carrying comfortably restraining orders · 8/5/2016 · the may/june issue once again illus-trated...

WE WON!THE HELLER DECISION

CARRYING COMFORTABLY

A COLD DAY IN HELL

RESTRAINING ORDERS

VOLUME 5 AUG/SEPT 2008

USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM

T H E U L T I M A T E R E S O U R C E F O R T H E A R M E D C I T I Z E N

3

COLUMNS08 STREET TACTICSThe Force-On-Force DrillBY GABE SUAREZ

12 SIG SAUER ACADEMY Selecting A School For Concealed Carry TrainingBY GEORGE HARRIS

18 PROFILE Jim Clark

38 REAL WORLD CARRY GEARBY K.L. JAMISON

42 FORCE-ON-FORCE NOTEBOOKA Visit To Suarez International’s Interactive Gunfi ghtingBY JACK RUMBAUGH

46 IT’S JUST THE LAW One CallBY K.L. JAMISON

50 ARMED SENIOR CITIZEN Carrying ComfortablyBY BRUCE N. EIMER, Ph.D.

54 JPFO LIBERTY CREWThat Toddlin’ TownBY L. NEIL SMITH

DEPARTMENTS

06 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

07 TRUE STORIES

22 DESANTIS FACILITATOR HOLSTERBY TONY WALKER

28 WE WON!BY K.L. JAMISON

32 SIGHTED FIRE OR POINT SHOOTINGBY DR. LEONARD M. BREURE, Ph.D

36 REST STOP SAFETYBY JERROD SMELKER

48 A FEW WORDS ON RESTRAINING ORDERSBY R.K. CAMPBELL

24 EAA WITNESS COMPACT 10MMBY GEORGE HILL

CONTENTS AUG/SEPT 2008

USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2008

Publisher & Editor Timothy J. Schmidt

Managing EditorKathy Jackson

Art Director Betty Shonts Circulation ManagerLaura Otto

Copy Editor John Higgs

Column EditorsDuane A. DaikerBruce N. Eimer, Ph.DGeorge HarrisK.L. JamisonJack RumbaughL. Neil Smith - JPFO Liberty CrewGabriel SuarezMark A. Walters

Contributing WritersTony WalkerDr. Leonard Breure, PhDGeorge HillJerrod SmelkerR.K. Campbell

Advertising SalesBob Cole360-665-0542E-mail: [email protected]

Published for U.S. Concealed Carry by:

4466 County Road P - Suite 204Jackson, WI 53037

(877) 677-1919 • Customer Service(262) 677-8877 • U.S. Concealed Carry

Signed articles in Concealed Carry Magazine reflect the views of the author, and are not necessarily the views of the editors at Delta Media, LLC. The claims and opinions in the paid advertisements published in this magazine are not necessarily the claims and opinions of Delta Media, LLC. Delta Media, LLC takes no responsibility for these views, claims or opinions. Concealed Carry Magazine and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association are registered trademarks of Delta Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2004-2008 by Delta Media, LLC. Reproduction, copying, or distribution of Concealed Carry Magazine is prohibited without written permission.

CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINEVolume 5 - Aug/Sept 2008

I received an email from a member a few months ago. I am

embarrassed to say that it took another USCCA member to

open my eyes to something I should have seen myself. This

member explained to me in his message that he was disappointed

in the fact that we were displaying advertisements in CCM that

were not completely appropriate for the entire family. He was

referring to a few ads that featured scantily clad women. My first

reaction was, “Come on, what’s the big deal? These ads aren’t that

bad!” But then I got to thinking about my OWN ten-year-old son.

As a parent, I am constantly on the lookout to shield him (and all

my children for that matter) from the massive amount of overtly

sexual content coming from practically ALL forms of media. And

then it REALLY hit me. Here I am contributing to the problem by

printing advertisements I wouldn’t want my own son to look at. I

decided it was time to make a change.

So as of January 1st, 2009, Concealed Carry Magazine will

only print advertisements that are acceptable for the ENTIRE

family to view. Call me a prude, call me old-fashioned, call me

whatever you want... I think it’s a good idea that should have

been implemented a long time ago!

Be safe and God Bless,

TIM’S THOUGHTS

PHOTOGRAPHER: Betty ShontsMODEL: Peter Grant was born and raised in South Africa. He emigrated to the United States in 1997, where he has served as a pastor in Louisiana and as a chaplain in a federal high-security penitentiary. He is medically retired, but has been training disabled and handicapped shooters for over twenty years. Peter’s “always” carry gun is a S&W 442 or 642 with Crimson Trace laser grips and Buffalo Bore Heavy .38 Special 158 gr. LSWCHP ammunition. Other guns in his carry

rotation include a Glock 27, Glock 23, Springfield XD, and S&W 65. Peter says, “An amateur practices until he’s got it right. A professional practices until he can’t get it wrong!” Peter also writes an extensive blog, and his thoughts on self defense and other topics can be found at bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com.

AUG/SEPT 2008 COVER

A MAGAZINE FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY

Concealed Carry Magazine - Aug/Sept 2008 Issue; Aug. 22, 2008 (USPS: 022-302, ISSN: 1550-7866) is

published 8 times per year for $39.00 per year by Delta Media, LLC, 4466 County Road P - STE 204, Jackson, WI 53037-9272. Periodicals postage paid at Jackson, WI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Concealed Carry Magazine, 4466 County Road P - STE 204, Jackson, WI 53037-9272.

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Regarding the July issue’s “Point-Counterpoint” articles on Post Shooting Trauma: my background is both similar to and different from both authors, Art Mize and Tony Walker. I am an ordained minister with a degree in psychology, a certifi ed self-defense and fi rearms in-structor (teaching such classes weekly), and a former police chaplain.

Mize does not say that everyone who is involved in a shooting will develop symptoms of PTSD. He simply says that some will. This is an undeniable fact. Walker makes several category confusions, the most prominent being to confuse killing in war with killing in a civil setting. The job of the infantry-man is to close with and kill the enemy. When he is successful, he is high-fi ved all around. When someone is forced to kill in a civil setting, however, the re-sponse of at least some, and very pos-sibly many, people will be, “What did you do?!”

Whether one suffers PTSD will de-pend on many factors. As anyone who has participated in Simunitions or force-on-force training with good instruc-tors/actors knows, it is very diffi cult in the real world to determine exactly when the line that justifi es shooting is crossed. My experience with such train-ing is that about 75% present the gun or shoot before there is clear justifi cation to do. Another 20% wait too long.

Walker, like most people with a theo-retical knowledge, visualizes any shoot-ing he would be involved in as being black and white. That’s just not the re-ality of it. There will be enough gray in almost every case that a conscientious person will at least ask the question, “Could I have done something differ-ently?”

This small seed of internal doubt can be magnifi ed by what has been called “secondary wounding,” a phenomenon in which the people you thought would help you turn against you. It might go like this: you are forced to shoot some-one in self-defense. You ask yourself the inevitable question, “Could I have done more to avoid getting to this point?” but you realize that you can “what-if” your-

self to insanity, so you make peace with it. He, after all, attacked you. Since you are the good guy you expect the police to help you, but they have a different take. They tell you that what you did was wrong and arrest and charge you with murder or manslaughter. When you get released and go home, your wife says, “How could you do this? What are we go-ing to do when you’re in jail?” You go out to get the mail and see your neighbor to whom you wave. He hastily puts his head down as though he didn’t see you and rushes into his house. The next day the papers condemn you in the court of public opinion. On Monday your boss calls you in to tell you that they have to let you go. Do you think things like this might affect an otherwise psychologi-cally healthy individual?

Not all people who are involved in a shooting will develop PTSD. Factors will include how black and white the situa-tion was, and how society and particu-larly those close to you respond to you. But even that is not the whole picture. Predicting PTSD is impossible. Walker is correct. No one should be told at the outset that he or she will develop PTSD. On the other hand, no one who does develop it should think there is some-thing abnormal. Nor should he or she feel guilty that he can’t “just get over it” without help. I think that was Mize’s point.

Chip Hammondvia email

The May/June issue once again illus-trated how much information you can get in one magazine! From tips on a cost effective practice, techniques on dry fi re, and ideas on real world carry gear. But the best article was “The Judicious use of Deadly Force” (Bruce N. Eimer, PhD). It never hurts to reinforce the ba-sic concepts and liabilities that you are responsible for by carrying a concealed weapon. Until you are in a life or death situation, you do not know how you are going to react. Constant practice and repetition can only prepare you for that moment. I am thankful that Concealed Carry Magazine is out there to keep me

thinking and remind me of my respon-sibility - can’t wait to get my next issue!

David BensonBakersfi eld CA

The article on “Principles of Point Shooting” by George Harris in your May/June 2008 issue of Concealed Carry Magazine caught my attention because of something that I had read in the book “The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid” written by Pat F. Garrett. Following is a quote from the book of a conversa-tion between Billy the Kid and Governor Lew Wallace:

“The Governor allowed the Kid on one day to give a sort of public exhibition of his skill with the rifl e and revolver. After seeing the Kid’s prowess with both weap-ons, the Governor complimented him, and asked, ‘Billy, isn’t there some trick to that shooting? How do you do it?’ ‘Well, General,’ replied the Kid, ‘there is a trick to it. When I was a boy, I noticed a man in pointing to anything he wished ob-served would use his index fi nger. With long use, the man unconsciously had learned to point with it with exact aim. When I lift my revolver, I say to myself, ‘Point with your fi nger.’ I stretch my fi n-ger along the barrel, and, unconsciously, it makes the aim certain. There is no fail-ure; I pull the trigger and the bullet goes through to its mark.’”

Dennis KinseyArtesia, NM

CORRECTION: In the July ‘08 issue of CCM, page

40, the writer referred to warriors who ‘won’ the Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is not won; it is awarded. Our apologies for the error.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORLETTERS TO THE EDITOR Due to volume received, not all letters can be answered. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.

Send your letters to: Concealed Carry MagazineAttn: Editor 4466 Hwy P - Suite 204 Jackson, WI 53037

Or email: [email protected]

7AUGUST/SEPTEMBER n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM

BAR SHOOTOUTErnest Fuentes Villagomez, age 30,

entered the Players Bar and Grill in Winnemucca and opened fi re on pa-trons there. Jose Torres, 20 and his brother Margarito Torres, 19, were both killed. A 22 year-old female and a 34 year-old male were also injured.

Villagomez stopped to reload his weapon, and it was then that an un-identifi ed concealed carry permit hold-er drew his own weapon and shot and killed Villagomez.

Investigators are persuing a lead that Villagomez entered the bar and started shooting because of a feud between several families.

The District Attorney concluded that shooting Villagomez was justifi able ho-micide, and the permit holder was re-leased from police custody.

Reno Gazette-Journal • Reno, NV

LEGITIMATE SELF DEFENSEAt the Margarita Market on Knight

Arnold Road in Memphis, four men en-tered and began shoplifting.

All four suspects, ranging in ages from 17 to 28, then attacked the clerk.

And that’s when the clerk shot the 17 year-old in the leg. The teen was taken to the hospital, and the clerk was treated for minor face, neck and arm injuries.

Eyewitness News • Memphis, TN

MEMPHIS IN THE TOILETIn Newport, a 16 year-old attempted

to rob a man at gunpoint and ended up having the tables turned when he was shot by his intended victim instead. The man who shot him did not have a per-mit to carry, but no charges have been fi led against him yet.

In a similar incident, 19 year-old Maurice Simpson also attempted to rob a man at an apartment complex.

His victim also fi red back, and Simpson was pronounced dead at the hospital. His two accomplices have been charged with robbery and use of a fi rearm in commission of a felony.

A police spokeswoman said, ““It is extremely dangerous for juveniles, or anyone else, to take part in armed rob-beries. There is always the possibility that the person being robbed is armed, and that was the case in this instance. Juveniles should not have weapons in the fi rst place.”

Eyewitness News • Memphis, TN

GUN VS. KNIFEAt a Las Vegas apartment lot, a man

confronted 17 year-old Johnny Eagletail about damaged vehicles in the parking lot. Eagletail pulled a knife on the man and approached him. The man pulled his gun and fi red one shot, killing him.

The man was not arrested and the case is pending review.

Las Vegas Sun • Las Vegas, NV

BABY THIEVES THWARTED BY DADDY

When an Avondale family was un-loading groceries from their car, three men, described as black males between

19 and 25 years-old, approached and demanded money. The father said he didn’t have any cash, and one of the robbers said, “Get the baby.”

Those words prompted the father to pull out his handgun. Both robbers and victim fi red at each other. The robbers fl ed in a black SUV with chrome trim and chrome wheels. One burglar had to crawl to the SUV from his injuries.

The victim and baby were not in-jured.

abc15.com• Avondale, AZ

STEAL SOME COPPER, EAT SOME LEAD

Copper thieves recently hit the Bar-gain Town Variety & Furniture store, so the owner’s son began guarding the roof.

Shortly before 1:20am on July 10, the thieves struck again. The owner’s son confronted a man who climbed the roof and shot him in the torso. The would-be thief climbed back down and collapsed, and died before paramedics arrived.

Police say the man was equipped with a backpack and tools believed to used to steal copper.

Dallas Morning News • Dallas, TX

LIKE, HELLO! TN IS SHALL-ISSUE

Two men entered a Nashville Sonic restaurant intending to rob it. One was armed with a handgun and brandished it at employees and customers.

The assistant manager pulled out his own gun, fi ring several shots at the rob-bers and scaring them out of the store.

Police followed a blood trail to a car wash, where they believe the robbers fl ed in a getaway car.

The assistant manager has a carry permit.

WBIR • Nashville, TN

TRUE STORIESTRUE STORIESTRUE STORIESCARRY A GUN... IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE.

THERE IS ALWAYS THE

POSSIBILITY THAT THE PERSON

BEING ROBBED IS ARMED.

How would you have handled situations like these? Discuss scenarios and more online in the usconcealedcarry.com forums. Familiarize yourself with your local and state laws regarding self-defense.


I think we have established that anyone who does not do force on force in their program is only getting a partial picture of what the gunfi ght will be like, and like the blind men and the elephant, they are probably getting a very inaccurate picture at that.

If we are training for the gunfi ght, con-ducting marksmanship-based range drills alone will not do it. We need

both to test our range work to see if it will hold up under true pressure, as well as educate ourselves to the true dynam-ics of a gunfi ght. We cannot do either of these things on a square range.

Enter the force on force drill. While many students are familiar with scenar-ios either from limited force on force, or from a traditional shoot house, a drill is very different from a scenario.

A scenario is an open ended, un-known outcome exercise where the trainee may get through it without even drawing his weapon, much less shoot-

ing. In fact, a student is often lauded for getting through a scenario without needing to shoot. The scenario focuses more on picking up the pre-incident clues, and managing a contact, than on shooting drills. Scenarios have value, and are very important in the com-plete training of a gunfi ghter, but doing scenario work too early or without the proper foundation will be frustrating at best, and at worst can lead to repeated failure and a fear of engaging the op-ponent. It would be like taking a novice boxer who was really good at hitting the bag, and throwing him into a street fi ght with a veteran fi ghter. There is a vast gulf between heavy bag drills and a

real street fi ght. A similar gulf exists be-tween range work and a force on force scenario. The missing link for the gun students is the force on force drill.

The force on force drill has no role playing, no acting, and has nothing to do with a “shoot-no-shoot” decision or legality situation. When you step up to do force on force drills, you are stepping up to get into a fi ght. You know there will be a gunfi ght and you are simply waiting for the visual clues. Your goal is simple: shoot without being shot.

All training is false (after all it is only training) in the sense that attendees know they are not going to die in the drills. But when they witness the true

STREET TACTICS

THE FORCE ON FORCE DRILL

Notice how close the student’s hand is to the muzzle. These things can be noticed and identifi ed, then corrected in the force on force drills.


pressure of another man shooting at them, and feel the pellets impacting their unarmored body, the reality of how easy it is to die hits them like a charge of buckshot. When they see the real speed and pressure of a man charging to hit them with a stick or tackle them or whatever, it has a very direct effect on their view of the fi ght.

Most range training is conducted on your feet, stationary, and the only time anyone breaks a sweat is when it is hot outside. Conceivably, one could wear a business suit at most gun training ses-sions and at the end of the day (outside temperature allowing) could simply holster up and go to dinner. Not so in force on force drills, where at the end of the day you will be soaked in sweat, tired, sore and probably hurting from getting hit so much. Force on force

drills are not a gentleman’s pastime; they are more like martial arts training than an hour at the indoor range. It is the crucible of the fi ghter.

