Concealed Carry: Options Investigated

Prepared by: Jason Giger, Andrew Keyes, and George Saad 13 April 2012 Prepared for: Daniel Brown DA, El Paso, Texas El Paso, Texas District Attorneys Office El Paso, Texas Sherriffs Office

This report examines and compares the technical and functional differences between revolvers and semi-automatic handguns for concealed carry purposes. It includes information regarding firearm capability, versatility, and overall performance. The intent of this report is to educate new concealed carry permit holders so that they may make an informed decision before purchasing a concealed carry firearm.

Table of Contents
Table of Contentsi List of Visuals.ii Executive Summary..1 Introduction..2 Problem 2 Research..2 Functionality Criteria for Selection.....3 Ease of Operation. 3 Ease of Concealment..3 Affordability..3 Versatility 3 Stopping Power..4 Evaluating Criteria for Selection....4 Ease of Operation. 4 Ease of Concealment..4 Affordability..5 Versatility 5 Stopping Power..5 Conclusion.7 Recommendations7 References.8

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List of Visuals
Page Number Figure 1: S&W 586 Diagram Figure 2: Glock 23 Diagram Table 1: Firearm Dimensional Comparison Table 2: Ammunition Cost Analysis Figure 4: 40 S&W Muzzle Energy Figure 5: 357 Magnum Muzzle Energy Table 3: Qualitative Comparison
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5 5 6 6 7

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Executive Summary
The rise of violent crime in border cities across the United States has been on the rise and climbing since the early 1980s. The increased drug war conflict within Mexico constantly makes its way into major US cities. The case in El Paso, Texas is no different. Due to its close proximity to the major conflict center in Juarez, Mexico, the city of El Paso constantly finds itself in a struggle to maintain order and discipline. Law enforcement officers arrest cartel members on a daily basis. These perpetrators are then processed through the judicial system and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. As a result of these actions, numerous violent threats have been received by the El Paso District Attorneys Office. In response to these threats, the district attorney issued a statement advising all of its employees to seriously consider carrying a concealed weapon, specifically a firearm, for personal protection. The realization was made that many of the attorneys within the office were unable to make an informed decision regarding firearm choice due to a lack of experience with the matter. It was requested that the El Paso Sherriffs Office assist and provide guidance regarding appropriate firearm purchasing criteria. In order to remain unbiased, the Sherriffs Office then contracted the project out to a private self-defense academy for analysis. Some of the main issues investigated were ease of operation, ease of concealment, , affordability, versatility, and stopping power. Reducing the field of selection for this process was critical. Therefore, two weapons were chosen for the analysis based on their market high popularity and quality. Specifically, the Glock Model 23 was chosen to represent the semiautomatic side of the spectrum. The Smith and Wesson Model 586 was selected to represent the revolver option. Many varying aspects were taken into account during the investigation/research portion of this project. These categories were to include ease of operation, ease of concealment, affordability, versatility, and stopping power. The S&W 586 greatly surpassed the Glock 23 in the areas of ease of operation, versatility, and stopping power. Specifically, the 586 accepts two different ammunition cartridges including the 357 magnum which produces muzzle energy levels over 100 foot-pounds greater than that of the 40 S&W. Conversely, the Glock 23 narrowly bested the model 586 in the areas of ease of concealment and affordability. Comparing all criterion and data results yielded a definitive solution. We recommend that novice buyers select the Smith and Wesson Model 586 for purchase due to its high level of reliability, functionality, and simplicity. The Glock Model 23 is recommended only to experienced users looking for a specialized carry weapon that is slightly easier to conceal.

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Introduction
Problem In a utopian society, all is well and a person can live their entire life without ever needing to worry about violence. Regrettably, the situation in El Paso, Texas is far from utopian. Daily death threats and acts of violence threaten the employees of its district attorneys office constantly. With so much hostility and uncertainty, it is necessary for the DA employees to consider concealed carry as a viable option for personal defense. Furthermore, the consideration of which firearm is best for new permit holders should be made. The optimum concealed carry weapon is embodied by the three main characteristics of concealability, reliability, and simplicity. Without these traits, a concealed carry firearm is useless. The user must be able to fully depend on their equipment at any time because their life may count on it. Unfortunately, new consumers on the market are continuously bombarded by manufacturers claiming to produce the one firearm that emulates all of these qualities. The choices can range from large framed revolvers to the most petite semi-automatic handguns. With all of this propaganda, the shopping process seems extremely daunting to those that are new to the firearms industry. Purchasing a firearm that is too complicated or technically advanced for the user could cost precious seconds in a life-or-death situation. Subsequently, new concealed carry holders may need guidance when it comes to selecting the proper concealed carry firearm. Research To find a solution for this issue, we decided to compare two of the most popular concealed carry handguns on the market. Both models were selected based on their popularity and quality manufacturing. The Glock Model 23 and the Smith &Wesson Model 586 were analyzed. We evaluated both options based on their ease of operation and ability to be concealed. We also evaluated both firearms in the categories of affordability, versatility, and stopping power. The goal for the study was to determine which make and model best suited the purposes for concealed carry. These analysis criteria were first evaluated on a quantitative level and then related qualitatively for a thorough comparison. Report Structure The report includes sections on the following material: Functionality Criteria for Firearm Selection Ease of Operation Ease of Concealment Affordability Versatility Stopping Power Evaluation of Functionality Criteria for Firearm Selection Synopsis of Conclusions Particular Recommendations
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Functionality Criteria for Firearm Selection

