Clark Concealed Carry Revolver

I had just finished my last case yesterday when the cell phone in my pocket rang. Although I carry my phone with me for family emergencies, I give out the number jealously. Answering a phone in cases involves having a nurse reach under my gown to retrieve it and hold it to my ear before it stops ringing. One ring and concentration is broken. One slip and sterility is broken.

On the other end of the line was Renee at Clark Custom. "Xavier, Jimbo has your gun ready," she said cheerfully. The docs were were discussing a weekend of golf versus shooting, but were keeping an eye on my conversation, wondering if all was well at home. I struggled to keep the conversation generic, to conceal the purpose of the call from their inquisitive ears.

I couldn't recall what time Clarks closed on Friday. I had to ask though, I knew they were closed on Saturday. "Fine, go ahead and give forty milligrams of lasix, and I'm on my way," I replied. A confused Renee agreed. As I excused myself, Dr. Ferguson asked if everything was OK. "Yeah, I need to take off though," I replied.

"You shooting in the matches this weekend Xav?" called Dr. Antonopoulos as I waved good day. I gave him a thumbs up and a shrug.

As soon as I entered the parking lot, I called Clarks back. "Renee, what time do you close today?" I asked.

"Lasix? What's lasix?"

"Don't worry about it," I replied, "What's your closing time?"

"Four o'clock."

"I'm on my way," I said.

"Be careful, drive safely," Renee said. "You know we will hold it for you if you don't make it in time."

"Thanks Renee. See you in a bit."

Pine bark littered the blacktop as I pulled off the exit into the logging town of Princeton Louisiana. At least I didn't miss my exit, I thought. As I wound along the long drive into the Clark family property, I saw a familiar face working on a rusty lawn tractor underneath his garage. In the rural South, people still wave at passing motorists. Jerry Miculek looked up from his work on the tractor to wave at me. I waved back and continued down Shootout Lane to the nondescript cinder block building where top tier competition guns are built and shipped all over the world. The cow bell rang as I entered the door.

"Matt, I think you might have something for me," I said to the man behind the display counter of guns. Matt still works at Clarks, even though he could have retired years ago. He called out for Jimbo, who was working in the busy shop beyond the counter. Shortly afterwards, Jim Clark Jr. appeared, his magnifying lenses perched above his ball cap, and a metal flecked apron protecting his clothing.

"Glad you're here," said Jim. He reached among the cardboard boxes stacked on a shelf behind the counter, and pulled out one with my name on it. As he opened it, I saw the gun I had been waiting for. In July of 2009, I collected my Colt Commander after a Clark Meltdown, and I dropped off the stainless Smith & Wesson 649 that rested in the box. I picked the revolver up, opened the cylinder, and checked it's condition, even though I knew it was empty.

The gunsmiths at Clark Custom had deftly removed every sharp edge on the Bodyguard frame and cylinder, then bead blasted the result. It felt good. The Uncle Mike's rubber grip still fit the gun perfectly. "We figured you would want the trigger polished," said Jim, as I ran my fnger along it's mirror surface. He was right. A polished trigger face allows the shooter's finger to slide across it on the long double action trigger pull of a revolver. The result is greater accuracy as the muzzle of the gun is not pulled off target.

"Thanks Jim." I replied. "Mind if I dry fire it?" Jim gave the go ahead and I aligned the sights and pulled the trigger. It was silky smooth but still at what felt to be stock weight. Perfect.

Jim was waiting for me to examine the front sight. Last July, he was experimenting with dovetailing a Trijicon shotgun sight onto a J frame revolver. He had proudly displayed his work to me as I picked up my newly melted Colt. The dovetail was perfect, with a paper thin distance between the barrel and sight base to compensate for heat while shooting. The rear sight notch was opened up to accommodate the big glowing front dot.

"I've got to ask Jim, because I know of several people ready to send you guns for this mod....... Are you ready to make it a staple modification?"

Jim smiled. "Much as I'd like to, I don't see how I can," he replied. "We have a one year waiting time on comp guns right now, and I just don't see how we can accomplish it. Besides, with these scandium frames........"

I started to point out that my revolver was stainless, but Jim knew that. He was talking about working difficult metal in the future, and trying to turn a profit on precision hand work. "So it's a one-off then?" I asked, just to make certain.

"Unless someone wants to wait a year and pay more," Jim replied, never one to close an open door or turn away work. I asked how much I owed him. "One bead blast finished Meltdown, one XS Trijicon sight furnished and installed..... $362.64," came the reply. I pulled out my checkbook and wrote a check. Years ago, I had purchased the 649 as a practice weapon to decease wear and tear on my aluminum framed Model 38. I had bought it used for a price in the neighborhood of $230. I now held it as a bespoke one-off custom gun with less than six hundred dollars invested.

Today will be a great day at the range.

Parades and Concealed Carry

Mardi Gras is quickly approaching, upon us and I have to ponder one of Louisiana's more unique prohibitions regarding concealed carry.

