U.S. Concealed Carry
“Armed American Report”
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October 3rd, 2008
Dear Friend,
Good morning and happy Friday.
I’d like to start things off this week by sharing with you, a compliment that I received from a USCCA member during this past week. Now we get a LOT of mail here at the USCCA, and I appreciate each and every message. This particular one came from a self defense trainer who runs a website called “www.SaveTheGuns.com“.
Here goes:
“…Let the [USCCA] visitor know right away that the State-mandated course that they likely took to obtain a concealed carry permit only touches on the subject and there’s is almost no ‘meat and potatoes’ in these State-mandated safety courses.
I taught basic firearm education courses as a Certified Firearm Instructor for the National Rifle Association for more than fifteen years and in my first week as a USCCA Member, perusing the forums and reading the articles, even I learned a few important things that I had not thought of previously.
I personally joined the USCCA because I thought that there are way too many concealed carry permit holders walking around with loaded handguns, who have basically only had some form of rudimentary safety and marksmanship training and that there is SO MUCH MORE to this important subject. I want to help you get the word out about the virtual treasure trove of good solid information that you offer at the USCCA. All concealed carry permit holders desperately need this information.”
Thanks,
Marc Richardson
Owner/Founder
www.SaveTheGuns.com
Wow, that was a heck of a compliment, Marc- THANK YOU!
Now let’s get started with the Armed American Report!
== USCCA Laugh of the Week ==
See all of Chaim’s Cartoons at his website:
http://www.chaimcartoons.com/
|
“Finally, Tim Breaks His Silence…” Over the past 24 months, I’ve received hundreds of emails. All asking similar questions…
So… I’ve decided to DO something about this. I’m going to break my silence. I’ve decided to start a daily tip for those of you who have an interest in business, and entrepreneurship. Heck, it will just be me talking about something Here is the link, so you can act now: = > http://www.TimothyJSchmidt.com |
“Low & Reduced Light Training”
“…The ability to accurately engage targets in low-light
conditions will always depend on the individual’s skill
to shoot their weapon with one hand…..”
by Tom Perroni
When people hear the term “Low Light shooting” What they most often think of is shooting in the dark. And most people don’t have the ability to train in low light or reduced light or dark conditions. So this is a skill that is not practiced in my opinion as much as it should be. However this is a skill that can be practiced along with your daily “Dry Fire Training” or with a “Blue Gun” and a Flashlight you can practice clearing your own home.
In the FBI’s (UCR) uniform Crime Report it tells us that 80% of all Law Enforcement shooting happen in low or reduced light. So as a Concealed Carry permit holder, do you carry a flashlight? Even if it is not dark outside could you be in an area of low or reduced light? EXAMPLES: Parking Garage, Stairwell, Hallway, Alleyway, closets, tunnels, etc. This report transfers to “citizen” CHP shootings as well. Perpetrators of street crimes are more active after sundown. So if you do carry a flashlight do you know how to use it?
“The fear of the dark works both ways; you will be better prepared if you train in low and reduced light.”
The first step is having the tools. You need a flashlight, but which one? Surefire, Mag Light, Min Mag, Asp Tactical Led, etc. Before you decide you need to know this:
What is the purpose of the Tactical Flashlight?
1. As an aid in low light navigation and movement.
2. Locate and identify and assess threats and innocents.
3. As a non lethal tool for controlling suspects and subjects.
The biggest question I get asked about flashlights is:
What is the difference between candlepower and lumens?
Lumens is what is used to specify the total amount of light coming from any light producing device, and candlepower refers to the highest value of the light intensity to be found anywhere in the lights “beam”.
Lumens tell you how “powerful” the light-producing device is, be it a light bulb of any type, a flashlight, or a car headlight. Candlepower tells you how tightly focused the beam is, assuming the light source has a lens or reflector to focus the light into a beam.
Lumens can be measured quite accurately, using an instrument called an integrating sphere, and identical lights would all have similar lumen values. It is an important quantity to know when comparing different lighting products, as it tells you how much light each one produces.
Candlepower can also be measured accurately, using a light intensity meter to measure luminous intensity, and then by applying the appropriate formula, which takes into account how far, the meter is from the light source. The problem is that he value measured depends on where in the beam you take the measurement (the highest value found is what is normally used), and on how well the beam is focused. It is not unusual for candlepower values to vary greatly from unit to unit on otherwise identical lights due to small differences in focusing or reflector tolerances.
Ken Good from Strategos, Intl. www.strategosinternational.com put it this way:
Lumens verses Candlepower
“Lumen - Measurement of a quantity of light as perceived by the human eye. As a light source’s color temperature increases, less light is required to achieve comparable brightness and visual acuity. The international unit to describe the quantity of light (also called luminous flux). – That’s why SureFire uses this as a standard benchmark for all of our illumination tools.
