Tidbits - November 29th, 2011

In my newsletter is a section called "Tidbits". It contains snippets, normally available online, of things I feel are of interest. Below are some that I have taken from previous issues. (To subscribe go to my website , and click on "Newsletter Subscription" at the bottom of the page.)
http://guninstructor.net/articles.html

Rob Pincus talks about "Understanding Sight Alignment & Sight Picture in the Context of Defensive Shooting". This is available from:
http://www.imakenews.com/valhalla/e_article002283411.cfm?x=bkkbQGg,bm2s6VTC

The Oklahoma City pharmacist Jerome Ersland case is evaluated by Massad Ayoob in the Ayoob Files in the 2012 of American Handgunner. It answers a lot of questions.
http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF12/?page=18

Newsletter Article December 7, 2011

HOLSTERS

The Other Part of Your Concealed Carry Equipment



Carrying concealed on a regular basis tends to require that we make a "shift" in our wardrobe choices. The holster plays an important part in making a variety of carry options practical. This video of Clint Smith's shows a bunch of holsters and carry "systems" at the beginning. Of course, Clint's summary of the whole ordeal is entertaining and educational.


Check The Condition of Your Holster(s)

I know I have been guilty of ignoring my holsters and letting them degrade into questionable condition. Holsters should be considered to be more than just an afterthought. They are an important part of your carry system.





Holsters 101



Galco, a leading brand of quality holster, has a Q&A page on their website that addresses such things as:

Holster Break-In

Care and Maintenance (both leather & polymer products)

and more...




Blending In

Like our clothes, holsters have a situational component to them. How practical a particular holster is, often has to do with the weather, what we are doing, and how many layers of clothing (or lack thereof) we have available to conceal our handgun.


When Bad Things Happen

About a year ago there were some photos making their way around the internet warning about the dangers of buying a leather holster. An accidental discharge caused by a wrinkle in the leather set a fellow's pants on fire. Here is a more civil discussion of the event (with pics).

Although some used that incident to campaign against leather holsters, more importantly, the message drove home the importance of checking your gear to see that it is in good order. Whether it's the condition of the leather, or kydex, we should have a look and make sure the holster is doing what it's supposed to do.


What's a Holster Supposed To Do?

The purpose of the holster is to hold the gun safely and firmly in a place where we intend it to be. For that to occur, the holster has to be in good, predicable, working order.


Off-Body Carry

About a year and a half ago, a woman, here in Tulsa, coming home from work, was robbed and assaulted as she was entering her home. Fortunately for her, she had a snubbie in her purse, was able to get to it, and handled the situation. Purse carry, while it has it's disadvantages, has proven to be a viable means of keeping a gun accessible.

So it is with carrying a gun in a briefcase or day planner type satchel. It is, in my opinion, not the optimum method of carry, but it can and has been effective for some folks.


Other Carry Solutions

One of the first holsters I bought when I first got licensed was a "fanny" pack type holster. It actually works great. It's easily accessible and can be positioned where it works best. Fanny packs are not as common now, and they may be more attention-getting, especially if black colored. It may be advisable to get a colored fanny pack that does not look so "tactical".

There is also a variety of "undergarment holsters" that have pockets sewn into them which will hold a handgun. They are considered "deep concealment" systems in that they are normally not as easily accessible.

Wallet holsters and pocket holsters are also options to consider. In my opinion, everyone should have a pocket holster. Practically all of us have thrown a gun into a pocket at one time or another (and I do it often).

Pocket holsters do three things for us:
1. Keep the gun oriented in a position where it can be accessed.
2. Reduce the "printing" of the gun in your pocket.
3. Reduce wear on your pockets.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Inside the Waistband Holsters (IWB)

Belt carry has been made more viable with a holster that secures to your belt but the body of the gun is actually inside the pant. Some IWB holsters allow you to tuck your shirt in around the gun, fully concealing the gun. Matt (at www.libertydefensesolutions.com) sent me this youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gjUknHqvGY&feature=uploademail) that very well shows some of the options available and how they work.

