful in winter when a belt gun cannot be reached through warm clothing.
dite and articulate, Tony is a patient and very effective spokesman for individual liberty. Tonys wife, Alicia, is also a shooter. She concentrates on long guns, volunteering as a shoot boss for Appleseed marksmanship training. Her grandson Devon is among the new shooters she has helped train. Together, Tony and Alicia advance the cause of freedom in America by many means, including being impressive role models for future generations. Have you ever had to use your firearm in a defensive situation? No, never. What training methods do you employ? About 11 years ago, I took a threeday class at the Sig Sauer Academy (formerly SigArms Academy) here in New Hampshire. After that, I got involved with a local group that ran practices similar to IDPA competitions. I shot with them once a week or so for a number of years. I also did a lot of dry fire practice and was occasionally involved in other shooting activities such as IDPA, NRA Bullseye, and Metallic Silhouette shooting. I became an NRA Instructor and eventually an NRA Training Counselor. I
regularly teach NRA Personal Protection Inside and Outside the Home classes. I do some shooting during those classes and it is a regular reminder of the issues concerning concealed carry. While I have been less involved in organized shooting activities other than the NRA classes, I do go to the range and get some practice from the holster at least once a month. In June 2009 I took the LFI-I course from Massad Ayoob when he offered it in New Hampshire. Do you have any recommendations? While developing your shooting skills is necessary, it is not sufficient training. Ongoing mental preparation and planning are actually more important. An emergency is not the time to be trying to figure out what to do. At least occasionally during your normal activities you should think about where threats could come from and how you would respond. That makes it more likely that you will be able to function quickly and effectively. Dry fire a lot! I recommend 10-15 minutes per day of just working on pulling the trigger without disturbing the sights. It will make your basic shooting skills automatic and you will
be able to perform better under stress. What weapons and ammunition do you carry? I most often carry a Taurus 851 5 shot .38 Special revolver, and sometimes carry a Sig Sauer P229 in .40 S&W. For the .38, I use Georgia Arms .38 Special +P Speer Gold Dot self defense ammunition, and for the .40, I use Georgia Arms .40 S&W +P Speer Gold Dot self defense ammunition. What concealment holsters do you use? I have used various holsters over the years but I have settled on these: Revolver in a Kramer Handgun Leather Pocket Holster Sig in a Mitch Rosen ARG Inside the Waistband Holster Sometimes Sig in a Galco Skyops tuckable IWB holster. Do you have any advice for our readers? Work on being aware of what and who is around you as much of the time as possible. It will give you time and distance to avoid the fight if possible and increase your chance to win it. While easy at first, I have found it gets hard after almost always carrying for years. That is particularly true if you are usually in a low threat environment. H
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FIVe seConds oF Real tIMe

Although light enters the eye as a continuous stream and not as individual frames, the analogy to film helps to explain why slow motion time occurs. During normal, non-stressful situations, the cortex will process a balance of sensory information in order to accomplish the task at hand. Visual processing might be comparable to traditional motion picture film at 24 frames per second. Thats enough visual input to walk without tripping over our feet and to catch a ball without getting hit in the face, yet its slow enough to cause motion blur. For example, empty shell casings flying by our face will appear as a blur.
FIVe seConds at tWICe the VoluMe oF VIsual InPut Can Be InteRPReted BY the MInd as 10 seConds
During periods of extreme stress when the thalamus is blocking virtually all sensory input other than the high resolution fovea, well not only have a much wider stream of high resolution visual input, but well suddenly have the processing power to handle it. Continuing the analogy to film, its like jumping from 24 frames per second to 48 frames per second or more. The result can be like something straight out of The Matrix, such as the amazing quote from the Artwohl research shown here.
ry tions Mo or Me ist D
This is part three of a four part series, with content and illustrations derived from the book Concealed Carry Fundamentals (available on www.keyhousepress.com) by Michael Martin.
[ BY MICHAEL MARTIN ]
In last issues topic, we explored the causes of auditory exclusion, and we discussed how the physical structure of the eye and the filtering ability of the brain combine to cause tunnel vision and heightened visual clarity during violent attacks.
n this issue, well be discussing the memory distortions that can occur during critical incidents: slow motion time, loss of memory, and false memories. While these physiological effects are not as well known as tunnel vision and auditory exclusion, they affect a significant percentage of police officers involved in deadly force shootings. Referring back to the research compiled by Dr. Alexis Artwohl (discussed in part one), 50 to 60 percent of officers inter-
viewed reported either memory loss or slow motion time, and more than one in five experienced false memories; that is, they remembered something that never actually happened. As we did in parts one and two, well also take a look at how we can work the expectation of these automated responses into our training regimen with new training tips.
sloW MotIon tIMe

Processing the input of sensory in-
formation requires processing power, no different than a computer requires processing power to run applications. During non-stressful situations, our sensory cortex must balance the processing of a variety of sensory input, including sound, touch, smell, and about 200 degrees of visual input. Under periods of extreme stress when the thalamus has shut down virtually all sensory input except for the high-resolution fovea (see last issues article), well suddenly have throughput and processing power to spare. So what does that have to do with the slow motion effect reported in the Artwohl research? In part, its due to the fact that most of our perception of time is based upon the sensory input that we receive. Under extreme stress, the unusually high volume of
19
eVent
Input passed through the thalamus will first reside in sensory memory. If it is passed on, it will next reside in shortterm or working memory.
lonG-teRM MeMoRY
Only memories that have been passed to long-term memory are available for recall. If the thalamus blocked the input, or the hippocampus failed to move it to long-term memory, it simply will not be there for recall.
during a violent shootout I looked over, drawn to the sudden mayhem, and was puzzled to see beer cans slowly floating through the air past my face. What was even more puzzling was that they had the word Federal printed on the bottom. they turned out to be the shell casings ejected by the officer who was firing next to me.
visual information thats passed to, and is processed by, our cortex can be interpreted by our conscious self as time slowing down, rather than the processing or throughput speeding up. To use another computer analogy, lets assume that a computer is running ten applications, including a video processing application that normally processes one gigabyte of video per second. If the other nine applications were suddenly shut down, the computer might jump to processing 10 gigabytes per second. If the computers clock was based upon how many gigabytes were processed, it would now record that ten seconds had passed for each real second, which from the computers perspective, is the most logical conclusion (rather than concluding that its processing power had somehow magically increased). Thats an over-simplification, but it paints an easy picture to understand. tive, which means that newer memories are more easily recalled if we can associate them with previously acquired knowledge. For example, if the camping trip reminded us of an earlier trip wed been on, it would be easier to recall the details of the more recent event. Under extreme stress, were lacking both of those fundamental recall operations. Instead of a variety of elements stored for that memory, we might have only a single element captured (visual) and we most likely have no previous memories to associate it with. In addition, in order to be recalled in the first place, memories must have been transferred to longterm memory (also managed by the hippocampus), which required them to be transferred from sensory memory (which might last less than a second) to short-term or working memory (which might last less than a minute), to long-term memory. Under extreme stress, the hippocampus may simply discard information that it doesnt consider necessary to survival, never moving the input past sensory or shortterm memory. The Artwohl research includes multiple incidents where officers blacked out on one or more parts
loss oF MeMoRY
In order to recall a memory, our hippocampus (the Scrapbook) actually reconstructs it by integrating elements of that memory scattered in various locations of our brain. For example, for us to recall a camping trip from the previous summer, the no. brain doesnt open a file the same way a computer Build the knowledge of slow motion time file is opened; instead, the into your mental scenarios and practice your hippocampus reconstructs drills at a measured, not frenzied, pace. The the memory by recalling best training tip is to simply be aware that it separately stored elements exists so that if you find yourself in a critiof that memory, connected cal incident, you can tell yourself, Here it via pathways of what we is,rather than, Whats happening to me?!? did, saw, smelled, tasted, There are 100,000 years of human evolution and heard on that trip. behind this capability. Take advantage of it. Memories are also associa-
training tip 5
of the incident, including their own actions, such as forgetting phone calls they made, how many rounds they fired, or even whether or not they fired their own gun.
confirmed that the phenomenon occurred in more than one in five officers interviewed, including the vivid, yet false memory shown here.
training tip no.6

Build the aftermath into your mental scenarios to include the phone calls youll need to make, and your limited statements to the police. In the Artwohl research, more than 50 percent of police officers involved in critical incidents experienced memory loss for at least some part of the critical incident, and more than one in five reported events that never actually occurred. You must speak with your lawyer and have him or her review any evidence before you and your lawyer review the incident with the police.
False MeMoRIes
At any given moment, the information thats within our short-term or working memory can be anything. It can include sensory input such as what were looking at or listening to; or it can simply be thoughts or imagination, such as imagining what well have for dinner, picturing a loved one, or replaying a tune in our head. When were in the middle of a critical incident, those thoughts might include imagining what it would be like if we or our companion were shot with the attackers gun; or it could be vivid thoughts of loved ones; or, it could be a tune replaying in our head. Unfortunately, when were under the extreme stress of an attack, those random thoughts can be transferred to our long-term memory as though they actually occurred. Whether or not this is a survival mechanism (for example, the image of a gravely injured loved one might force us to fight even harder) or whether its simply a bug, the Artwohl research
I saw the suspect suddenly point his gun at my partner. as I shot (the suspect), I saw my partner go down in a spray of blood. I ran over to help my partner, and he was standing there unharmed. the suspect never even got off a shot.
In part four, well wrap up the series with a discussion on exactly what muscle memory is and well answer the question once and for all: Is action faster than reaction? H [ Michael Martin is a firearms instructor and author, living in Woodbury Minnesota with his wife Sara and two little boys, Jack and Sam. Michael is the author of Concealed Carry Fundamentals and Minnesota Permit to Carry a Firearm Fundamentals, both available on www.keyhousepress.com.
Michael is also the owner and director of Minnesota Tactics (www.mntactics. com), a firearms training organization specializing in introducing beginners to the world of self-defense, firearms and the shooting sports. Michael is also a certified NRA instructor, and a member of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI). ]
WoRKInG MeMoRY (oR the suBConsCIous)

Our working memory can include not only input thats been passed on from the thalamus, it can also contain thoughts, fears, and imagination.
eVent
Input passed through the thalamus will first reside in sensory memory. If it is passed on, it will next reside in shortterm or working memory.
lonG-teRM MeMoRY
Under extreme stress, the hippocampus might not only store actual events in our long-term memory, it might also log into long-term memory images that had resided within our subconscious, as though they had actually occurred.
(All three quotes from Perceptual and Memory Distortion During Officer-Involved Shootings by Alexis Artwohl, Ph. D., published in October 2002 in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin.)
21
THE ORDINARY GUY
robbed and carjacked in Your GaraGe: The STorY of
Lee MichaeLS
[ B Y M A R K W A LT E R S ]
What happens when you do everything right?
oure paying attention, and youre not walking around with your face buried in a Blackberry or iPhone, but you are truly paying attention to your surroundings and it happens? The following ordeal unfolded in Minnesota and happened to the operations manager of radio station AM 1280, The Patriot. Lee told my national audience this story live on the air as I broadcasted Armed American Radio to the nation from the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Learn from it. Lee Michaels is a good man, a family man. Like most good people, Lee is a valued employee, a great father and someone who spends most of his days working hard to support his
family and be the best that he can be. It was a typical November evening in Minnesota, cool and crisp, and Lee was on his way home from a night of hockey. Mr. Michaels lived in a townhouse in the Minneapolis suburbs. As a radio station news and programming manager, he is no stranger to the bad things that happen to good people. As Lee puts it, Im always aware of my surroundings, and this night would be no different. Lucky for him, it probably saved his life on this late night. Pulling into the parking lot of his townhouse complex, Lee recalls seeing someone on a bicycle. He remembers it so clearly because as he recalled, I almost hit him. Stopping, Lee watched as the bike rider moved safely out
of the way before continuing to his garage when it was safe to do so. Pulling into the garage, Lee maintained his situational awareness. He later told me that he even leaves the car running as the garage door closes in the event I need to get away or give up the car to save my life. As the garage door closed, he finished his water and grabbed some things from the car. He exited the garage through a side door and walked outside the front of his townhome. As he stood outside, admiring the fruits of his labor, he noticed the young man on the bike whom he had almost hit just moments
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USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n JANUARY 2011
iSTOCKPHOTO - KUZMA
earlier. This time he was walking toward me I thought that was strange as I had just seen him on a bike, now hes walking to me and then he asks me for some money, he said. No man, I just came home from a hockey game. I dont have any money for you. I wish I did, Lee responded to the man now up close to him on his own property. Then another guy walks around the corner, this one drawing down on meso the first guy was a setup man. Right then the first one moved around behind. He didnt have a mask on, but the one with the gun had a black hoodie, skull-cap over his face and now was asking me for money, Lee remembered. I gave him a twenty dollar bill [which] was all I had on me and then he asked for my cash card. I remember thinking what? Was this guy thinking I was going to give him my actual pin number, he thought. You gotta give me more than that. Im done with this, get on your knees, came the response from the masked, gun-wielding thug. Get on your knees. Im just gonna do him right here, Im gonna fing do him right now. The reality of what was unfolding began sinking in quickly as Lee told me, I thought my wife was going to come out and find me lying face down on the sidewalk right here, dead, he said. Just then, the gun-wielding criminal hit him with the gun a couple of times in the head for good measure. At this point, something Lee told listeners during the live interview really hit home. His mindset changed. He made the decision to survive this encounter right there on the spot. He decided to live through this, no matter what. I felt that everything was going to be all right and I was going to get out of this. So Im looking at the guy, I didnt want to look at his face too closely. I was looking at his boots, his clothing, and he told me I was going to take him to my bank. As most of you know, the odds of survival drop significantly for anyone who actually gets into a vehicle with their assailant. Statistics prove that the odds that a victim will be murdered rise sharply. Lee was not going to allow this to happen to him. He gets me up and marches me into the garage with the
gun at the base of my neck, I get into the drivers seat of the car, his accomplice who didnt have a guntries to get into the back seat of the car but had to climb over my daughters car seat on the passenger side. Meanwhile, Lee told listeners how he was not really paying attention to what the man with the gun was saying as he was trying to dial 911 in his pocket on his cell phone. But because he had just gotten gas, he had a receipt covering the phone and he didnt want the two punks to know what he was doing. Maintaining his composure, Lee continued to think. I knew he (the man with the gun) couldnt get in the car from the passenger side. It was a one-car garage and I had parked really
iM done wiTh ThiS, GeT on Your kneeS.