Candle Power (Candelas) Used by lighting designers to calculate the foot-candles illuminating a surface (C.P./distance in feet squared) or Lux illuminating a surface (C.P./distance in meters squared) Foot-candles -Measurement of light output in candela per square foot. It derives from the early English unit of foot-candle defined as the illuminance on a surface placed one foot from the standard candle. 100 foot-candles is generally considered enough light to perform most tasks. Lux - Measurement of light output in candelas per square meter. One lumen per square. 10 lux is generally considered enough light to perform most tasks.
These terms are useful to assist in determining the “signature” of the illumination tool you are speaking about. No one term will fully describe the overall usefulness or quality of the emission. For instance, you can have a light with a tremendous candlepower rating at one point in the pattern, but the rest of the pattern in not useful. I.E. dark spots, splotchy, and/or weak.”
The standard in the industry and the light used at Perroni’s Tactical Training Academy is the Surefire G2. For about $30.00 you have a solid flashlight with about 65 lumens. And for an additional $25.00 you can step up to 125 lumens using the P61 bulb from Surefire.
The next question I get asked is what about night sights? Or what kind do you use. In my opinion night sight are good in reduced light situations because they give you a visual reference of the front and rear sight and this can be helpful I teach my students not to shoot until they have identified the target. For this in a reduced light situation you need a flashlight, otherwise you are just shooting off into the dark. My (2) key night sigh points:
1. Excellent tool to locate the main aiming point of your handgun.
2. The sight is not the total answer to the problem; you must see and identify the threat first.
Remember: Night Sights assist you in aiming! However they do not assist you in:
-Identifying targets
-Navigating
-Searching
The flashlight is also useful for searching for subjects, as well as blinding them with light to shut down the OODA loop. As well as we said earlier target identification.
However there are (3) things one must learn before the refinement of techniques and tactics. They are;
1. Reduce Telegraphing.
2. Be acutely aware of being in or creating a Backlit condition for you or your team.
3. Avoid blinding yourself or others.
Also realize that if you are in a gunfight in low or reduced light and you are using a flashlight that if the Bad Guy is armed and committed, they will fire directly into the source of light.
At that point you must distort your opponents perception of what is actually happening and where you are actual located. This is done by using the following:
1. Displacement
2. Angel of the Beam
3. Rhythm and duration
The reason this is so important is that you need to conceal your movement from your attacker. You need to train so that you can deploy both your flashlight and your handgun simultaneously and accurately. The shooter must be proficient with moving and shooting before they move on to moving and shooting in low light. Also remember running with a handgun or handgun and flashlight is bad.
I also stress one handed shooting and training with one hand and yes also working with the weak hand (Support Hand) as well. Because after all when you are shooting with a flashlight in your hand you are shooting one handed.
So with all that information let’s talk about Hand Gun Shooting Techniques in Low or Reduced Light. What follows are some examples of shooting Techniques that can be employed with a flashlight. However remember the Tactical Golden Rule what I am sharing with you is “A” way to do the technique not “THE” way to do the technique. Review what follows with an open mind try each technique on the range but keep the one or ones that work best for you.
Rogers Technique: Light is held between the fingers and activated by pressing against palm of hand see picture below.
Harries Technique: Similar to Weaver stance, except the back of the support hand is pressed firmly against the back of the shooting hand. This enables the support hand to operate the flashlight while providing isometric stability to the shooting hand. See picture below.
Ayoob Technique: Simply thrust both the light and the gun out to approximate an isosceles position, with both thumbs touching. Ayoob teaches that if you place both thumbs together in horizontal alignment out to about seven yards the light will shine in the assailant’s eyes while the handgun is indexed on his chest. See picture below.
FBI Technique: In the FBI technique, the flashlight is held away but much higher than the modified technique from the body with the non-weapon hand. The technique is simple but takes support away from the firing hand. See picture below.
Weapon Mounted Lights: I am not a huge fan of weapon mounted lights the advantages are Support hand can be free. It’s always there on the gun. The Disadvantage in my opinion are Searches, if you have a suspect at gunpoint how can you search for more suspects without taking the gun off the suspect? There is an old saying 2 is1 and 1 is none so for you SWAT cops that have to mount the light on your handgun keep a handheld as a back-up.
In summary I would like to reiterate a few key points: (They are as follows)
Many flashlight techniques have been developed throughout the years. The ability to accurately engage targets in low-light conditions will always depend on the individual’s skill to shoot their weapon with one hand. An operator should learn a variety of flashlight techniques, and train on these techniques regularly. However, the foundation of low-light training will always be learning the skill required to shoot their weapon with one hand.
