I've been carrying a weapon almost constantly for a quarter century. Part of the job, and with the surge in crime recently, I'd rather have and not need, then need and not have. My normal off duty is an Sig P365, in a hip holster with one extra magazine slot. For other occasions I have a shoulder holster with two 15 round magazines. Better have more ammo than not enough.
I found this article recently and it brings out a good point on carrying extra magazines. The reason is not running out of ammo. It's in case you have a jam.
When choosing to carry a concealed firearm, gun owners are often faced with a number of decisions…How best to carry? What type of holster makes the most sense for everyday carry (EDC)? One question that is frequently asked at gun stores and during firearms training classes is “Why should I carry more than one magazine?” The answer isn’t as simple as it may seem.
Contrary to what we see in movies or on television, the need for more than one magazine is rarely due to simply running out of ammunition. In fact, according to FBI statistics, on average, in most defensive situations, gun owners only discharge three rounds over three seconds from a distance of three yards. This is known as the “rule of threes.”
The real reason it’s important to carry an extra magazine is because of potential gun stoppages related to a magazine malfunction. No matter what gun you own, pistol magazines have a lifespan and wear out over time. Feed lips and followers can become worn, springs lose their strength, and the magazine itself can get dented or dinged from training. Part of the responsibility of gun ownership involves the regular inspection of your firearm before use. However, unlike a car for example, there’s no check engine light on a magazine to let you know it’s time for maintenance. It will simply stop functioning and in a defensive scenario, there’s no sound worse than the click of the trigger with no bang. Simple checks on your magazine like pushing the follower up and down to ensure it functions, or even checking to see that it’s clear of dirt or carbon build up, will go a long way towards ensuring your pistol functions properly every time.
The primary magazine is the one loaded in your pistol. Primary magazines are typically smaller in size to make concealment easier and to prevent printing. What’s printing? That’s when the outline of your gun visibly displays on your clothing when concealed. A backup magazine can usually be concealed in locations that will not print. Popular EDC gear choices include a belt-mounted magazine pouch or a pocket magazine carrier. It is important to ensure that your backup magazine is secure and located in the same place each time you carry concealed. This will also allow you to carry a magazine with a higher capacity because of the vertical position of the backup magazine, making it easier to conceal and access in a reload situation.
Gun stoppages aren’t necessarily caused by magazines, either. If your pistol isn’t regularly cleaned or maintained, you could have issues such as double feeds or stove pipes. Regularly lubricating your gun and replacing the recoil spring every 3,000 rounds are two key preventative measures that responsible gun owners employ to maintain their firearms...
I will say you can never maintain your weapons too much, but the point about the springs is notable. Never considered the recoil spring, but it makes sense. I did get off my ass a few years back and replace the springs in all of my duty magazines (ten in all) for my duty Sig 229 40 caliber. Great article and excellent points on how to safety carry, and be ready when needed.
MILWAUKEE — It was a warm summer night. The front doors of Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall on Milwaukee’s 37th St. were wide open to let in the night air.
As the final two patrons finished up their last round in the beer garden just before midnight on Aug. 15, 2013, three men wandered in.
They were up to no good....
...Andy Kochanski, owner of the popular nightspot, said the men were heading toward his patrons. One yelled, “This is a robbery! Get your money out!”
“The first guy had his hands in his pockets, the other two had visible weapons out,” Kochanski recalled in an interview Tuesday with Wisconsin Watchdog.
“The one guy with a gun locked eyes with me. As he was raising his weapon at me he was saying, “Don’t do it! Don’t do it!’ I got my gun out faster than he did. They all started scrambling around. I anticipated return fire so I started targeting at all of them. One guy went down. The other two started to head for the door. I stopped shooting when the door closed,” the bar owner said...
No good guys injured, bad guy down, this story has a good ending so far, but there are issues that come up.
...Milwaukee County prosecutors shortly after the incident said Kochanski acted in self-defense and in defense of his patrons.