"No concealed handgun permit issued pursuant hereto shall authorize or entitle a permittee to carry a concealed handgun in a parade or demonstration for which a permit is issued by a governmental entity."

Years ago when Louisiana first passed shall issue legislation with this parade prohibition, I wondered how long it would be before it became a bone of contention. In parts of Louisiana you can find yourself surrounded by a parade simply by walking down the street. Further, the wording reads in a parade, not at a parade.

Mardi Gras 2009: Krewe of Slidellians

CCW Choices

One of the docs I work across from recently completed the preliminary process for his concealed carry application. He's got his prints, his passport photo, and his CCW class out of the way. He's just trying to decide who to apply to and which license to obtain. We discussed his options over patients yesterday, and I gave a few of my own opinions. I'll present them here.

Doc was first contemplating a Florida non-resident CHL, due to the longer (five year, soon to be seven year) period of licensure. Mas Ayoob advises getting a non-resident permit in every state contiguous to your own. He often recounts a story of a student of his, who didn't see the necessity of doing so. When visiting his dying father in a neighboring state, the student forgot that he was packing. In the neighboring state, the student was attacked by an assailant with a blade. He was forced to draw and shoot to defend his life. The criminal died. The student was charged with Manslaughter. Although he was eventually acquitted of manslaughter, the student was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, and was sentenced to a mandatory one year jail sentence.

That's a powerful reason to obtain a out of state license if you travel to states other than your own. Florida's non-resident permit allows the holder to legally carry a concealed handgun in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Florida, Virginia, Texas, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming.

The counter argument is that such widespread non-resident reciprocity is likely to be one of the first items on the agenda of an Obama administration attack on CCW in the next four years. If a person obtains a non-resident Florida CHL, a license in their own state should also be obtained in the event the powerful Florida non-resident license is legislated away.

Next, Doc and I discussed carry guns. He presently owns a KelTec P32 and a Smith & Wesson Model 38, both good choices in my opinion. Doc spends a lot of time in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, sweating away in shorts and a T shirt. We discussed some of my hot carry solutions, and moved on to caliber. I expressed my view that a citizen should be able to reliably stop an attack with as few rounds as possible to block the "overkill" argument if their self defense case goes to court. I believe the best choice is the largest caliber that the carrier can get shots on target with under stress, and effectively conceal.

Pocket pistols such as the Model 38 and the KelTec are great for hot N'awlins carry. I have been known to carry either one at times. They are not the best option once to have to stop someone from killing you though. A faceful of .32 bullets might be effective. Chances are, a 45 slug in the same spot will have better incapacitation abilities with less risk of the prejudicial "overkill" argument. Thus, my choice, when I can conceal it effectively, is a 45.

We talked about the need to shoot the Model 38 defensively, and the ability to fire a revolver with the muzzle jammed into the aggressor's ribs. Doc admitted that he was not a good double action revolver shot. We made plans to hit the range together in a couple of weeks when we are both off call.

In Defense of Others

Ocoee, Florida: On January 5, 2008, as a Kangaroo convenience store clerk was working the night shift, three criminals entered the store intent on robbery. One of the clerk's longtime customers noticed the suspicious activity and left the store to dial 911. Hearing the woman's screams, he rushed back into the store. "Hearing a lady scream to where it sounds like bloody murder, to where I thought she was going to be killed, I decided to help the lady. I've known her for years. She's a friend of mine, and I wanted to go in and help," said the 26 year old young man.

Realizing the woman's life was in immediate jeopardy, the customer identified only as "Chris" had retrieved his 40 caliber handgun from his truck outside the store. As Chris reentered the store, he saw one of the robbers behind the counter brutally beating the female clerk over the head with a beer bottle.

With his cell phone held to his ear, the armed customer fired two shots over the counter, killing Freddie Carson, a career criminal. "911! Yes, there's been a robbery," shouted Chris as he shot the assailant and began to scan the store for his accomplices.

"I just shot him, I just shot him. You're OK. Where's the other one?" asked Chris as he looked outside the convenience store. The other two robbers escaped into the night.

"Yes you need paramedics. A man just broke in. I shot him. I have a gun," Chris told the 911 dispatcher. "He was beating her over the counter and I shot him. I came in and I shot him. You need paramedics. Oh my God, I can’t believe I just shot somebody."

"When I first walked in and he stood up, I thought my life was going to be in danger. I did not know if he had a gun in his waistband, if he was beating her with a gun, if he had a knife. Not only that, he was beating her with a beer bottle. She had a huge knot on the back of her head," Chris later recounts. The clerk was treated at a local hospital and released. Chris was questioned by police and released. The handgun used by Chris was taken into evidence. It was not the only handgun owned by Chris. He retains possession of his other firearms while waiting to determine if he will go before a grand jury. The two criminals who escaped are still at large. Chris, the man who prevented a vicious robbery and quite possibly saved the woman's life has does not have a Florida concealed weapons permit. He does not consider himself a hero. "I feel very shaken. I feel very glad that I was here, that I could help my friend," he says.