tight against the passenger side [wall]. Thats exactly what he tried to do He walked around the car and hit me in the head again with the gun just for good measure. Still thinking and in survival mode, Lee was paying very close attention to his situationeven with a splitting headache. He opened the door and had to back in to the seat and turn away from me, which is what he did and now had his hand with the gun against the wall when he did that I started the car and rocketed out of the garage as all 300 horsepower kicked in. I knocked him down and the guy in the backseat is now kicking the door because its locked. Now out of the garage and in total control of the vehicle, Lee turns his attention back to the guy in the garage. Now Im back in the parking lot and I see the guy starting to stagger to his feet and the guy in the backseat is now swinging at me he broke the windshield washer thing, grabbed the steering wheel and forced the car to the side, jumped out and took off, Lee said. Pissed off and adrenaline flowing, Lee now has control and calls 911. The
guy in the garage takes off, of course as most cowards do, and the guy in the back seat does the same. The police respond quickly with K-9 units and track the back seat criminal to a house near where the incident occurred. As happens in situations like this all too often, street respect occurs and one scumbag refuses to turn on the other. In Lees case, the man with the gun was never caught, while the back seat coward did 54 months in the Minnesota Big House. So what does all of this tell us? Is this just another crime that we read about everyday in the nations newspapers? No, its not. Its more than that because Lee did everything right and still got caught. The lesson is one that cropped up when Lee mentioned that he felt he was going to be okay. What happened is that he decided to survive. He had made the conscious decision to live and get out of this terrible mess. Lee was unarmed and lucky. He has mentioned to me in off-air conversation that in hindsight, he had plenty of opportunity to use a weapon if he had one on him at that time. Remember this: even if you are unarmed, your head can still keep you alive if you are attacked. To use your wits you must be alert and aware of your surroundings. Even if caught in that split second, you can still put yourself in the position to control the situation. Being aware saved his life. It may save yours one day, too! To listen to the interview and hear Lee tell the story in his own words on Armed American Radio, Please visit www.armedamericanradio.com and click on August 29, 2010 in the archive section. Lees story is told during the third hour of the broadcast. H [ Mark Walters is a NRA certified instructor, co-author of the book Lessons from Armed America, and a vocal Second Amendment activist. He is the nationally syndicated host of Armed American Radio, which airs Sunday evenings at 8-11 pm EST (5-8 pm PST) from coast to coast. Mark encourages fans to write him at mark@ armedamericanradio.org. Visit him at www.armedamericanradio.org ]
JANUARY 2011 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM
23
SMiTh & weSSon GeTS Modern wiTh The

[ BY DUANE A. DAIKER ]
bodYGuard 38
The Smith & Wesson J-frame has remained largely unchanged for more than 60 yearsuntil now.
t the 2010 SHOT Show, Smith & Wesson unveiled a new, state-ofthe-art small frame revolver for personal protection: the Bodyguard 38. The Bodyguard name has been around for a long time, and in the past referred to a shrouded hammer revolverbut not anymore. The new Bodyguard 38 is a double-action only design with a completely internal hammer, similar to what S&W had previously
called a Centennial design. The change in the meaning of the term Bodyguard is somewhat confusing to S&W diehards, but perhaps this new revolver and a new Bodyguard .380 pistol that shares the same name, will redefine the term going forward.
GUN DETAIlS
In some ways, the Bodyguard 38 is a typical small frame, five-shot, snubnose
revolver with an internal hammer. This style of revolver has been an icon of personal defense guns for decades. Smith and Wesson, however, has modernized the snubnose in a number of ways. Perhaps most interestingly, the Bodyguard is built on a one-piece aluminum alloy frame attached to a steel reinforced polymer grip frame. Polymer grip frames are the latest trend in revolver design, and for good reason. Polymer is lightweight, inexpensive, non-corrosive, and has excellent recoil reduction characteristics.
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Brand Model Action Type Caliber
Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 38 .38 Special +P 5 8 lbs. 14.5 oz. 17 oz. 1.875 $625 Double-Action
S&w bodYGuard 38 SPecS

Loaded chamber indicator
Gun Size inforMaTion
Height Grip girth Short grip Long grip Sight radius Trigger reach Concealment index
4.5 Trigger safety Grip safety 1 2 3.75 4 3.5 11 Thumb safety Decocker
baSic inforMaTion
Trigger Pull Weight, empty Weight, loaded Barrel length MSRP
SafeTY feaTureS
above: The Bodyguard 38 comes standard with an Insight brand integrated laser sight. left: This small revolver is well-suited for pocket carry, weighing in at just over one pound fully loaded.
The Bodyguard also features a laser sight integrated with the revolver frame. The Insight brand laser is fully adjustable for elevation and windage, and is activated with a push-button near the top strap. The laser cycles through each of its three stages (off, constant on, and pulsing on) with each press of the button. The high position of the laser emitter puts the laser beam closely in line with the barrel, and far from the shooters trigger finger. Unlike some other laser configurations, the trigger finger will never block the laser, even when
indexed along the revolvers frame. Another innovative feature is the placement of the cylinder release latch on the rear portion of the top strap. Opening the cylinder is an ambidextrous operation because the latch can be operated with the thumb of the shooting handwhether the left hand or the right hand. However, the lever can still be pushed from the left side of the gun if desired. Finally, the revolver is fitted with very slim, synthetic one-piece stocks. The feel is quite thinner than traditional re-
volver stocks, but still fit my large hands well. Most importantly, the grip design encourages the preferred revolver grip high on the back strap. A high grip helps reduce both perceived recoil and muzzle flip.
CARRY ImpRESSIONS
The ease of carry of small revolvers is well known. Many people choose snubby revolvers for this very reason. The Bodyguard is well suited for many modes of carry. While the gun could certainly be carried on the belt in a traditional man-
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Integral lock
Capacity
Magazine disconnect
Length
6.5
Cocked status indicator
The Bodyguards stocks permit a high grip in comparison to other small revolvers, which helps with recoil control.
SHOOTING INFORmATION
Ammunition Winchester PDX-1 130 gr. JHP Winchester White Box 150 gr. JRN Rounds Fired 60 150 malfunctions Accuracy 0 0 2 in. 2 in. The high position of the laser emitter has tactical advantages, but can limit holster selection.
ner, its small size is also very conducive to deeper concealmentsuch as pocket carry, ankle carry, or even in a belly band. The Bodyguard 38s slick exterior is well designed for any mode of carry. The revolver is nicely rounded and lacks any sharp edges. There is no serrated cylinder latch or external hammer to irritate the skin or catch on the draw. The synthetic rubber stocks are not so sticky that they will print through a cover garment or foul your draw. All in all, the Bodyguard is easy to carry and easy to conceal, as you would expect from Smith & Wesson.
SHOOTING ImpRESSIONS
Shooting the Bodyguard was a pleas-
ant surprise. Snubby revolvers can be notoriously unpleasant to shoot, especially with full power defensive ammo. The light weight and small grips are not ideal for shooting. However, a number of Smith & Wessons design features have really helped to tame this snubby. The recoil-absorbing properties of the polymer frame, together with the high grip position make the Bodyguard much more controllable than the average lightweight snubby. Shooting standard pressure .38 Special ammunition is quite pleasant and even hot +P loads are very tolerable. A number of people at the range agreed that the perceived recoil and muzzle flip of the Bodyguard was less than a standard aluminum alloy J-frame revolver.
The fixed sights are quite good, with a good-sized rear notch and serrated front ramp. However, the very short sight radius of the fixed sights on a snubby revolver is one of the reasons its difficult to shoot well. S&W has compensated for this inherent shortcoming with an alternative sighting systemthe laser sight. The many advantages of a laser sight are too lengthy to discuss in this article, and have been covered many times. However, a laser sight allows the shooter to focus on the target, and to shoot from awkward positions (where aligning the target, sights and eye is impossible)all potentially important skills in a defensive situation. My only complaint with this gun,
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movement under stress. This configuration is especially desirable if you keep the revolver in your strong hand for loading (such as the method taught by Michael de Bethencourt) because the strong hand thumb goes to the top strap as part of the technique. Any shooter who is willing to be open-minded may actually find this setup preferable over the traditional side-mounted cylinder release latch. Reloads with a speed loader are no problem. The aluminum loader pictured is a new design from Five Star Firearms, and worked very well. however, is with the laser unit. While the laser functions very well, I do not care for the switching. Activation of the laser must be done with the thumb of either the shooting hand or the weak hand. As a result, there is no momentary switching. Cycling the laser through its various modes is a bit awkward and time consuming. I would much prefer a grip-integrated momentary switch, but I believe that technology is patented. Learning to efficiently activate and de-activate the laser will have to be addressed in practice and training. The trigger on the Bodyguard is better than the average small revolver. The roughly eight-pound trigger pull stacks at the beginning, but then pulls smoothly to a clean break. The trigger feels lighter than eight pounds, and is quite manageable. Perhaps the most controversial feature on the new Bodyguard will be the nontraditional cylinder release latch on the top of the gun, as opposed to the left side of the frame. I actually found the cylinder release position to be very effective, even for a right-handed shooter. The large slide-type release is an easy gross motor
FINAl THOUGHTS
The Bodyguard 38 is a new twist on the J-frame revolver. S&W addressed the most serious shortcomings of the traditional snubby by incorporating modern materials and design. Perhaps even more importantly, S&W remained focused on delivering a great value, by offering a laser equipped lightweight revolver at an MSRP of only $625. Street prices should be around $550 or slightly less, once the initial demand is satisfied. Each Bodyguard comes with a black nylon zippered case suitable for off-body concealed carry, and every gun is backed by S&Ws lifetime warranty. The Bodyguard 38 represents a modern overhaul of the classic J-frame carry gun. I would also love to see Smith & Wesson offer a model without the integrated laser, at an even lower price point. H All prices as of November, 2010. [ Duane A. Daiker is a contributing editor for CCM, but is otherwise a regular guynot much different from you. Duane has been a lifelong shooter and goes about his life as an armed, responsible, and somewhat opinionated citizen. Duane can be contacted at Daiker@ RealWorldCarryGear.com, or through his fan page on Facebook, and welcomes your comments and suggestions. ]
The cylinder release latch and laser activation switch are on the top strap of the revolver.
CONTACTS
The author used a Tuff Products Pocket-Roo holster, which has room to carry a Quick Strip reload. 5 Star Firearms www.5starfirearms.com (847) 731-7898 Smith & Wesson www.smithwesson.com (800) 331-0852 Michael J. de Bethencourt www.snubtraining.com (978) 667-5591 Tuff Products www.tuffproducts.com (877) 883-3776 Winchester Ammunition www.winchester.com (618) 258-2000
**The Bodyguard 38 was provided by the manufacturer, and was later purchased at a discounted price. Some of the ammo for testing was provided at no charge by Winchester. The other accessories pictured were provided at no charge by Tuff Products and Five Star Firearms.
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The need-LeveL ThreaT

[ BY RORY MILLER ]
I want you to do a thought experiment: Relax, take a deep breath, and answer a few questions.
irst, imagine that no one is going to help you and your children are in danger of starving. What would you be willing to do? Would you steal food? Would you rob (use violence or the threat of violence to steal) for food or for money to buy food? Would you kill? These are the first questions, the easy ones. To save your children, what would you be willing to do? What lines would you cross? I use to save your children
in the question because most people imagine their own starvation as something noble or heroic. They imagine they could take it and make sacrifices and stick to a moral code, but cant really imagine what the changing blood sugar, fear and desperation would do to their minds. So we stick with children for this little thought experiment. Are you ready for the next series of questions? Would you prostitute yourself? Would you prostitute your children to feed
them? Would you prostitute just one of the children to feed the others? Or maybe sell one and pretend you did not know why the child was wanted? I dont know why people hesitate more on these questions than on the question of killing, but they do. Murder is officially more evil than prostitution, right? Maybe, in this thought experiment, murder for food is a little more abstract and easier to imagine in soft focus. Maybe. More questions: Whatever strategy you chose to feed your children, you are an adaptable human being. Would you eventually become OK with your deci-
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An addict may have to steal up to $4000 worth of goods a day to feed his habit, making YOU a likely target.
PHOTOS BY OLEG VOLK A-HUMAN-RIGHT.COM
sion? Even self-righteous about it? You are the one killing, stealing or pimping would you really blame yourself for that or find someone else to blame for driving you to it? Would you eventually tell yourself that what you are doing is noble and right? Would necessary be enough? If it turned out to be successful and you moved from the edge of starvation to affluence, would you quit doing the crimes or would it have become a way of life? And would you teach your children to follow in your footsteps? Play with those thoughts for a moment. We live in an unbelievably affluent so-
ciety. Our modern response to the possibility of hunger, much less starvation, doesnt involve getting a spear or laying traps, but going to a government office and filing paperwork. No one seems to see anything odd about that. It is so easy to forget, when you have never personally been hungrier than you wanted to be (fasting is a completely different experience than starving), that the possibility of children starving has been the norm for much of human history. It is still the norm in many places in the world. Yet we are surprised when people act from this world view. We get selfrighteous and indignant. That may be
a justified attitude, but it is not useful. In modern times, this threat isnt about food. That little thought experiment we just did? That desperation that drives you to do things you know are wrong? Things that become less wrong the longer you do them until you feel fully justified and righteous? That is where addicts live and it drives a huge amount of the crime in this country. This has profound implications for avoiding and de-escalating violence stemming from this level. It is much different from the social conflict we are used to. Everything you know about protecting peoples feelings or deferring to status or showing respect is irrelevant
29
You dont have the guts to pull the trigger!

here. The threat wants stuff. Stuff that he can sell to feed his addiction. It is not about his feelings or his past or his inner child. It is about his need. The only things that will work on the threat are the things that would work on you if your children were starving. The thought experiment will help you empathize with the threats state of mind and help you avoid the traps. What would you do if your children were starving? What will the threat do? How would you set it up? Would you prefer to burglarize an empty house? Threaten in privacy? Use overwhelming force from ambush or invade a home and catch the victims off guard? The threat will do the same thing and for the same reasons. Almost every incident of conflict in your life has been social, and almost all of the social incidents had one thing in common: an audience. When someone switches to predatory violence, an audience magically transforms into witnesses. This is the primary clue: IF THERE ARE NO WITNESSES, PREPARE FOR PREDATORY VIOLENCE. Its not a switch that most make quickly or easily. No matter how ineptly, incipient criminals have been socialized to some extent. They had a parent or parents. They attended at least some school. Their first time using or threatening to use violence, they are amateurs. They are nervous and it shows. Instead of using the weapon for either immediate violence or to take control, they treat it like an amulet, like a cross to keep away vampires. The best I can describe it is that like most inexperienced citizens they dont look like they are using a gun so much as hiding behind one. In the first crimes, the threat is often hesitant to use force. Sometimes the victim reads that and attempts to use social skills to end the situation. When you see someone who is hesitant and fearful trying to exert power, what are the social strategies? Often to intimidate or punk him out. You see, socially, the weakness, the line where he should break and you push it: You dont have the guts to pull the trigger! But this isnt social. Social is two monkeys vying for status. An inexperienced predator is trying to teach himself to stop acting like a monkey and start acting like a leopard. What would a leopard do? Oh, yeah. Kill the stupid monkey. There is a common pattern of a new criminal hesitating until he starts to lose control and then using massive force to regain control. His first extreme violent crime. As the threat becomes more experienced, there are some changes. One is what I call othering. We can use more force on things different than ourselves. We can squash bugs, shoot deer, butch-
30
er livestock, but we fight people. The more we can convince ourselves that someone is not like us, the more force we can use, the faster we can use it and the less psychological damage is associated with it. Othering is a skill, and as a criminal becomes more experienced he becomes better at it. He can use force, even extreme force, without hesitation. The humanity of his victims gradually ceases to be an element restricting his actions. What does restrict his actions becomes a very cold risk/reward analysis. What will he get and what risks will he run? Violence, especially extreme violence, draws a lot of attention and carries potentially long sentences. The more blood, the greater chance of being caught. Experienced criminals think in these terms. Pressing close, making a citizen nervous so that the citizen offers some cash is zero risk-at most a city ordinance violation for the hard-to-prove aggressive panhandling. This implies three strategies for making you an unlikely victim:
JANUARY 2011 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE
Lower the potential rewards of the risk/rewards equation. This is not as effective as you might think. There is no element of social justice to the equation, no morality of robbing the rich. Many criminals steal from people poorer than themselves, because no matter who they steal from, the robber will have more, and that is the goal. A local contact (this is a year out of date) said that a heavy heroin habit in my city runs $400 dollars a day. Stealing items other than cash, he can rarely get more than 10 percent of the value. So, an addict may have to steal $4000 worth of goods every day. Thats volume and under the pressure of withdrawals, most threats cant afford to be picky. This is a oneway street, by the way. You cant lower the potential rewards enough to make you completely safe, but you can raise the rewards enough to influence the criminal to take greater risks. See below. Raise the risk. Every self-defense instructors advice to walk with confidence and express self-value fits right here. The threat may feel confident he could take anyone, but why artificially raise the risk? Attack the easy. Same as wolves and injured caribou. Staying in crowds; attracting witnesses; Dialing 911 on your cell. Letting it be known that you are armed-and this is a tricky one, because a gun is a very valuable thing. Admitting you are carrying one MAY make someone choose another
victim or it may make him take extra precautions and use more violence faster to get your weapon. Shake his confidence in the equation. When a threat approaches, he expects certain behavior, maybe a scared glancing around or nervous fumbling. Maybe pleading. A lot of victims just become passive. Someone who seems too calm makes the threat wonder if he has missed something. The possibility of a weapon is often more effective than the presence of a weapon. A nod or wave in a random direction may make the threat think he has missed allies. If you understand the type of threat, you can adapt your tactics and better avoid the situation. If you cannot avoid the situation, you can choose tactics at the appropriate level of force and, possibly more important, articulate you decisions. H [ A seventeen-year veteran of a metropolitan correctional system, and a former advisor to the Iraqi Correctional System, Rory Miller has built a resume that includes thousands of hours of firearms, unarmed combatives and tactical work and training. Rory has a Bachelors degree in psychology, a blackbelt in jujutsu and college varsities in judo and fencing. He wrote Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training and Real World Violence. Visit his website at www.chirontraining.com. ]
Raise the attackers risk and be willing to follow through.
MaG-40:
a GraduaTe deGree in civiLian SeLf-defenSe
[ BY DUANE A. DAIKER ]
Intense. Extreme. Fast paced. Akin to drinking from a fire hose.