To organize some of this, all you need is a safe, private place to train. You will need some force on force gear (easily located all over the internet), and a few likeminded friends. You will also need a direction. You need a theme to test or train. For example, you might be inter-ested in testing the benefi ts of the ap-pendix carry position over traditional

strong side carry from concealment. This would be quite easy to accomplish. Set the parameters of the drill and run it several times noting the results your-self, as well as inquiring of the other at-tendees as to what they saw. Another thing that might be tested is the issue of whether you can out-draw an adversary and shoot him by remaining stationary and drawing or by moving sharply on the draw.

Make certain each operator has a di-rection, and there is a goal for each one

[ B Y G A B E S U A R E Z ]

THE FORCE ON FORCE DRILL

This man is a highly trained range shooter. He told us he was “master” class at his school. Yet the shooting position we see here has very little in common with his highly practiced weaver stance. These drills remind us that you cannot ignore nature.

Here we have students testing the draw as they move off the line of fi re.


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involved. For example, let’s say we are testing the ability to get off the line of fi re and respond with your own shot. The directives to the two men may be to simply draw and shoot the other. Extension of those directives might be: “Do not anticipate movement or lack of movement, simply draw and shoot the man in front of you where he is stand-ing now.”

That is suffi cient for the antagonist or as we call him, “The Bad Guy.” The pro-tagonist may get something like this: “As soon as you see his hand go to his waist-band, explode quickly off the line of fi re to his fl ank as you draw and fi re.”

Some honesty is involved as after the fi rst couple of times, everyone will know the outcome, but that is what drilling is all about. The bad guy must be a true bad guy and not seek to confound his training partner during drills. Drills are as much a learning process as anything else. Both parties must put the ego away and do it according to plan other-wise you are wasting your time.

Keep it safe by observing force on force safety measures as described in

our DVD, “Force On Force Gunfi ghting Drills.” Keep it close like a real gunfi ght, and keep it real by training in street clothes–and for heaven’s sake, conceal your Airsoft pistol.

Finally, it is important to limit the du-ration of the drill to maintain a level of seriousness, and eliminate the gaming aspect that invariably crops up if this is not enforced. Remember that Airsoft (or whatever other system you are using)

has no ballistic effect on the other man and that if you do not limit the context, duration, and parameters of the drill, it will quickly get out of control. So keep it short, sweet, and intense. n

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Here we are working on evading the charging knife attacker.

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SIG SAUER® ACADEMY

SELECTING A SCHOOL FOR CONCEALED CARRY TRAINING

[ B Y G E O R G E H A R R I S ]

George Harris has spent over 30 years in the fi eld of adult education with

more than 17 years at the SIG SAUER®

Academy. He has focused his efforts in the arenas of small arms, small arms training and combat skill de-velopment. George

has evolved from an infantry soldier, small arms repair technician, and drill instructor to become the coach and fi ring member of the internation-ally recognized United States Army Reserve Combat Marksmanship Team. As a competitive shooter, George has the coveted distinction of being Distinguished with both the service pistol and the service rifl e. As director of the SIG SAUER® Academy, George is

committed to the safe and successful use of fi rearms by armed professionals and responsible citizens alike through using the SIG Principle of Training: Simple Is Good!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

In this installment we are going to re-view some of the objectives to be con-sidered when selecting a concealed

carry class to improve our knowledge and capabilities beyond our present level of skill.

Before exploring the vast number of training academies and instructors of-fering concealed carry training, an in-dividual must complete an evaluation of their personal knowledge and ability. Some of the questions to be answered may involve whether an individual is already licensed to carry concealed. Are they presently carrying concealed on a regular basis? Are they aware of the legal requirements for concealed carry in the areas that they frequent? Are they sat-isfi ed with their present equipment or are they looking for something new and better than what they’ve got? Are their handling techniques and marksman-ship skills at a level that they are happy with or do they need some improve-ment? Does the desire for advanced tac-tics include force on force training?

Or perhaps the goal is to simply brush up on previously learned skills, get some trigger time in an organized manner, and add a few new techniques to our bag of tricks.

There are more questions beyond

these, but fi rst we have to be honest with our self-evaluation.

In order to meet the needs of their customers, most training entities offer at least three levels of training specifi c to a particular discipline.

FOUNDATIONAL OR BASIC LEVEL TRAINING

This is for those students just getting started or those wanting a refresher, perhaps with different equipment than they have worked with previously. This level of training is where the student should learn a solid foundation for their concealed carry future. At a minimum, a foundational course should include: the legal requirements for obtaining a concealed carry license in the area of residence, safe handling of fi rearms and ammunition, guidelines for holster se-lection and carry location, equipment maintenance and storage, and success-fully fi ring the weapon of choice enough times to remove some of the mystery of hitting the intended target.

Some additional perks to look for in the better schools are: safety gear pro-vided for the students, a variety of pistols and revolvers along with holsters and ammunition pouches available for the students to try, ammunition included in

the cost of the course, a course manual for present and future reference, men-tal conditioning regarding delivering and receiving lethal force in an armed encounter, a facility to accommodate creature comforts throughout the train-ing, and a certifi cate of accomplishment at the completion of the course.

Time and cost have to be factored in to the mix as well. Only so much infor-mation and experience can be concen-trated into an eight hour day and the old saying, “you get what you pay for” usually rings true in this situation.

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL TRAINING

At this level the student has some equipment to work with and has an understanding of handling, holster-ing, loading, unloading, reloading and marksmanship under their belt.

In an intermediate class, expect an initial evaluation of skills by the in-structor. This will tell both you and the instructor where the areas of improve-ment lie. At this level students should be working from concealment unless safety or a special circumstance would dictate otherwise. Expect to work from the dominant side at waist level before moving on to other carry locations.


In the curriculum for an intermedi-ate course in concealed carry opera-tion, there should be listed skills like: multiple shot delivery, vertical track-ing, multiple targets, variable distance, shoot/no shoot drills, alternate firing positions, point shooting techniques, moving to cover, and one hand opera-tion of the handgun.

The perks to look for are essentially the same as the foundational level courses. A big plus is to have alternate guns and equipment available as opin-ions previously formed tend to be re-vised when training at this level.

ADVANCED COURSESThese courses carry a level of expect-

ed competency that includes experi-ence with one’s equipment, proficiency with marksmanship, fluid handling techniques, and a working knowledge of concealed carry guidelines. A parallel in the competitive world would be a clas-sified mid level IDPA or USPSA shooter. As in the intermediate courses, expect to demonstrate the level of competency through a series of drills in order to pro-

vide the instructor with a base line for each individual to work from.

The course curriculum should in-clude shooting while moving, moving target engagement, shooting moving targets while moving, pivots and turns, low light operations, shooting in and around vehicles, close quarter shooting techniques, and interactive use of force scenarios using Airsoft or marking car-tridge technology.

The perks are to have a range facil-ity and equipment to conduct this type of training. These, on top of the others previously mentioned for foundational and intermediate level training, make the training experience worth the time, effort and money expended to get to this level.

The question arises with most stu-dents: after advanced, what’s next? The answer is in specialty courses such as counter terrorism, competitive shoot-ing methods, or an armorer course to learn the inner workings of your favor-ite carry piece. Then there is the whole scope of levels in rifles and shotguns to complement the handgun. The list is

endless, as we all are forever students until we pass on to that great range in the sky.

Choose the classes that best meet your desired results. Choose a trainer or training institution by reputation of de-livered results to their students. Choose the one that guarantees their work and you won’t be disappointed.

Simple Is Good! n

Only so much information and experience can be concentrated into an eight hour day and the old saying, “you get what you pay for” usually rings true in this situation.

www.usconcealedcarry.com10 Concealed Carry Magazine Volume 4 - October 2007


THE ORDINARY GUY

By all accounts he is a hero, a life-saver, one of the folks who come to our aid when we need it most.

Working throughout the night when most of us are fast asleep, Marco is the man who shows up to help us in our darkest hour. When you are desperate for life-saving assistance it is Marco and his colleagues who you can count on for help.

By the very nature of his chosen fi eld, he is dedicated to the preservation of life, and has dedicated himself to help-ing others in need. A hero indeed. At 28 years old, Marco is beyond his years in compassion, and it shone through dur-ing our conversations, some of which were pierced by the wailing sirens of his

vehicle as he rushed to someone’s aid. He is also a man who has been tested. Having administered aid to the victims of senseless crimes and tended to the fallen victims of gunfi re on the mean streets of Miami, he never believed he would one day be forced to fi re a weap-on in his own act of self-preservation.

I had spoken to Marco several times prior to arranging our formal interview and was aware of the outline of events that transpired on January 13, 2008. As usual, I became spellbound by the de-tails as they emerged during our some-times graphic discussion.

Every Wednesday on his night off, Marco would relax and share the cama-raderie of friends and fellow car enthusi-

asts as a member of a local Volkswagen-Audi car club. It was a relief from work-ing the tough and often inhospitable streets of Miami. During his weekly meetings, Marco befriended a young lady and her husband: Jennifer and Gabriel Olano. After about two months, Jennifer showed up to one of the club meetings without her husband. She informed Marco that her relationship with Gabriel had deteriorated and that the couple had separated and fi led for divorce. After exchanging phone num-bers, Marco and Jennifer began com-municating outside of the gatherings and enjoying time together. One day the text messages and harassment began. Their movie outings were frequently in-

“A COLD DAY IN HELL”Meet Marco Ricaldone, a North Miami, Florida licensed paramedic and all around nice guy.

[ B Y M A R K W A L T E R S ]

Marco practicing the skills that saved his life.


terrupted by harassing cell phone calls and continual text messages. “I know where you are,” said the menacing texts as the cell phone alerted another mes-sage. “It will be a cold day in hell before the two of you are together.”

Marco told me, “Her husband worked with computers and would follow her by tracking her expenditures online. He knew where we were. I began to realize this guy was crazy. I started re-ceiving threatening text messages like, ‘Stay away from her or you’re dead.’ He would get drunk and send threats, then apologize when he was sober saying things like ‘I would never do anything like that.’”

It seemed that cars were not Gabriel’s only passion, and it was confi rmed by Jennifer that Gabriel owned fi rearms. “I found out he had around 17 guns or something like that,” Marco told me. He continued, “Whenever we were together the messages and calls would come in. I had never been a gun owner, a handgun anyway. I had always wanted a pistol and this seemed like the right time, so I headed out to Bass Pro Shop and pur-chased a Springfi eld XD, took it to the range and loved it. I began keeping my new gun loaded on the nightstand in case this guy ever decided to show up.”

As the threats showed no signs of subsiding, Marco began asking Jennifer to stay at his house. He later informed me that “her parents never locked the doors and what was happening just didn’t seem to bother them.”

They found out that Gabriel had re-cently quit his job for no apparent rea-son. Marco told me, “I knew when I found out he had quit his job that some-thing was wrong. This guy wasn’t right.” Taking him up on his offer that Friday

evening, Jennifer agreed to spend the night for her own safety.

After an uneventful evening with nothing more than the common text message harassment, Marco and Jennifer awoke and decided to have some stress free fun for the day. “We went to the mall, and then to a movie. Then the text messages and calls started again,” he said.

Jennifer answered Gabriel’s calls in an attempt to appease the stalker by trying

“A COLD DAY IN HELL”

“He just busted in the window like a rampaging madman. It was like a charging bull.”

The results of an attempt to shoot out the locks; Olano apparently watches too much TV.

Blood stained carpet the result of Ricaldone’s bravery.

The living room where Gabriel burst through the windows.


to keep him calm, a common tactic in stalking cases. Experts will tell you that it never works, and this case was no ex-ception. Marco and Jennifer agreed to shut the phone off and “not deal with this guy today.”

They arrived back at Marco’s condo-minium and, after an enjoyable dinner, the two fell asleep at approximately 12:30 am. Marco had left his Springfield on the nightstand, chambered and ready to bark in the event there was trouble. Jennifer’s little .22 lay quietly next to the larger Springfield, smaller in stature yet ready to roar to life if needed.

“That’s when I heard it. It sounded like some kind of explosion outside. I was asleep and only remember the ex-plosion. I jumped up and grabbed my gun. I had no idea what it was,” said Marco. “I remember grabbing my gun and walking out of the bedroom into the living room,” he said. Looking out the large window in front, Marco could see the silhouette of a large man “with the light behind him standing just outside on the balcony. It looked like a movie,” he told me.

Not believing what was happening, and with absolutely no time to think, Marco decided to fire a warning shot into the wall between the window and the door in a futile attempt to scare away the intruder. POW! The XD roared to life, sending a 9mm Federal Hydra-Shok round into the wall just inches away from the prowler.

KABOOM, came the response, muzzle flash visible to Marco, as the loud crack of a Glock answered his warning, send-ing a round flying through the large window, shattering the glass and em-bedding itself just 6 inches from Marco’s head into the wall behind him.

“…He just busted in the window like a rampaging madman. It was like a charging bull, man….He just kept com-ing,” said Marco. “The curtains were flying and his arms were going like crazy.” Shattering the glass and rip-ping through the curtains like a scene from a horror movie, with crazed eyes and gun in hand the intruder plowed over the loveseat directly in front of the window. BAM, BAM, BAM came the re-ply from Marco. “I just started firing my XD at him. He just kept coming man,

he wouldn’t stop. I was firing my gun, just firing without stopping and retreat-ing down the hallway for cover. I knew I had to be hitting him. It was pitch black but there was no way I was missing him, but he just wouldn’t stop.” POW, POW, POW, POW, the Springfield was blazing away while the mad bull continued his relentless assault towards Marco.

Retreating to cover, and now alone in the bathroom, his adrenaline pumping, Marco could hear Jennifer screaming on the phone with 911. “I looked down at my gun and was searching for more ammo. I didn’t know how many times I fired at him but I was scared to death he was going to bust in the room and I was going to have to keep fighting, and run out of ammo. I looked down at the gun and realized the slide wasn’t locked back. I knew I only had like, one or maybe two rounds left, if that,” he said.

The intruder fell, and Marco heard the sound. Cautiously exiting the bedroom,

he would find Gabriel lying on the floor of his living room, bleeding. “Oh f——,” whispered the intruder. What Marco saw next shocked him. Sitting on the floor, cradling the intruder’s head in her lap was Jennifer, still on the phone with emergency operators, screaming and comforting her estranged husband.

That’s when I knew it was her ex,” Marco said. “Get your gun,” he yelled to Jennifer as Gabriel lay wounded and bleeding on the living room floor. Fearing his ammunition was low enough to cost them their lives he real-ized she couldn’t find her gun, but had lost it in the bed covers.

Marco put the muzzle of his XD less than one foot from the wounded man’s head and yelled at him to give up his gun or he would kill him where he lay. With Gabriel lying with his hands crossed under his chest and face down on the living room carpet, Marco could see him moving his arms in an attempt

Stray bullets penetrated furniture, and a smashed bullet

was retrieved from the scene.

“It was pitch black but there was no

way I was missing him, but he just wouldn’t stop.”


to reach for what Marco thought to be a gun. A desperate struggle began and within a few moments, Jennifer and Marco had taken the Glock from her es-tranged husband.

“I could see that he was reaching for another magazine, and when I took the gun I noticed it was damaged, and the magazine well was empty. As it turned out, his gun was damaged by one of my shots as he came through the window. His magazine was found by police on the loveseat in front of the window. He was looking for his other magazine to reload his gun,” Marco said.

Within minutes, North Miami po-lice were on scene. Marco attempted to open the front door, but couldn’t. That’s when he realized what the explo-sions were that awoke him. “He tried

to shoot the deadbolt and doorknob in an attempt to open the door, but it didn’t work. I guess he watches too much TV.”

Gabriel Esteban Olano was immediately flown to the local hospital where he received life-saving sur-gery to repair the wounds to his stomach and lower intestine. Marco had suc-ceeded in hitting him six

times in the neck and shoulder, two rounds to the stomach, groin and leg. It was Marco’s shot to the leg, hitting Gabriel’s femur bone that dropped him to the carpet and ended the assault against Marco in his own home.

Marco was informed immediately by responding police and detectives that there were would be no charges against him. He told me that offi-

cers actually patted him on the back. Gabriel is now sitting where he

belongs as a guest of Dade County Corrections awaiting trial on five felo-nies including two attempted murder charges, armed burglary of an occu-pied dwelling, shooting or throwing a deadly missile in an occupied dwelling, and use of a firearm while committing a felony. His public inmate profile may be viewed by searching the inmate link using his full name at the Dade County website, www.miamidade.gov/correc-tions/.

Since the event that almost ended his life, Marco has moved from the 9mm to a .40 caliber. He never carries less than two magazines of ammunition. He continues to work as a lifesaving para-medic in the Miami-Dade area. He and Jennifer are no longer together. n

[ Mark Walters is a NRA certified instruc-tor in three disciplines, a member of NSSF and a vocal second amendment activist. He is a member of GeorgiaCarry.org and encourages readers to write him at [email protected] ]

The TV was also a victim.