See Chris' interview here and another interview here.

Concealed Carry Now Legal in National Parks

Concealed carry permit holders will now be able to carry protection from thugs, rapists and murderers in some national parks and wildlife refuges. The Department of the Interior has released new rules that allow a citizen to carry a concealed weapon in a park or wildlife refuge if the person has a CCW permit in the state in which the national park or refuge is located.

The rule overturns a 25 year old regulation that has restricted loaded guns in parks and wildlife refuges. The previous regulations required that guns be unloaded and placed somewhere that is not easily accessible, such as in a car trunk. Teddy Roosevelt would be proud.

Department of the Interior news release

Department of the Interior ruling (pdf file)

The Electoral Apocalypse

The Electoral Apocalypse
The 24/7 Gun
What if Your Girl Friend Doesn’t Like Guns.

Give it a listen. Syd's back. Courtesy of Front Sight Press.

CCW Revocation

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens has begun the process of revoking hundreds of concealed weapon permits across Orange County California.

"The Department has determined that your identified risk does not meet the good cause threshold as required under the new CCW policy based upon the information you provided. As a result of this determination, the Department's present intention is to revoke your CCW license."

One hundred and forty six letters have been mailed to CCW holders in Orange County because the Sheriff thinks they do not have a compelling reason to carry a gun. There are currently 1,024 permit holders in Orange County.

This is why "shall issue" legislation is so important.

Update from The Barrel of a Gun

No Safe Places by Don Myers

Recently, there were two Christian musicians who were leaving a recording studio and were murdered for two dollars and their car. Initially, I paid little attention to the news reports nor did I listen to the names of the two victims. Three days later, I received an e-mail from a woman friend who had received her CHL by taking my course along with her son and daughter. The e-mail read, "Hi Don, my son, Steve, was murdered Thursday. His funeral is at...."

I sat there stunned. Steve had been licensed through my instruction. I had been to a couple of activities that he and his mother attended - in both cases they were armed. I knew Steve's mother believed as I do that you never go anywhere unarmed if it is legal to carry in those places. I did not know Steve as well as I did his mother, but I found him to be very likable and smart. In fact, I later discovered that he was probably a genius. Of course after getting that terrible news, I couldn't help wonder if he was armed that night. I assume that he wasn't because of the deadly results of his encounter with two heartless thugs. Both criminals were captured the next day. A television interview showed that one of them was almost proud of what they had done. Apparently, he is feeling good about being a "gangsta" now."

I attended Steve's funeral wishing that I could ask if Steve had been armed that awful night, but knew it would be totally inappropriate to ask such an insensitive question. After the funeral service was over, I watched as the ushers allowed the family members to leave the sanctuary first. I couldn't help notice that Steve's mother and sister were carrying handbags made of nylon that were an odd shape. Of course, it was obvious to me why they were carrying those bags and what was in them.

I waited my turn to give condolences to Steve's mother. Then as I approached her, she said in a voice that was a mixture of crying and disbelief, "Don, Steve didn't have his gun! He always carries his gun! When he comes to my house, he has his gun on him under his shirt. He doesn't go anywhere without his gun! Don, he didn't have his gun! In fact, when the police were telling me about the shooting, I asked them where Steve's gun was. They said that they had not found his gun so I told them that the criminals have it. Later, we found it at his home."

I was sick. The tragedy was bad enough, but for him to be killed on one of the few nights where he had forgotten to take his gun seemed to rub salt into the wounds of those of us who cared for him. I am always amazed at how many people who have taken my CHL class do not carry all the time. Some almost never carry a pistol. And yet, here was a case where someone who practically always heeded my advice to be armed at all times was killed while the others who continue to walk around in an un-armed condition, in a mental state of white, don't pay the price that Steve did. No, I don't want those others to pay that price. It's just that they are more likely to be hurt or killed than those who do carry where it is legal. The irony cannot be ignored.

One of the reasons that I became a CHL instructor was because of a conversation I heard during my first renewal class. An elderly gentleman asked the instructor, "I live in a nice neighborhood. My wife and I go walking nearly every evening. Do you think I should take my gun with me?"

Incredibly, the instructor replied, "Well, that's a personal decision that you will have to make for yourself."

I wanted to scream, "Of course, you should! There are no safe places!" In fact, I was so stunned at the stupid answer that I didn't say what I was thinking. I still feel guilty about not speaking up. However, I do speak up now. Throughout the classes that I teach I use examples, many of actual shootings, to show the need to carry all the time. One such example is an appeal to logic. I ask the students if you could turn off and on your fire insurance at will, would you ever turn it off because there was little chance of a fire on a particular day? Of course, you wouldn't! But, that's exactly what you do if you decide to leave your home unarmed. You have chosen to let yourself be vulnerable to a mean world that can take you or your loved ones from this world for two dollars or for your tennis shoes.