ll these words were used by students to describe Massad Ayoob Groups MAG-40 class. I was fortunate enough to attend MAG-40 in Live Oak, Florida during October 2010.
THE INSTRUCTOR
Massad Ayoob, founder of the Massad Ayoob Group, needs little introduction in shooting circles. Mas is one of the best known self-defense and firearms trainers in the world. He has been teaching police officers since 1974, and civilians since 1981. His landmark book, In the Gravest Extreme, continues to be one of the best texts on the civilian use of lethal force. Mas routinely consults and testifies as a firearms and self-defense expert across the country. In addition to his legal
acumen, Mas is a skilled shooter, being one of only eleven people in the world to earn a Five Gun Master ranking in IDPA. As the founder and director of the Lethal Force Institute from 1981 to 2009, Mas taught advanced principles of selfdefense and the proper use of lethal force to thousands of civilian students. In 2009, Mas founded the Massad Ayoob Group as a new organization to continue his civilian training programs. Mas is definitely an interesting character with a strong personality. He sometimes describes himself as arrogant, but I think that confident and opinionated is a fairer description. Mas has a passionate belief in the Second Amendment and the civilians right and, in fact, obligation of self-
defense. He has seen his share of injustice in the legal system, and his sense of righteous indignation boils up from time to time in class, in the hope that you will not suffer a similar fate. Mas is a natural teacher with a flair for keeping your attention. Without a doubt, he talks like a career cop, and his lectures are peppered with police jargon and the occasional profanity. I found Mas to be very personable, and I believe everyone in the class enjoyed their interactions with him.
THE STUDENTS
The class I attended consisted of 23 students from around the country, including four women. While most of the students were from Florida, a few travelled considerable distances to train in Live Oak. The level of shooting experience varied widely from relatively new to very experienced
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hiS STraTeGieS are SiMPLe, honeST and cLearLY effecTive.

left: Instructors Mike Larney, Mas Ayoob and John Strayer (left to right) shoot in the qualifier.
above: Part of the MAG-40 experience is participating in the Tueller Drill, where you measure how long it takes each student to cover 21 feet, simulating an attack with a contact weapon.
above and left: Mas managed to take the occasional coffee break on the clock in the qualifierand still shot a perfect 300 point score!
shooters. Some of the students carried guns for a living, some carried guns for civilian self-defense, and some hadnt quite made the decision to carry a gun just yet. While many of the students had some type of prior firearms training, some had no formal training at all. One thing we all had in common was good guy status. The Massad Ayoob Group is serious about screening all students. When you register, you have to show proof of your clean criminal record by presenting a concealed weapon permit, a military or law enforcement ID, a Federal Firearms License, or a recent background check. As you might expect, all of the students are like-minded individuals. We all made new friends in the time we spent together. An additional benefit of the MAG-40 training is the opportunity to develop strong bonds with other MAG-40 students and alumni.
THE COURSE
The MAG-40 class has two distinct components: class time and range time. There are roughly 20 hours of each, compressed into four 10-hour days. Make no mistake, this class is about survival in more ways than one. I was mentally and physically exhausted after four days, but did not regret a moment.
ON THE RANGE
The handgun training component is not for novice shooters. The class presumes a basic level of shooting skill and moves quickly through a number of skill and confidence building exercises. With a few hours on the range each day, Mas introduced us to his basic principles of marksmanship, including some of his own concepts like the Stress Point Index and the Wedge Grip. Interestingly, some of the fundamental concepts taught by MAG differ from the classic Jeff
Cooper/Gunsite version of the Modern Technique. To the extent Mas advocates something different, he thoroughly explains the rationale and the benefits, so the students can make their own judgments. Over the duration of the course, we fired about 500 rounds, six rounds at a time. By loading magazines with six rounds, all the students had the same capacity, even our lone revolver shooter. By doing things this way, the class is equally friendly to high capacity autoloaders, single stack autoloaders, and revolvers. (Not to mention we all got a lot of practice reloading empty guns!) The shooting portion of the class culminated in a 60-round police-style qualification course on the last day. Students are required to score at least 225 points out of a possible 300. The shooting distances range from 4 yards to 15 yards, and the course requires the use of vari-
33
ous cover positions as well as weak- and strong-hand-only shooting, all under time pressure. Mas requires all his instructors to shoot the qualification as a pacesetter for every class, so the students get to see how they all shoot under pressure. The class shoots after the instructors, and Mas gives special recognition, in the form of an autographed one dollar or five dollar bill, to any student who can tie or beat his score. In our class, Mas and several other instructors shot a perfect 300 points. Every student passed, with many shooting more than 290 points.
IN THE ClASSROOm
The class component of MAG-40 is different than anything else I am aware of in the training world. In about 20 hours, Mas takes the students through nearly every conceivable aspect of the civilian use of lethal force. Unlike many courses that focus only on how to shoot, Mas explains in very understandable terms exactly when to shoot. He has distilled the laws of the various states into a number of universal principles the armed citizen can understand and apply. These principles are reinforced through discussion of real situations and participation in practical shoot/dont shoot scenarios. Perhaps even more valuable is Ayoobs detailed advice on how to deal with witnesses, responding law enforcement officers, and investigators, following a self-defense shooting. His strategies are simple, honest and clearly effective. Mas explains how the often heard advice to say nothing until your lawyer arrives has serious drawbacks. A citizen who shoots in self-defense must establish certain basic facts up front, thereby building the framework for successfully proving self-defense, while identifying witnesses and preserving evidence. Mas drives home the high price of poor decisions with real life accounts of justifiable shootings that went badly because of avoidable mistakes in dealing with the police and prosecutors. Of course, Mas also covers the typical frequently asked questions, like what type of holster to use, the best methods of carry, and which firearms and ammunition are best for self-defense. Mas does not exhibit any clear bias in firearms,
CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n JANUARY 2011
The author was very happy with the performance of his gear: a Glock 19 and a Galco Concealable Belt Holster with matching gun belt and double mag carrier.
coMMenTS froM MaG-40 STudenTS

I have attended many civilian and military schools and I can tell you that none of them come close to the intense training of a MAG 40 class. I truly didnt know how much I didnt know! Gary from Glassboro, NJ What I brought away from MAG-40 is a feeling of confidence I didnt have before I attended the class. The caliber of the trainers and the hospitality of the support staff were far above what I expected, and the friendliness and open-mindedness of the students who attended is something I will not soon forget. Chaz from Morrilton, AR I have taken a number of classes from different places in the U.S. I learned so much more in both the classroom and shooting exercises at the MAG40 class and from Mas and his group that no one else comes close. Jack from Sarasota, FL I was expecting a class that addressed technical and legal aspects of the use of deadly force, but received all of that in addition to a profound spiritual experience through discussion of the awesome responsibility an armed citizen carries, and the life and death issues surrounding protecting yourself and your family. Bryan from Tampa, FL
works and that you have a quality holster. It is best that you wring out any problems with your equipment before you arrive for the class. If you have any equipment issues, this class will bring them to the forefront, and that can be a distraction. You will also be well served to bring 500 rounds of quality range ammo. A few students were fighting with reloads of questionable quality, which is yet another unnecessary distraction from training.
As Mas explains on the first day, the mere fact that you have attended this class and passed both a written and shooting exam (demonstrating your knowledge of self-defense law and your firearms proficiency) could be a great assistance to you down the road. MAG40 gives you the training and the tools you need to survive both the gunfight and the aftermath.
THE vERDICT
I believe that everyone who owns a gun for self-defense should take this course. MAG-40 is the equivalent of a marathon endurance event in the firearms training field. However, the education you receive will boost your confidence with a pistol, and will greatly increase your odds of surviving both the initial physical attack and the legal attack that may follow. Tuition for MAG-40 is currently $800. Add in about 500 rounds of ammo, travel expenses, and a couple nights in a hotel, and the cost can easily run to over $1,500 for most people. That is a significant sum of money, but I dont hesitate in telling you it is a worthwhile expense. I recommend you give serious consideration to attending MAG-40. You will receive an excellent education and you will not regret the expenditure of time or money. H [ Duane A. Daiker is a Contributing Editor for CCM, but is otherwise a regular guynot much different from you. Duane has been a lifelong shooter and goes about his life an armed, responsible, and somewhat opinionated citizen. Duane can be reached at Daiker@ RealWorldCarryGear.com or through his fan page on Facebook. ]
THE bENEFITS
The quality of training provided by the Massad Ayoob Group is absolutely top notch. The shooting portion of the course helps expose students to the Stressfire system, and cements the fundamental concepts of defensive shooting. The high student to instructor ratio (about two students for each instructor) ensures high quality personal instruction with an emphasis on safety. No matter who you are, you will leave this course a better shooter than you arrived. Perhaps the real value in the MAG40 course, however, is the classroom work. Mas insight into the judicious use of deadly force helps everyone to feel more confident in their decision making process. The lessons in managing the aftermath of a self-defense shooting are eye-opening and are worth every penny you pay for the course. Just knowing how to better deal with witnesses and law enforcement will significantly increase your odds of a positive outcome: avoiding both criminal and civil litigation. As an added benefit of the class, Mas promises to assist any MAG40 student who is involved in a justified self-defense shooting.
A student shoots from a variation of the high kneeling position. and encourages students to make their own choices within certain sensible parameters. The instructor cadre also addresses issues of home defense and safe rooms. Finally, Mas spends some time on tactical anatomy issues, and where to shoot an attacker to best stop the attack. By the end of four days, there is no subject related to armed self-defense that is left untouched. The classroom time culminates in a closed-book written exam on the most important aspects of the judicious use of lethal force. A passing score is required, and a number of students formed groups to study together in the evenings. Despite a bit of stress and anticipation, our entire class passed the written exam with flying colors.
THE lOGISTICS
The Massad Ayoob Group offers MAG40 in various locations around the country, so you may not have to travel to Live Oak. However, Live Oak is the home of MAG, and is a great place to take the training. There are not a lot of distractions in this small agricultural town, but there are decent restaurants and an excellent range facility. Live Oak is also the home of ProArms, a well-known gun shop that is definitely worth a visit. Any type of serviceable handgun will suffice for the class, but make sure it
CONTACTS
City of Live Oak, Florida (386) 362-4305 www.cityofliveoak.org Galco International (800) 874-2526 www.usgalco.com Glock, Inc. (770) 432-1202 www.glock.com Massad Ayoob Group mas@massadayoob.com www.massadayoobgroup.com Pro Arms, Inc. (386) 364-4867 www.proarmsinc.com
35
iTS Your weaPon
MainTain iT!
almost anything else on the market. One thing to consider for humid climates is a firearm with as much stainless steel as possible. Stainless steel takes a lot of humidity and with proper care will stay rust free in almost any climate. However, the term stainless steel is a bit of a misnomer and is something to keep in mind. Stainless steel is an alloy that is designed to resist rust not prevent it. Most people think that this metal cannot rust. I am here to tell you that in my years as a gunsmith I have seen many stainless firearms with surface rust. It does take a lot of abuse to get there, though, and is removed easily. Firearm owners in arid climates have a lot less to worry about. With low humidity levels, surface rust happens rarely. What you do have to worry about is the dust content of the air. Once again the oil used is critical, but you are looking for different properties. Some gun
[ BY JOSEPH CHETWOOD ]
When it comes to maintaining our guns, we all fall somewhere in a broad spectrum of ideas.
ome of us had to pass weapon inspections and know what it takes to get a gun clean enough to eat off. It did not take a Drill Instructor long to pound it through our heads that it was a sin to have a dirty rifle. As frightening as it may be, there is an opposite end of the spectrum. There are some among us that let firearms go until they are ready to jam from the grit alone. Which method is correct? I can point you in the right direction, but you have to find something that works for you and your time constraints. However, there are a few variables to consider that can help you keep your carry pistol properly maintained.
lUbRICANTS
Humidity plays a big role in the level
of upkeep needed for any firearm. In areas like the southern states, just sitting on the shelf is enough to cause rust and the need for extra corrosion protection. There are a lot of gun oils ready to help. Many of you are already beholden to one brand or another and that is fine. Read up on the properties of the oil, though, and make sure it is meant to do the job you expect of it. Some are strictly a lubricant which will also help with corrosion prevention. Others have great protective qualities, but they come with a down side. When there is humidity multiplied by sweat you really need something that is a fantastic corrosion protector. CorrosionX is just such a product. It is one of the better friction reducers and will stand up to more salt spray than
36
left page: BoreSnakes are available in all pistol calibers, and make cleaning the bore a breeze. right: Good maintenance products come in all sizes and flavors. Look for a product suited to your climate and conditions.
oils use paraffin wax as a boost to their corrosion resistance. Paraffin is a dust and lint magnet. After a couple of weeks in the holster in an arid climate, a paraffin-enhanced oil will produce a rubbing compound that will accelerate frictionborn wear. What you are looking for is a lubricant that wont collect dust.
ClEANING TOOlS
Always clean firearms using the right tools. After all, if your gun is not clean, then the lubricant used really does not matter, does it? For decades the military issued steel cleaning rods. The results of that can be plainly viewed on most WWII era M1 Garand rifles. Many original barrels are missing the last inch or two of their rifling. Know the material your cleaning rod is made of. If you can, use a brass pistol rod. Since it is softer than steel, your rifling is much safer. Also, when using a rod the right attachments are very important. While brushes are important to remove copper fouling, make sure you know your cleaner before purchasing. Bronze brushes are great, but remember that bronze is a copper alloy. If you are using a cleaner with ammonia in it, your cleaner will also slowly dissolve the brush. Just remember to clean your bronze brushes after using them. The one brush I do not recommend is stainless steel because they are just as hard as the barrel itself and may scratch the bore. Tipton makes a great brush kit that is a must have for every cleaning kit. This kit has all the brushes needed for pistol calibers in one container. If youre using the eyelet attachment, throw it away today. The patch is not able to make a clean seal on the entire bore in one pass. The best way to do this is with a jag. A jag is made to be just
smaller than the bore. Add a patch on top and there will be a proper seal, so that you get the most out of your efforts. Tipton also has a kit, available through Midway USA, with all the needed pistol caliber jags. Speaking of the best results for your efforts, if you have not tried a BoreSnake, by Hoppes, let me introduce you to it. They are great. They are designed with a brush at the top so you scrub the bore with every pull. The rest of it is thick enough to achieve that proper seal mentioned above. You are essentially doing the work of approximately 20 patches with one pull of the BoreSnake. Its really a fantastic tool and there is nothing better at the range.
ClEANING FORmUlAS
There are a ton of good cleaners out there. It can be a little confusing when there are several formulas under one brand so lets talk about why to choose one over another. There are several that are meant only to clean grease or powder fouling. These are good to have on hand, but will not remove copper foul-
ing. Only a cleaner containing ammonia will dissolve copper fouling from the bore. Read the label of your cleaner and know which formula you have. The other cleaner type worth mentioning here is the aerosolized cleaners. There are several out there, but only one I will use in my shop: Tetra Gun Action Blaster is fantastic. The thing that sets it apart is that it contains pine oil. Pine oil melts grease like it was never there. Carbon fouling, grease, and grit all rinse right out of firearms in a stream of black liquid while drying as fast as brake cleaner. After using it, no oils will be left on metal parts so lubricants will need to be applied to prevent rust. You trust your carry weapon to protect you, your family, and those around you. Keep it ready to do its job by properly maintaining it, and it will always take care of you. H [ Joseph Chetwood is a gunsmith, owner of Crusader Weaponry LLC, and assistant trainer of Crusaders tactical training program. See more of what he does by visiting www.crusaderweaponry.com ]
CONTACTS
CorrosionX www.buycorrosionx.com (509) 926-1724 Hoppes BoreSnake www.hoppes.com (800) 423-3537 Midway USA www.midwayusa.com (800) 243-3220 Tetra Gun Action Blaster www.tetraproducts.com (973) 443-0004
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left: To reduce muzzle rise, the Rhino fires from the bottom chamber of the cylinder, unlike conventional revolvers that fire from the top chamber. Rhino and supplied holster. Corners of squared-off grip present printing problem with lighter cover garments.
SpagheTTi WeSTern: The Chiappa armS