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CCM PRoFiLE

Dad was always very strict about safety. Later, I found out that his mother had killed his brother

with an “unloaded” gun. In my twen-ties, for Father’s Day I gave my dad a Ruger Blackhawk, which was his fi rst pistol. This began a long and enjoyable relationship with my dad and pistols.

Until I was forty or so, I was pret-ty much apolitical. My parents were Democrats, so I was a Democrat. I had no real direction and just took life as it came. I was in the Marine Corps, and then in 1967 my son was born. The weight and responsibility of the world began to take its toll on my good time attitude. I began to take work more seri-

ously. Then, as they say, I grew up. When my granddaughter was born, I began to think of the world I would leave to her. A little later, along came Rush Limbaugh, followed by the man who really made a difference in my thinking: “The Black Avenger,” Ken Hamblin. I had been thinking like him for a long time. So when he showed up on my local talk radio station I realized I was not some kind of freak. Others were of the same mind. His granddaughter is the same age as mine. So his quote, “I know these things, I’m a grandfather,” hit home.

Ken also started me on the Second Amendment track. I began to look into gun rights. When I found that the po-

lice have no obligation to respond to your emergency (per the U.S. Supreme Court,) a light went on. I have a fam-ily, and I have to take that responsibil-ity myself. I started talking to my dad about Second Amendment issues. He said, “We live in a pretty safe part of the country.” Some years, I bought him pistols for Father’s Day or his birthday. Soon we were shooting and reloading together. When he died, he had a pistol in the bedroom, and he knew how to use it.

In 1997 I noticed that Oregon had a “shall-issue” concealed carry law, and it required training. I took an NRA ba-sic pistol instructor class, and I’ve been

“I know these things; I’m a

grandfather.”

When i was growing up, we had only one fi rearm in our home. JIMCLARK

Clark showing off why it’s good to be American.


doing classes ever since. I do three or four classes every summer, whenever enough people from work talk me into it.

I work as a hospital engineer at a large Catholic hospital, Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene, Oregon. This brought up some issues since they don’t allow weapons in the facility. When I spoke with one of the Sisters, she commend-ed me on my taking the responsibility God gave me seriously. I believe that Creationism can include Evolution, so it’s easy for me to imagine two cavemen agreeing that one should hunt while the other guards the families. It seems to me that this is the beginning of civilization

and the fi rst law. The rest of civilization and laws evolved from this premise. It seems that this is just the way God intended us to live. Now we have people in government and other groups that want to take away the tools we need to honor one of God’s basic laws. I en-courage all Americans to see the docu-mentary Innocents Betrayed, and to visit the JPFO web site if possible. Here I am preaching, but this is who I am.

My home is a place where our friends are as safe as I can make them. My wife and my “Beautifulteenagedaughters” know where the loaded guns are, and they know how to use them. We are al-ways aware of safety. My girls used to like to shoot .22s, but now if it isn’t a .45 or 9mm it’s not as much fun. They can outshoot me most of the time. I’m most comfortable with my family watching

a movie, or in the shop working on an-other 1911. Other things that occupy my time are the Sisters’ Youth Mentorship Program and the No One Dies Alone Program, at work. Incidentally, No One Dies Alone was started by a friend at work and is spreading all over the world.

Was there a specifi c incident that caused you to carry a gun?

What happened was not an incident. It’s more like an epiphany. In the early 1990s I was listening to talk radio and happened across Ken Hamblin, aka “The Black Avenger.” His views and opinions closely refl ected my own. He directed his listeners to the JPFO web site, where I found the article Dial 911 and Die.

JIMCLARKClark’s daughter is 18, a captain of the state champion dance team, and likes to chat with her friends on the cell phone all the time. But she fi nds shooting 1911s and ARs is cool too.

Keeping skills sharp.

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That article clearly showed me who is responsible for my safety. Shortly there-after I became an NRA Pistol Instructor and got my CHL here in Oregon. Now I put a lot of energy into informing oth-ers of their responsibility for themselves and their loved ones.

Have you ever had to use your firearm in a defensive situation?

There have been a few times when I get off work late at night that I was glad I was armed. Last year a dog chased my daughter home from the school bus stop. I shot at it but I missed. A few years ago, one of my co-workers had to shoot one of two men who attacked him very near the hospital.

What training methods do you employ? Do you have any recommendations?

I can shoot at home so I’m able to practice with live ammo whenever I like. I usually spend some time each week practicing drawing from concealment. Since I carry a variety of pistols, I need to practice with each type. It’s sometimes disconcerting when changing from a Kel-Tec P-11, with its double action trig-

ger, to a single action 1911 because of the lighter trigger. I don’t recommend changing back and forth without a lot of practice. I can’t stress enough how important presence of mind is to safety while practicing. Dry firing is a good practice method, but I always do it very carefully.

How long have you carried a concealed weapon?

I think I started officially carrying full time about 1992.

What weapons do you carry?I really like my 45 caliber 1911s, and I

carry a Springfield Ultra Compact pretty often. Also, I like to carry my S&W model 49 Bodyguard with Crimson Trace grips and a couple of Bianchi Speed Strips. I like my Kel-Tec P-11 because it holds eleven rounds, and I don’t feel the need to carry extra ammo. Sometimes I just like the feel of a Government Model 1911 with two magazines on the other side. Sometimes I’m lazy and put my wallet in my left back pocket, and a .25 Auto Colt Pocket Pistol in the right back pocket with an extra magazine. Sometimes, de-

June, Jim, Desiree and big dog Rain.

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Publication: Conceal Carry Magazine (Delta) Trim Size: 16 x 5.375 Bleed Size: 16.5 x 5.875 Date of Creation: April 8, 2008 Revised

Not all models and variations are currently available, see our website for a complete listing.

E V E R YT H I N G C H A N G E S

It all starts with the modular frame and fi re control assembly

The P250 is built around a precision metal frame and fire control assembly. It can be customized quickly and easily to conform to individual hand size, shooting style, or caliber requirement. Choose and change from 9mm, .357SIG, .40S&W or .45ACP caliber. Available in subcompact, compact or full size models, each having three distinct grip sizes – small, medium, and large. Choose from two available trigger pull lengths and you have the most versatile pistol ever designed. Combined with truly outstanding accuracy, it’s clear – the P250 will change the way you think about pistols—forever.

One serial number, unlimited possibilities. The revolutionary new SIG SAUER® P250™ is a modular pistol that allows the shooter to change caliber and size at will.

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pending on the activity, more than one is in order.

What type of ammunition do you carry?

Cor-Bon is my choice for carry. They have a good selection, but I like the 200 gr. JHP +P in .45 ACP for the 1911s. For the .38 Special, I like the 125 gr. JHP +P and the same for the 9mm. All of their carry ammo is formulated to minimize muzzle flash and that’s important at night. For in the house, Glaser safety ammo is my choice.

What concealment holsters do you use?

The Galco Yaqui slide is great for several different handguns, almost a one holster fits all. The retention is re-markably good. And when it’s empty it doesn’t look much like it had a pistol in it. It easily passes through metal detec-tors and such. The Fobus plastic (Kydex) paddle holsters are very good too. They have small protrusions on the outside of the paddle that hook under the belt or pants waistband. This eliminates the possibility of the holster coming out

with the pistol. They are pistol specific, but fortunately they’re pretty inexpen-sive. I have them for 1911s, the Kel-Tec, and the J-frame Smith. My wife seems to like the fanny pack for her S&W Model 642.

What do you do for a living?I’m a Hospital Engineer. That’s a

prestigious title for someone who fixes things, solves problems, and maintains almost anything in a hospital. The job description is “do whatever it takes.” I enjoy the work–for the people, and the variety of tasks.

Do you have any advice for our readers?

There are several important things to read and understand in order to arm oneself intellectually. We need to be prepared to defend what we know is true about our government, our society, our Constitution and gun control.

I’ll just make a list:The Law by Frédéric Bastiat(1801-

1850). He was a French economist. This article sets out very well the origin of civilized law.

Man’s Rights by Ayn Rand, an article she wrote in April 1963. She defines some very basic, but misunderstood premise’s of our modern society relat-ing to the U.S. Constitution. (These first two I can email to anyone who wants them. Drop me an email at: [email protected].)

Dial 911 and Die. Available through the JPFO web site (www.jpfo.org/dia-l911anddie.htm). While you’re there you’ll see many other great articles.

The John R. Lott Report (http://tea-pot.usask.ca/cdn-firearms/Lott/gun-cont.html). This is the definitive report on the failure of gun control.

Effective Defense by Gila Hayes, with a forward by Massad Ayoob. I’ve read many books of this type and this is one of the best, right up there with Ayoob’s books. She wrote the book from a femi-nine perspective so there is really good info for women. After reading this book, I enrolled in one of the courses she and her husband Marty Hayes teach at the Firearms Academy of Seattle. It’s avail-able from the FAS website (www.fire-armsacademy.com), or you can call (360 978-6100) to order. n


Nylon holsters, like the ones found in the “Everything here for $5” bin at gun shows, are anathema

to me. The same could be said for Kydex holsters—until I received a DeSantis Facilitator for testing.

At fi rst glance, the Facilitator is just another Kydex holster, but closer exam-ination shows that it’s a lot more than that. The holster I received was made for a Glock 17, and it has a unique re-tention method. Instead of some type of safety strap (“suicide strap” to me), it has the patented Redi-Lok locking de-vice that grips the trigger guard when the gun is inserted into the holster. This renders it proof against the gun falling from the holster or of having the gun snatched by some bad guy, if you are unlucky (or dumb) enough to be caught in Condition White.

What sold me on the Facilitator is the Redi-Lok release mechanism on the in-side of the holster, which, unlike other types that are released by pressure from the trigger fi nger, is released with the thumb of the operator’s gun hand. This seems to be a better, and more natural method, as the release paddle is right where the thumb should be in the draw stroke. It can’t be released by pressure against an outside object, as its trig-ger guard lock renders it secure in the holster until you operate the release paddle.

Another plus point in the Facilitator’s favor lies in the fact that the belt attach-ment system is made from leather, and has three belt slots. This allows the hol-ster to be worn on the strong side, with the gun in a butt-forward, FBI-style po-sition. It can also be worn as a crossdraw

holster, simply by using another slot on the holster’s back.

Learning to draw a gun smoothly from the holster only takes a couple of minutes of practice. The release button is a smooth paddle that is pushed down by the thumb on the draw stroke. With a minimal amount of practice, this becomes instinctive, and timed draws showed no reduction in speed. Being the possessor of almost-prehensile thumbs, I found that depressing the paddle as I began the draw stroke was easy. The paddle is situated in the exact spot where my thumb was, and depressing it to make the draw soon became a natural move.

The retention is excellent, and I re-cruited a number of friends to try and take the gun (in this case, a blue dum-my gun), but none of them managed to fi nd the release paddle in less than fi ve seconds—a long time in a life or death struggle.

DeSantis has a reputation for mak-ing high-quality, innovative leather holsters, and this new departure into a line of Kydex holsters is continuing that tradition of excellence. They have an ex-cellent website, and you can fi nd them at www.desantisholster.com. n

[ Tony Walker is the author of the criti-cally-acclaimed book How to Win a Gunfi ght, and he also wrote Snides, the action thriller that introduced ex-SAS trooper John Pilgrim and his swift-shooting wife Sally. The new John and Sally Pilgrim novel, Pilgrim’s Banner, will be published soon. Find more infor-mation on Tony Walker’s website, www.johnpilgrimbooks.com. ]

Being somewhat of a traditionalist, i’ve never really cared too much for holsters that weren’t made from some form of leather, be it cowhide, horsehide, or even an exotic leather like sharkskin.

[ B Y T O N Y W A L K E R ]

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The one thing that has always both-ered me about concealed carry guns is that they are all about com-

promise. You give up power for smaller size. You give up accuracy for a shorter barrel. You give up everything you re-ally want in a handgun for the ability to have it on you all the time. Maybe I’ve grown cranky. Maybe I’m just fed up. Whatever the source of my feelings, I’m tired of compromises. I’m tired of shooting tiny guns that only make small holes, or dent paper. I want some raw horse power. I want some excessive force. And I want it with some decent accuracy, control, and something that could get me through a knock down, drag out gun fi ght. A real gun. But it can’t be a 1911, and it can’t be a .45 or Tim Schmidt would string me up with my own gun belt.

SoMEThiNG DiFFERENTI was given the chance to “pick some-

thing” from the EAA catalog for review. Anything. Then shoot the heck out of it and see if it holds up. I’ve done 9mms, and I don’t like .40s all that much, and you are all sick of my gushing on about the .45 ACP. So I picked a Compact Witness in 10mm. This is an all-steel, double action, ten round, 10mm pis-tol with a four inch barrel, fi xed three dot sights, and it’s coated with EAA’s “Wonder Finish.” The MSRP is only $450. That’s what it is, but it doesn’t re-ally tell you guys what it really is.

The gun is rather heavy for its size. Being that it is in a caliber with such potency, that weight is not a downside. The gun is in an intermediate size for being called a compact. I guess it is smaller than the full sized gun, but it

isn’t really all that compact. The gun is thick through the grip so you can really hold on to it, but the length is too short to get all your fi ngers aboard. Even with the magazine’s fi nger extension, you still can’t get your pinky to join the others on the gun. For you out there with knuckles that are not swollen from arthritis, this might not be an issue.

The Wonder Finish is attractive, and feels slick to the touch. It reminds me of NP3, for those who know what that is. As good looking as the fi nish is, the one thing I really like about it is that it is very easy to clean. After test fi ring, all I did was spray it down with a little Hoppe’s #9, rinse that off with a little Hornady One Shot, and then wipe it off. It looked clean as new, and was slick as ever. Some Hoppes and a bore snake cleaned the inside of the barrel, and I

Sick of compromise.

EAA WiTNESS CoMPACT 10MM

I wanted something that could get me through a knock down, drag out gun fi ght.

10mm is not for sissies.

25

put a little Tetra Gun Oil on the rails and sear, and that was it. I was done clean-ing in about two minutes.

ThE CARTRiDGEThis little beast is chambered for

something most shooters are not famil-iar with. I showed it to a few guys, and they had never seen nor heard of 10mm before (I know I live in the sticks, but there are good people here.)

So let’s review a little history: The 10mm cartridge was introduced in 1983 in conjunction with the Bren Ten pistol by the well known fi rearms house of Dornaus & Dixon—we all know those guys, right? No, me neither. All I know about them was that they had this pis-tol that was an epic fl op. The famous Jeff Cooper was a huge supporter of the Bren Ten, and the pistol was good. It just never caught on. I don’t know why. The cartridge is brilliant. It can be cham-bered in guns that you can chamber .45 in, meaning 1911 type guns. It offers a wide performance spectrum from tar-get loads to deer hunting loads. You can

go from 135 grain bullets at 1600 fps, to 200 grain bullets at 1200 fps. This gives you performance like no other auto car-tridge. If you want this sort of versatility in a more common platform, you will have to go with a .357 magnum or a .41 magnum because the 10mm is right in between those two. That’s a lot of power

and fl exibility that you just don’t fi nd in your normal automatic pistol, espe-cially not an auto for concealed carry purposes.

In 1986 in Dade County Florida, the FBI got into a big shootout with a couple of baddies who, when they got shot by the good guys, didn’t fall over dead like

put a little Tetra Gun Oil on the rails and sear, and that was it. I was done clean-ing in about two minutes.

ThE CARTRiDGE

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they were supposed to. The agents hit them repeatedly, but the baddies kept fighting, and two agents got killed. The FBI reevaluated everything about their side arms. They examined the calibers, and the bullets, and they added it all up. The answer was the 10mm.

Unfortunately for all the lawyers and accountants the FBI hires, the 10mm was too much for them. Too much re-coil. So they downloaded the cartridge to milder levels. S&W said that they could do that in a 9mm length cartridge and put it into a smaller gun. That’s how we got the .40 S&W cartridge, called the Short and Weak by those who had be-come used to the 10mm.

Looking back at this development, I can see that it was a good move, and now most handguns are chambered in 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP. The down-side is that the 10mm just fell out of the public eye. Today, it’s almost invisible. The gun store that I work at doesn’t carry 10mm ammunition, and we don’t carry any 10mm guns either. I drove out to Salt Lake City, Utah and stopped by every gun store that I knew of. It took all day, but I hit nine shops. Only one of them stocked 10mm ammo, and none of them had a pistol. The one place that did have some ammo only had four boxes. Four boxes in a city of two mil-lion. I was discouraged. Fortunately, there is the internet, and I was able to order more ammo.

TiME To ShooTI didn’t want to shoot this gun alone.

