Handguns for Self Defense in the USA.
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Glock Model 22 .40 S&W and a Bianchi Duty Belt
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Glock Model 23 .40 S&W
I've been a cop now for ten years and carried a gun daily since I was 18 due to my employment with Uncle Sam before the badge. Every morning I've put on my gun wih my pants and I can say this. Self Defense with a handgun or a long gun doesn't matter. It is the mindset of the person carrying. The gun doesn't provide protection but it sure gives the user a better tool for winning.
Anyways. The key to carrying is first mindset. You have to be aware of three factors.
1. Ever situation now has a gun in play. Yours.
2. Sometimes it is better to keep it concealed and not draw.
3. If you are drawing from your holster, you better be in fear.of great bodily harm and death. Because drawing it in anger is deadly force.
You have to be aware.of your surroundings. Know who, what, where, and when. Stay vigilant and keep your head on a swivel. Always have the radar in your head scanning. Most attacks are telegraphed. Either by the subject themselves.or the situation.
If you're in a empty parking lot at night and someone is walking.clear across the parking lot on an intercept path towards you. That a telegraphed move. That doesn't mean you draw there and then, but you have yourself ready in case you must.
This brings us to tools. A gun is a tool, no different than flashlight or a pocket knife. A good combination is to carry all three.
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S&W Model 342 .38 Special
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CZ P-07 Duty .40 S&W
If you notice... I have all three there. A handgun, a flashlight, and a pocket knife. Why you might ask? Well, if I'm in the parking lot and some street urchin is approaching me. I pull the flashlight first. Shine it in his face and distract/disorient my possible attacker. It does a.couple of things.
1. It take the element of surprise from him.
2. It shield my actions in the dark. Now he can't see if I'm armed.or not.
3. It weakens him since now he is at a tactical disadvantage. His night vision.went to crap.
9 out of 10 times, the situation is deescalated. The bad guy now knows that I'm ready to possibly fight and he moves on to search for an easier victim.
But let's say he continues to advance. You can create distance or stand your ground. By standing your ground, you now have the choice. Do you feel threatened? Because if you take.action you have to articulate why you did. Give loud commands such as "Stay Away!" or "I don't have anything and you don't want trouble!"
Now you're getting close to having a need to break leather. In many parts of the US, you have the legam right to defend yourself where you stand. Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine is the cornerstone of why. As a law abiding citizen, you don't need to have the duty to retreat. You aren't the criminal thus you can defend yourself. But remember, you have to articulate why still.
Remember the 21 foot rule. A bad guy armed with a blade can close the distance before you can draw and fire. Distance is key. Create it if you can.
If you do draw, give repeated loud commands of "Back the f#ck up!" and "Stay away from me!". You simply drawing your weapon is lethal force. If you attacker still doesn't disengage. Then use lethal force if necessary. Don't try to be a movie star or a gold hearted humanitarian. You ahot center of mass unti the threat stops. No more and no less.
But why the knife you ask? Distance might be hampered by environment. Maybe you have innocent people near by. But a knife, even a simple pocket knife is sti capable of critical injuries and death.
Now lets.get to two other keey factors in carrying.
1. Belt
2. Holster
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S&W Model 13 .357 Magnum, a full steel combat revolver with agood holster and belt.
You need a good belt to hold up the weight and a good holster to secure your carry piece. I specifically use re-enforced gun belts. They prevent back and hip strain. I also use good holsters. Retaining what you carry is important.
The CZ P-07 ad Blackhawk IWB Holster you see there survived a motorcycle accident. The gun never left my side and I was dragged along the asphalt.
Another important thing is reloads. Always carry a reload. Magazines and ammo can fail. Mags are always the weak link in a semi-auto.
Engaging and shooting the bad guy(s) isn't like the movies. One shot drops are rare. You shot until the threat stops. Either because the body shuts down due to blood pressure lose, hitting the central nervous system, or your attacker quits the fight ad.surrenders or runs away. Reload are critical.
Ammo selection isn't as critical today as it was twenty five years ago. Any modern 4th generation hallow point load will do the job. 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, 10mm Auto, etc... the key is shot placement and ammo capacity. The more the better.
Now, strapping a gun to your hip doesn't make you Rambo or John Wayne. You need to be careful and actually avoid confrontation if possible. Because remember.... no matter what there is at least one gun in play. YOURS.
Remember, this is from an American living in America. Your situation might be different.
Stay safe and watch your six.
Part 2… Concealed Carry for the Civilian and Off Duty Cop.
Being on duty and off duty are different things for a cop and there is no “on duty” for John Q Public. Both share the same reasons for carrying. Personal protection when out and about in public. A cop might carry because of department policy (many agencies require their off duty sworn to still be armed) or possibly because they bump into their “clients” when out of uniform. I’ve had that happen a number of times. It is a very unsettling feeling; even worse when they remember you and you don’t. Which has happened to me.
