U.S. Concealed Carry
“Armed American Report”
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July 11th, 2008
Dear Friend,
I hope you had an excellent Independence Day Weekend… I know I sure did. After a busy month, it was great to take a few days and do nothing but spend time with my family.
I could talk all day about summer-time fun, but I want to get right on subject this week. I’ve got an article by Gabe Suarez about a subject that I honestly haven’t put a ton of thought into: ‘Magazines’ and Reloading during a fire-fight or shooting tournament. It’s ultra-informative- you are going to love it.
Next, I have a gear review of a product that I am VERY… VERY excited about. It’s basically a gun rack that mounts to the side of your bed- but there’s a lot more to it than that. It’s a brilliant invention though, and I’ll bet you’re going to want at least one… maybe even two!
What do you say? Ready to get started? Good, me too. Here we go…
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== USCCA Laugh of the Week ==
See all of Chaim’s Cartoons at his website:
http://www.chaimcartoons.com/
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== Highly Recommended ==
“HolsterTrade.com”
ANYBODY can register to use HolsterTrade.com. But, just as a convenience to the members here at the USCCA, I’ve made it so that you already have accounts there! Just sign on with the same username / password as you use on the forum or the website. If you’re not a member, registration is easy.
For the main page, go here: http://www.holstertrade.com
For help videos, just go here: http://holstertrade.com/trade/helpvideo.php
I hope this site becomes as big of a resource to the community as I imagine it will!!
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== “Magazines, Drop Them Or Keep Them?” ==
by Gabriel Suarez
Suarez International USA
A quick question - When has an IPSC style speed load (discarding the magazine) saved anyone in a gunfight?
Not reloading AFTER the gunfight, but during the gunfight. Give me some examples. One time might be interesting, but 100 times would be conclusive.
I’d like to know. My default reload is to retain the magazine. I have studied the other methods as well as the reasons they were taught and I have discarded them as unworkable in a real fight and not necessary. I have stated my reasons before at warriortalk.com.
A Proactive Reload with a pistol is done when the fight appears to be over…NOT DURING THE FIGHT. A Reactive Reload is handled just like a malfunction clearance.
A Proactive Reload with a rifle is done at distance, behind cover, or while being protected by cover fire. If you run out of ammo in CQB ranges a transition to pistol will be much faster than ANYONE’S reload.
To the guys who want to do it one way in Katrina situations and another way in a Wal-mart Lot Gunfight, all I can say is that Murphy loves complexity and you are being too complex.
We seem to be guided by an “All or nothing” mentality. What I say is not to drop the magazines as a default. Dropping them as a default is a bad habit, specially if working/operating alone.
The problem also occurs with assuming you always need a speed load when the gun stops running. Or needing to determine the reason the gun stopped functioning, mid-fight, rather than implementing a global fix that takes care of all problems.
The training community has been heavily influenced by cops and spec ops types whose gunfights are almost always pre-planned, and where they not only take the initiative, but also out-number the bad guy and have a ready method of extraction once its done, or if something goes wrong.
If our operating methods as CCW folks included all those dynamics, I would not worry about magazines at all. On the other hand, if I was operating alone with only what I had with me, I would want to retain those magazines if I had the option to do so. Many “in extremis” operators tend to agree with me on this.
Proactive - Fight seems over….no one left to shoot…no one shooting at me… seems to be over. Depleted magazine out of gun and into pocket. Replacement magazine goes into the gun. Slide is worked automatically to insure a loaded chamber. Proactive.
Reactive - Gun stops during the fight. I’m still being fired upon. Could be one of five possibilities. The guys who say they can always tell by feel, I’ll tell you what…let me kick you right in the groin, spray you with pepper spray, stun you with a Taser, and make you otherwise very agitated so you are in the same mental frame as during a real fight. This is vastly different than a shooting match, or a casual session at the range where you shoot your gun and tell me what kind of stoppage you have.
Failure to fire, eject, and extract, as well as shooting the gun dry, I treat all of these as stoppages.
Upon realizing a dead trigger - tap rack immediately and try to fire again. If that works - cool. If not, reload the gun. Old mag out - new mag in - run the slide. In THIS CASE, since you are mid fight and the gun needs to be fixed right now, it is acceptable and recommended to pull out and discard the on board magazine.
That is how I run it. I am not interested in gun games, times, scores, or any of that stuff. I am not impressed with cleverness, nor with what some current champion did at the last match. I want my gunhandling simple, stress proof, tactically robust and conceptually transferable from one weapon system to another.
Gabriel Suarez
Suarez International USA
303 E. Gurley St., Ste. 461 - Prescott, AZ 86301 USA
(Office) 928-776-4492 - (Fax) 928-776-8218
Training - http://www.suarezinternational.com
Equipment - http://www.onesourcetactical.com
Web Forum - http://www.warriortalk.com
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== The Back-Up==
‘Protection Within Reach’
by Home Back-Up Protection LLC.