I wanted second opinions. Shooting Buddy Ben came with me one time, then The Travis came with me another time. We are all in agreement that the gun shoots very well, accuracy is more than acceptable, and the recoil isn’t just manageable, but enjoyable. Ben made a comment worth note, “The FBI couldn’t handle this? Sissies.” I agree. The 10mm round out of an all steel gun is really not much more kick than a .45, and I once taught a little Japanese lady who weighed less than two bags of dog food how to shoot a .45, and she did great with it.

Ben and I decided to shoot at steel. The base plate of an abandoned oven is made of sheet metal thicker than most

desert-dwelling kitchen appliances. Ben had his trusty XD Tactical .45 that we used for comparison. The 5 inch barreled .45, shooting 230 grain FMJ Blazer Brass loads, did punch through the metal, but it pushed in a big dent before breaking through. The EAA Witness 10mm with its four inch tube blasted through the same metal so eas-ily that it looked like we used a Dewalt power drill. The penetration is incred-ibly impressive. You don’t see this sort of power from a gun you hide on your person.

We did find an interesting problem with the gun. EAA only sent us one magazine for the pistol, so I can’t tell if it’s a magazine issue or an ammo is-sue. Every time, American Eagle 180 grain rounds would jam the gun on the second round from the last in the magazine. This was a failure to feed. The round would stand straight up in the magazine and the slide close on the cartridge. First thought was that this is obviously a magazine issue, but it only happened with AE 180 ammo. Norma, Buffalo Bore, Hornady, PMC, and Winchester did not jam.

The other thing that we all agreed upon was that the gun itself still needs a little work. The slide seemed to bat-ter the frame pretty good, especially with the hotter Norma and Winchester loads. I think the spring is a bit too light from the factory, and it could be two to four pounds heavier. The gun has

some sharp corners around the trigger guard and muzzle. The front sight post is formed with the slide instead of dove-tailed in like it should be. This means you can’t install night sights, or different size posts to adjust the point of impact for different loadings.

CoNCLUSioNThe EAA Compact Witness is good as

it is, especially for the money. It could easily be customized to be even bet-ter. On a scale of 1–10, you could take it from about a 7 to a solid 9.

The gun falls in a unique category in that it is big enough to not be as easily concealable as a compact, yet too small to be a target type gun. It needs to be optimized for our concealment purpos-es. Here is what needs to be done:

First off, the sights. I know I always gripe about the sights on a pistol or hail them as needed. Sights and trigger are two critical things that can not be skimped on. EAA should have a guy in house to grind off the front sight post, cut in a dovetail, and put in Tritium night sights. That is a must for a gun to be taken seriously by me. Target guns and defense guns need two different kinds of sights because they are used for different purposes. This EAA Compact Witness is supposed to be a defensive gun.

The grips. The grip panels on the gun are good and... er... grippy. They help soak up the recoil a lot and they

The factory EAA grips soak up recoil and make shooting a joy. But the thickness and the soft rubber may make it difficult to conceal the firearm. For concealed carry, thin profile aluminum grips from Hogue may be a better choice.


make shooting this 10mm a joy. Unfortunately, they are too thick, and the soft rubber allows fabric to cling, making the gun print too much. In my attempts to conceal this gun, I found that it printed too much under light shirts like I wear in warm weather. You would have to wear a sports coat over this thing to keep it hidden. I suggest replac-ing the grips with thin profile alumi-num grips from Hogue. This would slim down the profile a great deal, and make packing concealed much, much easier.

The finger rest on the magazine is another thing. The gun is too short for a three finger grip, and the fin-ger rest doesn’t help me one bit. Go ahead and let the pinky swing free on this one, and let the gun be just that much shorter for concealment.

Now for the biggie. I’ve not tested a handgun that begs for a melt job more than this Witness. It has sharp edges on its sharp edges. The front of the gun has the full length rails that extend to the muzzle, all the way past any point of being useful, straight to being irritating. If this was taken to a belt sander for about a minute and a half – it would be brilliant. A custom gunsmith should be able to do this to your gun with very little effort, but with huge re-turns. Of course then he would have to refinish it and you would lose the Wonder Finish, which, incidentally, even EAA can’t tell me what it is.

One last thing. The gun needs a recoil spring about two pounds heavier. Wolff Gun Springs can fix that one with no problem.

Considering the price of a new EAA Witness, having this work done to it wouldn’t be out of the realm of reasonable when you take into ac-count what you would then have in your hands: a concealed carry gun that makes no compromises. n

[ George Hill is an NRA Certified Pistol and Personal Protection in-structor and the writer and publish-er of MadOgre.com. Visit his website for more information at http://www.madogre.com. ]


only the Washington D.C. laws are struck down, but let there be no mistake. We won. We

won massively and decisively. We may not yet fully realize how conclusively we have won.

The Great Decision was portrayed in the press as “Supreme Court acknowledges limits on Second Amendment”.1 This is not true. We won. The Court acknowledged limits on the Second Amendment, but there are limits on all the amendments. As one cannot shout fi re in a crowded theater, one cannot open fi re in a crowded theater. This should come as no surprise. Further, the touted “limits” are not the ruling of the Court, but are what is legally termed dicta. Dicta are “Opinions of a judge

which do not embody the resolution or determination of the court. Expressions in court’s opinion which go beyond the facts before court and therefore are individual views of author of opinion and not binding in subsequent cases.”2 Dicta may provide guidance or suggestions to lower courts but have no precedential value.

ThE DECiSioNAfter examining the language and

structure of the Second Amendment, the Court: “Putting all of these textual elements together, we fi nd that they guarantee the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation.”3 The vote was 5 to 4 which means that it is the opinion

WE WoN![ B Y K . L . J A M I S O N ]

The Court struck down the Washington D.C. laws which prohibit owning handguns and that require rifl es and shotguns be unloaded, disassembled, and locked up.


of the Court. When congress passes a law by a 5 to 4 margin it is just as much the law as if it was unanimous. It is the same with a Supreme Court decision.

ThE BASiSThe Court bases its ruling on the right

of self-defense. The right exists “in case of confrontation.” This reasoning is a huge development. It is obvious that without the means of self-defense, the right becomes a cruel joke. The dissents mock this basis as unrelated to the militia. Actually, the classic militia was primarily a local defense force. Often these forces were improvised affairs, and indistinct from vigilante groups or a posse. Firearms were expected for the purpose of self-defense, and colonial

laws ordered persons venturing beyond the community to carry guns on the trip.4 These laws clearly envisioned individual self-defense. The dissents ignore this history in favor of speculation that Washington D.C.’s murder rate would be even worse without the handgun ban. The dissents accept without question the patently false claim that murderers frequently have no criminal record and thus the law paternally prevents the average citizen from committing mass murder.

WhAT DoES iT MEAN?Reciting the Supreme Court’s ruling

is simple. Explaining what it means is hard. The Court reviewed the legal basis of weapons ownership from more than a century before the Bill of Rights, and at the time the Bill of Rights was writ-

ten. The opinion discusses legal com-mentary on the Second Amendment immediately after the Bill of Rights and for two hundred years thereafter. The dissenting opinions mock this as us-ing history after the fact as evidence of legislative intent at the time of enact-ment. Actually, the Court is responding to anticipated claims, as demonstrated by the dissenting opinions, that the de-cision is unsupported and a vast depar-ture from prior decisions. The dissents claim that the 1939 case of U.S. v. Millertells us everything that we need to know about the Second Amendment. The rul-ing of that case was that the Court could not take judicial notice that a sawed-off shotgun was proper militia equipment. This limited ruling was the product of

a poorly briefed case in which the de-fense was not represented. It has been widely criticized as being of limited use. Many courts, however, have cited the case for propositions never mentioned in the decision. These “hundreds” of cases are cited by the dissent as grounds for upholding the rulings these courts and the dissent imagine it contains. If “hundreds” of judges used a vague ref-erence to Miller as a substitute for legal reasoning in unrelated matters, that is compelling reason to clarify Miller if not overrule it entirely. The decision clearly fi nds that an individual right to arms is the “original understanding” of the Second Amendment.5 The Court fi nds that Miller is defi cient (as suggest-ed in oral argument), and if “hundreds” of judges have relied on a restrictive in-terpretation of the case, then they have

“overread Miller”.6 The Court plainly rules that it was the Miller case that dis-regarded four hundred years of Anglo-American court precedents.

WhAT GUNS?The decision specifi cally protects

handguns as a class of fi rearms.7 For the fi rst time, a class of guns is not out-lawed, it is protected. It specifi cally recognizes the utility of handguns in self-defense.8 They can be used by the infi rm and while using a phone or fl ash-light in the other hand. The decision is a trifl e vague as to what other classes of guns are protected. The ruling also strikes down the District’s law which prohibits keeping long guns available for self-defense.9 Semi-automatic rifl es and shotguns are popular for self-de-fense —the exact standard used by the Court to protect handguns. However, the District’s law against semi-automat-ic guns was not in issue in this case and so the Court did not rule on this point. The exact type of long guns protected for self-defense remains to be seen. [Editor’s Note: As this article was going to press, Heller tried—and failed—to register his semi-automatic handgun. Another Heller vs DC court case is appar-ently in the works.]

At various places in the decision the Court referred to militiamen mustering with guns that also served for hunting and home defense. This may serve to limit the type of long guns. The essen-tial difference in civilian and military muskets of the Constitutional period was the provision for a bayonet. Tactics of the day indicated that half the reason for a musket was to provide a conve-nient mount for a bayonet. Militiamen of the period were notoriously short of bayonets. The Court seemed to con-sider that military M16 rifl es might not be protected, but civilian self-defense weapons were.10 No clear language emerges on this point.

The Court did approve limits on car-rying of “dangerous and unusual weap-ons”.11 It does not state what these weap-ons might be, but follows the quote with a discussion of M16 rifl es. This may be the Court’s hint that it does not mean to protect machine guns. Since machine guns were not the subject of this litiga-

WE WoN!On June 26, 2008 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller that the right to “keep and bear arms” is an individual right.


tion, the Court could not properly rule on them one way or the other.12

WhAT PEoPLE?Since the people have the right to

“keep and bear arms” an experienced attorney must ask, “Who are the peo-ple?” The decision refers at numerous points to “citizens”, “the whole people” and similar inclusive phrases. It states that the term refers to the “political com-munity”.13 It only specifically excludes “felons and the mentally ill”.14 This is not out of place as these categories are presumptively dangerous and disloyal. In the Constitutional period and before, it was common to ban the sale of guns to Indians, slaves, and Quakers. The Quakers were persecuted in the early colonial days, and it was not considered safe to test their pacifism. These classes had good reason to be dangerous and disloyal, a point mentioned in the deci-sion.15 At least one felon has filed a mo-tion to dismiss charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm based on the Heller decision.16 This motion does not seem well founded given the specific language of the decision supporting such laws.

STANDARD oF REViEWThe decision is also vague as to the

standard of review to be used in Second Amendment cases. There are three ba-sic constitutional standards of review: the balancing test, the rational basis test, and strict scrutiny:

• In the balancing test, the judge is re-quired to place the interests of persons exercising the right in one scale, and the potential harm or harms in the other scale. The dissenting opinions attempt-

ed to pack the scales of justice with the beliefs of the persons who passed the District’s law, studies and statistics pur-porting to support the law, and blatant speculation that the murder rate in the District would be worse without the gun ban. This test is dangerous because experience shows that social scientists will produce a study which “proves”

any proposition desired by the person paying the bills. Experience also shows that the man who wrote How to Lie with Statistics knew his business.

• Under the rational basis test the law will survive if the government can pro-duce an argument which does not elicit guffaws from the bench. The party chal-lenging the law has the burden of proof to show that there is no reasonable rela-tionship between any legitimate end of government and the law in question.17

• Strict scrutiny demands a compel-ling government interest served by the law in order for it to survive. Few civil rights claims survive the first two lev-

els of scrutiny, but few laws survive the strict scrutiny level. The decision finds that “Under any of the standards of scru-tiny…banning from the home the most preferred firearm in the nation to keep and use for protection of one’s home and family,…would fail constitutional muster.”18 However, in a footnote on the same page it states: “JUSTICE BREYER [capitals in the original] correctly notes that this law, like almost all laws, would pass a rational-basis scrutiny.” The decision goes on to find a difference between applying this test to laws and to constitutional guarantees, as in this case. The Court found that the Second Amendment has already been “subject-ed to a freestanding ‘interest-balanc-ing’ approach.” The very enumeration of the right takes out of the hands of government…the power to decide on a case-by-case basis whether the right is really worth insisting upon.19 The point is found worth repeating on the same page: “Like the First [Amendment], it is the very product of an interest-bal-ancing by the people…And whatever else it leaves to future evaluation, it surely elevates above all other inter-ests the right of law-abiding, respon-sible citizens to use arms in defense of hearth and home.” It finds that Second Amendment cases should be based on a level of scrutiny above the rational basis test but does not find that it must be de-cided under strict scrutiny or some new intermediate level between the two.20 In the past the Court has found an in-termediate level of scrutiny between rational basis and strict scrutiny.21 This level, conveniently known as “inter-mediate scrutiny” was used in a sex discrimination case. The Court does

1. Editorial Kansas City Star 30 June, 2008 at B-6.2. See dicta or dictum (an abbreviated form of obiter dictum) in Black’s Law

Dictionary 5th Edition.3. See page 19 of the Decision.4. See generally J. D. Cushing ed., Earliest Printed/Published Laws series Mi-

chael Glazier Inc Wilmington Del 19775. See page 53 of the Decision.6. See page 52 of the Decision footnote 24.7. See page 57-8 of the Decision.8. See page 57 of the Decision.9. See page 64 of the Decision.10. See page 55 of the Decision.11. See quote from 4 Blackstone 148-149 (1769) et al at page 55 of the Deci-

sion.12. To do so would be the infamous “activist judge” ruling.13. See page 6 of the Decision.

14. See page 54 of the Decision.15. See page 39 of the Decision.16. U.S. v James Francis Barton Jr., United States District Court for the Western

District of Pennsylvania Criminal Case No 07-376.17. Del Dickson ed. The Supreme Court in Conference (1940-1985), Oxford University Press 2001 at 116.18. See page 56 of the Decision.19. See page 62-3 of the Decision.20. See page 56 of the Decision footnote 27.21. Craig v Boren, 429 U.S. 190 (1976).22. See page 59 of the Decision. The licensing program itself was not in issue in this case.23. A radio interview on the day of the decision.24. See page 57 of the Decision quoting State v Reid, 1 Ala. 612 (1840) at 616-

617.


not use this term but talks all around it.The ruling also does not mention if

it must be enforced against the states. Only the laws of a federal enclave were in question, so the Court did not have the opportunity to issue a decision on this point. As soon as the ruling came out, five similar cases were filed against cities with strict gun control laws on the books and these cases will begin work-ing their way up the chain of appeals to address this question.

WhAT NExT?The Brady Campaign declares that the

decision takes away our “slippery slope” argument that any restrictions on guns will result in a total ban. They declare that the decision allows “reasonable” restrictions—or what they call reason-able. The decision contains dicta that laws regarding certain classes of guns, concealed guns and “gun free zones” are constitutional. However, dicta is simply comments of the Court not essential to the Court’s ruling. These comments may have been necessary to obtain that fifth vote in favor of the decision. Regardless, the Brady Campaign is rais-ing money to promote new restrictions.

There can be no question; we won. The victory is not as complete as we would like, but it unmistakably estab-lishes the foundation for future vic-tories. The self-defense basis of the decision is a huge advantage in future battles. Because the right is tied to self-defense, guns that are widely used in self-defense can claim to be protected. Facilities necessary to support self-de-fense can claim the right. Shooting ranges are necessary to self-defense skills and therefore can claim protec-tion. Certain magazines promote self-defense skills and now can claim Second Amendment protection.

These future battles will not be eas-ily won. The Court opined that hand-gun licensing requirements would be constitutional so long as the District administered licensing in a fair man-ner.22 It seems that the District is “con-stitutionally” incapable of administer-ing licensing in a fair manner. As soon as the ruling came out, elected officials of the District began announcing re-strictions in the tone of certain “south-

ern gentlemen” when they heard that African-Americans must be allowed to vote. They proposed that only one handgun could be owned, there would be a test on the law, no semi-automatic handguns would be allowed, and more. What will certainly be a great favorite in future briefs was the announcement of the District’s representative in Congress, “Just because you’re qualified for a li-cense doesn’t mean that you will get one.”23 The District has not announced its licensing restrictions, but has al-ready declared that licenses would be as restrictive as possible. The District’s officials seemingly did not read the part of the decision which reminds us that “A statute which, under the pretence of regulating, amounts to a destruction of the right, or which requires arms to be so borne as to render them wholly use-less for the purpose of defence, [spelling in the original] would be clearly uncon-stitutional.”24 The best way to get a 9-0 decision from the Supreme Court is to attempt to evade an earlier order. There will be more cases. The next president will appoint a number of judges, and probably one or more Supreme Court justices. All the opposition has to do is frighten one more Supreme Court jus-tice and we can lose the next case. We won. But, we did not win everything.