There are no safe places! One woman who took my class has for many years worked as a contractor in federal housing, i.e. high crime areas. Unfortunately, her employer will not let her carry her gun in her car (she can't go in the federal buildings armed), but she has never needed a gun in those high crime areas. On the other hand, she has needed a gun for protection three times in "safe areas."

She started carrying a gun at seventeen because the police would not believe that she and her boyfriend had been robbed and that she had nearly raped (she said that she was in her menstrual period or she would have been raped). The police did not believe her because at that time there had never been any crime in the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens (this occurred in the 1960's). This "safe place" soon became a hot spot of rape and murder during the following year causing it to be fenced and closed at night. Fortunately, the gang of youths were caught and convicted of multiple rapes and murders.

Those of you who are instructors have probably had many stories of similar need for a gun for protection told by your clients. I use real life stories as much as I can, but I am still frustrated at how many people have the "it won't happen to me attitude" and don't carry all the time. I have finally decided that few people really take to heart my cajoling and warnings. Fortunately, many have, but I want to be even more effective in getting that point across since not only are they safer being armed, but we are too.

Since many of you who are reading this newsletter are instructors, I invite you to e-mail me if you have found effective methods to get the point across that it is important to be armed. Hopefully, there will be enough information that I can pass it on to others via this newsletter. If you have something that will help, please e-mail me at happydad1@sbcglobal.net. If I do write another article on that subject I will give you credit for your ideas.

I truly believe it is important for us to teach our clients and friends that CHL holders should be armed whenever possible and this safety advice is just as important to teach as it is for us to teach conflict resolution and the use of deadly force required by the state. I hope you agree. Be armed; be safe.

Don Myers
Texas Concealed Handgun License Instructor
North Richland Hills, TX 76180

Packin' for Protection

From the Florida Times-Union:

In most classes, the teacher doesn't point a gun. But none of the almost 40 people in a bunker-like back room of the Jacksonville Expo Center at the Fairgrounds even raised an eyebrow when Charlie Berrane calmly aimed and sighted a revolver. The firearms instructor worked his way methodically through safety tips as he explained the correct way to hold the pistol and squeeze the trigger. "Do you know the story about the man who brought a knife to a gun fight?" Berrane said. "I want you to win your fights."

Almost 100 people turned out July 19 for two concealed carry classes at the Jacksonville Gun Show. Hundreds more milled through rows of bullet blasting goods in the main vendor's area. Despite a nationwide economic decline, gun store and range workers say First Coast residents aren't cutting back on self-protection.

Jackie Miller, owner of Bullseye Gun and Pawn, said she has seen increased traffic from gun novices whose interests were piqued by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that interpreted the Second Amendment and legitimized private gun ownership.

Protection, not recreation

She said most people aren't looking for guns for recreational sport shooting - they want to safeguard themselves from crime. She has tracked a steady 20 percent increase in sales, and all of her concealed carry classes are full well before registration ends. Brenda Trickler, business manager at Gateway Rifle and Pistol Club, said her outdoor range is packed every weekend. She said the range has become popular with gun enthusiasts interested more in safety than target practice. "It's a lot about what people see on the news," Trickler said. "Some people think you can't walk to your car by yourself anymore, and they want protection."

Statistics from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Licensing also show a consistent upward trend in the number of Duval County concealed-carry applications during the past five years. In 2004, Duval County submitted 1,385 applications - sixth highest in the state. In 2008, that number jumped to 4,230, supplanting Hillsborough County as fifth-highest statewide.

Miller said this increased interest is changing the face of her clientele. What used to be a male-dominated culture has increasingly become more coed. Women hold 16 percent of the concealed-carry licenses in Florida, according to the Division of Licensing. But Miller said she thinks the number of women in an average class is more than twice that. "It's not as man-centric as it used to be," Miller said.

Education for all ages

The faces in Berrane's class reflected the same trend. There was an even distribution of male and female, young and old, experienced and inexperienced. And that's how he likes it. "These classes are about being prepared, and everyone needs to know that," Berrane said. "Police can't be at your doorstep if there is an emergency, so you might be forced to protect yourself."

A woman standing next to him in a black T-shirt with bold block writing on the back silently reiterates his point: "I carry a gun cause a police officer is too heavy."

matt.coleman@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4654

Doug Freeman,
Trigger tested, but 'not a gun nut'

Carrying a gun is more than just peace of mind for Doug Freeman. The owner of Marvin's Electronics in Murray Hill grew up around guns and owns multiple weapons for hunting and self-protection. He's used them for both. In 2006, Freeman shot a 26-year-old repeat felon who he thought was planning to rob him. The man, Vincent Hudson, had entered the store acting erratically and repeatedly asking for money. Freeman, thinking Hudson reached for a gun, shot him. Hudson was struck five times but lived. Freeman said he's not proud of the shooting - but he was more worried about protecting his family and employees from a potentially dangerous man. He'd rather Hudson would have walked straight out of his store. "I'm not a gun nut," Freeman said. "I didn't buy a handgun to kill people. I bought it to protect myself and my family."