USCCA GEAR REVIEW
Okay… I’m going to save a LOT of time trying to describe this thing and just show you a picture right off the bat. I still haven’t decided whether or not to just fix my camera or buy a new one… the cost would be about the same either way… anyway, I’m telling you that because NONE of the pictures I took of this thing look good enough to print here. I’m kind of a picture-perfectionist, so it’s better for me to not show you ANY picture than a bad one. Luckily, the company has some great looking pictures on their website, so I’ll be using those. I’m pretty sure they are copyrighted, so just be careful about what you do with them. Here we go!
A picture says a thousand words has never been more true. As you can see, this thing is basically a gun rack that slides between your mattress and box springs. It only sticks out a couple inches, and the ‘wedge’ portion of this thing is so big that there is NO risk the weight of the gun moving this thing around or popping it out. Yet it’s made out of polymer, so it’s VERY light. I talked to the guy behind this thing, and he says that it’s made out of the same grade of polymer that pistol frames are made out of! Last little tid-bit… This thing is made right here in the USA by Americans. Louisiana-ian’s, specifically!
The idea is to give you a HUGE boost in home-defense. Here’s the logic: The (12ga) shotgun (#4 shot or similar) is the undisputed king of home defense. It packs the meanest punch, it’s shot spreads to give you the best chance of hitting a target, and it’s downright intimidating! Everybody old enough to reason can recognize the sound of a cycling shotgun.
The problem is, what do you do with your shotgun? You want it close to your bed, but if it’s leaned up in a corner, you have to do a rambo move to get to it and ready yourself. Not to mention, you have to turn yourself away from an adversary in order to grab it. If the shotgun is under your bed (as most are), you could run into two problems. One, you might be too high off the ground to reach it from where you are laying. Two, it could get bumped around, and it simply might not be there when you need it. Not to mention… things can get REALLY dusty under there.
If you find it difficult to execute a perfect draw while completely alert and in front of a target… imagine how hard it would be if you were confused from just having woke up to the sound of your bedroom door getting kicked in!
With ‘The Back-Up’ however, your shotgun is ALWAYS in the EXACT same, easily accessible position. One of my first realizations, was “Wow, this thing REALLY hides your gun!”. And it does too, here are two pictures showing you what I mean:
Now obviously, this thing isn’t child-proof. It even says right on the side of this thing, “Not intended for use in homes with children”. I told my friends about this thing, and that was one of the first questions they had. They also asked if it could be used with different sized shotguns, or on both sides of the bed. It certainly can, and it’s very adjustable. In fact, there are a LOT of questions like those answered right on the website itself. Here is a link to the FAQ page for ‘The Back-Up’:
http://www.the-backup.com/perception/backup-homefaq.html
That’s really about all I have to say about this thing. I am in love with this product… The company was nice enough to let me keep the one they sent me for testing, but I am absolutely going to order a second for my wife’s side of the bed!
Here is the website where you can learn more about ‘The Back-Up’, or even get your own if you want:
http://www.the-backup.com/perception/index.html
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== USCCA Members-Only ==
Forum Highlights
Every Member has complete access to the USCCA forum, which is constantly being accessed by members sharing information, knowledge, insight, and fun. With well over sixty-thousand posts and growing by the hour, this is one heck of a valuable resource!
Help Me Choose A Small Hand Gun as Back Up by ‘Synthetic’
Can I get some suggestions for a small back up hand gun? Something I can carry in a pocket of a pair of pants. I’ve read up some on the Seecamp (.32 & 380 and North American Arms .25) but I know there are a lot of experienced and knowledgeable people here so I am asking for your help.
Also can you tell me of some online gun seller companies that are reputable? I have a person with an FFL that I could have it shipped to.
Thanks for any and all help you can give me.
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Does anyone know about CC permit backlogs by ‘Maglady45′
Hey there I’m a new member from Wyo. My husband and I applied for our permits on Feb 27 this year. I received mine in approx. 90 days, but my husband has yet to hear anything. We’ve called the sheriff’s office and they just say that there is a backlog right now. It’s now been almost 4 months. Is this legal o.k.? or do we need to start pressing the issue somewhere else. I’ve heard that if you let them go beyond the 90 days there could be complications. Any information anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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Stopping Power, Medically Speaking by ‘Double O’
My background, I have been a Paramedic for 16 years now. Today I am an EMS Supervisor. I have attended numerous training seminars on the subject of traumatic injuries. One of the subjects we always cover in these seminars are injuries caused by gun shots or Gun Shot Wounds aka GSWs. Medically speaking there are two ways that the projectiles fired from firearms cause injuries. The first way these projectiles cause injury is through the use of high velocity (2000 + fps) projectiles. These high velocity projectiles cause severe injuries by dumping enormous amounts kinetic energy into the body as they penetrate flesh and bone. This kinetic energy produces a shock wave inside the body. This shock wave causes internal organs to move, stretch, and tear as these high velocity projectiles penetrate the body. The second way that these projectiles cause injury is through the profile of the projectile. The wider the profile, the more severe the injuries will be. There are two ways that these projectiles achieve having a wide profile. The first, is to use a large diameter/caliber projectile. The second,is to use projectiles designed to expand to a larger diameter.