[ BY GRANt CUNNINGhAM ]
rhino revolver
to open the cylinder. The lever is just slightly difficult to use, being a bit too close to the edge of the grips. The cylinder opens conventionally to the left. Speedloaders for the Smith & Wesson K-frame revolvers worked fine in the Rhinos cylinder. The sights are fixed, and the Rhinos design results in the sights being significantly (about 1-1/2 inches) above the bore line of the barrel. Those familiar with the AR-15 rifle will recognize the need to compensate for sight offset at close distances. The rear sight is unusual in that it is a slot milled into the hammer spur. That isnt a problem, because the Rhinos hammer doesnt move when you pull the trigger! The external hammer is just a cocking device, the real hammer being buried deep inside the frame. The hammer spur is pulled back to cock the gun, but once done springs back to its rest position. Since it doesnt move when cocked or during shooting, it is always
Revolvers havent changed much in the last hundred years, but the new Rhino from Chiappa Arms is a revolution in the way revolvers look and handle.
he first thing that most people notice about the Italian-made Rhino is that its flat. Chiappa took the normal revolver cylinder and shaved off the material between chambers, making a six-sided, six-shot cylinder. Then they notice that the barrel isnt where its supposed to be. On most revolvers the barrel is on top of the gun, but on the Rhino its on top of the trigger guard! The goal of the design is to reduce the muzzle rise that affects follow-up shots, especially in the .357 Magnum caliber for which this gun is chambered. This means that the Rhino fires from the bottom chamber of the cylinder, unlike conventional revolvers that fire from the top.
rudimentary design (the holster collapses immediately when the gun is drawn), its well made and finished. The collapsing mouth makes it extremely difficult to holster without getting the fingers of ones hand in the way of the muzzle. Anyone whos serious about safety or understands the need for clean one-handed holstering will want a purpose-designed holster for the gun. The Rhinos unusual shape wont fit any holster made, but Erik Little of Rafter-L Gunleather, one of the countrys best custom holster makers, tells me that as soon as molding dummies are available hell offer holsters for the Rhino.
OpeNiNg the bOx

Chiappa ships the gun with a leather belt holster, also made in Italy. Though a
CONstRUCtiON ANd feAtURes

On the left side of the gun is the cylinder release, which is pressed downward
38
Brenden Shellito fires 158 gr. magnum rounds one-handed. Note the lack of muzzle rise in this picture, taken at the peak of recoil.
in position to serve as the rear sight. The standard grip is made from a soft textured rubber. It is very tacky, and significantly reduces the tendency of the gun to slip in the hand. The grip angle is quite different from most revolvers and is noticeably steeper than average. The frame of the gun is made of aluminum or a similar alloy which accounts for the guns light weight of 1lb 14 oz. A 5-shot Ruger SP101 weighs exactly what the Rhino does, but is smaller and carries one less round.
only from Chiappa-certified gunsmiths. Since Im a gunsmith, Chiappa sent me one of only a few Stage One kits currently in this country. I installed it in the gun and did the majority of testing with it in place. The Stage One kit took the Rhinos trigger from 11.5 lbs. (double action) and 5 lbs. (single action) down to 10.25 lbs. and 3.75 lbs., respectively.
Finger points to cylinder release, which is pushed downward to unlatch the cylinder.
testiNg the RhiNO

I carried the Rhino on a daily basis for about three weeks, using their holster on my right hip, and shot it frequently. (I also carried my own backup gun in case the Rhino failed to function for any reason.) Local firearms instructor Jim Jacobe and his staff shot the gun and gave me their impressions, along with top trainer Georges Rahbani and his brother Maurice. I also had Rob Pincus, founder of I.C.E. Training and a USCCA Advisory Board member, shoot it and give me his thoughts.
fACtORY OptiONs
Chiappa Arms tells me theyll have a range of options for the Rhino. Grips will be available in small, medium and large, and there is a double action only kit that replaces the external hammer with a streamlined spurless replacement. This part eliminates the rear sight notch and requires sighting to be done using the wide milled trough in the top strap. There is one accessory of which CCM readers are getting an exclusive preview! Chiappa offers performance packages for the Rhino which allow the action to be tailored to the shooters needs. Called stage kits, theyre available in Stages One through Three. Stage One is for concealed carry and reduces the trigger weight while maintaining reliability. Stage Two reduces the pull weight further, and Stage Three will give the lightest pull but is only designated for competition use. Given the very complicated lockwork of the Rhino, the kits will be available
Low-mounted barrel sits 1-1/2 inches below .115 inch wide front blade, results in offset of bullet strikes at close distances.
CARRYAbilitY ANd eRgONOmiCs

The Rhinos flat shape and light weight makes it very comfortable to wear using the supplied high-ride holster, but other issues blunted the guns appeal. The trigger reach was much too long for my relatively small hands. I couldnt get more than the tip of my finger on the trigger, which gave me precious little leverage against the actions weight. On most revolvers I can simply rotate the
Smooth faced trigger is quite wide, measuring .468 inches.
39
Removing side plate reveals complicated lockwork. Note long cocking lever connecting fake hammer to the rest of the works; actual hammer rests at lower right of cocking lever.
gun slightly into my grip so that I can reach the trigger, but the Rhinos unusual grip angle made that an unworkable solution. Feedback from the other testers confirmed my opinion that the Rhino is suitable only for those with medium to long fingers. The Rhino trigger has a very short travel, but displays a big increase in pull weight in the middle of that travel with a big decrease toward the end of its travel. The best description is that it feels like youre going over a hump in the middle of the pull and it makes shooting the Rhino substantially more difficult than the weight would lead one to believe. It was not possible to use double action without the sights jumping significantly off target. This characteristic was present both with and without the Stage One kit installed. This hump also makes cocking to single action difficult. It was not a onehand procedure for any of the two dozen people who ended up handling the gun. Once you get past the effort of cocking, single action is smooth and acceptably light. The Rhinos grip material sticks to fabric and causes the gun to print, while the grips two sharp corners easily poke through lightweight cover garments. Making the grip with a rounded butt profile would make it much more concealable.
Standard pressure .38 Special ammunition felt like shooting a .22 Magnum, while heavy .357 Magnum loads felt like .38 Special +P ammo. It was actually a pleasure to shoot magnums in the Rhino. The reduced muzzle flip makes fast follow-up shots absurdly easy. The gun doesnt jump off target as far, which means the sights come back on target much sooner.
whAt the OtheRs thOUght

Almost everyone complained about the double action trigger, saying things like way too heavy and hurts my finger to pull even with the reduced pull weight of the Stage One kit. Two people with meaty fingers reported that the knuckle of their middle finger was hit in recoil by the back of the trigger guard. Neither would shoot more than a few rounds, finding it too painful to continue. Several noted that they didnt like the cylinder release. The increased speed at which the gun could be accurately shot was much appreciated, as was the Rhinos accuracy. Everyone liked the reduction in muzzle flip and perceived recoil, calling it the guns best attribute.
The flat shape makes it easy to carry. CONS: The double action trigger stroke is a huge issue, even with the lighter Stage One kit installed. The trigger requires much more effort than weight measurements would suggest, and the hump in the pull degrades achievable accuracy. The long trigger reach is a concern for small hands, while thicker hands may have clearance issues. Different grips may alleviate both issues, but as tested the Rhino is only suitable for those with medium to large sized hands of average shape. If your fingers are short or thick, youre going to have problems with the Rhino. Initially I was very excited about the Rhino. Theres a lot to like about the gun, but there are also serious usability issues that make it less than pleasant to live with. Ill revisit the Rhino once smaller grips come to the market and some attention is paid to the quality of the trigger pull. H
CONTACTS
Chiappa Firearms U.S.A. www.chiappafirearms.com (937) 835-5000 Rafter-L Gunleather Erik Little www.combatgunleather.com (307) 684-5808 The Jacobe Group, Inc. Jim Jacobe www.jimjacobe.com (503) 362-0584
the gOOd, the bAd, ANd the UglY

PROS: The accuracy is great, but the biggest plus for the Rhino is definitely the recoil characteristics. It is, without a doubt and by a good margin, the softest-shooting medium framed .357 Magnum revolver on the market.
hOw it shOOts
The extremely low bore axis does in fact result in less perceived recoil!
40
right: Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is dial 9-1-1, shout out an address and type of emergency, and then leave the phone off the hook with the line open.
above: Address yourself. Easily-visible address markings can be a lifesaver when minutes matter.
Be a Good Witness
hoW To geT The help you need
for a count of four, exhale out through your mouth for a count of four, and hold for a count of four. Repeat if possible. If you truly dont have time for the full cycle, try one slow, deep breath and then consciously slow your breathing. When its time to talk, speak from your belly or your diaphragm rather than from high in your throat, and consciously lower your pitch to project a deeper voice that can be more clearly understood. Speak slowly enough that the operator can understand you.
[ BY KAthY JACKSON ]
Call 9-1-1! be a good witness. that sounds simple enough.

ut do you really know how to interact with the person on the other end of the phone? Find out what you need to know in order to get helpfast! When faced with criminal violence, most concealed carry people know they need to do what it takes to survive, and then contact the authorities. But we rarely discuss one important link in that lifeline: the 9-1-1 call. How do you efficiently get the help you need?
tAke A deep bReAth.

Before dialing, take a moment to clear your mind. While you may feel too frantic to slow down, keeping a clear head and speaking plainly can save everyone a lot of wasted timeand it may even avert a tragedy of errors caused by confusion. Try square breathing (sometimes called combat breathing): take a deep, slow breath in through your nose for a count of four, hold
fiRst thiNgs fiRst.

Whether you call from a cell phone or from a land line, state your address first. Dont start with your problem. Start with where to send the help you need, then follow up with Send the police or We need an ambulance. If you get disconnected two sentences into the call, even without any additional information, the dispatch-
er can and will send help as long as they know where to send it. But if the location is unknown, the best the dispatcher can do is to alert officers and paramedics to standby for more informationand then hope you call back in time. So start with your address. Although many communities offer enhanced 9-1-1, which allows the dispatcher to see your address when you pick up the phone, this technology does not always work as advertised. And it rarely works well with cell phones, despite recent advances. Never assume the computers are on your side. Do you know where you are right now? A surprising number of people wander through life with only vague notions of where they are, where theyve been, or where theyre goingand with less than a hazy idea of where to send help if they need it in a hurry. You can do better than that! Get in the habit of reading street signs as you pass them, and learn the addresses of your favorite hang outs. Quick! What are the major cross streets near your
41
favorite grocery store? Whats the street address of your office? Wheres the coffee shop where you grab your morning java? Learn the addresses of familiar locations and learn to stay alert for key information about unfamiliar ones.
whAt is YOUR emeRgeNCY?

Keep your answer to this question brief, using short declarative sentences: Send the police! There is an intruder in my home right now, or Send police and an ambulance. A man has been shot. Dont get bogged down in details here. One or two brief sentences will do it. Dont add more information until the dispatcher has acknowledged your main need. Keep repeating your main need until you get that acknowledgement.
describe their injuries in general terms: Two people are injured. One man has a gunshot wound to his right arm. The other injured person, a woman, has been stabbed in the chest with significant bleeding. Unless you are medically trained, dont try to explain details. Just describe the number of people hurt and the basic type of injuries.
stAY ON the liNe.

Once the crucial basics are covered, call takers usually plan to keep you talking and prevent you from hanging up. There are several good reasons for this: first responders often need current information in rapidly-changing situations, and the best place to get that information is directly from you, the person on scene. Call takers can walk untrained people through some types of basic first aid, including CPR, and that can save lives. Simple, compassionate human contact offered to victims over the phone can help prevent panic. And if law enforcement or medical personnel have difficulty finding your location, the dispatcher can ask you for more information or have someone flag down the vehicles when they get close. None of these things can happen if you dont stay on the line. However, just because youre told to keep talking doesnt mean you need to do so. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is dial 9-1-1, shout out an address and type of emergency, and then leave the phone off the hook with the line open. Perhaps you need to stanch the bleeding of a severely injured family member or work CPR on a friend whose heart has stopped. The call taker can talk you through the necessary steps, but you may need to set the phone down in order to go hands on. Maybe youre in the midst of an extended fight and had a brief window to call for help, but you really need to keep an acute awareness of what is happening around you in case the fight reignites. Getting tied up on the phone would be a disaster in such circumstances, but getting help on its way to you is vital. So you may choose to give the dispatcher your address and type of emergency, and then leave the connection open so the call center can record events while you tend to the situation.
emphAsize immediACY.
Many people abuse 9-1-1 by calling to report an attack or burglary that happened days ago, so be clear with your timeline. The intruder is here right now. You need help right now. Your attacker is running away right now. Whatever your situation, be clear about your need for immediate help.
keep the iNfORmAtiON CURReNt.

If anything about your situation changesif the assailant returns, if theres a change in the physical condition of an injured personimmediately tell the dispatcher what is happening. This knowledge could be vital to the first responders and their ability to get you the help you need.
tell the tRUth.