After defeating the nazis in North Af-rica, Winston Churchill said, “A bright gleam has caught the helmets of our soldiers and warmed and cheered all our hearts.…This is not the end, this is not even the beginning of the end, but it is perhaps the end of the beginning.”

But, we won. n

[ Kevin L. Jamison is an attorney in the Kansas City Missouri area concentrating in the area of weapons and self-defense.

Please send questions to Kevin L. Jamison 2614 NE 56th Ter Gladstone Missouri 64119-2311 [email protected]. Individual answers are not usually possible but may be addressed in future columns. ]

This information is for legal information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. For specific questions you should consult a qualified attorney.


i’ve been a weapons instructor for 23 years, eight years of which was spent as the chief instructor of the Passaic

County, New Jersey Police Academy. I’ve taught thousands of cops, soldiers, and civilians to shoot. I’ve trained un-der most of the top guys in the coun-try and have a PhD in Criminal Justice Education. I am a Modifi ed Weaver shooter. I use my front sight if at all pos-sible, carry a 1911 and dry fi re almost every day. In short, I live and breathe this stuff 24/7.

Most importantly, I have personally been involved in several shootings.

I mention all this for one reason only: even after all of this, I still don’t have the answer! I can, however, share my experiences, and give you some facts (I would be glad to provide details to any-one who asks) from my research. You can never get enough training, knowl-edge, and experience!

The fi rst shooting I was involved in was against a burglary suspect who was trying to kill me. The distance was about 20 yards. My partner said I stood in a perfect Weaver stance, with the gun at eye level. I remember clearly seeing the orange insert on my front sight. I

SiGhTED FiRE oR PoiNT ShooTiNG

i’ve spent the past 28 years in either the military

or law enforcement.

[ B Y D R . L E O N A R D M .

B R E U R E , P h . D ]

In order the increase the likelihood of hitting targets such as this rack of falling plates, the shooter must focus on the front sight, not the target.


fi red two quick, sighted shots—NOT a double tap—from my 1911. Both rounds impacted about two inches apart, cen-ter of mass, end of story! For me, with all the training and practice I’ve had, at that distance, sighted fi re saved my life.

In my second shooting a deranged subject pointed a 12 gauge pump action shotgun at me from about 12 feet. With no time to spare, I raised my pistol to eye level, used a fl ash sight picture (ba-sically just buried the front sight center of mass) and double tapped. The two 230-grain Hydra-Shoks from my .45 en-tered about one inch apart. This time,

the distance was close and the time frame was hyper-quick, but seeing my front sight, even if only briefl y, assured two solid hits and ended the engage-ment instantly.

Despite all the statistics and per-centages, we don’t have all the facts. The number of shootings at XX yards doesn’t tell us if the shots hit or missed. Most stats come from the FBI Uniform Crime Reports and their Offi cers Killed Summaries. That’s Offi cers Killed, which most of the time means that whatever they did didn’t work. In the ‘60s and ‘70s when point shooting was the rage, 80 to 90 percent of the shots fi red by NYPD cops missed! No matter what the distance. One offi cer I know of shot six rounds, point shooting, at a suspect at fi ve feet and missed each time. The suspect ran to about 15 yards, turned and fi red at the cops again. The cop re-membered what he had been taught at the academy about looking at the front sight, aimed, fi red once, and killed his attacker. This was a rookie with mini-mal training and only a few months on the job.

To answer the question about how much training does it take to be able to use your sights under stress, the answer is: a lot. But how much do you want to live? It’s worth the time and effort. For years in the basic program at the police academy, recruits got 40 hours of fi re-arms training. I would say that is the minimum for a professional to learn and develop acceptable skills with a handgun. That means training under a good instructor, not just practice on your own. A civilian can probably get by with a two- or three-day course to start with, but I would highly recom-mend additional training when practi-cal. Again, I think that is the minimum. Today, most progressive agencies con-duct quarterly training.

When I worked the street full time, I dry fi red every day and shot once a week. Top notch special response teams spend 25 percent of their time training. That works out to about 40 hours per month. My recommendation to my stu-dents is to dry fi re at least twice a week and if at all possible, to get to the range a minimum of once a month.

SiGhTED FiRE oR PoiNT ShooTiNG

The author’s wife, Diana, uses a fl ash sight picture to engage

a mid-range target.


Point shooting in real gunfights, whatever the distance, just doesn’t have a good track record. Yes, it seems to be what people with little or no training do under stress. That doesn’t mean it will work.

When you take a close look at the details of a lot of actual shootings, one thing becomes very clear: You stand a better chance of hitting your target if you look at your front sight!

Does this mean always using your sights? No. It means that you are more likely to survive if you can, but often the circumstances (time and distance) don’t permit using your sights. Therefore, you must have some other options.

Here is one possible solution that I, and many others, have used for a num-ber of years. Most of the top schools—police, military and civilian—teach something similar. It has been proven time and again in actual shootings. It is based on a couple of fundamental prin-ciples:

1. Usually, time and distance are pro-portional in a gunfight. That means that the more distance involved, the more time you have, and the more time you need, to hit your target. Also, the greater the distance, the more you need your sights. Obviously there are exceptions.

2. Regardless of the circumstances,

you are more likely to hit your target if you use your sights. It doesn’t matter if you are a cop or civilian, highly or poor-ly trained, shoot yearly or daily; the fact is sights help you hit what you’re aiming at. Also, the less you train, the more you need your sights.

3. Even if it’s not at eye level, holding a handgun at arm’s length when you are at contact distances with your oppo-nent is asking to have your gun deflexed or taken away. In extremely close quar-ters, you must protect your sidearm.

4. Distance is your friend! By increas-ing the distance between you and your adversary, you up the odds of survival in your favor. Movement in general, and moving away from your opponent in particular, make you a harder target for him to hit.

5. Cover (not just concealment) is your best friend! Movement is good, dis-tance is better, and cover is best. Cover means something that will stop incom-ing rounds. However, anything that you can put between you and them is better than nothing.

Here is a basic explanation of the system. With proper training, diligent practice and the right mindset, it is the best set of tools for the job. I will use, as an example, a situation that begins at contact distance and moves to greater

distances. This will serve to illustrate all the shooting positions.

At contact distance (arm’s length):• Defend with your weak arm or push

away from your opponent as the situa-tion requires.

• At the same time, draw and if need-ed, fire, using a gun retention or speed rock position.

As you begin to increase the distance (a yard or two):

• Transition to a two hand hold and begin to raise the gun to eye level.

• If need be, at this short distance, you can fire from a point shooting position.

Continue to move away and (hope-fully) toward cover (about three to seven yards):

• As the distance increases and the gun comes up to eye level, use a flash sight picture by placing the front sight center of available mass. No need to worry about the rear sight yet.

• Continue to fire, if necessary. Keep moving.

As the distance increases and you take cover:

• Assess the situation. If you have not stopped your antagonist, consider why

As the distance increases or the shot becomes more difficult, using the sights becomes a must. Here the author engages a difficult target in a shoot house at Gunsite Academy.


not? Are you missing? Slow down, front sight, press the trigger. If you are hitting but he's not going down due to drugs, body armor, poor shot placement or other reasons, then slow down and con-sider shooting for the central nervous system—front sight, press the trigger.

• At this point (medium distance), proper use of both sights becomes criti-cal. Remember the basics: sight align-ment, breath control, trigger squeeze.

If the distance increases more or you are using low cover:

• Switch to the rollover prone posi-tion.

• Maintain effective use of cover, fo-cus on the front sight and press the trig-ger.

Keep in mind that throughout this or any deadly force encounter you should:

• Be giving loud, simple verbal com-mands (STOP! STAY AWAY! DROP THE KNIFE!)

• Adjust your use of force as the situa-tion changes.

• Reload as needed as soon as there is a break in the action, hopefully from cover.

• Scan to look for other subjects, and to break tunnel vision. Be sure to look behind you.

I use this example only to shown how your shooting position needs to change as the distance and time change. Is it a lot to learn and practice? Yes. Is it worth the effort? Most definitely!

One drill that can be used to practice this system goes something like this:

Start at arm’s length from your target. Block or strike with your weak hand as you draw and fire two rounds (double tap) from a gun retention or speed rock position.

As you take a step or two to the rear, switch to a point shooting type position and fire a couple of more rounds.

Continue to move rearward, raising the gun to eye level. Get a flash sight picture... front sight ...center of mass... several more rounds, keep moving.

Somewhere in the mid-range dis-tances (I don’t like fixed distances on the range, there aren’t any on the street)

take cover, reload, assess and fire a few more rounds.

Transition to a rollover prone posi-tion and fire a few more rounds. Scan and reload. End of exercise.

In the beginning you should prac-tice this very slowly. Fire, then move, stop, fire, move again, and so on. As you progress, the tempo increases. Done properly by an experienced shooter, this entire drill flows as one continuous, fluid exercise.

Developing a selection of tactical tools in the form of several properly trained and regularly practiced shoot-ing styles or positions is the only real way to maximize your survivability. In short, if at all possible, look at the front sight and press the trigger. I’m alive to-day because I did exactly that! n

[ Len Breure is a retired law enforce-ment officer, having served for 30 years. He holds a PhD in Criminal Justice Education. Len and his wife Diana run LCGS Enterprises, a training company providing firearms training to military, police and civilians. ]

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May be unlawful to own or possess in some states or jurisdictions. Use for any purpose except lawful self defense may be punishable by imprisonment, fines or both. Guardian Angel protected by U.S. Pat. 6,951,070B2. Copyright ©2008, Kimber, Mfg., Inc. All rights reserved.


That method of thinking is nothing new, nothing you probably haven’t heard before.

There have been plenty of document-ed cases of law abiding citizens being assaulted, robbed, and even killed at public rest stops. Many of these rest stops throughout America are dark, somewhat deserted, and frequented mainly by those looking to prey on those people who don’t think bad things hap-pen at rest stops. Many people think that because rest stops are public plac-es, they are safe. Unfortunately for the many who have been victimized, they were wrong and learned that lesson the hard way.

A thought occurred to me recently while I was driving alone on a road trip and made a quick bathroom and stretch break at a highway rest stop. I’ll let you know now that nothing bad happened to me, so I am sorry to disappoint you if you were looking for a great shootout article.

This rest stop where I stopped wasn’t one of those big fancy ones with a Starbucks café and a nicely dressed rest-

room attendant. (Do those really exist?) It was, however, a very nice, clean, quiet rest stop in the middle of nowhere. You may know the type: just off the highway in a half wooded area among a few hun-dred pine trees, with a few picnic tables and garbage cans strewn about, and a large map in front stating, “You are here!” As I drove up to the rest stop and parked the car, being the very alert and aware person that I am, I took a mental note of the other vehicles in the parking lot. I noticed the few people standing around their cars, walking in and out of the rest stop building. I spotted an older man walking his dog. I noticed that it was eleven o’clock at night, it was very dark, and it was in the middle of no-where. My alert level was pretty high and I wasn’t even out of my car yet.

Criminals who prey on citizens at rest stops are the same type you would en-counter on any neighborhood street. They know that half-deserted rest stops in the middle of nowhere are poorly pa-trolled by police and have no security to speak of. They also know people who stop there are traveling, which means

they are most likely carrying money. Criminals also realize that people who are stopping at rest stops are tired, per-haps weaker physically and mentally because of the road, and their minds are not focused on safety and security. This is a prime picking for those looking to score.

Having this knowledge, it was un-derstood that the hair on my neck was standing up and my alert level was high. Before I exited my vehicle, I took special note of the coming and going vehicles, their occupants and their length of stay. I kept an eye on my rear view mirrors to see if anyone was around or close to my car. Now, this doesn’t mean that I stayed in my car for hours waiting for the right moment to go to the bathroom. It means that I waited about three or four minutes, just to get a good look and feel to what was going on around the area. The people coming in and out looked like average men, women and kids. An elderly couple, a family of fi ve, a young couple with a dog, and so on. They weren’t wearing any signs that read “criminal.” I saw no stereotypical gang

i have always thought that in order to know how a criminal works and acts, it’s good to think like a criminal.

REST SToP SAFETY

[ B Y J E R R O D S M E L K E R ]


members fl ying their colors, no scruffy-looking punks, no drug deals going down, and no gun fi ghts about to break out. Everything looked normal, which could be good or could be quite deceiv-ing. What is normal to one person may not be normal to another. Let’s just say there was nothing about the situation that lead me to believe anything bad was happening or going to happen. But my safety and security radar was still up and running. I exited my vehicle and walked toward the building, keeping my eyes open and making sure to observe my surroundings. The building was well lit inside and out, and the glass door and walls made it easy to see inside be-fore I entered.

I walked into the men’s room and ob-served that it was empty. There were three doors directly in front, one for the men, one for the women, and one to a utility closet. A vending machine was to the right and a bench was off to the left. However, I never took for granted that I was really alone. I use what is around me to make sure my safety and security was intact. If I have to use the stalls, I always make sure not to use the last stall so as not to corner or trap myself. If I use the urinal, I use the refl ection in the chrome pipes to see around and behind me. Don’t be afraid to always look over your shoulder, turn and look behind you, and see what and who is around you. It makes no difference if you make someone else uncomfortable in a public restroom by looking around; your safety is much more important than someone else’s feelings.

I did my business quickly and left the restroom. I know what you are think-ing and of course I washed my hands! I walked out of the building and back to my car without incident. I told you this was no shootout article. By the way, my handgun was always at my side, my at-tention was always highly alert and my senses were at the top of their game.

In addition to the general mindset of being alert and aware, here are a few tips for rest stop safety and security:

If possible, do not use rest stops, period. It may be safer to use a more public option such as a gas station or a restaurant. Always remem-ber, though, that the dangers can be

the same no matter where you are.Pay attention to how many people

are in the restroom, where they are and what they are doing. Listen to people entering the restroom. Are they whis-pering? Are they making plans? Does it seem suspicious? Use all of your senses to help maintain your security.

Buy a small rearview mirror like those sold in automotive stores. The mirror can be used if you are in a stall and need to see outside into the main restroom, so you will know if a potential attacker is lying in wait for you. It may look strange to others, but this is your safety we are talking about.

It is a good idea to always take your kids in the restroom with you no mat-ter what their age. Don’t let them go alone, don’t leave them in your vehicle and don’t let them run around the area alone. It only takes a few seconds for someone to scoop up a child and be on

the highway and out of sight in no time. Another idea is to take your kids into the stall with you. Have them use the bath-room and if you have to go, have them turn around. It’s better this way than to have something happen to them.

If you are a couple with no kids, it’s a good idea to let one person go to the re-stroom and the other stand outside the doorway. This is just in case one or the other is in need of assistance.

As you enter the restroom, look around for alternate escape routes in case you need to get away quickly. Many restrooms and rest stops do not have windows or a second exit. Be aware that the door you entered could be the only exit.

Check the doorway before you enter the restroom, just like you should any

door anywhere, and when you exit a stall or the restroom, check again. This could prove to be serious blunder if you just walk through without paying atten-tion to what or who is to the side or in front of the door,.

Look up. A simple common sense thing to do, yet most people don’t even think of it and generally never do no matter where they are. If you are outside the restroom, by the trees or the build-ing, take a look up. Criminals could be up in a tree, on the roof of the rest stop or inside on a ceiling rafter waiting to jump down on top of you. This will take you by complete surprise and could prove to be fatal. Don’t think it doesn’t happen, because it does.

If you don’t already carry a fl ashlight, take one with you whether you are going into the rest stop or walking your dog by the trees. Even in daylight, a fl ashlight can prove to be helpful. You can use it

as a defense tool or if someone turns the power off to the building.

Stopping at a highway rest stop or using a public restroom should be like anything else you do. It takes common sense and being aware of what is going on around you and being prepared for what could happen. Don’t let the sim-plest task of going to the restroom make you complacent with your safety and security. n

REST SToP SAFETY

Criminals realize that people who are stopping at rest stops are tired and their minds are not focused on safety and security.


KERShAW JUnKYARd doGI have a number of very nice, very

expensive knives. I have to admit to be-coming a bit of a knife snob over time. However, there are certain knives the feel and quality of which belies their price. I fi nd that to be true with Kershaw knives in general, and in particular with their Junkyard Dog. This is a big knife with a big knife feel. The blade measures 3 3/4 inches, and the knife weighs in at a relatively hefty 5.2 ounces. However, the weight is clearly a result of the heavy-duty nature of this knife and its beefy frame. The blade itself is quite thick, with a large belly, and has a real feeling of strength. I like the heft and balance of this knife—it just feels strong and inspires confi dence. The handle is 410 stainless steel for strength, and is mated to lighter weight G-10 scales in an attrac-tive grey color. The texture of the G-10 is pleasing to both the eye and the hand with a nice grippy texture. The blade is crafted from Sandvik 13C26 stainless chromium steel that is very hard, and corrosion resistant. The JYD has a new opening mechanism that Kershaw de-scribes as one-handed, index-fi nger opening system. It is similar to the fl ip-per seen on other knife designs where pressure on a blade protrusion on the closed side of the folded knife forces the blade open. The system works well, and a little bit of wrist fl ip ensures a posi-tive opening every time. One benefi t

is that the knife can be opened easily with either hand. Once open, the blade is secured by a liner lock. To round out the package, the JYD comes with an ef-fi cient oversize pocket clip.