The criteria that were analyzed in order to properly recommend the appropriate firearm choice for concealed carry were ease of operation, ease of concealment, affordability, versatility, and stopping power. The subsequent sections further examine these attributes. Ease of Operation Being able to effectively manipulate any handgun for personal defense is important during an emergency situation. The user only has seconds to react. Any falter during the target acquisition and engagement process could be potentially fatal. The average person can cover a distance of 21 feet in 1.5 seconds. [1] Likewise, the average distance for an assault to occur between two individuals is approximately 20 feet. This means that a person defending them self needs to be able to draw, aim, fire, and hit their target within this time window. They must do all of this while increasing the distance from their assailant. This means that the recommended weapon of choice must be easy to use under stressful situations. Ease of Concealment The ability to conceal any carry weapons on oneself is another key factor in selecting a firearm for concealed carry for a number of reasons. The first reason is that not being visibly armed leaves your potential attacker guessing as to whether or not you could potentially use lethal force to fight back. This area of uncertainty could deter an attack altogether. The next reason for keeping your carry options ambiguous relates to public acceptance. Although it is completely legal to carry a firearm in most U.S. cities ,(provided the proper permits are held) many people do not know the law. Meaning that, an obviously displayed weapon may draw unwanted attention to the carrier. For this reason, the firearm selected needs to be concealable under a business attire and casual garb alike. Affordability Purchasing a firearm is not a small investment by any means. Likewise, in order for the firearm to be used effectively, the user must practice shooting on a regular basis. Therefore, the cost of ammunition as well as the initial cost of the firearm should be taken into account during the selection process. Versatility There are hundreds of ammunition companies on the market today and each company produces several variable loadings for each caliber. Each loading will produce different cyclic results within the weapon. Consideration for the firearms ability to cycle rounds properly during operation should be evaluated to determine reliability.

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Stopping Power Also known as knock down power, stopping power refers to the cartridges ability to effectively neutralize a threat with one well placed shot. The cartridge should be able to produce more than enough energy for the projectile to penetrate the target and expand successfully.

Evaluation of Functionality Criteria for Firearm Selection

Ease of Operation During the study it was discovered that much of the individual firearm draw time depended directly on the user. Based on this variation of data, draw time could not be directly associated with ease of operation. However, we were able to directly link the ease of operation to the number of moving parts between the user-firearm interface. This inverse relationship meant that the higher the number of moving parts in this system, the more complicated it was to use. As seen in (Figure 1), the model 586 only has three total moving parts during operation. (Designated by red arrows.) Conversely, the Glock 23 had such a great number of moving pieces that not all of them could be identified in one image. (Figure 2) This excessive amount of moving parts causes occasional foul loadings (i.e. jams, misfeeds, etc). For this reason, the S&W Model 586 was found to be the best choice with respect to simple operation.

Figure 1: S&W 586 Diagram

Figure 2: Glock 23 Diagram

Ease of Concealment Overall dimensions for both firearms were taken to determine the weapons ability to be concealed. Firearm height, width (thickness), length, and weight were considered individually for this category. The weapon that had the smallest dimensions for the majority of the categories
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was considered to be the most concealable. As seen in (Table 1) the Glock 23 surpassed the S&W Model 586 in all dimensional analysis categories. This made the Glock 23 the obvious top choice with regard to ease of concealment. However; it should be noted that the S&W 586s dimensions are quite comparable to that of the Glock 23. Table 1: Firearm Dimensional Comparison Firearm Height (in.) Width (in.) Length (in.) Weight (oz) Total Score Model Glock 23 4 5.00 1.18 7.28 31.32 S&W 586 5.25 1.75 8.00 37.50 0
Note: Bolded dimensions indicate the smallest for that category. One point is achieved for having the smallest dimension in a given category. [2] [3]