Maria Martinez
Gun-bearing mother

Maria Martinez homeschools her children, and reading and arithmetic aren't the only subjects on the syllabus. The 38-year-old mother said she and her husband are gun owners and stress firearms safety with their children. They have all their guns locked and inaccessible to the kids, but she said it's important they realize the inherent danger of firearms. She's enrolled her kids in the National Rifle Association's Eddie Eagle program, which teaches children the proper behavior for dealing with guns. "You don't touch it," Martinez said she told her children about gun safety. "If you pick it up, you could kill somebody, and they're not coming back."

Luis Melendez
Not a statistic

Luis Melendez knows what a bullet wound can do to the human body's delicate internal structures. The surgical assistant and medical instructor has worked in the Shands Jacksonville trauma unit and seen his fair share of bloodshed. That's why, he said, he decided to sign up for a concealed-carry class with his 18-year-old son. "I don't want to be one of those guys, another statistic," Melendez said. He and his son picked up multiple guns to complement their newly acquired knowledge from Berrane's lecture. Melendez also bought a couple of gun locks to keep his firearms safe. But, he's not done yet. "I'm still looking for a good safe," Melendez said. "I want to teach my son about the guns and make sure my family is safe."

Gloria Louis
Afraid no more

Living on the city's Northwest side has Gloria Louis on edge. The retired teacher moved six months ago to what she now considers a bad area of town. She's heard of shootings and home invasions in her neighborhood and she doesn't want to be a victim. Even though she admits she's afraid of guns, she said she hoped going to a concealed-carry class could lessen some of that unease. A few of her friends in the NRA convinced her to attend a class because the first-hand experience might calm her fears about gun safety.

Hoplophobes Voted Down in Mishawaka

A weapons ban proposed in Mishawaka Indiana by Mishawaka Mayor Jeffrey L. Rea and City Attorney Cory Hamel has been voted down, 5 to 4. The ban would have prohibited guns, knives and pepper spray from the Mishawaka City Hall, the police station, the Battel Center, and Mishawaka Utilities main building.

The mayor and city attorney were the only two people in a large crowd to speak out in favor of the ban at a packed city council meeting tonight. They became concerned and proposed the ban after a man exercising his right to open carry entered the city hall with a holstered gun and a billy club. No overt threats were made, but the mayor and city attorney still felt threatened enough to propose the ban. "What we're trying to do is prevent people who walk in with no agenda, but while he's inside with a gun, gets irate and may do something drastic," claimed Hamel.

Among the large crowd in attendance was State Representative Jackie Walorski, one concealed carry permit holder among many. Walorski says she always carried her concealed gun, even at the state house, but a computer printed sign taped to the door of the Mishawaka City Hall compelled the state representative to be unarmed in order to attend the meeting. "We have a Castle Doctrine that says wherever your castle is; house, car; and you have a threat on your personal space, you have the opportunity in this state to defend yourself," said Walorski.

Walorski and the rest of the crowd told the City Council that taking away law abiding citizens' right to bear arms will do nothing but put everyone in danger. They pointed out if a person wants to commit murder, they will. Prohibitions will not stop the acts of criminals. An illustration of that cold reality was the killing of five people at a city hall meeting in Kirkwood Missouri, including police officers and city officials.

The vote against the weapons prohibition for law abiding citizens in Mishawaka Indiana was close. Five to Four. There was possibly one swing vote, although nobody can know for certain. What is certain is gun owners and concealed carry permit holders packed the council meeting and presented their case in a rational manner against appeals to emotion by the mayor and city attorney. They won. They won because they were there, because they showed up, and because they spoke out. Threats to concealed weapons holders come in all forms, both criminal and legal. We must know how to effectively combat both.

Concealed Carry Permit Holders

Concealed Carry Permit holders.
Law-abiding gun owners.

If you have questions about gun ownership, please visit this website.

Just doing my part.

Thanks Robb.

My CCW Gun Requirements

People sometimes inquire as to my criteria for a CCW gun. Here are my requirements, in order of precedence. These are only my requirements. You do not have to follow suit.

1. Reliability
2. Portability and/or Concealability
3. Speed of deployment
4. Stopping power
5. Accuracy and/or Shootability
6. Durability
7. Capacity
8. Ease of maintenance and availability of parts

Reliability: If a gun fails to function, in a crisis situation, then I find myself taking a poor choice of action if I draw it. Unfortunately, I find out after the course of action is chosen. The failure of a gun combined with the decision to use it equates to my potential death. This is because the gun should not be drawn from concealment in defense of one's life unless one's life is in jeopardy. If one's life is in jeopardy and the life saver fails to function, one's life is lost. Unless one's killer is frightened by a gun that jams or goes click........