But police seized his gun at the scene and it took him 7 ½ months to get it back...
I get it, justice is slow, but this is rediculus.
...On Tuesday, nearly two years after Kochanski’s gun was seized, Assembly Bill 13 passed on a voice vote. It now heads to the Senate.
The bill mandates the return of property to those who have been cleared of charges in connection with the seizure of a firearm or ammunition. It creates a timeline for the entire process, ensuring that individuals will no longer be subjected to long wait times for the return of their property.
It’s not 48 hours, but the bill does set a maximum of 35 business days for the return of a weapon seized in such cases.
Gun owners cleared of criminal wrongdoing may petition the court, and within 20 business days the court must schedule a hearing into the matter. Within five business days after the hearing, the court has to come to a decision. If the judge determines the weapon must be returned, the law enforcement entity involved in the investigation is required to do so within 10 business days.
“Cleaning up the firearm return process is something that is necessary here in Wisconsin,” said state Rep. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown, author of the bill. “Law-abiding citizens have been unjustly penalized by the criminal justice system for too long. Today, we took a step to right that wrong by clarifying the return of property to its lawful owner....”
Good to hear this incident led to better law. I can understand the time if it was still part of an open investigation, but if the man is cleared there is no reason to hold his property. Good work Wisconsin legislature. Now if you could get some decent beer up there! :<)
Last week, I was in northern Uganda where I had the opportunity to talk with some people about the security issues they are facing in their country, South Sudan and the surrounding region. As is often the case when people are talking to someone in my line of work and with my background, the conversation shifted to weapons. I am often asked questions such as "what is the best weapon for home defense," or "what is the best weapon for when I am traveling?" Invariably, I always answer them with the same response: Your brain. Now, let me explain why.
First Things First
Before anyone goes off on a rant and accuses me of being anti-gun, let me establish that I am an avid hunter, target shooter and a trained firearms instructor. I have nothing against guns. I own many of them, and now that I am a civilian, I have obtained a concealed carry permit and carry my firearm where and when I can do so legally.
Having said that, I must also point out that merely being armed will not protect a person from a criminal. Being armed may even be the sole reason a person becomes a target in a case where an attacker knows they are armed and wants to steal their weapon. In places like the Philippines, for example, New People's Army "sparrow" units specifically target armed people for murder to steal their guns in what they call "agaw-armas," or "arms grabbing" operations.
Being armed can also provide some people with a false sense of security. They believe that because they are armed, they are invulnerable and do not need to practice good situational awareness. If they are caught off guard by a criminal and cannot get to their weapon, it becomes pretty much worthless to them, and they might as well not have brought it.
Even an armed individual needs to rely primarily on his or her most important weapons system — the brain. If the brain is properly engaged and a person has the proper mindset, practices good situational awareness and recognizes a problem while it is still developing, they put themselves in a much better position to effectively deploy and employ their body, knife, gun or whatever secondary weapon they have access to. If the brain is not effectively engaged, a person is left relying on luck, happenstance and the ineptitude of the criminals — and these are not things prudent people should trust their lives to.
The Brain is an Amazing Thing
The first important function the brain serves is providing a person with the proper mindset. Reaching this mindset begins with realizing there are bad people in the world who want to hurt others. Sadly, there are many people who live in denial of this fact — and denial is deadly.
Second, once individuals accept that the threats are real, they must then come to grips with the fact that they are the primary actors responsible for their own security. Too many people mistakenly believe that security is something for which only police and security forces are responsible. The truth is, governments cannot protect everyone and everything from every potential threat. They simply lack the resources to do so. Even authoritarian regimes have proven incapable of protecting everything. People must take responsibility and do their part to keep themselves, their families and their homes safe. Of course, understanding this fact is a little easier for someone living in a place like South Sudan than it is for someone living in South Beach, but the level of responsibility is the same.