Dont lie. Weve all heard the tired old joke about the man who called the cops because thieves had broken into his garden shed. When told there were no units available to respond to a burglary call, the man hung up, and then called back to report he had just shot one of the thieves. Instantly, several officers rushed to the scene. Upon finding that no shots had been fired, one of the officers said to the homeowner, I thought you said youd shot someone. The homeowner responded, I thought you said there was no one available to answer my call! While the story might make us grin, the truth is that a lie to the authorities is no laughing matter. Once responding officers brand you as a LIAR, it becomes very difficult to avoid dangerous legal entanglements. Dont risk it.
AvOid ChAtteR.
First responders need to know your location, the extent of the injuries (if any), and the type of help you need. They might need a brief medical history, such as the presence of a bleeding disorder or other disease that could affect immediate treatment plans. But they do not need to know irrelevant details. They dont need to know the story of your entire day, or even the events of the last hour. Protect yourself by sticking to the basics. There is information we really need to have and the faster we can get it, the faster we can get a response going, says an experienced 9-1-1 call center manager in Washington state. People have a tendency in those situations to want to tell us a lot that isnt pertinent to the response what happened to you is pertinent, but the story about how we got to that point in the individuals day doesnt help us get them the resources they need quickly.
desCRibe iNJURies, bUt NOt iN detAil.

If people need medical attention,
42
PhOtO BY B. ShONtS
Does your GPS phone know where you are? Not necessarily. This smart phone thinks its located somewhere inside the blue circlebut its actually sited over 20 miles from the circles center.
Train your Brain To reTain deTailS. CauCaSian? hair Color? liCenSe plaTe?
What is important: your location, the kind of help you need, and medical information about the victims. Everything else can wait. the outfit. For this reason, shoes can be surprisingly helpful identifiers if you get a good look at them. If you were fortunate enough to spot a license plate number, write it down immediately, before your memory fades or becomes scrambled. Train your brain to retain details, and get in the habit of lookingreally lookingat other people. What color were the store clerks eyes? How tall was the man who just passed you in the hardware aisle? Can you describe the young lady who handed you your burger at the drive-through? will not be tempted to spin around, gun in hand, at the unexpected noise of the door opening behind you. If thats not feasible, plan to drop your firearmnot set it down, not reholster it, but drop itinstantly when an officer tells you to do so. You know youre a good guy and the person who most needs their help. But all they know is that youre a person with a gun standing over a bleeding body. Be prepared to respond safely and appropriately when ordered to drop the weapon. In summary, when you call 9-1-1, be prepared to do a good job. Take a deep breath and speak clearly so the dispatcher can understand your words. State your address first, then follow up by stating what kind of help you need. Keep the big picture in mind, avoiding unnecessary details and useless chatter. And be ready to stay safe when officers arrive. H [ Kathy Jackson is the managing editor of Concealed Carry Magazine and the author of two books: Lessons from Armed America (with Mark Walters) and The Cornered Cat: A Womans Guide to Concealed Carry. An instructor at the Firearms Academy of Seattle in Washington state, she takes special pleasure in helping other women learn to shoot. Visit her website at www. corneredcat.com. ]
give A gOOd desCRiptiON Of the AssAilANt.

Police say that any reasonably accurate description of an assailant who has fled is better than no description. But some details are more useful than others. Start with big-picture facts that can be spotted at more than 20 feet: Was the assailant male or female? Tall or short? Fat or thin? Caucasian, Asian, AfricanAmerican, Hispanic? After considering these global identifiers, think of pertinent details from the top down, moving from head to toe in your minds eye: Did the assailant wear a hat? Was the hair long or short? Black or brown, blond or red? Eye color? Facial hair? Were there tattoos? When you get to the clothing, try to reconstruct the description from the inside out, working (for example) from tee shirt to flannel shirt to heavy coat. Each of these becomes progressively less useful to responding officers, who know that criminals on the run often cast off their outer garments to change their appearance. Inner layers are more likely to stay put. One quirky fact: criminals almost never shed their shoes, even if they have enough time to change the rest of
be pRepARed.
Youve called, so you know help is on its way. But will it be able to find you? Especially if you live in a rural area (but even if you live in a city), make sure your home can be easily identified from the street. Do you have an address marker? Is it reflective or illuminated so it can be read even in the dark? If not, first responders may waste precious minutes looking for your housetime they could instead spend helping to save your life. If at all possible, send someone to meet arriving officers at the door to explain the situation. Do your best to get the firearm out of your hand before officers walk in. If you must hold your attacker at gunpoint, position yourself so that you
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JIT Slide, rear view. The belt slot behind the holster, plus a trailing slot, hold the gun very close to the body.
above: Lou Alessi holster for 4-inch K-frame revolver. left: Don Hume IWB holster has snap loops for convenience.
holSTerS
[ BY tOM GIVENS ]
he larger handgun will have a more ergonomic grip frame, it will have a longer sight radius, it will typically fire more effective ammunition and it will carry more ammunition than its smaller cousins. A typical medium to full size semiauto will hold 13-16 rounds of 9mm or .40 caliber ammunition and is easy to shoot well. I have debriefed a lot of people after gunfights, and Ive never had a single one say to me, You know, when the bullets started flying I wished I had a smaller, less powerful gun, with less ammo in it. You need to remind yourself now and then that the purpose of carrying a concealed handgun is to allow you to fight for your life in a sudden, extreme emergency. If you reach for that pistol, it means your life or the life of a loved one
For ConCealed Carry

iNside the wAistbANd
The easiest way to actually conceal a pistol in this size class is the Inside Waistband Holster, commonly referred to as an IWB. The IWB holster can be had in many configurations and in many materials, including Kydex, horse hide, cowhide, nylon and plastic. In this section we will focus on leather IWB holsters made of cowhide or horse hide. Leather IWB rigs are often more comfortable than their Kydex counterparts and are often quieter. They may also aid in retaining the gun in the holster during a struggle. Good leather IWB holsters are available from a number of sources and we will look at some of the better examples. The grand-daddy of them all is the Summer Special as made by Milt Sparks Leather. The late Bruce Nelson was a career undercover narcotics agent with the California Department of Justice during the 1960s and 1970s as well as an early Gunsite instructor and a master class is in grave, immediate, mortal danger! Another thing one quickly learns is that, within reason, gun size is not the determining factor in concealment. A well designed holster will conceal a full size gun easier and better than a poorly designed holster will hide a small gun. As long as you stick with a reasonable size gun, a good holster will adequately conceal it for most environments. For our purposes, when I refer to a medium size to full size gun, I mean a Glock 17/19/22/23, a Smith & Wesson M&P or M&P Compact, a Springfield XD, a Commander or Government Model 1911 or something similar. Personally, I carry a Glock 35 every day, fully concealed. That gives me 16 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition that I can hit well with at speed.
Once you have been shooting a while, you quickly learn how much more efficient a medium size to full size handgun is compared to a small revolver or semiauto.
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left: Sparks VM-2 is comfortable, even with a full size M&P. right: Galco Combat Master, left hand version. Slots fore and aft pull gun close to the wearers body.
pistol shot. On a raid one day, Nelson was suddenly confronted by a shotgun wielding dope dealer who appeared from a supposedly secure area after Nelson had put his gun away. Nelson was wearing a .45 Commander in one of the flimsy suede metal clip IWB holsters that were available then. As often happens, the holster came out with the gun and Nelson had to furiously strip at the cheap holster to skin it off his pistol. The biker with the shotgun started laughing at the spectacle and surrendered, having taken pity on poor Bruce. Immediately, Nelson set about designing a better holster which evolved into the Summer Special. Nelson became a leather worker in his spare time and made this holster until his untimely death. He also granted the rights to the design to Milt Sparks, and the Sparks Company still makes the holster to this day. The current updated version is dubbed the Summer Special II and is a fine choice. Dual snap loops with one way snaps secure the rig so that it cannot come out with the gun. A reinforced holster mouth makes one handed holstering easy and the holster is sewn smooth side in and rough side out. This gives a slick, fast inner surface and the
rough exterior grabs the clothing and stabilizes the holster. Ken Null in Georgia is a respected leather smith who has been around for a long time. One of Nulls best inside waistband holsters is the UNL. This holster is formed by folding and stitching a large piece of leather to incorporate wings around the holster pouch. These leather wings mold to the wearers body after a bit, and become fitted to the individual owner. Many users claim this is the most comfortable IWB rig they have used. A belt tunnel secures the holster and the belt tugs the gun in close for maximum concealability. Kramer Leather makes several IWB designs in horse hide. Horse hide in general is thinner, but stronger than cowhide and is an excellent choice for an IWB rig. Horse hide retains its shape well and seems to be a bit less affected by sweat. Kramer uses Chicago screws instead of snaps. The screws allow adjustment of the hoops to fit different size belts and wont come unsnapped while youre wearing the holster. Back in the 1970s, Lou Alessi made a compact IWB holster for me to fit a Smith & Wesson Model 60, .38 Special with a
three-inch heavy barrel. This design was a great departure at the time, featuring belt loops in front of and behind the pouch of the holster. This allowed the holster to be quite thin since there was no leather added over the gun itself. I wore this gun in various undercover and investigative roles, sometimes under just a T-shirt and it concealed remarkably well. Tony Kanaley at Milt Sparks further refined this basic concept into the VersaMax II which is one of the most widely emulated designs in the holster business today. By placing the belt loops fore and aft of the gun, the entire rig can be very low profile. Also, this wider footprint distributes the weight of the gun over a very wide section of the belt. The holster conforms to the wearers hip curvature aiding both comfort and concealment. Many of our staff, including my wife, Lynn, use a VM-II to conceal a Glock or 1911 quite well. The late, great, leather master craftsman, Lou Alessi, also collaborated with pistolsmith Dane Burns to design one of my all-time favorites, the GWH. For six years, I wore a full size 1911 every day in an Alessi GWH and my good friend Southnarc wears a full size 1911
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above: Milt Sparks VM-2 in elephant trim. right: Older designs have a foldedover belt tunnel. This makes concealment far more difficult.
Milt Sparks version of the classic pancake design. It holds the pistol close and tight, flat on the back for comfort.
fully concealed as a narcotics investigator in a GWH, usually under a casual shirt. Comfortable and fast, the GWH is a subtle design. Alessi Leather is always backlogged for months as most of their production goes to government alphabet agency customers. In looking for a substitute for the GWH, I discovered 5-Shot Leather who offers the Inside Burton Special, a derivative of Lous design, well executed in quality leather. This would be an excellent choice for all day wear with a 1911 or similar size handgun. Alessi also makes the PCH which is a rather ingenious and very comfortable IWB. In addition, Alessi also offers the Talon holster line which combines a leather IWB with reinforced mouth with a nylon locking belt clip. The Talon clip actually secures the holster in place as the tip of the clip fits into a recess in the holster, and Ive never seen a Talon holster come out of the pants with the gun. The Talon will work without a belt, although it works well with one. To be honest, I have seen the Talon clips break after extensive use. Flexing the clip while putting it on/ off stresses the nylon and it will eventually break. When that happens, Alessi will cheerfully replace the clip, but that is one reason I use no equipment from any maker that clips onto the belt. My gear all slips on the belt and stays there. Matt Del Fatti is a retired sheriffs dep-
uty who is also a true artisan in leather. Matts designs are thoughtful and well executed and his attention to detail is outstanding. A fairly new maker, Crossbreed Holster, offers an interesting hybrid holster that combines leather and Kydex components into a very adjustable rig. The height and cant (tilt) of the holster can be adjusted to suit the user and the broad leather pad shields the users body from safeties and other levers on the gun. The leather can be trimmed to suit the users preferences. You will probably want to trim some of the leather above the holster pouch to prevent it curling outward after a bit of wear. Garritys Gun Leather offers an IWB very similar to Alessis GWH, as well as double loop IWBs similar to the Sparks VM-2. Garritys workmanship is first rate. Among the mass production holster makers, Galco offers a very functional IWB holster known as their Royal Guard. The Royal Guard is constructed of horse hide making it thin, but sweat resistant. In function, it is very similar to the Sparks Summer Special II. You can get these immediately to tide you over until your hand made custom rig comes in a few months from now. As Bruce Nelson learned many years ago, the cheap, flimsy, IWB with a cheap metal clamp should be avoided at all
costs. These rigs are always poorly designed, are usually made of cheap, thin material and often come out with the gun on the presentation. Stay away from these things. Here well look at a properly worn IWB rig to give you an idea of what it should look like. Note how the belt tugs the gun/ holster in close and tight to the body. Most of the weight of a loaded semiauto is in the butt and many outside the belt holsters allow the gun to tip away from the wearers torso, making concealment difficult. In an IWB rig, the belt is on the outside, tugging the gun/holster in nice and close. In the photo you can see how the gun/holster scarcely protrudes at all. Even a shirt would conceal this gun fully. Note also that the belt loops and the belt are matched. These are 1 1/2 inch belt loops and a 1 1/2 inch belt. That locks the rig in place preventing shifting as you go through the motions involved in your daily activities. It also keeps the holster at the same angle all of the time, aiding getting a firing grip on initial contact. This is, of course, a critical component of a fast, secure, concealed, carry presentation. For more information and more pictures, I recommend a discussion forum called The 1911 Forum. Specifically, an excellent thread can be found at http:// forums.1911forum.com/showthread.
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below: Kydex IWB holster has dual belt loops. This allows straddling a pants belt loop for perfect positioning.
above: Sherrick cross-draw for large frame revolver. left: Gochenour High Ride, by Rusty Sherrick. Rides very high for concealment, but has cut down front to facilitate draw.
php?t=196181. Holster info is found in the sub-forum entitled Holsters, Magazines & Accessories. The moderator of the forum is Tony Kanaley of Milt Sparks. Also, be aware that the high quality leather makers mentioned in this article are small shops of four or five employees, or even true one-man shops. Their production is, therefore, severely limited. The excellent IWB holster designs recommended here, such as a Sparks VM2, or an Alessi PCH are complex designs that cannot be built in a few minutes. The result is that all of the better makers are back-logged on orders, from six months to a year or more. The end result is worth the wait. If youre in a hurry, check with Lightning Arms. Craig and Audrey at Lightning Arms are great people to work with and they stock high class leather from Alessi, Del Fatti and others. They may have what you need without the long wait.
OUtside the wAistbANd