The preceding was a brief overview of my training as a Paramedic in the treatment of GSWs. The following are my opinions and conclusions pertaining to Handgun stopping power.
Do to the fact that most handgun ammunition can not achieve velocities above (1500 fps) the kinetic energy that handgun ammunition produces is irrelevant. When it comes to handgun ammunition only two things are relevant, adequate penetration and bullet profile. So there two ways to achieve adequate STOPPING POWER from handgun ammunition. First, use large caliber ammunition like 45 ACP, or 45 Long Colt. Second, use medium caliber ammunition like 38+p, 357 Mag, 9X19 mm, and 40 S&W that can expand into an adequately wide profile. Both the large and medium caliber ammunition must be able to penetrate deep enough to reach vital organs. I am of the opinion that the FBI standard is a good guideline, “at least 12 inches of penetration through 10% ballistic gelatin.”
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Crimson Trace Grip Problem by ‘trigem’s Avatar trigem’
I have a set of Crimson grips for my Glock 27, The problem I have is the design of the laser mount is to high, it makes it hard for me to rack the pistol (Model LG626 G)
Any one have this combo with a similar problem?
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Do-All-Traps by ‘pphilip’
I am always looking for a way to enhance my training and I came across “Do-All-Traps”. Essentially targets that spring either side-to-side or up-and-over upon a successful “hit”. They are intended to be placed on the ground at 30 meters, my club only allows them at 50, but they have proven to be quite a training tool for the marksmanship component of shooting.
I was wondering what training techniques others have found to be successful.
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Don’t wait too long! by ‘RossSports’
Teach your kids to shoot early. Don’t wait until society gets a hold of them makes it harder to teach them.
Here’s my youngest (8) and I a few weeks ago.
Here’s my son with his first deer at 12…
My middle daughter shooting the same .22 that I learned on 45 years ago
My son and mid daughter terrorizing prairie dogs…
Yeah, I suppose I got a little bit of the proud Daddy thing goin’ on here. Sorry!
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Colts and Kimbers are what you show your friends.
Glocks are what you show your enemies!
Southwest Shooting Authority
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== “SheepDog Thwarts Bank Robbery ” ==
USCCA VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Wow… this video gave me a few tears of joy. THIS is one TRUE American hero!
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== “Tim-spiration” of the Week ==
USCCA PHOTO OF THE WEEK
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USCCA QUOTE OF THE WEEK
- Sometimes a good quote will inspire or motivate you. Sometimes, they’ll just put a smile on your face! Here is the quote for this week…
“War is delightful to those who have not yet experienced it.”
-Desiderius Erasmus
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Self Defense Story OF THE WEEK
- Every day, thousands of Armed Americans use their firearms to preserve human life. Let this section of my newsletter serve as a record of this fact!
- “Nashville robbery ends when restaurant manager shoots suspect”
found at:http://www.claytoncramer.com/gundefenseblog/blogger.html
Two men tried to rob an Nashville Sonic restaurant, but an assistant manager pulled out a gun and fired shots, causing the suspects to flee. Police believe that one or both of the suspects was wounded.
Metro police Capt. Michele Donegan said that at approximately 10:30 p.m. Thursday, two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun, went inside the Sonic at 1410 Robinson Road, in Old Hickory. Several employees were at the restaurant, and numerous customers were at the tables outside and at the drive-ups. The armed suspect showed the gun. The assistant manager then pulled out a gun and fired several shots, Donegan said. The two men fled out the door without firing. Police are still looking for them.
After police arrived on the scene, they followed a blood trail leading across the parking and ending at a car wash. Police think that there was probably a third person with a car that they fled in. Police searched the wooded area behind the car wash using the canine and helicopter units to be sure.
No employees or customers were hurt.
The assistant manager has a carry permit, according to police.
Police are following up on some leads in the incident, which happened in the Hermitage Precinct.
Detailed descriptions of the suspects were not available early Friday morning. “It happened very quickly … It was extremely fast,” Donegan said.
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Closing Thoughts
Wow… what a newsletter! This has been one of the more fun newsletters that I’ve ever put together! I especially liked the video of the week, and the last ‘forum highlight’, the one with the pictures of the USCCA member teaching his children to shoot. That is my idea of fun!
I hope you have a GREAT weekend!
Tim Schmidt
Founder - U.S. Concealed Carry
http://www.usconcealedcarry.com