The final element of proper mindset is having the willingness and discipline to employ security techniques such as situational awareness and security tools, including weapons. Remember, common sense security and proper situational awareness are not just things a government agent or a trained security officer can practice — anyone can if they have the discipline. I also strongly believe that a person who is not willing to use a firearm or other weapon should not carry one merely in the hopes of using it to threaten a criminal. In such cases, their weapons are frequently turned against them, essentially arming the criminals.
Once a person has decided they will use a weapon if necessary, their brain can help guide them tactically to know when to engage and when to withdraw. It is also determines how they will employ their weapon — whether they will deliberately aim their fire to make it effective, or if they will just spray and pray. It will even help warn them when they are running low on ammunition, and help them determine what to do next when they have run out of ammunition and their firearm becomes nothing more than a metal cudgel. The brain is the real weapon, and a firearm is merely a tool the brain utilizes in a specific situation.
Another critical function the brain performs is providing a person with the will to fight on and survive, even after they have been wounded. But a person is far better off if they can utilize their brain before a situation gets to the point where deadly force is needed. Thus understanding one's environment and maintaining situational awareness are critical.
By understanding the types of crimes that occur in an area — and how they occur — a person can assess their vulnerability to such threats and will be able to see them developing if they are practicing an appropriate level of situational awareness. Seeing a problem while it is still developing and avoiding it is better than having to react to a problem that comes as a surprise. Action is faster than reaction.
Location, Location, Location
It is also important to recognize that there are simply some places where one cannot carry a firearm, knife or other obvious weapon. Such places include secure areas like government buildings, commercial aircraft, some workplaces and cities or countries with laws restricting the possession of weapons.
In such situations, it is especially important for people to utilize their brain, using it to look for developing problems and to mentally catalog safe places and exit routes as they go about their daily routines. They should take note of things like a bank or government building with heavily armed security officers they can dart into if a criminal is following them. Obviously, people should avoid obsessive paranoia. Moreover, in some situations such as an anti-government protest, seeking refuge in a government building may be a bad idea. Safe places need to be appropriate for the environment and situation.
But even in a restrictive environment, if a person has the proper mindset, their brain can help them find not-so-obvious weapons for use when confronted by an imminent threat. Items like a vehicle, flashlight, pen, hotel room lamp, fire extinguisher or a computer's power supply can serve as improvised weapons. The possibilities are nearly limitless if a person's brain is focused properly and working as their most effective weapon. But even then, it is better if they can utilize their brain to recognize and avoid a dangerous situation before it escalates.
I have been a long time supporter of concealed carry permits and the fact their issuance in over half the states in the Union has not led to massive carnage, liberals still don't like them. I found this column from a women who appears disturbed someone in line at a book store has a pistol, if not well concealed, not obvious. Some of her comments are interesting.
There’s a mantra quickly repeating in my head: “Please have a badge. Please have a badge. Please have a badge.” It’s a steady heartbeat as I begin a conversation with a shop clerk and reposition myself so I can peer over her shoulder.
I’ve already seen the bulge in his jacket, and it’s clear from the size and shape that he has a holstered gun. Now my eyes are quickly scanning, hoping to find a law enforcement badge clipped to his belt.
Ms Waddington, as a rule if the weapon is concealed, so is the badge. If someone saw a badge without a pistol, they may get the impression we have a cop unarmed. That may lead to errors in judgement. We go on.
I’m in a local bookstore and there’s a sticker near the door asking patrons not to carry weapons on the premises. My two children scurried off the moment we entered, each in search of their own treasures.
And from what I read of Iowa concealed carry law, a book store is not a restricted location, such as a bar or courthouse. Remember, the sign says "asks", not "it is unlawful".
The man with the weapon is as interested with the bookstore patrons as he is with the books on display. I’ve watched him watch others. The way he tracks them is unnerving.