We have taken an in depth look at leather Inside Waistband holsters for daily concealed carry. There are shooters who find the IWB design uncomfortable or who just dont like that carry mode. For them, there are a variety of Outside Waistband (OWB) holsters. Now well take a look at the development of this
type of holster and the current options. The concealed carry of handguns for self defense has been going on since the development of handguns began. John Wesley Hardin designed a concealment shoulder holster in the 1880s, and pocket holsters were common at the turn of the twentieth century. The first modern looking holsters that actually conceal a handgun under normal urban mens clothing seem to have appeared in the 1920s. During this time period an awful lot of men routinely carried a handgun. There was pressure to move away from the Frontier image and concealed carry started becoming more and more common. Legendary Western lawman Tom Threepersons devised a holster, originally for open carry, that was soon adapted to concealed carry by making the belt loop for a somewhat more narrow pants belt instead of the 2 inch to three-inch wide gun belt normally worn for open carry. The Threepersons holster is still commonly encountered today, although there are much better designs now available. The main drawback of this design is the belt loop, which is simply part of the holster body, folded over and stitched (see photos). This allows the butt of the gun to tip away from the wearers body making concealment more difficult. El Paso Saddlery first made this holster to Threepersons specifications in the
1920s and still offers it today. Various other manufacturers made very similar designs and this type was the standard right up to the 1960s. In the 60s, Roy Baker designed a radically different type of belt holster which he dubbed the pancake. This was a very flat holster, made of two pieces of leather stitched together, with a belt slot cut in front of, and behind, the pistol. These dual slots allowed the gun to be pulled up much tighter and closer to the wearers torso, aiding concealment greatly. Today, all major holster makers offer variations of this basic design. As mentioned, this design is much more concealable. It also tends to be more comfortable as the widely spaced belt slots spread the weight of the gun over a wider section of belt. The Galco Concealable, the Alessi Belt Slide, and the Milt Sparks CC-AT are excellent examples of updated versions of the traditional pancake design (see photos). The Alessi holster in these pictures was made for me by Lou Alessi in the 1970s and it allowed me to carry a four-inch barrel, .357 revolver, fully concealed in a suit or sports coat. Note the
47
extension that protects the clothing from the rear sight and hammer spur of the revolvera nice touch. Another similar design is the abbreviated belt slide like the Galco version called the Quick Slide. This is a minimalist holster that leaves much of the gun exposed. Well-designed examples like the Galco Quick Slide still retain the gun well and allow the use of similar handguns of different barrel lengths in the same holster. Some pancake style holsters use slots cut to allow the belt to thread through them. Others, like an excellent holster from custom maker Matt Del Fatti, have closed loops which the belt passes through. The Alessi CQC-S and its copies have snap loops fore and aft which allow easy on/off, but are still basically pancake holsters. Modern holster pioneer Bruce Nelson not only designed the famous Summer Special IWB rig, he designed a high riding concealment OWB holster he called the Number 1 Professional Model. This holster has a very close fitting belt loop on the back of the holster body and a trailing belt loop or slot on a leather extension behind the pistol. The purpose of the trailing loop is to pull the butt of the gun in closer for better concealment. The Milt Sparks #55BN (BN, for Bruce Nelson), is a currently available rendition of Nelsons design as the Alessi DOJ model. Don Hume makes a derivative of the Nelson design in its JIT Slide. Although it is very inexpensive and not made of the same quality leather of a Sparks or Alessi rig, the JIT is a very serviceable concealment holster. Rusty Sherrick, a custom holster maker in Pennsylvania, makes a couple of horse-hide holsters that are updated versions of the traditional Threepersons design. The Rangemaster Special was designed to carry a full size pistol comfortably and allow a natural draw stroke without a lot of shoulder rotation. The Speed Draw was designed to give maximum draw speed from a holster that is actually concealable with a full size gun. Both were designed by me and executed by Rusty. One ingenious design Ill mention is the Milt Sparks Mirage holster. This is actually designed to be worn between
Blade-Tech Kydex IWB is a useable, inexpensive way to conceal a large pistol. the belt and the outside of your pants. The belt passes through a slot in the outer body of the holster. This is a very concealable rig. One advantage is that if you take the gun off and lock it away, the holster can stay on your belt and no one will notice it. I have worn a full size 1911 in one of these under a T-shirt. The accompanying photos show a number of quality Kydex holsters and their features. A good concealed carry holster has to meet four criteria: it must be comfortable, concealable, secure, and fast. There are a great number of excellent designs today, allowing the user to find the one that fits their body and clothing style. Find the proper holster and youll find that carrying an adequate defensive handgun is far easier than you may have thought. H [ Tom Givens is the owner of Rangemaster in Memphis, TN. For over 30 years Toms duties have included firearms instruction. He is certified as an expert witness on firearms and firearms training, giving testimony in both state and federal courts. He serves as an adjunct instructor at the Memphis Police Department Training Academy, the largest in the state. Toms training resume includes certification from the FBI Police Firearms Instructor School, NRA Law Enforcement Instructor Development School, NRA Law Enforcement Tactical Shooting Instructor School, Gunsite 499 under Jeff Cooper, and more. ]
kYdex hOlsteRs
Kydex holsters and those made of similar materials can be much less expensive than quality leather holsters and the wait time tends to be much shorter for Kydex, even with custom touches. Since it is a very thin material, Kydex IWB holsters can be made thinner than a comparable leather design, enhancing both comfort and concealment. Here in the sunny South, a major advantage of Kydex is resistance to sweat. Perspiration will not soak through a Kydex holster nor will it degrade the holster over time. Some Kydex holsters are noisy, making a distinct clack when the gun is drawn. This could theoretically cause problems when stealth is needed, but I think the issue is over-stated by many. Kydex is much rougher on the finish of your pistol than leather, causing faster finish wear on the gun. Blued guns and some of the baked-on paint-type finishes will exhibit wear very quickly when carried in Kydex. Kydex is affected by high heat, so never leave your rig in a parked car. CAUTION: Many cheap, inferior holsters are available, such as Fobus line, which are not made of Kydex. They are flimsy plastic that breaks easily and should not be used for serious purposes.
CONTACTS
Lightning Arms Sports www.lightningarms.com (503) 643-8198 Milt Sparks Holsters, Inc. www.miltsparks.com (208) 377-5577
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S&W has your duty gun and your backup gun ready to go.
m&p mini-me
[ BY GEORGE hILL ]
SmiTh & WeSSon Bodyguard 380

the show looking for something that piqued my interest enough to review. As I looked at all the new guns on the market, I really struggled with the malaise thats been plaguing me when it comes to small handguns. That was until I walked into the Smith & Wesson booth. They showed me their new Bodyguard BG380. Instantly my Spock Eyebrow went up. Whats this? A little semiauto pistol that I want to shoot? Since Kahr hasnt come out with a 10mm MK10 pistol, this would do. While the BG380 is the same size as the other pocket .380s that have dominated CCW handgun sales for the last two years, the new Smith is different. The difference comes from the whole feel of the gun. Its as if S&W took an M&P pistol over to Walt Disney and put it in their Honey, I shrunk the thing machine. Normally when you shrink something, you lose a lot of qualities other than just size and weight (much like the Doberman Pinscher shrunk to Toy Pinscher size gives you a twitchy, fickle, and delicate thing). These Micro M&Ps are just as serviceable and snarly as the original, just in pocket size. As neat as the little Bodyguard is, the
its been some time since my last article for Concealed Carry magazine.
d been meaning to write one sooner, but to be perfectly honest, most of the new concealable handguns that have been coming out have just not sparked much interest in me. Ive been bored with most of the options out there and no one wanted another compact 1911 article. During most of this time off, Ive been packing SIG C3s and 229s, and all year Ive been packing a G23-RTF2. That has all been from Mark Walters bad influence on me. At SHOT 2010 I trudged through
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Brand Model Action type Caliber
Smith & Wesson BG380 .380 Auto 6+1 12 lbs. 11.8 oz. 22 oz. 2.75 in. $574 hammer fired, DAO
S&W Bg380 SpeCS

Loaded chamber indicator
gun Size inFormaTion
height Grip girth Short grip (front) Long grip (rear) Sight radius trigger reach Concealment index
4.1 trigger safety Grip safety .75 1.75 2.5 4.5 2.5 10.5 thumb safety Decocker
BaSiC inFormaTion
trigger Pull Weight, empty Weight, loaded Barrel length MSRP
4
SaFeTy FeaTureS
pRACtiCAl ACCURACY* @ 10 Yds. 2 in. 1.5 in.
AmmUNitiON CCI Blazer Brass 95 gr. FMJ Winchester Silvertip 95 gr. JhP
ROUNds fiRed 200 50
eRRORs / mAlfUNCtiONs 0 0
I used my binos to carefully scope out the back stop to make sure the range was clear and safe. my head. You can only shove so much battery in there. Id rather they had engineered the weapon to carry the batteries in the floor plate of the magazine and had power contacts on the sides of the magazine body. Dewalt knows how to do this. It wouldnt be hard, and it would be possible to use more battery. More battery is a good thing. Some shooters argue against lasers as unnecessary gadgets. Its true that a laser isnt a necessary thing, but any device that gives you any sort of an advantage in target engagement or intimidation is a huge benefit, especially with pocket sized guns. Another thing some guys claim is that sights are unnecessary to such small guns. However, I checked the law books and I didnt find any exceptions to gun laws or liability of gun use for small guns. You launch a bullet out of a small gun, you are just as liable for where it goes. And for a pocket gun with the purpose of defensive use, that bullet needs to go exactly where it will do the most work. Shot placement
real cool part happens when you are just packing it. I used a Galco Pocket Protector made for another pistol and it seemed to work just fine, but its hard to tell. You see, Id put the gun in the holster and the thing would just evaporate. Gone. Id have to reach back into the pocket to find it to make sure it was still there. I could carry it through 18 hour days and never know it was there until I was taking off my pants at night to go to bed; Oh, whats this? Its like finding that 20 dollar bill in your suit coat on Sunday, but better. No printing, no giveaway bulge like on a snubby revolver when you are wearing your Levis or Wranglers. It carries and hides extremely well. Just like all the other polymer framed pocket guns that have become the bees knees for CCW permit holders. However this
one, should you have to pull it, is actually an effective weapon because you shoot this one and hit your target. An advantage in my book. The most unique feature of the BG380 is the in-frame laser module. Insight Technologies makes it for S&W and weve not seen anything similar out there. The module, should it fail, is replaceable. Its fairly bright, but not as cohesive as other laser aiming devices from other companies. This isnt a problem as this pistol isnt meant for any longer range shooting, but I would have liked a more powerful laser. If I were Crimson Trace or Viridian, Id be working on my own module to drop into the Bodyguard. The limitation on power comes of course from the batteries, and having the batteries within the frame as they did it makes me scratch
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Integral lock
Capacity
Magazine disconnect
Length
5.25
Cocked status indicator
Six shots, fired deliberately but quickly at 10 yards. This kind of accuracy is flat out impressive. Only one zombie was injured during this test, but he didnt feel it.
is even more critical in small defensive guns. With the BG380, I found the accuracy to be exceptional thanks to the good sights and the laser. Making hits where I wanted the hits to go was not as difficult as other small pistols with their vestigial sights. Small guns dont have the power and shock effect of bigger weapons, so placement must be precise. The only downside to the BG380 is the trigger. It is heavy, with stacking, but its smooth. The more I shot it, the better it became. In spite of that, the pull is easy to predict. One section of the pull is long and it gets back to the point where you can feel that it stages for the break. I was able to shoot very consistently with this trigger, but I must admit, the Ruger LCPs trigger is better. However, unlike other small .380 pistols that Ive fired, I did not experience a single malfunction. I only had access to two different loads for this test: CCI Blazer Brass 95 gr. JHP rounds and Winchester 95 gr. Silvertips. Both rounds shot to the same
point of impact without any problems. The pistol itself is just the platform from which the projectile is launched and the BG380 gives you a small, concealable platform that you can have on you at all times, or just when greater discretion is required. The only thing one is giving up with the BG380 is power. I cant let this review go by without mentioning that I consider the .380 Auto round to be the minimum cartridge which I deem as acceptable for defense. It falls someplace in the Force Continuum between harsh language and 9mm. I would only use it when guns of greater caliber are not an option. While I am not a huge fan of the .380 auto, I must admit to being a fan of the S&W Bodyguard. Its cool, its reliable, and it works. Its an absolute buy for those looking for a pocket pistol. H All prices as of November, 2010.
Small pocket sized autos have been popular since the Colt 1903. S&W has brought the concept into the 21st century. They have even managed to make it look so cool, its a shame to carry it in a pocket.
[ George Hill is an NRA Certified Pistol and Personal Protection instructor and the writer and publisher of MadOgre. com. Visit his website at www.madogre. com. ]
51
ARmED SENioR CiTiZEN

Note the snap-on belt loops on this Alessi CQC-S belt holster positioned at the 3 oclock strong side position for a right hander. This Smith and Wesson Model 642 .38 Special snubby equipped with Crimson Trace Lasergrips rides with a mild muzzle-to-therear cant to minimize printing of the revolvers butt through a cover garment while at the same time making it easy to draw from the holster.
A SenIor CItIzenS GuIde to
ChooSInG A ConCeAled CArry holSter

[ BY BRUCE N. EIMER, Ph.D. ]
Protect yourself and those you love. Choose your personal handguns carefully. Then shoot your weapons, clean them lovingly, and carry them religiously. Dr. Eimers Law
f you carry a concealed handgun for self protection, you need a secure, stable and safe way to carry it. That is the purpose of a holster. In this article, we shall focus on senior citizens, since many seniors, such as yours truly, have special needs that call for a holster designed to meet these needs. But first, lets get two things out of the way: number one, I am a holster enthusiast. I have tried a lot of holsters. I own a lot of holsters that I dont use. For years, I searched for the perfect holster. That leads us to number two: I have not yet found the perfect holster! Actually, I dont think it exists.
DoNT LEAvE homE wiThoUT oNE

Although there is no perfect holster, dont give up on holsters! Holsters, just like firearms, are personal items. You should choose a quality holster that meets your particular needs. There are an abundance of excellent holster manufacturers nowadays that cater to different budgets and user needs. In fact, there are so many manufacturers who make quality products, and therefore, so many choices, that choosing a holster can be difficult. Hopefully this article will help you make an informed choice. One thing is for sure. Carrying a
handgun without a holster, either loose inside your waist band or loose in your pocket, is a bad idea. Holsterless carry does not protect the trigger. Therefore, the trigger is free to get caught on clothing or other things. This could be a recipe for an accidental discharge. Also, with the gun in your waistband, it could get dislodged and end up in your socks or on the floor! Thats not something you would want to happen on the street, at work, or at a party. A loose handgun in your pocket could come to rest upside down, muzzle pointing up at your head. Then, when you reach inside your pocket to grip your pocket blaster, youll end up grabbing the wrong end of the gun! Thats a bad thing.
SCoPE of ThE PRobLEm foR SENioRS

Carrying a concealed firearm on a regular basis requires commitment and
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below: A belly band holster such as this Gould and Goodrich 727 Body Guard can be the right concealed carry choice for some people.
above and left: A good shoulder holsters straps or harnesses, for some people, can serve to pull the shoulders back and actually straighten out the back. This can make carrying more comfortable. A little extra ammo cant hurt especially if your primary carry is a five-shot snubby revolver. Seen here is an Alessi dump pouch for spare cartridges, one side of their Guardian shoulder rig, tied to the belt for security and stability. discipline. Training issues aside, this is because concealed carry is not convenient. Carrying a concealed handgun can be a pain, and the last thing we seniors need is more pain! We each need a concealed carry system that is well suited for each of us as an individual, and that will offset and alleviate the pain and strain of carrying a concealed handgun. My goal here is to help you design such a system so that you dont end up accumulating a box or chest of drawers full of unused holsters like I did. should be designed to perform certain basic functions: Fit: Your holster should fit your particular handgun just rightnot too tight and not too loose. Holsters should be molded to a specific handgun. Retention: Your holster should retain your handgun securely until you decide to present it. If you are running or moving around a lot, you should not have to worry about losing your gun. So holsters should be molded to fit a specific handgun. Access: When you need to present your handgun, your holster should permit you to access it rapidly. If your gun gets stuck in your holster when you need it, you might end up dead. Stability: Your holster should ride securely in place wherever it is designed to stay, with no movement of the holster. It should be stable, and it shouldnt shift around because if it does, when you need to present your gun, it may not be there. Low profile: Your holster should have a low profile so it can be concealed effectively. Concealed means out of sight. If your holster is too bulky, if it pulls your pants down; if it leans too far away from your body, or if it flaps around, someone will be screaming, GUN! Comfort: Your holster should be comfortable to wear, otherwise you probably will not continue to wear it. I know some handgun gurus have said that carrying a gun should be comforting and not necessarily comfortable, but lets be real! There may be other individual considerations, but these pertain to most people.
bASiC fUNCTioNS of A CoNCEALmENT hoLSTER