Your private citizen carries for various reasons. Troubled past with an ex that makes threats. Business that involves lots of cash transactions. Having to work in more unsavory neighborhoods. Troubled economic situation and sadly having to live in a rougher part of town. Etc… No matter what, they choose to exercise their Constitutional Right and carry for protection.
But like I said in the first part of this thread. Simply carrying doesn’t make one safe. Guns are tools, the mind is the weapon. A famous US Supreme Court case in 1981 stated the following; “Police do not owe a specific duty to provide police services to citizens based on the public duty doctrine.” Translated to plain English; it means police do not have a duty to protect you individually. So that means you have to protect yourself and be trained and understand the responsibility that comes with carrying.
Okay, so you’ve made the decision to carry for personal protection. Now comes the nuts and bolts of the issue. What are you actually going to carry. There is a huge variety out there on what to carry. Fullsize service pistols like a Glock 17, Beretta 92FS, 1911, Sig P229, S&W Model 686, Ruger SR45, etc…. then you have your compacts, subcompacts, and pocket guns. We’re not even talking about carrying a revolver versus a semi-auto yet.
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So let’s get into carrying a fullsize service gun. What are the pros and cons you might ask.
Pros – Longer sight radius, usually a greater ammunition capacity, less recoil due to mass and size, fullsize grip.
Cons – Heavier, larger, harder to conceal under clothing and limits clothing options.
Now why would you carry a fullsize pistol? Possibly costs is a reason. Quality guns aren’t cheap and maybe all you can afford is one. Maybe you want to carry your department issued pistol or maybe you were trained on a service pistol in the military and you did well. Maybe you compete and you have muscle memory down pat. Carrying a fullsize pistol is doable and many do it every day.
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Ruger Single Action Revolver in traditional leater IWB holster.
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Glock 17 and a cop’s duty rig.
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Glock Model 20 in an Alien Gear Hybrid IWB holster.
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Sig P Series and a 1911 carried IWB.
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Fullsize Glock carried OWB.
Now let’s look at the compact models real quick. The compact pistols are a balance between the two extremes. You have a pistol that is a master of none, jack of all trades pistol. It can be used as a duty pistol, it can be carried concealed, and it offers the majority of the pros of a fullsize pistol without some of the cons. You usually lose some barrel length, grip length, and capacity. But you get a pistol that wears a little better.
Lets look at some of the options out there. Here you have a Browning Hi-Power (which is a service size pistol that is pretty slim and sleek), a Glock 19, a Sig P225/P6, and a S&W Model 3913.
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The Hi-Power holds 13+1, the Glock 19 holds 15+1, the Sig P225/P6 holds 8+1, and the S&W 3913 holds 8+1. As you can see. They all pretty much are similar in size and width. Some are single stack and some are double stack. But like I said….. going over the actual guns are for another post.
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S&W Model 5926. It is considered by some to be a compact pistol.
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Beretta Model 84F in .380 Auto. One of the larger compacts in a smaller cartridge.
Now you have the subcompact.
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These are given various names. Baby Glocks, mighty midgets, and Goldilocks Guns, etc… But the majority of people choose to carry these. They’re lighter, smaller, and are still capable to provide adequate protection. Originally, these guns were chambered in cartridges that were viewed here in the US as “not duty capable”. Normal chamberings like 9mm Kurtz, .32 Auto, 9x18mm Makarov, and .22LR. The one common subcompact carry piece that ruled the roost for many years and still has a loyal following is the snub nosed revolver in .38 Special. For generations that cartridge served as the standard bearer for law enforcement and the military. The FBI, LAPD, NYPD, and numerous other agencies issued it until the early 1990s. Today it still serves as a backup gun for many cops. But with modern advances in design both for ammunition and pistols. You now have subcompacts chambered in service cartridges like 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. The older weaker loads aren’t left in the dust either. Modern hollow point design has given new life in these smaller cartridges and .380 Auto has especially seen a new resurgence in popularity and capability.
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S&W Model 4013 TSW in .40 S&W. 9+1 in capacity and packs a punch when needed.
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Glock 26 in a DeSantis Ankle Glove. 10+1 capacity of 9mm.
The majority of the subcompact are the smallest versions of their fullsize cousins. Usually the same design, controls, and chamberings. Magazines form their larger brethren usually work in the smaller guns. But a lot of folks carry these because while there is plenty of trade off. You still have a good pistol that can be used.
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Then you have the pocket pistols.
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Two true pocket pistols that rule the market right now. Ruger LCP in .380 Auto a a Kel-Tec P32 in .32 Auto.
Both are extremely light, compact, and easy to carry. A Samsung Galaxy S5 cell phone takes more space in your pocket than one of these little guys. They are remedial sights if any, a capacity of 7 or less, and chambered in smaller cartridges like the .380 Auto, .32 Auto, or .25 Auto. They’re referred to as Belly Guns, Phone Booth Fighters, pocket pieces, corner store milk run guns, etc… These are guns to carry when you’re limited by dress, social environment, work restrictions, and simply needing deep cover. Pocket pistols are guns you carry when you can’t carry a gun basically.
Next posting with be about methods of carry. Both for men and women.