I do not know this man, have no knowledge of his profession, personality or character. I am unaware of his mental state, of why he feels the need to carry a weapon into a bookstore. Frankly, I’m not that interested in his reasons right now. My mind is too busy filtering through the various scenarios that could be taking place. They flick before me like movie trailers, and I watch, casting some aside and mentally marking others for further consideration.
There’s no badge — at least not one I can see. And my inspection of him has not gone unnoticed. I rotate my handbag so that more of it rests toward the front of my body and gently pat it. It’s a tell by women who are packing heat in their purse. Many do it without thinking, a subtle check of hard steel through the leather. My touch is greeted by the bristles on my hairbrush, but no one else knows that.
The man recognizes the gesture, his eyes briefly flicking to my own before he moves past us in the aisle.
I still don’t know him, and the movie trailers increase. He could be the stalker, searching for his mark. He could be contemplating a robbery, or seeking someone to abduct. He could be an off-duty police officer, or even one that is undercover. He could be paranoid, thinking the world is out to get him or knowing someone truly is. He could be a fugitive, a drug dealer, a rapist or the owner of a sporting goods store. He could be a million things.
Thanking the clerk, I walk toward the YA section and my children. We won’t be spending money in this store today. We will be leaving as quickly as I can get them through the door, away from the man.
OK, you have an armed man, got it. And you have no idea what he is, got it. But something you may have and not notice. You may have another person in the store armed and not wanting to be identified for rather bad reasons. You could have a felon, robber, fugitive, gang member in the store, casing it or preparing to rob it. You don't know. A discussion point of a few cops on POLICEONE.COM a few years centered on where you would never go unarmed. A man made the point, "The last place I would go not carrying was a church because that is the place most feel safest and where they are least likely to be armed. I need to be prepared if the wolves comes growing."
BTY, he may be a cop with his B&C (Badge and credentials, aka ID) in his wallet. Just something to add to your rambling list of possibilities.
Although he is unknown to me, I do know Iowa’s lackluster gun laws and that they offer no assurances. While law enforcement officers have been trained with their weapons, civilians handed licenses to carry weapons in Iowa need not have ever touched, much less fired a weapon.
Mandated classes do not teach those who carry to use, nor do they assess accuracy or respect.
I do not know the last time the weapon in the man’s holster was maintained, and state law provides no assurances he knows how to maintain it.
As we leave, I am angered by lawmakers and gun advocates who preach blind trust in the same breath as they extol the dangers of society as their reason for needing to carry a weapon in a bookstore.
Well, I've seen trained law enforcement handle weapons before, and sometimes it not so reassuring! :<)
Again Ms. Waddington, see my point of what you have. You are assuming the worse on the man and the best on the situation. I've been a cop for 17 years and yes, when I go to a restaurant or bar off duty (or on for that matter) I generally sit with a wall to my back and a view of the entrance. I generally don't know who is the bad guy just by sight but I need to be ready. You are to be commented for your awareness of you surroundings. The fact is it's not as safe as it used to be and for that reason some law abiding people feel they should be armed. And I hate to share this with you, the criminals are already armed. They don't care about the law, that's why they are called criminals. It's a felony in Texas if a felon is in possession of a firearm. Guess what, they still carry guns. That's why they are called criminals, they don't obey the laws, like the ones saying you can't rob, rape or murder. And I know they are hostile and they don't care about you or me. So yes, I have no issue with the non-criminal element of Iowa, or Texas, having a concealed weapon if they feel they need to. Maybe you should spend some time at a concealed carry class, get some training on firearms and you will see the people in the class or just like you. You wouldn't like to be a Carl Rowan now would you?
While I was reading this post, I saw a link to another by a guest columnist, the owner of an outfitters. And a CHL holder.
Every day I get up and put on a gun. It’s part of my daily routine. No different from making coffee or feeding the dogs before I leave for work.
There is so much misinformation about who that makes me. I’m a “gun nut.” I’m one of “those right-wing Second Amendment people.” I’m the scourge of the earth to some.