Portability/Concealability: The old saw that it is better to have a mousegun in your pocket than a cannon back home is true. If you do not have your gun when you need it, it is as useless to you as the nitroglycerin tablets on your bedside table if you have a heart attack at the corner Burger King. If you can not easily carry and conceal your weapon, you cannot reliably follow the laws you agreed to when you obtained your CCW, and you will sooner or later fail to strap it on to keep with you all day.

Speed of deployment: The person who fires the first shot usually survives. Others are reacting to his actions. Greater speed into that first shot gives one the split second needed to make it an accurate shot. Firing the first accurate shot increases your survival rate immeasurably. Speed of deployment can be compromised by methods of carry as well as the gun's platform. Other platforms and carry modes enhance speed of deployment.

Stopping power: I want the first shot to have the ability to stop the attack if correctly placed. I want it to have the greatest potential to stop the attack if I fail to strike an incapacitating area. If a hit is so far off the mark that it fails to stop or repel the attack, I want it to slow the attack so the next shot can be placed more accurately. Fewer shots mean more ammunition conserved in case of unknown numbers of attackers. Believe me, when you are attacked, once you deal with the initial attack, the first thought in your mind will be the curiosity of where his accomplices are. Fewer shots also mean less likelihood of "overkill" claims in civil court at a later date.

Accuracy and/or Shootability: Self defense with a gun and target shooting are not the same. When a person's life hangs in the balance and their attacker is engaged in trying to kill them, they do not have time to make certain the front sight has an equal amount of light on each side with a 6:00 hold. They just need to get some lead into the son of a bitch as quickly as possible.

Durability: There is a good chance that the shots you fire in self defense will be fired after you have been knocked to the ground from behind, slammed up against the wall, and had your pistol struck against something. Even your draw while trying to evade your attacker may result in your pistol hitting something solid. You may drop it. Nobody plans to drop their gun in a life or death situation, but when the rush of adrenaline numbs fine motor skills and tunnels one's vision, plenty of people do. If the gun design will not function after being dropped on concrete, it fails the #1 criteria, reliability. Further, a carry gun leads a tough life in a holster getting smacked on door jambs, floors of public restrooms, etc. If it's not up to the task, it can't do the job. I don't like cars I have to work on all the time either. Tools that break suck.

Capacity: Having sufficient ammunition to stop an attempt on your life is the key. Capacity is important. Accuracy is vital. If you can't hit squat, a 50 round magazine will not help you. Survival in a gunfight depends a lot on skill and tactics, but a major player in the outcome is luck. That is something that Jim Cirillo taught, and it can't be ignored. Capacity can help you hedge your bets if your luck goes sour.

Ease of maintenance and availability of parts: I don't have time or inclination to be coddling a tool that should be performing it's job protecting my ass. If I can't wear a gun all day, clean it once a week, or as needed after a gully washer drenching, I'll find one that will allow me to do so. If something breaks on one of my carry guns, I want the part yesterday. I do not want my safety compromised because some dude in Yonkers figured cheap part would be good enough. I do not want my safety compromised because I do not have my gun.

People sometimes wonder why I chose the old single action 1911 or a snubnose revolver for self protection. This is why. They may not be glamorous guns, but they fit my criteria. Our lives may hang in the balance of our decisions at any given time. We may be attacked suddenly, without warning. If that occurs, to survive, we need to stop the attack. Quickly. Effectively. Efficiently.

The Concealed Carry Creed

The Concealed Carry Creed

My weapon is for the protection of my life and the lives of others. That is its sole purpose. It does not confer rights, responsibilities or authority greater than that of other citizens. It merely allows me to protect life.

I will seek never to have to use my weapon. If I can avoid conflict, I will. If I can resolve conflict, I will. If I can escape danger, I will. If I am forced to bring my weapon to bear and use it, I will.

I will acquire superior training with my weapon. It is not the weapon that saves lives, but my effective use of the weapon. I will ensure my training is sound, my knowledge is current, and my mind is prepared.

I will know, understand, and obey all laws and ordinances concerning my weapon no matter where I happen to be. Failure to do so harms all who seek to legally carry an effective means of self protection.

I will know and follow the Four Rules of safe gun handling. I am a member of a growing community that must foster and teach safe and responsible gun handling if the community is to survive.

I wrote this last night as I was biking. I thought it was time the gestalt of concealed carry was summarized to teach those new to it. I wanted to give something that could be memorized, learned and practiced, a creed that would be universal across states for concealed carriers everywhere.

Feel free to reprint and use this creed as you deem fit.
If you feel the need, provide a link or insert © Xavier 2008 Used by permission at the bottom.

Five Rules of Concealed Carry

We all should know the Four Rules of Firearms Safety. They should be ingrained in our bones. Recently I read of the Five Rules of Concealed Carry. It was a good start, but did not quite make the grade. I have borrowed heavily from them though, and present my own Rules of Concealed Carry here.