What do we seniors need to consider when looking for a functional concealed carry holster? The answer depends upon our physical issuesand many of us share some common issues. However, all concealment holsters
REbiRTh of A hoLSTER ComPANY

For this article, Tom Kulwicki,
53
above: Too many holsters! right: For many folks, the easiest thing to do is to carry their Roscoe in their strong side pocket. This minimizes twisting and fussing. Seen here is an Alessi pocket holster securing a Smith and Wesson Model 360 .357 Magnum Scandium Airlite Chiefs Special. President of Alessi Holsters, was kind enough to furnish me with a number of holsters that met my criteria, and that I did not already own. I have always been an Alessi holster fan, so I have owned and used a whole bunch of Lou Alessis holsters for years. By way of background, Alessi Holsters was founded in 1974 by legendary holster craftsman, Lou Alessi. Lou made holsters the old fashioned way and mentored many of the newer generation of custom holster makers. Sadly, Lou passed away last year and his company temporarily became dormant. However, after a period of regrouping, the company was reborn under the leadership of Lous daughter Alexandra and long-time family friend Tom. Tom has severe back problems and understands what is involved in carrying a gun or two every day. As part of the companys rebirth, many of Lou Alessis holster designs are now available that formerly could only be obtained through a limited number of channels, as they were sold mostly to U.S. Government military, security and law enforcement agencies. Alessi holsters are certainly not the only brand of holsters that meet the criteria I shall describe, but they nicely illustrate these criteria.
CommoN PhYSiCAL iSSUES RELATED To AgiNg

As we get older, the cumulative wear and tear on our bodies takes its toll. This can lead to the development of arthritis and other ailments. The end result may include physical issues such as fatigue, stiffness, diminished range of motion,
decreased hand strength and manual dexterity, overall weight gain or loss, weight gain in specific body parts such as the belly or waist, postural imbalances, muscle weakness, and chronic pain such as chronic neck, shoulder, arm, hand, and back pain. These physical issues can make carrying a concealed handgun more uncomfortable than it might be for the average bear. Even the process of putting on and taking off a holster can become difficult. If it hurts to carry, most people wont do it. The old adage that a .22 in your pocket is better than a .45 in the drawer at home is true; but wouldnt it be nice to be able
54
left: Many folks find it comfortable to carry in the appendix position. Seen here is an Alessi APX clipon inside the waist band holster securing the Crimson Trace Lasergrip dressed Ruger LCR .357 magnum in the appendix (1 oclock) position for a right hander. Again, note the vertical straight up and down position of the holstered snubby.
right: Many folks find the cross draw position makes for a comfortable carry and draw. Seen here is an Alessi Deep Cover clip-on inside the waist band holster in the cross draw position for a right hander. Note the vertical straight up and down position of the holstered snubby; a Ruger LCR .357 Magnum equipped with Crimson Trace Lasergrips. The Lasergrips help this senior with old eyes shoot the powerful little snubby with speed and accuracy.
to painlessly carry a .45 or whatever caliber you are comfortable handling? Of course it would.
NECESSARY hoLSTER moDifiCATioNS

If you carry your concealed handgun with a holster that helps you compensate for your physical problems, you will have less discomfort, strain and fatigue when you carry. As a result, you will enjoy carrying more regularly. So, lets examine the types of holster designs that might allow you to accomplish this.
ComPENSATiNg foR STiffNESS AND DimiNiShED RANgE of moTioN

When you are stiff, your range of motion is limited and it is difficult to twist your torso. This can make it hard to put on and take off an outside the waist band (OWB) slotted belt slide or scabbard holster, or a snap-on inside the waist band (IWB) holster, because you have to twist your body and maneuver your belt to do so. Typically, the belt fits tightly through the slots on the belt slide
or scabbard making it tough to position the holster in just the right spot on your belt. And, if there isnt a tight fit, the holster will flop around on your beltnot a good thing! Typically, the snap-on belt loops on many IWB holsters are difficult to snap shut. By the time you snap them shut, if you can, and position the rig where you want it, you are all tuckered out! There are two solutions to this problem. One solution is an OWB snap-on holster that is easy to snap on and snap off your belt with one hand so that you do not have to twist much. A second solution is an IWB clip-on holster which is easy to clip on your belt or pants when you position the holster inside your pants between your pants and shirt. Imagine that you are standing in the very center of a clock face, with your belly button facing 12 oclock. Either of these holster types may comfortably be worn on your dominant side at around the 3 oclock position if you are right handed, or at around the 9 oclock position if you are left handed.
Additionally, either type of holster can be comfortably worn in the appendix position at around 1 oclock if you are right handed or at around 11 oclock if you are a lefty. However, appendix-carried holsters should be cut so they ride straight up and down vertically. If they are instead designed with a butt-forward cant, this can make it uncomfortable and difficult to execute a smooth draw. Another solution would be to dispense with either of these types of holsters altogether and instead carry a handgun suitable for a pocket holster.
ComPENSATiNg foR DimiNiShED hAND STRENgTh AND DExTERiTY

If you have diminished hand strength and manual dexterity, you may not be able to operate the slide on a semi-automatic pistol. You might think about purchasing a pistol with a tip up barrel, such as the Beretta Tomcat .32. Such a pistol allows you to chamber a round without manually racking the slide. Alternatively, consider carrying a snub-
55
Many seniors with back problems can comfortably carry a big gun such as this Sig Sauer P226 in a well balanced shoulder harness carry system. Seen here is an Alessi Bodyguard shoulder rig. The pistol is carried grip forward, muzzle to the rear in a horizontal position. This makes it easy to access the pistol. The spare magazine pouch, which ties to the belt, balances the weight of this big gun.
The Beretta Tomcat .32 with pop-up barrel.
by revolver. However, with a revolver the trigger pull may be a problem. This is a topic for a future article. Either of these handgun choices can be carried comfortably in a good pocket holster that stays inside your pocket when you draw your gun. You might also do well carrying a revolver or semiautomatic pistol in a snap-on-the-belt holster similar to the Alessi CQC-S or in a vertical ride inside the waist band clip-on holster such as Alessis Deep Cover IWB, or similar rigs made by other holster manufacturers such as Don Hume, Galco, Gould and Goodrich, and Kirkpatrick Leather.
side and are ambidextrous, you can figure out which side you need to carry on to keep your holstered gun closest to your body.
ComPENSATiNg foR PoSTURAL imbALANCES

If you have back problems and are hunched over, or you have other postural imbalances such as a list to one side that places strain on your neck, shoulders, back, hips and legs, a heavy gun worn on your side may create even more strain on your body. Consider carrying a relatively lightweight handgun in a snap-on belt slide or inside the waist band clip-on holster. Or try carrying a lightweight pocket handgun that does not drag down your pants. Another option: try wearing a well-balanced shoulder holster with the handgun on your non-dominant side and spare ammunition on your dominant side.
ComPENSATiNg foR wEighT gAiN iN ThE bELLY AND wAiST

Many of us who have senior citizens paunch also have difficulty carrying in certain positions. A potbelly can make appendix or cross draw carry uncomfortable. If you are built like an apple, holsters that do not snug close up into your side are likely to sag and print. To avoid this problem, you might try pocket carry. If you want to carry on your waist, try a belt holster that rides tight and close to your body. If you want to carry inside your waist band, you may have the best experience carrying between 3 and 4 oclock on your strong side. However, if you list to one
ComPENSATiNg foR ChRoNiC NECk, ShoULDER, ARm, hAND, AND bACk PAiN
If you experience frequent neck pain, or shoulder pain on your strong side, you may have difficulty drawing your handgun. Consider carrying a relatively light handgun on your dominant side in a holster that rides lower on your hips, so that you need not raise your
arm and shoulder too much on the draw. As a second alternative, you may choose to carry a light handgun in your pocket in a good pocket holster. A third option: carrying in the appendix position often eases shoulder strain during the drawstroke. If you have back or hip pain, and you want to carry in a traditional strong side carry outside the pants belt holster (such as a belt scabbard), you will want a holster that snugs up close into your body like the Alessi CQC-S. This puts less strain on your back and hips. Another viable alternative for some people might be a belly band holster such as the one made by Gould and Goodrich. A belly band holster keeps your handgun very close to your body and well concealed. In addition, on some level, it can function like a back brace. It also generates heat which can be a good thing for sore backs. Another holster in this genre, offered by Stealth Defense Holsters, consists of a holster mounted on an elastic band that wraps around the torso. It is held in place by a Velcro hook and loop closure and a plastic strut that hooks inside the pants and onto the belt. The holster can be worn cross draw or at the appendix and a shirt can be tucked into the pants and over the rig. This setup will accommodate a Glock 23, but it works better with lighter, thinner handguns.
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An alternative belly band type holster by Stealth Defense Holsters.
SUmmARY
In this article, we examined some solutions to the problems many seniors have in finding an optimal concealed carry holster. The solutions offered are meant to serve as a guide to choosing the right holster or holsters for you from the plethora of choices out there. Ideally, it would be best if you could try before you buy. Unfortunately, this is typically not the case. Many folks nowadays need to order on the internet. If this is true for you, you may want to re-
fer to this article when you read holster descriptions online. Make sure that the company you choose to purchase from is reliable and that they have a reasonable return policy if the holster you purchase does not work for you. Some companies have well educated helpful phone personnel to help you choose the best holster for your particular needs. Others do not. Finally, consider taking this article with you to refer to if you go to a gun shop that sells quality concealed carry holsters. Stay safe. H
[ Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D., psychologist and NRA Certified Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor, trains law abiding citizens in the defensive use of firearms. His company, Personal Defense Solutions, also runs the classes required to obtain the Florida, Virginia, and Utah non-resident multi-state CCW permits. To learn more, visit: www. PersonalDefenseSolutions.net and www.DefensiveHandguns.com. ]
CONTACTS
Alessi Holsters (716) 706-0321 www.AlessiGunHolsters.com Beretta (800) 929-2901 www.BerettaUSA.com Crimson Trace Corporation (800) 442-2406 www.CrimsonTrace.com Don Hume Holsters (800) 331-2686 www.DonHume.com Galco Gunleather (800) 874-2526 www.USGalco.com Glock (770) 432 1202 www.Glock.com Gould and Goodrich (800) 277-0732 www.GouldUSA.com Kirkpatrick Leather Company (800) 451-9394 www.KirkpatrickLeather.com Personal Defense Solutions (215) 938-7298 www.PersonalDefenseSolutions.net Ruger Firearms (603) 863-3300 www.Ruger.com Smith and Wesson (800) 331-0852 www.Smith-Wesson.com Stealth Defense Holsters (937) 901-2874 www.StealthDefenseHolsters.com
57
bEhiND ThE LiNE
Student engages reactive targets inside a shoot-house during training. This is a dim light environment, much lower light level than daylight, but shooter can identify, discriminate, and hit the targets.
Low Light SkiLLS CItIzen for the Armed

[ BY TOM GIVENS ]
Self defense shooting in low light (reduced light, semi darkness) is one of the most misunderstood topics in the entire realm of personal security.
n this article, Ill attempt to address this issue logically, so that those of you involved in defensive shooting training can help your students see the light. How many times have you heard that 80 percent of all gunfights occur in the dark? Well, not really. The majority of defensive shootings occur during the hours of darkness, but that does not mean they occur in the dark. For statistical purposes, the hours of darkness are 6:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Much of the year, that time frame includes three to four hours of daylight! Even after sunset, most of these incidents occur in lighted areas: on parking lots, inside businesses, at street intersections, and so forth. In
urban areas, we are practically never in the dark, although we might be in lighting conditions that offer less than full daylight visibility. At typical defensive distances, however, seeing the suspect and seeing whats in his hands means we have enough light to visually index the handgun, even if our view of the sights is not crystal clear. The most likely place to need your defensive handgun is on a parking lot of some sort. When we look at armed robberies in which the victim is seriously injured, according to the Department of Justice only 15 percent of these occur in the home. The vast majority occur in businesses such as convenience stores,
or on the parking lots of those or other businesses. Every parking lot in America falls into one of two categories: either they are trying to sell you something or they are not. If they are trying to sell you something, such as at a shopping mall or a convenience store/gas station, the lot will have mercury or quartz lights that make it brighter than daylight at 3:00 in the morning! If theyre not selling something, such as an office building parking lot, there will still be a light pole every few parking spaces. There are statutes and court decisions that set standards for lighting at commercial locations, so you will rarely be completely in the dark. Just like everything else in defensive
58
A high capacity pistol, like this 16 shot Glock 35, and a rechargeable high-output light, like this Surefire 8X, are excellent bedside companions. If you grab the handgun and flashlight at 3:00 a.m., you probably wont have spare ammunition on your person, so the higher capacity is comforting. Whenever possible, get the gun to the eye/target line and use the sights. In lower light, the sights might not be visible, but you will have a good feel for being on target, from numerous prior repetitions. This is the key to success in low light environments.
shooting, it all boils down to context. Trainers need to know that military and law enforcement personnel will need low light skills (particularly flashlight skills), far more often than a private citizen, simply because military and police personnel are tasked with going into dark places looking for bad guys. Simply put, the pistol is a reactive instrument, whereas the flashlight is a proactive instrument. You get your flashlight out because you know you are about to enter a darkened area in search of a problem. Accosted on the parking lot, you may need to react with your handgun, but there will be insufficient warning to obtain and utilize your flash-
light, nor will there be a real need for it. So, when or where are your students, as private citizens, likely to need their flashlights? Home defense is where the flashlight really shines (sorry, I couldnt resist). However, with proper planning this need can be mitigated greatly. In my home, we have those curly florescent light bulbs in two lamps downstairs and two upstairs that remain on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If left on constantly, they cost practically nothing to run, and they last for years. Its turning them on and off that eats up energy and shortens their service life. Since they are on all the time, the home always looks occupied, and if I come out of the bedroom, I can see on both floors without a flashlight. There is a flashlight with my nightstand gun in case of power failure, power cut by an intruder, or the need to positively identify someone in a less well lighted part of the house. That brings me to the real purpose of the flashlight for the home defender. In most cases, your students best tactic will be to ensconce the family in one room, such as the master bedroom, cover the door, and wait for the arrival of police. Solo room clearing is a tactical nightmare, and is never as easy as the low light run through the funhouse at gun school against fixed cardboard targets. If moving through your home in response to a perceived threat is absolutely necessary, I believe it is best to strongly limit the use of the flashlight, relying on your knowledge of the layout. The actual purpose of the flashlight is to allow positive identification of a
shadowy figure down the hall, to avoid a tragic mistaken identity shooting of a family member who may be where you least expect them to be. In a later installment, well look at some flashlight assisted shooting techniques that work well under these circumstances. Practice with your defensive handgun frequently in daylight conditions. Use the sights. This visual feedback helps you build a kinesthetic feel for when you are on target. If faced with a threat in low light, do everything exactly the same as you would in broad daylight. Then, your kinesthetic sense of gun alignment can get you on target quickly and effectively at the distances involved in low light engagements. In low light, your limiting factor is not marksmanship; its seeing who you are dealing with and what they have in their hands. If you can see that they are a real threat, you can see well enough to hit them! H [ Tom Givens is the owner of Rangemaster in Memphis, TN. For over 30 years Toms duties have included firearms instruction. He is certified as an expert witness on firearms and firearms training, giving testimony in both state and federal courts. He serves as an adjunct instructor at the Memphis Police Department Training Academy, the largest in the state. Toms training resume includes certification from the FBI Police Firearms Instructor School, NRA Law Enforcement Instructor Development School, NRA Law Enforcement Tactical Shooting Instructor School, Gunsite 499 under Jeff Cooper, and more. ]
59
iT DoESNT hAvE To mAkE SENSE ... iTS JUST ThE LAw
GIVe It BACK!
[ BY K.L. JAMISON, ESQ. ]
A firearm may be seized by law enforcement for a variety of reasons. Getting it back may prove difficult.
Sheriffs deputies responded to a domestic violence report in Northwest missouri.