The Junkyard Dog is made by Kershaw in the U.S.A. and is backed by their excellent lifetime warranty. If you are looking for a beefy folding knife at a great price, please check out this Kershaw. Street prices on this knife are actually less than $50—which is a real bargain for what you get. The JYD is one of my favorite knives right now. In fact, Kershaw was nice enough to replace the knife after it was stolen from my house during a recent burglary. At least the burglars had good taste in knives! Check out the Junkyard Dog and other Kershaw knives at www.kershawknives.com or call (503) 682-1966.

BoWiE TACTiCAl ConCEPTSIn case you haven’t noticed, polymer

framed handguns seem to dominate the concealed carry market. Polymer framed guns have a lot of known ad-vantages including lighter weight, lower cost, and durability. In my experience though, most polymer framed guns are a few hours on a gunsmith’s bench away from being great guns. But, you have to keep in mind that plastic guns are a dif-ferent breed of cat from what your tra-ditional local gunsmith may be used to working on.

Bowie Tactical Concepts (BTC) is a small gunsmithing shop that specializes in customizing polymer framed guns. David Bowie (no, not the rock star nor the namesake of the famous knife) is a Deputy Sheriff, a SWAT team member, and an instructor at the Tactical Defense Institute in Ohio (www.tdiohio.com). He is also a very talented gunsmith.

This month’s survey of high quality gear has no particular theme, just an assortment of stuff I use and recommend. Each of the items reviewed has been thoroughly used and tested, and I can recommend them without hesitation. If you have favorite carry gear that you would like to share with other CCM readers, I would love to hear from you. Now, on to the real world carry gear for this issue: REAl WoRld

CARRY GEAR[ B Y D U A N E A . D A I K E R ]

Bowie Tactical Concepts customized the polymer grips on this Smith & Wesson M&P.

The Kershaw Junkyard Dog is economical, but doesn’t skimp on quality.


David is proud to say that he builds cus-tom guns for real world encounters. His focus is on practical modifi cations that work in the real world and help you sur-vive a gunfi ght.

I sent my Smith & Wesson M&P .45 to BTC for David to work his magic. I gave him some idea of what I was interested in, and he made recommendations on other things. Ultimately, we wound up doing some of his most commonly re-quested procedures. The polymer frame received a full stippling for improved grip, and magazine well cutouts for

easier magazine removal in the event of a stoppage. The stippling makes for a much improved grip surface, and has a nice look as well. On the slide, I asked BTC to upgrade the sights to a front night sight and a plain black serrated rear—my preferred confi guration for a carry gun. BTC has a variety of sight options available, and installs quality

AmeriGlo night sights. I also asked for an oxide blast on the slide for purely cosmetic reasons. I just happen to like two-tone guns. The slide work was com-pleted with a slight radiusing to break all sharp edges for carry. Probably the most important work, however, was the trigger job. I opted for the “S” or “Short” trigger job. There are several options for M&P triggers that are best described on the BTC website, complete with photos. I can’t say enough about how much a good trigger job changes a stock gun. Polymer guns, in particular, tend to have poor triggers that can be made much better with a little attention from a talented gunsmith.

My full boat modifi cations cost a little over $300, and the turnaround time was about two months. David quoted me a time frame when I sent him the gun, and he delivered as promised. Turnaround times seem to be very reasonable, but wait times can vary, so be sure to ask up front. If I were on a tighter budget the trigger work and the stippling would be my fi rst choices for work, followed by the sight upgrades.

BTC works on all polymer frame guns, including Glocks, S&W M&Ps, Springfi eld Armory XDs, Kahrs and more. You can view all the available gun-smithing services and prices on their website at www.bowietacticalconcepts.com. BTC does a lot of other interest-ing work, like stippling Crimson Trace lasergrips, shortening grip frames, (like converting a Glock 17 frame to a Glock 19 size) and grip reductions.

A little bit of attention from a master gunsmith can make a huge difference. David Bowie transformed my M&P from a very good gun to a great gun. I suggest you send off your favorite polymer-framed gun for similar treatment. I pre-dict that you will be very pleased with the investment. You can contact Bowie Tactical Concepts by e-mail through the website, or by calling (937) 544-4606.

CoVERT CARRiERThere are a number of carry clips

available for holsterless carry. Kel-Tec, for example, even offers a factory belt clip for their smaller guns. I have tried various types of these clips over the years, and invariably I have concluded

they were not all that useful. Then I met Jim Wakefi eld of Covert Carrier, who asked me to try his version of a belt clip. I’m glad I did.

The Covert Carrier utilizes a steel clip affi xed to a fi rearm’s grip surface. The clip permits the gun to be carried in-side the waistband, and held securely in place without the need for(or extra thickness of) a holster. The unique part about the Covert Carrier clip is that it permits the gun to seat very deeply, al-most entirely below the top of the waist-band. The gun rides much lower than your average inside the waistband hol-ster. The end result is near total conceal-ment, even without a cover garment. The only exposed portion of the gun is the thin black clip, which can even be hidden behind a belt. An untucked shirt will completely cover the clip, and even a tucked in shirt that is slightly bloused at the waistline will cover the clip from view of all but the most studious ob-server. If you carry in the recommended appendix position, few people will stare at the front of your pants long enough to detect a thin metal clip!

Drawing a gun equipped with a Covert Carrier is obviously a little slower than from a standard IWB holster where a fi ring grip can be obtained before the draw, but with a little bit of practice it is very manageable. A slower draw is sim-ply the price to be paid for deep con-cealment. The clip holster is surprisingly comfortable when used with the small guns for which the system was designed. The Covert Carrier can be installed in a number of ways. The cleanest install is ordering a right side replacement grip panel. The grip panels match the origi-nal factory grip panels, but with a Covert Carrier clip pre-installed. These are cur-

REAl WoRld CARRY GEAR

[ B Y D U A N E A . D A I K E R ]

Covert Carrier holsterless carry system, attached to a Seecamp.


rently available for small Berettas, NAA Guardians, Seecamps, and very soon for the Rohrbaugh R-9. Pictured with this column is the Seecamp replace-ment grip panel. You can send just your pistol’s grip panel to Covert Carrier and they will install the clip on your grips, or, for easy home installation, and for guns without removable grip panels, you can order a rubber grip sleeve with the clip that simply stretches over your firearm’s grip.

I found the Covert Carrier to be great way to make a Seecamp .32 ACP dis-appear in the appendix position. The gun rides comfortably, and no one will see it. The clip won’t interfere with fir-ing the gun. In fact, at least as far as the Seecamp is concerned, it was virtually unnoticeable. The additional grip width created by the clip may even make the gun easier to control.

One quick safety note: I tend to be-lieve that this or any holsterless system works best with double-action guns with heavy triggers. By eliminating the holster, you eliminate the protection for the trigger. I personally wouldn’t use this system with a Glock with a round chambered, but some will. That is your call. Just be advised of the chance of an unintentional discharge.

All of the Covert Carrier products can be viewed at www.covertcarrier.com or you can contact them at (702) 245-6302.

Prices range from $32 to $48, de-pending upon your application. Jim Wakefield is so sure you will be pleased with his product, he will refund your money if you aren’t completely satis-fied. I suspect you will be, and I suggest you give the Covert Carrier a try if hol-sterless carry appeals to you.

WilSon CoMBAT EliTETACTiCAl MAGAzinE

Wilson Combat has been a leader in quality 1911 magazines for quite some time. The reliability of Wilson mags is well-known. However, Wilson Combat decided to crank things up a notch with their new Elite Tactical Magazine (ETM). The ETM is a completely new magazine, designed as a premium quality, eight round 1911 magazine (not a re-design of a seven round magazine.) The ETM

is designed for ultimate reliability and performance. The materials are all top grade and designed to resist dirt, grime, and corrosion. Wilson claims to have developed the strongest mag tube avail-able, virtually eliminating the potential for cracking or fatigue of the mag tube or feeding lips. The new nylon follower has an extended skirt to ensure stabil-ity in operation and reliability. Wilson has also designed a new stainless steel spring that requires significantly less compression, resulting in a much lon-ger spring life than other magazines. In

fact, Wilson Combat says the ammo in a loaded magazine will go bad before the spring goes bad! The ETM is also designed to permit easy seating of the magazine with the slide closed, even when the mag is fully loaded with eight rounds.

The ETM’s more visible features are also interesting. The observation ports have been redesigned to maximize the natural strength of the mag tube with-out decreasing functionality. The obser-vation ports number the rounds from two through eight on both sides of the mag, so you can tell at a glance how many rounds are present. I find this to be a very useful and well executed fea-

ture. The ETM also has a redesigned base pad that is sized properly for easy handling, and is seemingly indestruc-tible.

I tested a sample of ETM mags in a va-riety of 1911s, and they functioned per-fectly. While the ETMs carry a slightly higher price tag than some other good quality magazines, they appear to be worth the small difference. A few extra dollars is a small price to pay to ensure you have the highest quality magazines, especially if they last for a lifetime. With Wilson Combat’s Lifetime Satisfaction Policy, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Wilson’s new Elite Tactical Magazine retails for $34.95, and can sometimes be found a couple of dollars cheaper. If you are a serious 1911 shooter, you owe it to yourself to try the ETM. For more information on the features and design or to purchase, contact Wilson Combat at www.wilsoncombat.com or call (800) 955-4856.

BEnChMAdE TACTiCAl PEnOftentimes, particularly in our post

9-11 world, we find ourselves in places where self-defense weapons–even or-dinary knives—are not allowed. Metal detectors have sprung up in more and more places, forcing us to leave our ev-eryday defensive tools behind. Even if

the metal detectors are not physically present, company policy may severely restrict your options. These types of restrictive environments force us to be more creative in our preparations for any dangers we may have to face.

Enter the Benchmade 1100 Tactical Pen, a discrete defensive tool for every-day use. The 1100 is a serious chunk of machined aluminum that will serve any number of defensive purposes—like a Kubaton, yarawa stick, or a stabbing tool. The pen body is nicely knurled and grooved for a sure grip. The non-reflective black finish is anodized. The long end of the pen is tapered into a reasonably sharp point—sharp enough

Wilson Combat Elite Tactical

magazines are redesigned

for optimal performance

and reliability.

Benchmade helps provide a little peace of mind for overseas trips.


3.0” Barrel Models9mm, .40 S&W Tungsten Diamond

Coating

Preferred Choice ofUndercover Armed

Professionals

Why buy a BLOCKwhen you can own a Kahr?

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P. O. Box 220, Blauvelt, NY 10913Sales Support & Service: 508-795-3919Websites: www.kahr.com / www.kahrshop.com

PM9/PM40Polymer frame and blackened stainless steel slide

MSRP: $837.00

for use as an improvised weapon—but, in the event it is closely examined, not so sharp as to call attention to itself. The pointed end actually looks some-what artsy or decorative. The good news is that the 1100 is actually a good pen too! The pen has a removable stainless steel pocket clip for easy carry. The cap is sealed with an O-ring gasket and pulls off with no need to unscrew. The cap stores securely on the pen for writing, which it does very well, courtesy of the Fisher Space Pen refills. Fisher Pen refills are pressurized and are made for writing at any angle, under water, and even in outer space! Refills are available in blue or black, from Benchmade, from Fisher Space Pen (www.fisherspacepen.com), or from your local office supply store.

The Benchmade 1100 Tactical Pen has a street price of about $75. Not a bad price for a nicely made pen, especially when it doubles as a defensive tool. Of course, the pen is covered by Benchmade’s ex-cellent lifetime warranty. I use mine fre-quently, and I like it a lot. For details on the 1100, visit www.benchmade.com or call (800) 800-7427.

CEd ShoT TiMERAs you progress as a shooter, there

are certain range items you just need to have. One of them is a good shot timer. Shot timers can help you with training, and improving your speed, and you can also measure yourself against known standards. Plus, they are just kind of fun to play around with.

I recently had a chance to spend some time with the CED 7000 Shot Timer from Competitive Edge Dynamics. This is not your father’s shot timer! The CED 7000 is billed as the smallest and most ad-vanced shot timer around. As far as I can tell, that claim is true. In fact, the CED 7000 is so small and light it almost seems like a toy, yet this is a full-featured shot timer with all the usual features, and then some. The large, illuminated LCD display is easy to read, and the controls are easy to understand after just a quick perusal of the owner’s manual. Although small, the CED 7000 has a loud beep for delayed starts, and can be connected to an external horn if necessary. There is a wireless connection to an optional large external display for competitive events. The timer runs on an internal rechargeable battery, and an external battery pack with disposable batteries can be connected to keep the unit pow-ered up in an emergency. CED offers a wide variety of accessories for this unit. As pictured, the CED 7000 is wearing a rubberized orange skin to protect it from unintentional abuse. If orange is not your color, lots of other colors are available. You can also choose to add a belt clip, neck lanyard, or wrist lanyard to keep the unit close at hand.

I find the CED unit works very well. In my experience, shot detection is 100% accurate, and the operation is easy to use and understand. I don’t think that you will be disappointed with the perfor-mance of this impressive little unit. The CED 7000 retails for $119.95, and is dif-ficult to find at much of a discount. The unit comes with a 30 day money-back guarantee and a two year limited war-ranty. For more information, visit www.cedhk.com or call (888) 628-3233. n

[ Duane A. Daiker writes extensively on equipment, training, and concealed car-ry issues from a civilian perspective. He has been writing for CCM since its first issue, and writes regularly for Shooting Illustrated. Duane has been a lifelong shooter and goes about his life as an armed, responsible, and somewhat opin-ionated citizen. Duane can be contacted at [email protected], and welcomes your comments, and sug-gestions for gear reviews. ]

Improve your speed with a CED shot timer.


i’m talking about Interactive Gunfi ghting offered by Suarez International. I attended this class

for the fi rst time several years ago, and it changed the way I thought about gun-fi ghting. Let’s drop in on Gabe Suarez at the class offered in Manassas, Virginia this past March and see what’s new.

Interactive Gunfi ghting is a two-day course conducted entirely with Airsoft pistols. There is no live fi re, but there is lots of action from the fi rst drill to the last. This class is not for the beginner,

A ViSiT To SUAREz inTERnATionAl’S inTERACTiVE GUnFiGhTinG

[ B Y J A C K R U M B A U G H ]

This month i’m going to take a look at one of the premiere reality-based fi rearms training classes offered anywhere in the U.S.

USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE 42

Gun beats knife in this drill.

Defl ecting a blade.

FoRCE-on-FoRCE noTEBooK


and if you are completely out of shape, perhaps a few weeks on the elliptical or hitting the gym would be in order prior to attending. It will get physical.

Rather than go over the class play by play, I just want to hit a few key con-cepts. We’ll start with one fundamental concept: A gunfi ght is half shooting and half not getting shot. It is very quickly determined through the use of the “Suicide Drill” that not getting shot is the foremost concern in an armed con-frontation. The Suicide Drill is simply when two shooters stand at a distance of seven yards, and at the Go signal, draw and shoot. Regardless of the skill levels of the two shooters, they both get shot. You may have a blisteringly fast El Presidente or a presentation to fi rst shot that would make an IPSC cham-

pion green with envy, but bar-ring your opponent completely fouling his draw, you will both get shot. Drill after drill, time after time, each pair took nearly simultaneous hits. Standing in place, shooting with a perfect stance, is suicide.

Another concept that has been a thread throughout my column is that movement is critical. It is a very simple concept that still seems to be meeting with some resistance within the gun commu-nity. Even with the empirical evidence of hundreds of repetitions in force on force showing that those that move sur-vive longer, some people are reluctant to give up the mantra “Stand and Deliver.” The Tueller Drill, also known as the 21

foot rule, in conjunc-tion with the Suicide Drill, is a very ef-fective means of illustrating the point of just how critical it is to get off the X in a gunfi ght. Exploding off the X will keep you from getting shot for a little bit longer, allowing you to get hits on your opponent. The minute you stop mov-

A ViSiT To SUAREz inTERnATionAl’S inTERACTiVE GUnFiGhTinG

pion green with envy, but bar-ring your opponent completely fouling his draw, you will both get shot. Drill after drill, time after time, each pair took nearly simultaneous hits. Standing in place, shooting with a perfect

Another concept that has been a thread throughout my column is that movement is critical. It is a very simple concept that still seems to be meeting with some foot rule, in conjunc-

A Tueller drill.

left: Defl ecting the muzzle away

from the body. below: A disarm.


ing, square up, and try and shoot from a traditional stance, your opponent will shoot you–repeatedly. With great joy and satisfaction, I might add.