I have attempted to provide you nothing more than a skeleton of knowledge of how Flashlights & Night Sights work and a few Handgun Shooting Techniques. I urge you to do a few things:
1. Practice Shooting with one hand (both strong &support hand)
2. Practice shooting with your flashlight.
3. Draw, Move, Shoot, Communicate!
4. Shoot to stop the threat…or don’t stop shooting until there is no threat.
5. Get a quality flashlight carry it at all times.
We have a saying at my training school: “Conflict is inevitable; Combat is an option. Always stay in condition yellow and when all else fails align the front sight and press the trigger and the button on your flashlight!”
Stay Safe & Shoot Straight!
Tom Perroni
Tom Perroni is the owner, President and Chief Instructor of Perroni’s Tactical Training Academy. Pulling on a five-year law enforcement operational background, Tom has spent the last fifteen years delivering training to government, military, law enforcement and private security companies. Tom is a NRA Certified Firearms Instructor and NRA Range Safety Office, Maryland State Police Handgun Instructor, Virginia DCJS Handgun, Shotgun and Advanced Handgun Instructor. Tom is also a Contract Instructor for Blackwater Training Center. Tom is also the Training Director for Commonwealth Criminal Justice Academy .He is a member in Good standing with IALEFI & ILEETA & NRA. Tom appreciates feedback and can be reached through the Contact page on his company website at http://www.perronitactical.com or info@ccjaTraining.com
“I recently joined the USCCA, and received the latest report “How To Turn Fear Into a Powerful Ally” as a bonus. I was blown away! If you didn’t manage to land a copy, get one. It will most certainly change the way I view myself and others. When it arrived, I thought,”this thing is kinda thin, there can’t be much in it”, man, was I wrong! It also came with an audio version which I immediately loaded onto my ipod, so I can listen on the go. I can say without any doubt, that I’ll be purchasing all future reports. Thanks Tim!”
What book is this guy talking about? Find out here…
== Review of the TASER C2 ==
written by Cody S. Alderson
USCCA GEAR REVIEW
The inventor of the TASER was a fan of Victor Appleton’s (Pseudonym used by the Stratemeyer Syndicate) Tom Swift. It’s been almost a hundred years since Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle, but if you add the middle initial “A” to Tom’s name, you’ve got the history of the TASER name. Since TASER is an acronym as well as being a trademark and company name, it is supposed to always be spelled out in capital letters.
The TASER C2 is made for civilian carry. I really like it, and I have a permit to carry a firearm. I plan on carrying both the C2 and my gun because the C2 fills in those gray areas where it is okay to use force for self-defense, but not lethal force. The C2 is a less-than-lethal device. There have been criminals (criminals really is a keyword here) who have died when being taken into custody when a TASER happened to be utilized during the arrest, but the TASER has never been the sole cause of death—period.
The TASER C2 is a technologically advanced Electronic Control Device (ECD) used to interrupt the neuromuscular circuitry of the criminal it is used on. Our muscles work by our brain sending electrical impulses to control them. Scramble that circuitry with external electrical pulses, and the brain can’t control the body’s muscles. Hence, if you get hit with a TASER, you fall down and flop around like a fish out of water.
The C2 arrived ready to be activated. In the package was a silver TASER C2, a Lithium power magazine (LPM) good for approximately fifty firing cycles of thirty seconds before it needs to be replaced, a TASER C2 cartridge with 15 foot maximum deployment distance, a training DVD, and an operating manual. The shape of the device fit my hand very well. It reminds me of the PHASER from Start Trek TNG (yeah I’m a Trekkie).
The LPM is easy to insert, but the cartridge that holds the wires and probes that fire from the TASER takes a bit more effort. The cartridge fits tight in the front of the C2. The user should never put their hands in front of the cartridge just as one shouldn’t put their hands in front of the muzzle of a gun. This then requires that the side tabs be used to insert the cartridge. It’s not extremely difficult to do, but it does require a little effort. If the user has weak hands, it may be an issue. Popping out a cartridge that has been fired is easy since the wires and probes have been ejected, making it easy to depress the tabs on the sides.
The actuator button is below a sliding safety door that is opened with the thumb. A green LED at the rear of the actuator button comes on when the safety door is slid open indicating to me that everything is good to go, but that LED is red until the C2 is activated.
TASER requires the owner to have an identification verification and a criminal background check completed before the device can be activated. It’s really easy to complete the activation process by phone or online. I did it online. I paid the $9.95 fee and had the device ready to use in less than five minutes. I could have activated up to ten devices for that fee. I put in my personal information on a secure website. I was asked for my name, address, date of birth, phone number, driver’s license number, social security number, the serial number of my C2, and the Kit number on the package. I wasn’t concerned about giving my personal information because it was a secure site which is actually much safer than giving it verbally to a person over the phone who could keep notes if they were of the dishonest type.