Summary

There's no better way to begin and end an article dealing with gun technique by showing a Clint Smith video clip. Clint has a way of communicating these concepts so that you are likely to understand and remember the salient points.

Don

Women Only Classes in January

Sunday, January 22nd, 11AM until 7PM, at Red Castle's Indoor Range, near 11th & Lewis. A great class. Bring a friend to mulltiply the "fun times" factor!

Need more info? http://guninstructor.net/conceal.html

Newsletter Article November 23rd, 2011

SMALL CALIBER GUNS FOR SELF-DEFENSE

For years guns have been produced in the twenty-some-odd caliber size for self-defense. While most of the shooting community views these calibers as "probably ineffective", no one that I know would volunteer to get shot with one.

I have heard it said that more people die from .22 gunshot wounds than any other caliber. Having not found anything that verifies that data, I know that the .22 caliber round can be and has been deadly.

That being said it's effectiveness is about half of what you get from .380 + calibers.


So Why Bother?

One nice thing about small caliber guns is...they can be manufactured smaller than .38, 9mm, .40, .45, and the like. And as Mark Moritz is said to have said, "The first rule in a gunfight is to have a gun." And we know, oftentimes, just the presence of a gun can scare off an attack.

The point of concern for most of us in the gun community is: What if I actually have to use it? Will it work? How likely is it that it will stop an attacker?


Just the facts ma'am

For the sake of comparison, here are the "One Shot Stop" percentages listed in Sanow and Marshall's most recent publication, Stopping Power: (Keep in mind that this is using the best performing ammo.) This data represents what percentage of the time, in actual shootings, one round to the torso area, ceased an attack.


.22 Long Rifle 40% Quik Shok HP (a frangible)

.25 ACP 27% Winchester Expanding Point


.32 ACP 66% Winchester ST (Silvertip)


.380 ACP 70% Federal Hydra-Shok


.38 Spec. 2" 67% Winchester 158 gr. lead HP +P


.38 Spec. 4" 80% Corbon 115 gr. +P+


9mm Compact 87% Remington 115 gr. +P+ JHP


9mm 90% Federal 115 gr. JHP +P+


.357 Mag 96% Federal 125 gr. JHP


.357 Sig 92% Federal 125 gr. JHP


10mm 90% Corbon 150 gr. JHP


.40 Compact 89% Remington 165 gr. GS (Golden Sabre)


.40 94% Remington 165 gr. GS


.41 Mag 90% Winchester 170 gr. ST


.44 Spec. 76% Winchester ST


.44 Mag 92% Winchester 201 gr. ST


.45 Colt 51% Federal lead HP


.45 ACP Compact 90% Remington 185 gr. GS


.45 ACP 96% Federal 230 gr. HS




NOTE: This data was published in 2001. There have been a lot of ammo developments since then. No other empirical studies on the subject have been done since then, that I know of. Even though that is the case, this study still gives us a realistic picture of how ammo/caliber performed in actual shootings.


The 22 Magnum and the 5.7

One of the many calibers not included in the above study (probably for lack of an adequate sample), is .22 magnum. Also the 5.7 is too new to be included.

Recently Kel-Tec came out with a 30 round .22 magnum semi-automatic pistol. What it lacks in bullet diameter, it may make up for in velocity and firepower (number of rounds available).

About seven years ago FN came out with the 5.7 x 28 mm semi-auto. It was intended as a military handgun designed to push rounds into the 2500 fps range. Not getting any huge military contracts, FN manufactured it anyway for the civilian market. With legal Hornady V-Max ammo (sub-2000 fps, wont penetrate body armor) it may be perceived as a good defensive system.

The Kel-Tec holds 30 rounds in it's standard magazine while the FN holds 20. The velocity of the FN is a few hundred fps faster (about 1700 versus about 1300 fps). Bullet diameter and bullet weight is close to the same.

Gun Tests compared the two in their November 2011 issue. After reading the article, I wanted both!