Funny how that works.
They don’t even know me but they are worried that I’m what’s wrong with this country, this state and this city I call home. I walk among them and they don’t even know it. I’m the guy in the jeans and Under Armour shirt, the guy in the $200 sport coat and $125 shoes, the guy in Nike pants and a hoodie, and some days I’m the guy with dirty hands from working in the yard, but most of all I’m the guy they never see.
Oh, they acknowledge me sometimes. When I hold the door for them because my parents raised me that way. When I let them go ahead of me in line at the gas station because they seem to be in a hurry. When I pick up their baby’s pacifier in the aisle at the grocery store and hand it back to them because it fell out and they didn’t notice. But they don’t see me. I’m just another guy in the store with things in my hand. But only my left hand. I don’t carry things in my right hand. Not at the store. Not in public.
Good point on keeping your weapon hand free Mr. Traugh.
Why? Because I’m “that guy.” I know that bad things happen. Every day. Everywhere. So I try to be aware. I try to study my surroundings. I expect to not see it coming every time. I expect that evil may show up while I’m shopping or walking through the mall or eating at a restaurant. It doesn’t make me crazy. It doesn’t make me paranoid. It simply makes me aware. Unlike a lot of people that walk by me every day. Looking at their phones, their notes, their purses, or any of the other distractions that plague us. I get it.
I also get that there are wolves. Hungry. Lean. Skilled at their trade. Studying you. Studying me. They like you. They don’t like me. I see them at the mall. I see them at the gas station. I see them right here in this town. Do they know I’m armed? No, they don’t. They know that I’m aware. I look at them. Kill them with kindness. It’s a like a mutual agreement. I see you; you see me. Let’s not kid each other.
It’s weird in a way. The man and his friend in the store that looked all around and even glanced at the camera above us — those guys see me. I’m aware that the door is over there. I’m aware that the coffee pot is within reach and full. He urges me to go first to the counter. “Oh no, you go please. I have all day,” I reply. Now he has to make a purchase. Now he knows I’m polite …. I’m polite and I do not want them behind me in line...
You can finish Mr. Traugh's column at the link and it's a good review of why people have to more aware of their surroundings these days and yes, there are more bad guys out there. So they choose, in accordance with the law, to be armed. And guy what, the crooks are too. so it's only there to make sure you can be prepared in case of the worse situation possible.
When Concealed Carry Permits started to spread through the states in the early 90s I admit I was concerned that there may be problems with idiots bumping into each other at bars and getting into shootouts. I fully admit I was wrong about that, CCP holders are overwhelming law abiding. The issue is with the morons that normally are already banned from possessing a firearm, i.e. felons and rap "artist".
Now there is a movement by Handgun Control Inc, The Brady Foundation and other groups to pressure businesses to not allow people with a CCP into their location. Besides the legal question of can a house rule supersede state law, the "Gun Free Zone" movement means the only armed people in the location are going to be bad guys. But we see the results here in the active shooter in the theater in Aurora CO.
I don't question the man who is responsible for killing 12 and injuring 70 is the coward who shot them, James Holmes. However, if one CCP holder was present and could have taken him out, Holmes could have been stopped. And likely this would never have been a national event because the media generally doesn't televise use of guns to stop potential active shooters.
Now Cinemark is about to pay for the foolishness of letting their theaters be an open target area, aka "Gun Free Zone".