The movement matrix Suarez International teaches has evolved con-tinuously over the past few years. As Gabe found a technique that proved its worth in the crucible of the force on force arena, he included it in the curriculum from that moment on. I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time to see the fi rst presentation of our current technique for getting off the X. Last year, I trained privately with Tom Sotis of the AMOK! knife system. I pro-vided Tom with pistol instruction, and he was training me in AMOK! When I showed him what we were using at that time to get off the X, Tom had a better way. He demonstrated something called the “Pekiti Take-Off” and we achieved a quantum leap in speed and effective-ness. This fortunate cross pollination of systems provided us with a new and better way of getting off the X. We vid-eoed the technique and shipped it off to SI Central in Arizona. Gabe taught it

in the next Interactive Gunfi ghting class and it proved time and time again to be a su-perior method for get-ting off the X and not getting shot. It then became a core part of the class. It works like a charm.

The class was heavy on footwork drills to get the stu-dents moving and presenting their pistols simultane-ously. During the drills the distance between adversaries was shortened. As the distances compressed movement became paramount. Once the students were into the extreme close contact dis-tances one might encounter in a real assault, other techniques were plugged in to help solve the immediate problem that may not have the answer: Gun.

The class quickly progressed through many variations on a theme: Shoot the

in the next Interactive Gunfi ghting class and it proved time and time again to be a su-perior method for get-ting off the X and not getting shot. It then became a core part

between adversaries was shortened. As the distances compressed movement

The minute you stop moving, your opponent will shoot you–repeatedly.

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If this was real, this “tie” would really suck.


guy trying to do you harm. Whether the bad guy was armed with a gun or a knife, it was quickly evident what the good guy had to do. He had to move with author-ity and shoot with reasonable accuracy. He had to keep moving or the bad guy caught up to him in short order.

The most impressive thing that was shown all weekend was the good guy being able to avoid getting shot by a drawn gun. Time and time again, stu-dents of all shapes, sizes and levels of fitness were able to initiate the action and avoid the gun. From there, they were able to employ various techniques to shoot or disarm their opponent. To a man, each student was able to repeat-edly pull this off.

The class concluded with several sce-narios that provided a problem to solve. The scenarios ranged from a simple robbery to an active shooter scenario. The scenarios allowed the students a chance to think on their feet outside the constraints of the prior drills, and they had a great time doing so.

Force on force training is extremely important to the modern CCW holder. Dry practice drills are like the beginning drills in karate. You learn the techniques. Range work is like hitting the heavy bag. You are learning to deliver force. Force on force with Airsoft is the equivalent to free sparring in martial arts. You get to hit a live, thinking opponent that just might hit you back. All three are impor-tant for you to understand the concepts of the pistol in the context of a fight.

The class zoomed by far too fast for the students. They all took away a wealth of knowledge and experience gained in two short, action-packed days. That, and they all took a few doz-en Airsoft boo-boos home as well. I en-courage every CCW holder to invest in a class of this nature. It will change the way you look at a gunfight forever. And it is a whole lot of fun, too. Even with the boo-boos. n

[ Jack Rumbaugh is a Suarez International Staff Instructor for Virginia. He lives in the DC area with his wife and two teenagers. A self-professed training junkie, he is usually doing something that makes his wife shake her head and wonder. ]


onE CAll[ B Y K . L . J A M I S O N ]

iT’S JUST ThE lAW

had He been given competent le-gal counsel, the New Testament might have had a happy end-

ing. But getting competent legal coun-sel can be tricky. Even if given the fi rst century equivalent of a phone call, as a stranger in Jerusalem, Jesus could not know which local lawyer would be best for his case.

There is a cultural image that a defen-dant gets one phone call. Actually, a de-fendant has a right to contact the outside world. This typically takes the form of a communal jail phone, and a battered copy of the Yellow Pages. The defendant

can make as many calls as the rest of the jail community will tolerate. The calls are made collect, and the defendant will often fi nd that family members have blocks on their line which prevent calls from the jail. These blocks seem especially common on cell phones, and prevent contact with the outside world at all. Lawyers typically accept collect calls from jail as a business expense. Various organizations provide referrals to lawyers familiar with fi rearms and self-defense cases, but nothing more. The faster a knowledgeable attorney is brought into the case, the harder it will be for the authorities to prosecute the case, or even fi le criminal charges. Getting this knowledgeable attorney is a function of knowing which lawyer is knowledgeable, and being able to pay for the knowledge.

There are companies that offer a type of legal insurance for self-defense cases. The coverage may be limited to early le-gal proceedings, and may pay only after the insured has fi rst prevailed in court. One such policy for individuals who act in self-defense insures personal prop-erty or bodily injury resulting from an act of self-defense. It also covers legal defense in a civil suit, and reimburses the defendant for costs of a criminal de-fense, but only if acquitted or the charg-es are dropped. The policy is available only to NRA members.1

Another company sells a policy which pays for legal services through grand jury proceedings.2 A grand jury is like any other jury. It is “grand” only in its task of determining if criminal charges will be fi led against the guest of honor. Since the grand jury only hears from the

it is reliably reported that the trial and execution of Jesus of nazareth violated both local and Roman law.


prosecution it always determines that criminal charges will be filed. This is frankly the point where a legal defense starts to get really expensive but the policy will pay for representation in the critical early hours of a case.

Marty Hayes has found a different way. After founding and operating the successful Firearms Academy of Seattle, twenty years as a professional firearms instructor and thirty years of law enforcement association, he went to law school. Upon graduation he added up the instruction he received on self-defense. It totaled about ninety minutes.3 In addition, few lawyers are familiar with the human dynamics of gunfights, ballistics or wound analysis. He realized that an individual in a self-defense case requires a supporting or-ganization. The ACLU descends on civil rights violations, and labor unions back up members in trouble. Self-defense shooters needed something similar; the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network LLC was the result.4

The purpose of the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network (ACLDN) is to provide legal support to deserving members. One cannot expect the net-work to rally in support of a crime, or to take care of any baggage brought into the network. The ACLDN is for per-sons who plan ahead. Each member is provided with three educational DVDs. These DVDs provide the member with training to stay out of trouble. If the worst thing happens the DVDs dem-onstrate that the member did his “due diligence” in learning the rules. In the aftermath of a self-defense shooting police, prosecutors and jury members will argue if the citizen’s actions were reasonable. The DVDs demonstrate a reasonable basis for the citizen’s acts. Members will also get discounts on training programs, books and DVDs.

Members have access to a section of the ACLDN’s web site where they can locate attorneys in their area. This re-

source also allows them to locate attor-neys in other areas in advance of trips. The name and number of a knowledge-able attorney in a strange place can be comforting if the worst thing happens.

The ACLDN is supplemented by the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization for the purpose of channeling financial as-sistance to members who need assis-tance with legal fees. Twenty percent of membership fees go to the founda-tion to support members who have had anything from the very worst le-gal result to the worst thing that could

happen. There is no guarantee that the Foundation will financially support a defense. The Foundation also provides analysis and advice to legal counsel on possible defenses. A science has grown up around gunfight analysis involving vision, perception, reaction times, hu-man dynamics, physical and mental reactions, memory, training and ex-pectations and more.5 There have been innumerable cases involving a furtive movement which a police officer inter-preted as a threat. After the shooting investigation often found no weapon on the deceased. The new science has demonstrated how innocent motions, in a decidedly not innocent context, can appear to be a threat, and thus explain, if not entirely excuse, the shooting. In other cases a police officer has fired back at an assailant, only to have the autopsy find a bullet in the assailant’s

back. The new science has demon-strated that an assailant can turn while the officer is pulling his trigger and the bullet is on its way before his mind can perceive the danger is over and cancel the order to the trigger finger. This sci-ence has been driven by lawsuits over police shootings but is invaluable to ci-vilians who have acted in self-defense. The new science is available to ACLDN members through the Foundation in the legal aftermath of self-defense. The Foundation is backed by the expertise of Massad Ayoob, John Farnam, Tom Givens and Jim Cirillo Jr.6 The NRA, Second Amendment Foundation, and Gun Owners of America provide le-gal referrals and financial support. However their focus is on cases which will advance the general cause of gun rights. The ACLDN focus is on the inter-ests of the individual member. It does not lobby, it does not march, it simply supports its members. It does so with the support of other members. This is a good reason to join. No one will support us, but us.

Citizens fortify themselves against at-tack with guns and pepper spray. They can fortify themselves against the sec-ondary legal attack with one call to the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network. It is available at PO Box 400, Onalaska, Washington 98570 (360) 978-5200 or www.armedcitizensnetwork.org n

[ Kevin L. Jamison is an attorney in the Kansas City Missouri area concentrating in the area of weapons and self-defense.Please send questions to Kevin L. Jamison 2614 NE 56th Ter Gladstone Missouri 64119-2311 [email protected]. Individual answers are not usually possible but may be addressed in future columns. ]

This information is for legal informa-tion purposes and does not constitute legal advice. For specific questions you should consult a qualified attorney.

1. Lockton Risk Services, PO Box 410679, Kansas City, Missouri 64141 or (877)

NRA-3006.

2. CHL Protection Plan, 12801 Midway Rd, Dallas, Texas 75244.

3. In my experience, this seems high.

4. www.armedcitizensnetwork.org

5. See the Force Science Institute web page www.forcesciencenews.com and

Calibre Press at www.calibrepress.com.

6. Jim Cirillo Sr. encouraged the Network and Foundation before his untimely

death. I had the pleasure of meeting his son Jim Cirillo Jr. at a course given

in the Kansas City area.

An individual in a self-defense

case requires a supporting organization.

Social beings live by law and most of us have a reverence for the law. An area of concern, particularly

among distressed females, is the re-straining order. A case in point of the failure of the justice system may be found in the death of Sonya Long of Charlotte.

Mrs. Long was murdered August 16, 2007 by her estranged husband. A spokesman for the Mecklenburg County Women’s Commission stated, “The sad reality is that a restraining order is just

a piece of paper.” The husband had sev-eral convictions for theft and had spent fi ve years in prison. Mrs. Long’s restrain-ing order had been granted because of threats made against her. Since the threats had not been acted upon, the only recourse was a restraining order.

A restraining order is similar to a trespass notice. The penalty for violat-ing a restraining order is similar to that of trespass after notice. I wish to stress that the law varies from state to state and that while my description is found-ed in law, my descriptions are general-izations.

A mutual restraining order is prac-tically standard procedure when two persons fi le for separation or divorce. A separation may be described as amica-ble but more often, emotions run high. Adultery, fi nancial strain, physical and

emotional abuse, alcoholism and drug abuse are often in the picture. A re-straining order is often issued as a mu-tual restraining order, and orders each of the separated parties not to contact the other or visit the home of the other. The less contact the better in most cas-es. Notice I said it orders the parties not to contact the other. I did not say they are prevented from contacting each other. A mutual restraining order is a reasonable and prudent step.

The restraining order works best with responsible individuals who have much to lose from going to jail. Those with a public job or profession, well developed self esteem, and strong family values are the least likely to break the order. A restraining order provides a legal block and gives legal recourse to a spouse who desires to be left alone, free of ha-

rassment. The majority of individuals do indeed respect the law.

On the other hand, a batterer or an ex-convict may not respect the order and may attempt to circumvent it in some manner. In most jurisdictions if one party allows the other to visit, or invites the other to come on over and talk, the restraining order is no longer valid. An otherwise innocent party must be aware that such an invitation is often used as a trap. Of the many subtleties of human beings, this is one example of the subterfuge and illusions often tried on peace offi cers. I am not making an excuse for lax policing (about ten percent of offi cers do the majority of the most diffi cult work ) but offi cers, while generally sympathetic to those in danger, are inundated by absolute garbage at a rate

the public does not truly understand.So, are restraining orders worthless

as protective devices? No. They serve a useful purpose in protecting both par-ties from intrusive action and also in limiting impulsive acts by normally sane people. In the majority of cases restrain-ing orders are respected. When they are not, we learn about it in the paper and some are real horror stories., From traf-fi c laws to the criminal code, Society de-pends upon citizens to respect the law. Those who misbehave respect nothing. It is vital that a chain of reports, com-monly referred to as a paper trail, is kept current to support claims that a re-straining order is violated. Every threat must be documented. Such a paper trail will be a big help in clearing your name if you are forced to defend an attack by such an individual.

We have covered some of the practi-cal aspects of a restraining order. No matter how mild your other half may have seemed, an exclusory diagnosis is not possible because a separation and divorce are extraordinary actions. Once there has been violent activity or the person involved has shown a vio-lent nature, legal redress is needed. But if this is truly the case, you cannot rely upon the police or a piece of paper to protect you. You have to go with what you know. And I hope what you know is up to the task. n

[ Robert Campbell is a veteran law offi cer who holds a degree in criminal justice. [

After 23 years as a peace offi cer and a half century as an observer of the human condition, i understand the impact of the law on society.

A FEW WoRdS onRESTRAininG oRdERS

It is an unfortunate fact of life that sometimes we have to

prepare ourselves to protect what the government cannot

or will not protect.

[ B Y R . K . C A M P B E L L ]

The majority of individuals

do indeed respect the law.

On the other hand...


49

Social beings live by law and most of us have a reverence for the law. An area of concern, particularly

among distressed females, is the re-straining order. A case in point of the failure of the justice system may be found in the death of Sonya Long of Charlotte.

Mrs. Long was murdered August 16, 2007 by her estranged husband. A spokesman for the Mecklenburg County Women’s Commission stated, “The sad reality is that a restraining order is just

a piece of paper.” The husband had sev-eral convictions for theft and had spent fi ve years in prison. Mrs. Long’s restrain-ing order had been granted because of threats made against her. Since the threats had not been acted upon, the only recourse was a restraining order.

A restraining order is similar to a trespass notice. The penalty for violat-ing a restraining order is similar to that of trespass after notice. I wish to stress that the law varies from state to state and that while my description is found-ed in law, my descriptions are general-izations.

A mutual restraining order is prac-tically standard procedure when two persons fi le for separation or divorce. A separation may be described as amica-ble but more often, emotions run high. Adultery, fi nancial strain, physical and

emotional abuse, alcoholism and drug abuse are often in the picture. A re-straining order is often issued as a mu-tual restraining order, and orders each of the separated parties not to contact the other or visit the home of the other. The less contact the better in most cas-es. Notice I said it orders the parties not to contact the other. I did not say they are prevented from contacting each other. A mutual restraining order is a reasonable and prudent step.

The restraining order works best with responsible individuals who have much to lose from going to jail. Those with a public job or profession, well developed self esteem, and strong family values are the least likely to break the order. A restraining order provides a legal block and gives legal recourse to a spouse who desires to be left alone, free of ha-

rassment. The majority of individuals do indeed respect the law.

On the other hand, a batterer or an ex-convict may not respect the order and may attempt to circumvent it in some manner. In most jurisdictions if one party allows the other to visit, or invites the other to come on over and talk, the restraining order is no longer valid. An otherwise innocent party must be aware that such an invitation is often used as a trap. Of the many subtleties of human beings, this is one example of the subterfuge and illusions often tried on peace offi cers. I am not making an excuse for lax policing (about ten percent of offi cers do the majority of the most diffi cult work ) but offi cers, while generally sympathetic to those in danger, are inundated by absolute garbage at a rate

the public does not truly understand.So, are restraining orders worthless

as protective devices? No. They serve a useful purpose in protecting both par-ties from intrusive action and also in limiting impulsive acts by normally sane people. In the majority of cases restrain-ing orders are respected. When they are not, we learn about it in the paper and some are real horror stories., From traf-fi c laws to the criminal code, Society de-pends upon citizens to respect the law. Those who misbehave respect nothing. It is vital that a chain of reports, com-monly referred to as a paper trail, is kept current to support claims that a re-straining order is violated. Every threat must be documented. Such a paper trail will be a big help in clearing your name if you are forced to defend an attack by such an individual.

We have covered some of the practi-cal aspects of a restraining order. No matter how mild your other half may have seemed, an exclusory diagnosis is not possible because a separation and divorce are extraordinary actions. Once there has been violent activity or the person involved has shown a vio-lent nature, legal redress is needed. But if this is truly the case, you cannot rely upon the police or a piece of paper to protect you. You have to go with what you know. And I hope what you know is up to the task. n

[ Robert Campbell is a veteran law offi cer who holds a degree in criminal justice. [

A FEW WoRdS onRESTRAininG oRdERS

A piece of paper is a start, but this young woman fi nds a Taurus 24/7 comforting.