Affordability Owners of new firearms must put several hundred rounds through their weapon in order to properly acquaint themselves with all of its aspects. [4] Two bulk and one self-defense ammunition type were used to assess the average cost of ammunition for each firearm. (Table 2) Initial Firearm cost was also assessed. The model S&W 586 was found to have an average MSRP of $850 whereas the Glock 23 averages an MSRP of $595. Table 2: Ammunition Cost Analysis Type of Gun Ammunition Type (per 50 rounds) Hornady Critical Fiocchi Shooting Federal Duty Dynamics American Eagle Ammunition Ammunition Ammunition 357 Magnum $19.79 $19.29 $24.99 40 Caliber S&W $21.99 $21.49 $18.99

Average Cost $21.36 $20.79

Comparing the above results yields the Glock 23 as the most economically sustainable choice between the two firearms. [5] [6] Versatility Testing between the two makes reveals expected results. As predicted, the model 586 never exhibited any trouble when cycling ammunition. The model 23 was also found to be quite reliable with respect to cycling ammunition. It misfeeds occasionally and requires user adjustment to clear the fouled load.. Likewise, it should be noted that another discovery was made during this research phase. We discovered that the model 586 chambered for the 357 magnum round can also accept 38 special ammunition without any firearm modification. This increases the weapons range of ammunition acceptance. It also means that the firearm can be loaded with smaller rounds in order to produce less recoil for smaller framed shooters. This evidence automatically qualifies the S&W 586 as the best choice for this category Stopping Power In (Figure 4) and (Figure 5) the bullet weights for each respective cartridge were compared to the amount of energy they generate at their muzzle. Both rounds were found to
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produce an adequate amount of stopping power with various bullet weights. When comparing the two graphs, it should be noted that the lowest energy yield of all the 357 magnum rounds is still greater than that of the highest 40 S&W round muzzle energy. Based on these results, the S&W model 586 chambered in 357 magnum was identified as the best option with respect to stopping power.

Bullet Weight vs. Muzzle Energy (.40)

492 490 488 486 484 482 480 478 476 474 0 50 100 150 200 250 Bullet Weight

Muzzle Energy

Bullet Weight vs. Muzzle Energy (.40)

Figure 4: 40 S&W Muzzle Energy [7]

Bullet Weight vs. Muzzle Energy (.357)

580 Muzzle Energy 560 540 520 500 480 0 50 100 Bullet Weight 150 200 Bullet Weight vs. Muzzle Energy (.357)

Figure 5: 357 Magnum Muzzle Energy [8]

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Conclusions
After identifying and evaluating all of the selected criteria, the following table was established for qualitative representation of the previous quantitative results. Table 3: Qualitative Comparison Firearm Ease of Ease of Affordability Model Operation Concealment S&W 586 X Glock 23 X X Versatility X Stopping Power X Total Score 3 2

Looking at this table reveals that the Smith and Wesson Model 586 edged out the Glock 23 with a total category score of three to two. Although the scores seem relatively close, it was determined that the model 586 is superior choice as a concealed carry weapon for a new permit holder. Mainly this was based on the model 586s extreme ease of operation. This ease of operation greatly surpassed the negligible differences between the ease of concealment categories and affordability between the two model choices. It was determined that it did not matter how concealable or affordable a firearm was if the user could not properly operate it.

Recommendations
New concealed carry permit holders should consider the S&W 586 for purchase Pay $300 more upfront for later benefits Invest in both 38 special and 357magnum ammunition Test fire several kinds of ammunition for the best performance Practice often

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References
[1] "Tueller Drills," Armed Citizen Network, 08 04 2012. [Online]. Available: http://armedcitizensnetwork.org/the-tueller-drill-revisited. [Accessed 08 04 2012]. [2] "Glock 23 Specifications," Glock, 12 04 2012. [Online]. Available: http://us.glock.com/. [Accessed 12 04 2012]. [3] "Smith & Wesson Model 686," Smith & Wesson, 12 04 2012. [Online]. Available: http://www.smithwesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product4_750001_750051_764964_1_757769_757767_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y. [Accessed 12 04 2012]. [4] M. Ayoob, "The Ayoob files: When your gun jams in a firefight," American Handgunner, pp. 1-4, 01 01 2004. [5] "Midway USA 40 S&W Ammunition," Midway USA, 08 04 2012. [Online]. Available: http://www.midwayusa.com/find?&sortby=1&itemsperpage=20&newcategorydimensionid=10046. [Accessed 08 04 2012]. [6] "Midway USA 357 Magnum Ammunition," Midway USA, 09 04 2012. [Online]. Available: http://www.midwayusa.com/find?&sortby=1&itemsperpage=20&newcategorydimensionid=15454. [Accessed 09 04 2012]. [7] "40 S&W Ballistic Charts," Ballisitcs 101, 11 04 2012. [Online]. Available: http://www.ballistics101.com/40_caliber_sw.php. [Accessed 11 04 2012]. [8] "357 Magnum Ballistic Charts," Ballistics 101, 11 04 2012. [Online]. Available: http://www.ballistics101.com/357_magnum.php. [Accessed 11 04 2012].

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