hey restored peace in the timehonored way: by removing the husband in handcuffs. They also removed all household firearms, for the protection of the wife, even though the husband was in jail. They also removed a revolver from a lockbox, a revolver the wife kept for her personal protection. They insisted that the husband might have access to her lockbox, the husband they had just taken to jail. It was soon determined that no crime had occurred and no charges were filed. The couple attempted to recover their guns. The property room sergeant raised objections and when these grew ridiculous, referred the matter to the sheriff. The sheriff claimed that he could not return them without a release from the prosecutor. The prosecutor was asked for a release and responded with a form letter stating that no charges had been filed and the couples property could be released. The sheriff protested that this was not enough because guns were different from property. The prosecutor was again approached and replied that guns were indeed different from property. He did not cite any legal authority for this conclusion for the very practical reason that there was none. In fact, Missouri law requires that firearms be returned to the owner at the end of any prosecution, unless the owner was convicted of a felony.1 The couple sought legal counsel2 who
advised that there were two basic courses of action; a replevin suit designed to obtain a court order for the return of their property or a federal 1983 suit for deprivation of property without due process of law. After discussing the advantages and disadvantages the coupled selected replevin. It is possible to file a petition in mandamus to force the return of property. However mandamus is designed to force a bureaucrat to perform a non-discretionary act. This confines the court order to requiring that routine matters be done in a routine manner. This requires the court to determine that an act is routine and what routine processing might be. The courts have no expertise in these areas. It is best to confine the inquiry to what party has the superior claim; this is the strength of a replevin action. A petition was filed. The sheriffs office was sent discovery requests demanding they set out in writing every reason for withholding the guns. The prosecutor was subpoenaed to testify concerning his unique view on guns as property. When a trial date was scheduled, the countys lawyer called to ask when the couple would like to pick up their guns.
Guns come into possession of law enforcement in a variety of ways. They have been seized for ballistic testing,3 recovered from thieves, seized on nebulous safety grounds after fire department or paramedics enter a home, or the ever-popular investigation. Guns may be held as evidence during lengthy trials and appeals. A Missouri gentleman lost an elderly revolver from his collection. It was recovered by the Highway Patrol, which demanded that he obtain a transfer permit before they would return it. The Highway Patrol maintained this position despite a Missouri Attorney General Opinion and case law, stating that no such permit was necessary to recover firearms from law enforcement. Some law enforcement organizations have insisted that NICS requires gun owners to pay for a background check before recovering their guns. No such
60
provision exists in NICS which only applies to the purchase of guns from licensed firearms dealers and recovery of guns from pawnbrokers. Some departments demand that the claimant prove ownership of the gun, and do not accept police reports documenting seizure from the claimant as proof. This is another very good reason to keep a record of guns, to include serial numbers, in a safe place. Bills of sale are often demanded regardless of the age of the firearm. Very often the agencies do not bother to demand unnecessary action, they simply do not reply to requests to return the property. The City of New Orleans illegally confiscated firearms during Hurricane Katrina, denied they had done so, then denied they had the guns, and when repeatedly caught lying demanded proof of ownership from claimants calculated to discourage the most hardy hurricane survivor. By the time the National Rifle Association had taken over the process, the guns were largely rusted beyond repair. It is not wise to rely on good faith. An action in replevin is a request that the court order the return of the described property. It may be aimed at private parties as well as the government. States typically have laws governing these actions and the court system may have its own rules. It must be filed in the court having jurisdiction over the person holding the property. It must usually be filed in the circuit court where pleadings are more formal. Small claims courts usually are confined to money judgments although they may be appropriate to demand the money value of the guns held. A demand for the cash equivalent may cause the release of the property in settlement. As a practical matter, if a federal agency has the property, the action must be filed in federal court. The BATF has its own pamphlet on recovering property.4 The suit must be served on the person in charge of the agency holding the property. Usually this is the chief or sheriff, but may be a civilian police
1. 2. 3. 4.
board. It must plead ownership of the property and that it is being held without just cause or excuse. Replevin actions are confined to the return of the property. They may award the filing fee to the prevailing property, but that is all. This means that the agency takes very little risk in illegally holding guns. They rely on the fact that attorney fees typically exceed the value of the gun. A 1983 suit is different. It is a federal lawsuit authorized by 42 U.S. Code 1983 for denial of federally protected civil rights. In the case of illegally held guns, this would be a deprivation of property without due process of law under the 5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It may also involve unreasonable search and seizure under the 4th Amendment. It must always plead a violation of the 2nd Amendment in light of the Heller and McDonald rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court. The seizure must also represent a policy by the agency. It is unlikely that an agency will publicly state its policy to steal guns and to harass, annoy and stonewall efforts to get them back. Such a policy may be inferred from an absolute refusal to respond to requests for release of property, the most common such strategy, or that guns do not represent property that can be returned to a citizen. Federal courts do not wish to be bothered if some state court, administrative agency, department or nursery school has procedures to resolve the matter. Generally, this is as it should be. However they often seize on this preference to dismiss 1983 suits for failure to exhaust administrative remedies before resorting to federal courts. Two recent 1983 cases involved gun owners who transported handguns through the New York City airport because their flights had been diverted to that city. In accordance with federal regulation they displayed their guns to the ticket clerks and were arrested for possession of firearms without a state license.5 The
5.
parties sued citing their right under 18 U.S. Code 926A to transport unloaded and inaccessible guns through all the 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam so long as the possession is legal in the beginning and ending states. The courts ruled that the parties had no right to sue under 18 U.S. Code 926A, that the airport police could not possibly know if gun possession was legal in the origin and destination states, and the parties had failed to exhaust their administrative remedies. The courts did not say what administrative remedies might be available to a person being arrested.6 The attraction of a 1983 suit is money. It is possible (if just possible) to be awarded punitive damages. It is also possible to be awarded attorney fees. Plaintiffs may receive one or both of these awards. Bad conduct ends when it becomes painful or expensive. Painful is not legally possible. In a 1983 action expensive is possible. The purpose of punitive damages is to deter the guilty party from like conduct in the future. Replevin is a faster process which may result in immediate release of the property. A 1983 suit takes longer but holds the prospect of financial revenge. Guns will be held by law enforcement for good and sound reasons. When those reasons expire it is our Constitutional Right that they give them back. H [ 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 64119-2311 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.
RSMo 571.095. A near-sighted and unshaven attorney who had written a book on firearms law. A test which is highly unreliable in computer databases. INFORMATION TO CLAIMANTS ATF P 1850.
6.
Revell v Port Authority of New York, Third Circuit 22 March, 2010 and Torraco v Port Authority of New York, Second Circuit 30 June, 2010; for those of you who thought that McDonald vs City of Chicago means that our rights must be respected. These cases clearly call for more study and a great deal more litigation.
61
BALLISTIC BASICS
PHOTO BY TAMARA KEEL
With its beavertail grip safety, this custom 1911 from Coal Creek Armory allows the author to place her hand high on the grip, effectively lowering the bore axis of the pistol without changing its basic geometry.
[ BY TAMARA KEEL ]
BORE AXIS OF EVIL

although some revolvers fire from the bottom chamber of the cylinder, bringing the bore axis down considerably. Even with autoloaders, however, theres a practical limit imposed by the reciprocating slide; slide bite hurts! Starting with a clean sheet of paper, its easy to design the gun from the ground up with a low bore axis, but you can fix older designs as well. For example, with the classic Government Model 1911, gripping the gun too high often resulted in the web of the shooting hand being painfully pinched by the hammer. Colts Commander Model, which had a rounded spur on its hammer, minimized this possibility, and soon a Commander Hammer became a popular modification. Gunsmiths began adding upswept beavertail grip safeties and also relieving the metal where the frame and the lower part of the trigger guard meet to allow shooters to get their hand even higher on the gun. Now these modifications are common from the factory and the 1911 has a reputation for having a low bore axis, even though the actual geometry of the gun hasnt really changed. Another example would be the Centennial revolvers from Smith & Wesson, with their enclosed hammers and humpback frame profile. Although the bore is the same height as on their more conventional siblings, many shooters find they can shift their grips higher on these guns, effectively lowering the bore axis. In fact, lowering the bore axis is a modification that you can do for free, with no tools necessary and no mechanical aptitude required! Simply grip the gun as high on the frame as you can without getting bit by any of the moving parts, and you will see immediate benefits in controllability, especially in rapid fire, since the sights wont jump as far off target between shots. Its like getting something for nothing! H [ Tamara Keel has been shooting guns as a hobby since she was eighteen. She has worked in the firearms business since the early 1990s. Her pastimes include collecting old guns, writing, and being bossed around by house cats. ]
If you read the internet forums, youll find plenty of My Gun vs. Your Gun arguments.
lenty of obscure arguments, sometimes seeming like counting angels dancing on a pin head, are offered to explain why Your Gun is awful and My Gun is awesome. One of them that you will encounter, offered with smug finality, is Well, my gun has a lower bore axis! Great, but what does it mean? Well, when you fire a handgun, the action of the bullet going forward down the barrel creates the reaction of the gun trying to move in the other direction. It wants to move straight back, but your hand is holding the grip, and so your hand becomes a fulcrum and the barrel a lever, and the muzzle end of the gun pivots upward. The higher above your hand the lever of the barrel is, the more mechanical advantage it has, and the harder it becomes to control this motion. Therefore gun designers try to find ways to bring the barrel line, or bore axis down closer to the shooters hand. This is easier to do with pistols than it is with revolvers, because the revolver has the bulk of the cylinder to deal with,
62
The USCCA Store Is Open!

Im sure youll find something to help you show your USCCA pride. Tim Schmidt
USCCA Logo T-Shirt: Hanes Beefy-T, 6.1ounce, 100% ring spun cotton. Taped shoulder to shoulder. Double needle cover seamed neck. USCCA logo is silk screened in two colors. White only. Please specifiy size: (XXL, XL, L, M, S)
USCCA Embroidered Patch: The USCCA embroidered mini patch is 1 high x 2.5 wide. The patch is 100% embroidered in red, white and blue and has a heat sealed back. Perfect for coats, hats & bags.
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INF-001
USCCA Logo Hat: 6-panel, blended cotton, unstructured twill cap. Pre-formed sandwich bill with embroidered USCCA logo on front, USA flag and USCCA embroidered on back. Adjustable Velcro closure. (One size fits all.) Item No.
USCCA Bumper Sticker (Set of 3): USCCA bumper sticker decal is 5.5 x 2.0. Uses a high strength yet removable adhesive. Vinyl material for outdoor durability. Discreetly display your pride! Item No.
USCCA Enamel Logo Pin: Cloisonne style pin with fired enamel, buffed finish. 1 wide x 3/8 high. Military clutch fastener.
APL-005
APL-003
Item No.
APL-002
GOLD Special Discount Package: This is, by far, our best deal! With this package, youll get Volume 1 of our Concealed Carry Basics series, our entire apparel package, and a FREE Bonus Concealed Carry Magazine Archive CD! Please be sure to specify shirt size! Item No.
SILVER
SILVER Special Discount Package: If youre thinking about more than one USCCA logo product, here is a way you can get ALL of them at an even BETTER price! This package includes our entire apparel line. Please be sure to specify your shirt size! Item No.
PKG-001
PKG-002
Item No.
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PAYMENT INFORMATION
Order Total:
WI Residents Only - 5.6%
Check or Money Order Enclosed

(Payable to USCCA)
Sales Tax:
Please charge my
VISA AmEx
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Shipping & Handling:
USPS - Priority Mail
$ 6.97
NOTE: Charge will appear as US Concealed Carry Assoc.
Grand Total:
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Mail this form with payment to:
USCCA Store N173 W21298 Northwest Passage Jackson, WI 53037

The USCCA BulletProof 100% money-back guarantee gives you a full year to return ANY of our products if you are unhappy for any reason!
The right to own weapons is the right to be free.

A. E. Van Vogt
ARTWORK BY OLEG VOLK A-HUMAN-RIGHT.COM

Jan 2011

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REVIEW!

SmITH & WESSoN BoDYGUARDS

vol.8, ISSUE 1 JANUARY 2011

The Ultimate Concealed Carry Holster Guide

Concealed Carry Basics Volume 2:

Check or Money Order Enclosed

Mail this form with payment to:

NOTE: Charge will appear as US Concealed Carry Assoc.

Card # ________ - ________ - ________ - ________ Expiration Date_________________ Signature___________________________________

USCCA Store N173 W21298 Northwest Passage Jackson, WI 53037

Would You RatheR...?

Just one MoRe

/m CE FeB OUR e 7 TE RESCITIZEN ED ULTIMA THE THE ARM FOR

ST ET PI POCK P380 KAHR

A sIve Pen s IneXolsTeRFETY H HOLSTER SA IALS NT

ESSE FOR PING SHOP NCEALED A CO Y PURSE CARR POINT G OOTIN SH

JanuaRY 2011 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM

32 NOt FOR tHE WEAK-KNEED.

MASSAD AyOOBS MAG-40 CLASS IS

38 ChIaPPa aRMs RhIno ReVolVeR

24 sMIth & Wesson BodYGuaRd 38

Be a Good WItness 41 BY KathY JaCKson

the need-leVel 28 BY RoRY MIlleR thReat

44 holsteRs FoR ConCealed CaRRY

32 MaG-40: a GRaduate deGRee In CIVIlan selF-deFense

MInI-Me: 49 M&P BodYGuaRd 380 s&W

36 Its YouR WeaPon MaIntaIn It!

USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n JanuaRY 2011

the oRdInaRY GuY

aRMed senIoR CItIZen

Choosing A Concealed Carry Holster BY BRuCe n. eIMeR, Ph.d.

BehInd the lIne

ABOUt tHE COVER

Its Just the laW

on the BaCK CoVeR:

JanuaRY 2011 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM

LEttERS tO tHE EDItOR

USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n JanuaRY 2011

MAy SAVE yOUR LIFE.

CleRK shoots Would-Be RoBBeR on FIRst daY at WoRK

BeautY PaRloR RoBBeRY stoPPed BY haIR-doInG CoP

MotheR oF tWo shoots tWo hoMe InVadeRs

anotheR aRMed hoMeoWneR thWaRts hoMe InVasIon

aRMed hoMeoWneR Fends oFF thRee RoBBeRs

JanuaRY 2011 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM

USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n JanuaRY 2011

NExt ISSUES qUEStION:

JanuaRY 2011 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM

USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n JanuaRY 2011

tHE SUSPECt FOLLOWED HIM HOME tO GEt EVEN...

do You haVe a stoRY FoR lessons leaRned?

JanuaRY 2011 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM

desantIs IntRudeR and BIanChI CaRRYloK

sIde GuaRd holsteRs

seCond aMendMent FoundatIon

USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n JanuaRY 2011

SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS

DONt JERK tHE tRIGGER!

JanuaRY 2011 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM

USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n JanuaRY 2011

JanuaRY 2011 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM

USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n JanuaRY 2011

Card # - - - Expiration Date_ Signature___________________________