Domestic situations often take on a violent tone. Ask this cop.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM


ARMEd SEnioR CiTizEn

Many seniors have back prob-lems and other physical chal-lenges that make it painful or

stressful to lug around a 1 ½ - 2 pound handgun all day long. People with wide girth and excess baggage in their mid-dle tend to have trouble comfortably concealing a pistol worn either inside the waistband or in a belt scabbard or belt slide. Keeping one’s pants up, even with a good gun belt, is just one of the problems encountered, and it’s no fun to have to keep hiking one’s pants up all day long! There has got to be a better a way.

I know that noted fi rearms trainer Clint Smith has said that “a carry gun should be comforting, not necessar-ily comfortable.” And there are many other sayings to this effect, for exam-ple, “While for day to day concealed

carry, there is no gun small enough, in a gunfi ght, no gun will be big enough.” However, there is truth to the saying that a “mouse gun” (a .22, .25, .32, or .380 caliber) in your pocket is better when you need it on the street than your .45 left at home.

Seriously though, day to day con-cealed carry can be a stressful chore if you cannot wear adequate cover gar-ments and you live and work in an en-vironment that is, to say the least, not gun friendly. I personally like to carry my Glock 23. However, especially as the summer rapidly comes upon us, it is becoming more and more of a chore. So, what’s the solution? Sooner or later, if one insists on carrying uncomfort-ably, one will stop carrying. That is not a good answer to the problem.

Is the answer to carry a mouse gun?

Perhaps. Certainly this option is bet-ter than no gun at all. Now, I am very partial to certain small caliber semi-autos such as the Seecamp .32, which is made like a Swiss watch and is very reliable.In fact, the Seecamp .32 or .380 riding in my front or back pants pocket in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster (www.DesantisHolster.com), in a Don Hume front pocket or hip pocket hol-ster (www.DonHume.com), or in a PDS Nylon Concealed Carry Holster (www.PersonalDefenseSolutions.net) is a fa-vorite carry of mine.

This powerful little gun made by L.W. Seecamp Company of Milford, Connecticut (www.Seecamp.com) can be concealed virtually in any situation, and offers a great compromise in terms of its power to size ratio. There are times, however, where a more power-

ful option that is very comfortable and very concealable is desirable. I am talk-ing about carrying a lightweight, small frame, fi ve-shot snubby .38 Special or .357 Magnum revolver, such as a Smith & Wesson J-frame, or a small frame fi ve-shot Taurus.

From the standpoint of power to size, these small frame snubby revolvers have it all wrapped up. True, they are only fi ve-shot guns. On the other hand, the typical mouse gun carries seven to eight shots, but mouse guns are typi-cally pretty diffi cult to shoot fast and accurately at any distance further than bad breath range.

Snubbies offer many advantages for daily carry by senior citizens, and people who are physically challenged in one way or another. Snubbies are simple. They do not have manual safe-

ties. They do not have slides to manipulate under heavy recoil spring tension. They do not have magazines to load with rounds of ammunition under heavy spring ten-sion. Snubbies do have heavy enough triggers that serve the function of being a mechanical safety. That is, you do not have to worry about fi ring the revolver by accident. It requires a long, deliber-ate, intentional trigger pull.

As aptly summarized by Syd Weedon on his very informative website, The Snubnose Files (www.snubnose.info), in his article entitled, “Age and the Snubnose”, “Revolvers are easy to load, simple to operate, and reliable. Compact revolvers are generally more comfortable to carry and more fl exible in their modes of carry than autoload-ers. For those facing physical chal-

lenges, it is clearly the best option.”Snubby revolvers seem to have been

invented for pocket carry. Their con-tours make them ultra-comfortable and concealable in a pants or jacket pocket. The exception would be if you are wearing a pair of pants or shorts with exceptionally shallow pockets. However, those pockets would have to be really shallow! I can fi t my fi ve-shot snubbies in a pocket holster in all of my cargo shorts, blue jean, and khaki pant pockets.

However, another problem is that the small frame revolver is diffi cult to mas-ter at distances greater than seven yards. Add a pair of Crimson Trace Lasergrips, and now you have a solution (www.

CARRYinG CoMFoRTABlY[ B Y B R U C E N . E I M E R , P h . D ]

Ease of carry or comfort is a big issue for all of us who carry, but especially for senior citizens.

Drawing the concealed snubby from a pant pocket.


Many seniors have back prob-lems and other physical chal-lenges that make it painful or

stressful to lug around a 1 ½ - 2 pound handgun all day long. People with wide girth and excess baggage in their mid-dle tend to have trouble comfortably concealing a pistol worn either inside the waistband or in a belt scabbard or belt slide. Keeping one’s pants up, even with a good gun belt, is just one of the problems encountered, and it’s no fun to have to keep hiking one’s pants up all day long! There has got to be a better a way.

I know that noted fi rearms trainer Clint Smith has said that “a carry gun should be comforting, not necessar-ily comfortable.” And there are many other sayings to this effect, for exam-ple, “While for day to day concealed

carry, there is no gun small enough, in a gunfi ght, no gun will be big enough.” However, there is truth to the saying that a “mouse gun” (a .22, .25, .32, or .380 caliber) in your pocket is better when you need it on the street than your .45 left at home.

Seriously though, day to day con-cealed carry can be a stressful chore if you cannot wear adequate cover gar-ments and you live and work in an en-vironment that is, to say the least, not gun friendly. I personally like to carry my Glock 23. However, especially as the summer rapidly comes upon us, it is becoming more and more of a chore. So, what’s the solution? Sooner or later, if one insists on carrying uncomfort-ably, one will stop carrying. That is not a good answer to the problem.

Is the answer to carry a mouse gun?

Perhaps. Certainly this option is bet-ter than no gun at all. Now, I am very partial to certain small caliber semi-autos such as the Seecamp .32, which is made like a Swiss watch and is very reliable.In fact, the Seecamp .32 or .380 riding in my front or back pants pocket in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster (www.DesantisHolster.com), in a Don Hume front pocket or hip pocket hol-ster (www.DonHume.com), or in a PDS Nylon Concealed Carry Holster (www.PersonalDefenseSolutions.net) is a fa-vorite carry of mine.

This powerful little gun made by L.W. Seecamp Company of Milford, Connecticut (www.Seecamp.com) can be concealed virtually in any situation, and offers a great compromise in terms of its power to size ratio. There are times, however, where a more power-

ful option that is very comfortable and very concealable is desirable. I am talk-ing about carrying a lightweight, small frame, fi ve-shot snubby .38 Special or .357 Magnum revolver, such as a Smith & Wesson J-frame, or a small frame fi ve-shot Taurus.

From the standpoint of power to size, these small frame snubby revolvers have it all wrapped up. True, they are only fi ve-shot guns. On the other hand, the typical mouse gun carries seven to eight shots, but mouse guns are typi-cally pretty diffi cult to shoot fast and accurately at any distance further than bad breath range.

Snubbies offer many advantages for daily carry by senior citizens, and people who are physically challenged in one way or another. Snubbies are simple. They do not have manual safe-

ties. They do not have slides to manipulate under heavy recoil spring tension. They do not have magazines to load with rounds of ammunition under heavy spring ten-sion. Snubbies do have heavy enough triggers that serve the function of being a mechanical safety. That is, you do not have to worry about fi ring the revolver by accident. It requires a long, deliber-ate, intentional trigger pull.

As aptly summarized by Syd Weedon on his very informative website, The Snubnose Files (www.snubnose.info), in his article entitled, “Age and the Snubnose”, “Revolvers are easy to load, simple to operate, and reliable. Compact revolvers are generally more comfortable to carry and more fl exible in their modes of carry than autoload-ers. For those facing physical chal-

lenges, it is clearly the best option.”Snubby revolvers seem to have been

invented for pocket carry. Their con-tours make them ultra-comfortable and concealable in a pants or jacket pocket. The exception would be if you are wearing a pair of pants or shorts with exceptionally shallow pockets. However, those pockets would have to be really shallow! I can fi t my fi ve-shot snubbies in a pocket holster in all of my cargo shorts, blue jean, and khaki pant pockets.

However, another problem is that the small frame revolver is diffi cult to mas-ter at distances greater than seven yards. Add a pair of Crimson Trace Lasergrips, and now you have a solution (www.

CARRYinG CoMFoRTABlYSeecamp in a PDS

Nylon Concealed Carry Pocket Holster.

Seecamp .32 in a Desantis Nemesis

pocket holster.

Smith & Wesson snubbies equipped with Crimson Trace Lasergrips.

Seecamp in a PDS Nylon Concealed Carry

Seecamp .32 in a Desantis Nemesis

pocket holster.

slides to manipulate under heavy recoil spring tension. They do not have magazines to load with rounds lenges, it is clearly the best option.”

Nylon Concealed Carry Pocket Holster.

Seecamp in a PDS Nylon Concealed Carry


CrimsonTrace.com). These laser sights are now made for many of the mouse guns and all of the popular small frame Smith & Wesson revolvers.

In essence, Lasergrips make these small guns easier to shoot, and give you command control over a greater range. In fact, I have come to feel that my snubby is sort of naked without a pair of Crimson Trace Lasergrips on. Equipped with a set of Lasergrips, you can carry in your pocket a .357 Magnum revolver stoked with .357 Magnum, .38 Special hollowpoint, or .38 Special +P ammunition. With adequate practice, you can come to feel quite confi dent that you can defend yourself should you suddenly be thrust into a situation that requires deadly force. Furthermore, you can comfortably carry fi ve or six addi-tional rounds in a Bianchi Speed Strip in your pocket (www.Bianchi-Intl.com). Alternatively, you can carry a New York reload, which is a second snubby in an-other pocket.

There are plenty of models from which to choose such as a Smith & Wesson alu-minum frame Airweight (model 442, or 638, or 642), or a scandium frame Airlite (model 340, 340PD, or 342PD), or one of Smith’s new M&P 360s or 340s. Carrying a lightweight snubby (or two) in your pocket is a great compromise in terms of concealability, comfort and power, and with adequate practice (and a set of Crimson Trace Lasergrips), quite com-forting as well.

If you choose to go this route, make sure that the pocket holster you choose is not bulky, and that it covers the trig-ger guard. Also make sure that the pock-et holster is specifi cally made for your model snubby, and is designed so that it stays in your pocket when you draw the gun and does not come out with the gun! That would be like hearing a CLICK when you expect a BANG!

There is a great advantage in being able to just stick your defensive revolv-er in your pocket and feel it disappear. You can carry it comfortably all day long without straining your back or sides and barely feel that it’s there. But, knowing that it is there is very comforting. You can safely put your hand in your pocket and discreetly touch your lightweight snub-by from time to time to remind yourself

that you are well armed. You can sit down without feeling pinched, and get up without losing your pants! These are things that folks who don’t carry take for granted, and these are things that those of us who sometimes carry full size pis-tols don’t take for granted!

With the snubby, as with any handgun that you choose to carry, there is a ca-veat. You must practice with your carry gun. Small revolvers, especially those equipped with laser grips, can be shot precisely, but this requires training and practice. You should practice shoot-ing drills with your snubby. Go slowly at fi rst. Speed will come. Remember smoothness leads to speed. Don’t sac-rifi ce accuracy for speed.

Practice shooting using your snubby’s sights. Practice point shooting your snubby at appropriate distances with-out the use of sights. Practice shooting your snubby with two hands and prac-tice shooting it one handed, with both strong and weak hands. Practice your reloads. Practice drawing your snubby from your pocket and fi ring. Also do dry practice drills with your snubby at home to practice trigger control and sight picture acquisition, sight picture maintenance, and follow-through. In this regard, the reader is advised to re-fer to Kathy Jackson’s excellent dry fi re practice protocol which appeared in the May/June 2008 issue of this magazine.

In my next installment of this col-umn, I shall focus entirely on laser grips and look at laser training exercises and tactics. So, until then, carry concealed comfortably, be prepared, and stay safe. n

[ Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist, NRA certifi ed fi rearms instructor, Florida and Utah concealed fi rearms instruc-tor, and a professional writer who co-authored the Essential Guide to Handguns: Firearm Instruction for Personal Defense and Protection. As a co-owner of Personal Defense Solutions, LLC (www.PersonalDefenseSolutions.net), Bruce offers individual shooting instruction and teaches concealed carry and handgun safety classes. He can be reached at (215) 938-7283 or [email protected] ]

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Page02-OUTLINES.indd 1 12/12/2006 2:31:58 PM


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JPFo liBERTY CREW

ThAT Toddlin’ ToWn[ B Y L . N E I L S M I T H ]

irecently returned from a week-long business trip with my wife to Chicago. Most of all, I dreaded living

for a week in a jurisdiction notorious for its Draconian laws against possess-ing or carrying fi rearms. But I confess that Chicago won me over. To begin with, the part that we were in, spec-tacular Lakeshore Drive along the river near where it reaches Lake Michigan, reminded me of the breathtaking cityscapes in the Star Wars movies. Only it wasn’t special effects; those spec-tacular modernistic buildings standing around us were real.

As my wife and I strolled along the lovely Riverwalk at the bottom of this system of manmade canyons, as we enjoyed the artifi cial waterfall, with its cannon-like jet that arcs across the river every hour or so, as we watched the tour boats fl oating past us while we ate din-ner at an outside table, I couldn’t help refl ecting sadly on Chicago’s legend-arily outrageous violent crime rate, and being all too aware of a missing two pounds of comforting Hartford steel on my right hip. It had been replaced by—okay, don’t ask, don’t tell.

How much nicer this summer eve-ning could be, I told my wife—who agreed with me—if Chicago truly were the progressive Metropolis (or would it be Gotham City?) it only pretends to be. It could be, if it weren’t for political lead-ership that competes in the corruption sweepstakes with any largish Turkish city you might care to name. Chicago may indeed be “like a shining toy,” as one song has it, but it’s also fabled as the city where even the dead are allowed to vote. Which begs the question, how many of those “voters” would be alive today, if it weren’t for Chicago’s back-ward and regressive gun laws?

Despite its size and superfi cial gran-

deur, which cause it to be ranked among the world’s great cities (a size and grandeur achieved largely at the involuntary expense of its older, poorer neighborhoods, and Cook County sub-urbs) Chicago is a lot more like Selma, Alabama, and Oxford, Mississippi in the 1960s, with its chronic disregard and disdain for the unalienable individual, civil, constitutional, and human right of every man, woman, and responsible child to obtain, own, and carry openly or concealed, any weapon–rifl e, shot-gun, handgun, machinegun, anything–any time, any place, without asking anyone’s permission.

Of course most, if not all of the world’s great cities display an equal contempt for the rights of the individual. But Richard M. Daley, the mayor of Chicago is a special case, a stuffed shirt in a suit and tie who would look more at home as “Dicky-Mike Daley,” fat Southern of-fi cial with his khaki uniform, Smokey the Bear hat, and mirrored sunglasses, standing in the doorway, blocking peo-ple’s access to the Constitution.

What Chicago needs most are free-dom riders. If only large groups of dem-onstrators would lay down on the side-walk to show the cost of victim disarma-ment—thousands of unnecessary mug-gings, rapes, and murders—enough bodies to swing any Illinois election. Professor John Lott has supplied us with hard numbers in his book, More Guns, Less Crime. What Chicago is most likely to get instead, is sued, as several gun groups stood ready to do, within hours of the Supreme Court’s Heller de-cision. It would have been amusing and enlightening to be a fl y on the wall in Dicky-Mike’s offi ce when that particular ruling came down. As weak as it turned out to be, it’s a good beginning for the tasks ahead of us.

Daley and his boys (as well as the boys in New York, Denver, and other gun control cities) may think Heller doesn’t apply to them, but Article Six, Section Two of the federal Constitution says otherwise:

“This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.”

Since amendments to the Constitution, by their very nature, override everything else, the Second Amendment and Heller apply to Chicago.

And everywhere else in America.Someday, we may stroll that river

walk again, or visit the dozens of plac-es—stores, museums, restaurants–that were recommended to us everywhere we went. And we’ll be able to do it, pro-tected by those two pounds of Hartford steel, or Austrian plastic, or whatever we prefer.

Until then, Chicago, for all its charm is not “my kind of town.”

See: Death by “Gun Control” by Aaron Zelman and Richard W. Stevens at www.jpfo.org/fi legen-n-z/u-deathgc.htm, as well as The Gang, a video about the en-forcers of victim disarmament, at www.thegangmovie.com. n

[ Four-time Prometheus Award-win-ner L. Neil Smith has been writing about guns and gun ownership for more than 30 years. He is the author of 27 books, the most widely-published and prolifi c libertarian novelist in the world, and is considered an expert on the ethics of self-defense. ]

i am not a man who travels happily, and, for a variety of reasons, i abominate big cities.

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