1. Your concealed handgun is for protection of life only.
Draw your concealed firearm solely in preparation to protect yourself or an innocent third party from the wrongful and life threatening criminal actions of another. A CCW license does not give you any greater rights or responsibilities than any other citizen. It merely provides you with the means of legally carrying a firearm to protect your own life or the lives of others.

2. Know exactly when you can use your gun.
A criminal adversary must have, or reasonably appear to have:

a. the ability to inflict serious bodily injury (he is armed, reasonably appears to be armed with a deadly weapon, or a considerable disparity of force exists),

b. the opportunity to inflict serious bodily harm (he is physically positioned to harm you), and

c. his intent (hostile actions or words) indicates that he means to place you in jeopardy -- to do you serious or fatal physical harm.

When all three of these "attack potential" elements are in place simultaneously, then you are facing a reasonably perceived deadly threat that can justify an emergency deadly force response.

3. If you can run away -- RUN!
Just because you are armed does not necessarily mean you must confront a bad guy at gunpoint. Develop your "situation awareness" skills so you can be alert to detect and avoid trouble altogether. Keep in mind that if you successfully evade a potential confrontation, the single negative consequence involved might be your bruised ego, which should heal with mature rationalization. By contrast, if you force a confrontation you risk the possibility of you or a family member being killed or suffering lifelong crippling/disfiguring physical injury, criminal liability and/or financial ruin from a civil lawsuit. Flee if you can, fight only as a last resort.

4. Display your CCW, be prepared to go to jail.
You should expect to be arrested by police at gunpoint, and be charged with a crime anytime your concealed handgun is seen by another citizen in public, regardless of how unintentional, innocent or justified the situation might seem. Choose a method of carry that keeps your gun reliably hidden from public view at all times.

You have no control over how a stranger will react to seeing (or learning about) your concealed handgun. He or she might become alarmed and report you to police as a "man or woman with a gun." Depending on his or her feelings about firearms, this person might be willing to maliciously embellish his or her story in an attempt to have your gun seized by police or to get you arrested. An alarmed citizen who reports a "man with a gun" is going to be more credible to police than you when you are stopped because you match the suspect's description, and you are found to have a concealed handgun in your possession. Under these circumstances, you have been accused, apprehended, and are in a defensive position. If you must draw your gun, make certain you are the first to notify police.

Before you deliberately expose your gun in public, ask yourself: "Is this worth going to jail for?" The only time this question should warrant a "yes" response is when an adversary has at least, both ability and intent, and is actively seeking the opportunity to do you great harm.

5. Don't let your emotions get the best of you.
Develop and practice self control. If, despite your best efforts to the contrary, you do get into some kind of heated dispute with another person while you are armed, never mention, imply or exhibit your gun for the purpose of intimidation or one-upmanship. You will simply make a bad situation worse -- for yourself. You can carry a gun, or you can have a temper. You may even do both for a while, but it will not last very long.

With the growing population of gun toters, it is imperative that we establish a few simple guidelines to help introduce others into the world of concealed carry. These five are the best I've found.

Related post

Concealed Carry for Normal People

Concealed Carry for Normal People
From Front Sight Press

Louisiana House Bill 199 Approved

The Louisiana House of Representatives Criminal Justice Committee approved a gun bill with an 11 to 3 vote on May 1, 2008. House Bill 199, introduced by Rep. Ernest Wooton, of Jefferson, Plaquemines and St. Charles parishes, would authorize CHL holders to carry concealed handguns on campuses of higher education. Representatives Roy Burrell, Frank Howard and Barbara Norton voted against Louisiana citizens having the right to effective self defense on college campuses. HB 199 applies to everyone; faculty, staff and visitors, in addition to students.

"This is not about students. It's about concealed handgun holders on college campuses," Representative Wooton said, "Most of this discomfort is caused when you don't know anything about handguns or weapons. This permit law requires that you be totally familiar with your weapon, have the ability to use your weapon and qualify with the weapon."

"As a female who lives alone, I am forced to recognize that if it came down to it in a physical altercation between myself and a male, I'm toast," said Elizabeth Cook, member of the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus LSU chapter and Paul M. Hebert Law Center student, "I can't protect myself. Give me the opportunity to protect myself."

Hopefully, thousands of coeds will soon have that basic human right. House Bill 199 now goes to the Louisiana House of Representatives for debate.

Congrats!

First it was Breda.........

Now it's Squeak.

Go congratulate them.

Women who pack heat rock!

Preferences

I own an H&K USP .45 ACP and I have been wondering for a long time now... Why do people prefer the 1911 over all other .45 ACP.

I own two HK USPs, and quite a few 1911s. I chose to carry the 1911s and relegate the USPs to the safe and range gun status.