Federal judge rules Aurora theater shooting was foreseeable The owner of the Aurora movie theater that was the site of a deadly 2012 attack could have reasonably enough foreseen the danger of such an attack to be held liable for it, a federal judge ruled Friday. Noting "the grim history of mass shootings and mass killings that have occurred in more recent times," U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson ruled that Cinemark — owner of the Century Aurora 16 theater — could have predicted that movie patrons might be targeted for an attack. Jackson's ruling allows 20 lawsuits filed by survivors of the attack or relatives of those killed to proceed toward trial. "Although theaters had theretofore been spared a mass shooting incident, the patrons of a movie theater are, perhaps even more than students in a school or shoppers in a mall, 'sitting ducks,' " Jackson wrote. Jackson's ruling does not decide the lawsuits' ultimate question: Did Cinemark do enough to try to prevent the shooting? The lawsuits argue Cinemark should have had extra security measures in place to discourage the attack and to stop it more quickly once it began. Instead, Jackson's ruling denies what is known as a "motion for summary judgment" filed by Cinemark. Similar to a previously denied motion, the theater chain had argued that the lawsuits should be dismissed because the attack was "legally unforeseeable." The trial is set for February.
On October 16, 1991 we had an Active Shooter situation in Killeen TX where George Hennard drove his truck through the window, got out and murdered 24 people. One was a man I knew and highly respected, LTC Steve Dody. Later that year a survivor of the shooting, Susan Gratia-Hupp, testified on how she left her pistol in her truck and if she had not she could have taken Hennard out.
...Unlike conventional criminal predators, who often have no reluctance about attacking police, active shooters tend to be “cowardly,” Borsch says. “They choose unarmed, defenseless innocents for a reason: They have no wish to encounter someone who can hurt them. They are personally risk- and pain-avoidant. The tracking history of these murderers has proved them to be unlikely to be aggressive with police. If pressed, they are more likely to kill themselves.” In his research, he has found no evidence of any LEO in the U.S. yet being wounded or killed in an active-shooting incident where mass murder was intended or accomplished....
James Craig, Chief of Police for Detroit Michigan, recently said people need to arm themselves because the cops can't protect them. I have to agree with the saying "When seconds count, the police are only minute away." Chief, you are dead on right sir.
Cinemark, you made a foolish decision to bend to the special interest groups who don't want to disarm criminals but to only disarm the American people. You will now pay dearly for it in treasure. Your customers from July 20, 2012 have already paid in blood.
Earlier this month posted on Shaneen Allen's trouble being being taken to court by a New Jersey prosecutor. Oh, the picture of Ms. Allen shows her race, but I think it should be mentioned that the prosecutor is white. God knows this would be mentioned if the Justice Brothers were taking up her case, but it don't fit the template.
Anyway, last week I went on her Go Get Funding page and donated $25.00. Please, go there and make a donation. Whatever you can give, even a buck helps. This is an abuse of power that should have never come to court. Hopefully this is killed off quickly.
I've said often I generally don't have issue with concealed carry holders as they are usually level headed and have thought through the use a of a firearm. When CCW started to go forward in the 90s propaganda was put forth by leftists in the media, academia and DC saying we would have bloodbaths in the streets. Strange that the cities with the most restrictive gun law are also the most dangerous to live in. E.G., Chicago.
And now we have an example of how to handle crooks from the great city of Houston.
At around 4 a.m. Thursday, a man who does not want to be identified, said his brother was robbed by six men with guns at a Denny's off the Gulf Freeway in southeast Houston.
"I don't know if it was random or someone set him up. Because he got his own label," said the victim's brother.
His brother's wife was in the restroom at the time, but when she exited the restroom she saw the group of suspected robbers. Police said that's when she pulled out her gun and shot at them.
"She said she came out of the restroom and saw my brother on the floor. That's when she started doing what she gotta do. She got a license and she'll do anything to protect her kids and my brother," he said.
Police said there was a shootout, but it is not known how many shots were fired at the time. However, police said the gunshots did hit cars in the parking lot.
No bystanders or customers were injured.
The group of suspects fled the scene.
The married couple said they are still shook up, but their family said they're glad they made it out alive.
"Self-defense saved my brother's life," he said.
According to police, the robbers got away with jewelry.
Nice Shooting Tex! Glad you were there for the family and the other diners at the restaurant.