Those Cute Lil' Guns

It seems that the North American Arms pocket rockets are as popular now as they ever have been. I have little confidence in such a small gun. Those teeny-weeny five-shot revolvers are a bit cumbersome to load and unload. BUT...that little gun fulfills the #1 rule of a gunfight, "Have a gun." And...I'd rather have one of those itty-bitty guns than no gun at all.

North American Arms has a new "Top Break" model that makes loading and unloading quite a bit easier.


Rimfire vs. Centerfire

One of the problems with cheap .22 rimfire rounds is that they are not very dependable. This is due to the fact that an air-bubble (or a lack of primer material) can exist within the rim. That's why we tend to see a lot of misfires with .22 ammo.

So you have to spend a little more to get a more reliable shooting cartridge. If you have a .22 that you keep around for self-defense, go splurge on ammo. That "click" sound, when you're expecting a "bang", isn't so bad on the range, but in a defensive critical incident.....eeek!


.22LR Semi-auto vs. .22LR Revolver

With ammo un-reliability being a possibility, the likelihood of having to do the tap-rack-bang drill increases. And some of those little .22 semi-autos are just plain hard to rack. With a revolver, if you experience a misfire, you just cock and fire again. (a real plus for wheel-guns!)


Summary

There is no doubt in my mind that for self-defense, the .22 LR is an inferior round, when compared to center-fire cartridges. And the best performing .22 LR, the Quik Shok is harder to find than the next closest performer (at about 38%), the .22 LR CCI Stinger.

The .38 Special out of a 2" barrel has demonstrated a 150% increase in effectiveness over the .22 LR. So if I'm choosing one over the other, for me, the 38 snubbie wins!

But, if for some reason I couldn't make anything other than a .22 mouse-gun work, I'd stuff as many in my pockets as I could get. With reloading being a formidable issue in many of the little guns, a "New York reload" may be the only way to go. (New York reload = spare gun)

There, in my opinion, are some applications for the micro-guns, limited as they may be. If you've got one that you're going to use for self-defense, learn to fight with it and pick good ammo!

Don

Newsletter Artcle November 7, 2011

"Gun Totin' Women "



"I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand."
-Susan B. Anthony


A recent Gallup poll finds that 43% of all women own a gun or guns.





Who Would Notice?


It seems that recently the gun manufacturing world has put a lot of attention on marketing to women. There's a good reason for that. More and more women are making themselves known in the gun community.

Louise Mandrell

You Tube Gun Authority Lima Life

Il Ling New







Back in 1993, at the Grand National Gun Show here in Tulsa, my wife and I bought a .38 Special Snubbie that was branded as the "Ladysmith". It had beautiful rosewood grips and a deep luster and polish to the bluing. It was absolutely beautiful. Much like this.



Now, many companies are following the trend to market to women. There is no doubt that men and women respond differently to design and/or decoration. Putting a splash of pink or violet on a gun is akin to adding pin striping to a car. It can make it prettier, cooler, or more striking in appearance.

Charter Arms Pink Lady

Sig Sauer Mosquito Pink Finish

A bunch of pink guns


Accessories and support products for female gun handlers also have made their way into our local market. We have a superb manufacturer and supplier here in Tulsa:
http://www.thebagladyoftulsa.com/


I had the pleasure of teaching a couple of "women only" concealed carry classes last summer and it was a blast. I had more good questions and comments in those classes than I've ever had in a co-ed class. And they were good, practical questions. Women simply bring a special touch to subject.





Female Gun Authorities



But also there are some great female gun authors out there. To name a couple: Paxton Quigley and Gila Hayes. These ladies don't just write for the ladies, they write for gun folks, male and female.



And one of my favorite websites is "Cornered Cat". Kathy Jackson has constructed a fantastic website that is packed full of practical gun oriented information.


So, if you are a woman, or happen to know a woman, or you just like learning stuff... don't make the mistake of not checking into some of these female-oriented resources. They add a dimension to gun-related issues that, when considered, form a more complete picture of the whole gun thing.


- Don




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"When I'm with a pistol I sparkle like a crystal, yes I shine like the morning sun." -Annie Oakley