The USP is a good reliable gun with a trigger that pretty much ruins the package. I shoot the USP OK, it fits my hand OK, but even the USP compact carries like a clock radio strapped under your jacket. It seems these pistols were not designed for CCW but many owners try to press them into that role. Fully loaded, they are heavy and they print like a bobcat in your britches. That's been my experience, even using good leather, trying to carry a HK USPc unobtrusively. I'm a 6'1" 250 pound male with years of experience concealing handguns. If I can't keep the thing hidden, it's fair to say there is a problem.

Remember that a 1911 is a style of pistol, not a specific gun. A more valid comparison would be between a specific 1911 and a HK product of equal market value. Saying "1911" is lumping Ed Brown's product in with stuff from tropical islands in the west Pacific. It's like putting HK's in the same category as S&W Sigmas and KelTec pistols.

Let's compare the HK USP (either compact or full size) to a Colt 1911 such as the Colt Series 70, the Colt New Agent, or even the Colt NRM Series 80 1911. That's a fair comparison. The Colt product is reliable, accurate, and has a great trigger that can easily be altered to fit the shooter's desires if needed. The entire Colt pistol can be tailored to the shooter, in fact. If done properly, the pistol will remain reliable. If done on some gun hack's kitchen table, the pistol will be turned into an unreliable lump whether Colt or HK. But I digress.......The Colt product carries extremely well. With the right leather, it's about as obtrusive as an iPod. In fact, even with mediocre leather it conceals and carries very well. The only HK pistol that carries as well is the P7 series.

The Colt 1911 is accurate. It puts holes exactly where I want them to go, consistently hitting paper plates while I am on the move. The HK product, again with the exception of the P7 series, does not do that for me. I suppose you could say that I just have to learn to manage the HK USP trigger. Well, I shoot double action revolvers very well, in double action. Between the ergonomics and the trigger of the HK USP and it's more recent sibling, the P whatever it is called, I do not have the same accuracy under the same conditions. I'm just not willing to devote any more range time learning to accurately manage a trigger that is poor to mediocre from the start just so I can defend myself with the latest flavor of Kool-Aid. I would rather pick a pistol I shoot better with from the start and concentrate on training and tactics. Training and tactics keep you alive in a shooting. The latest Kool-Aid gives you bragging rights at the gun counter. I'd rather live through a shooting, assuming I can't avoid it from the start. That's why I carry a gun. When you think about it, that is the entire purpose of a handgun, to give it's owner a portable life saving device. If he can not carry it concealed and use it effectively, it fails in that role for him. Period.

I carry a gun and train to employ tactics with effective shooting to help me survive a threat to my life. Everything else is secondary to that. Rather than devote myself to learning a weapon that fails to meet my other criteria for an effective defensive pistol, namely the ability to carry it concealed and have it in my hands when I need it, because I could easily carry it, I simply relegated the USP to my pile of pistols that did not make the cut. That doesn't mean it's a bad pistol, it just means I found a pistol that serves me better for my intended use. No offense intended to the guys who prefer the Universelle Selbstladepistole.

Over time, that happens to every shooter. We find our personal favorite. Some would point out that the HK USP has greater capacity. I say my spare magazines help balance my entire carry package on my body. Some folks figure they need those extra bullets in the coming zombie apocalypse. I figure seven rounds +1 will get me out of a mugging or a liquor store robbery if I apply training and tactics well. If I need more ammunition, I have a spare magazine to cram into the gun while I am hunkering behind cover. I will be hunkering and exiting Dodge because I concentrated on learning tactics, not trends.

So that's why I prefer a 1911. After years of packing something else, after going through the wondernine revolution and considering the old GI gun to be an old man's gun, I realized that the 1911 and proper training and tactics was what I was looking for. That's why I carry a 1911. It works for me.

Shooting At Sinkers

"A citizen just like a police officer has the right to defend themselves or others, if they're in fear of death or serious bodily injury and that right extends to using deadly force," said Capt. David Imhof of the Nashville Police. Damned skippy Cap'n Dave!

On April 26, 2008, two armed bandits entered Sinkers Wine and Spirits in Nashville Tennessee. Manager Clifford Baxter ducked into a back room to call 911 when he saw the two criminals with guns drawn. They did not want liquor. They did not ask for cigarettes. They demanded money. The two criminals stuck their guns in the clerk's face and then ordered two customers to the ground during their rampage.

They did not know one customer had a CCW. They did not know he had the willingness to use the concealed gun he carried. They did not expect that he would draw his weapon, engage them in gunfire and kill one of their criminal asses before they could complete their crime.

Yeah, I'm sure their crackhead baby's mama will be getting some air time bawling about how they were good boys who just wanted a loose cigarette when they entered Sinkers, but the manager and employees are telling a different tale. They are damned glad their customer carried a gun. They have plans to arm themselves in the future.

Good move Sinkers.......

Don't Bogart That CCW Permit

Topics: Gun guys acting badly
H.R. 297
The Democrat Debates
Marijuana and CCW permits

Courtesy of Syd at Front Sight Press