After my identity was confirmed by answering a few questions that only I would know the answer to from my credit report such as an old phone number and address, the system ran a check to see if I had a criminal record. I didn’t, so it gave me a code to enter into the device to activate it. You don’t have to worry about your credit history. It doesn’t matter if you have the worst credit on the planet. It isn’t checking your credit report to give you a loan: it is checking it to confirm identity.
The C2 is registered to the person who activates it, so don’t ever let anyone talk you into registering one for them. If they use it unlawfully then the law will be knocking on your door. It’s not a bad idea to have a level of control over these devices. It’s not foolproof, but I believe it could be deterrent to some people of questionable histories.
The activation codes are specific to the serial number of the device. It was easy to enter the code. First, make sure a cartridge is not installed, then make sure the LPM is in place. Slide open the safety to see a red LED. Press the actuator button as many times as the first number of the code is, then close the safety cover to store that number. Repeat that process for the rest of the numbers. When you slide open the safety again you will see a green LED that flashes for thirty seconds then turns steady green. It’s then ready for the cartridge to be installed. Make sure the safety cover is closed before installing a cartridge, and make sure it is closed when it is in a holster.
Here’s a quick electricity primer to help understand that a TASER is not a lethal weapon, a cattle prod, or a device that inflicts torture. The static charge that is so annoying when someone touches a doorknob after walking over carpeting can be several thousand volts, even tens of thousands of volts. Sometimes that static zap from a doorknob can be a hundred thousand volts! A person can be killed with a lot less voltage than that if the amperage is high enough.
Think of a garden hose with water flowing through it as an example of electricity flowing through a wire. The pressure of the water in the hose is the volts. The pressure of water in a hose will push the water out. Voltage can “push” electricity that we can witness as an arc, or that blue zap of a static discharge. The amount of water flowing through the hose is the amperes. You can get really high pressure in a very tiny hose, but the flow would not be much at all. It is that flow of amperage that kills.
The voltage, or pressure if you will, allows the electrical charge to arc like we experience from a doorknob zap. Without enough voltage the charge won’t arc, or jump, like it does with those nasty blue sparks from static electricity jolts. The amperage, or flow, of the current from a doorknob zap or the TASER C2 is not high enough to damage our tissues, or internal organs. So even though a zap from a doorknob can be upwards of a hundred thousand volts it won’t cook us like the 110-240 volts of our home’s electrical connections.
The TASER C2 sends 30-second cycle of electricity into the criminal at17 pulses per second (PPS) for 5 seconds, 12 PPS for 15 seconds, a half second break, followed by 17 PPS for 1.5 seconds, and finishing with 8 PPS for the remaining 8 seconds. That’s enough to redirect a violent attacker to the ground, and have them lose all control of the muscles that they would need to continue their attack. The TASER C2 puts out an average current of 5 watts at 0.07 joules per pulse, at 2.1 milliamps. That’s 2.1 thousandths of 1 amp, and that means it is not anywhere near the amount of electricity needed to cause death.
The voltage is in the range of what one gets from a static zap from a doorknob (50,000 volts), but that zap is pulsed from 8-17 PPS for a half minute. Imagine what that doorknob zap would do to you if it lasted for thirty seconds. And the doorknob zap is not an electrical charge from an advanced electronic device such as the TASER is. The LPM that goes into the handle of the TASER C2 is both the battery and software update carrier. If TASER would change the internal programming parameters, the device would automatically be updated with the new software when the owner puts in a new LPM. It’s even smart enough to not go back to an older version of software if the owner would put in an LPM that had a previous version.
At 0.07 joules the C2 ECD is not even enough energy to mess up a pacemaker. A pacemaker is designed to withstand external defibrillation from about 150-300 joules. We’ve probably all seen a medical show on TV where someone is getting zapped with the big paddles. Clear! Bzzzzt! A TASER doesn’t come anywhere close to sending that amount of energy into a criminal’s body.
The TASER is not a pain compliance device. Pain compliance devices can perform differently on different people due to the varying levels of pain tolerance that we all have. Pain tolerance can also be altered due to adrenaline, drugs, or alcohol. The TASER makes it so the muscles are receiving external electrical signals. The brain cannot override those external signals. The muscles receive the pulsed electrical energy from the TASER, and no matter how hard the criminal may try to overcome those signals it just cannot be done.
When the probes fire out of the TASER, the top one goes straight and the bottom one goes out at an angle. That way, when the probes contact the criminal’s body, they are separated by distance. This allows the electrical signals to travel over a larger portion of the body, and consequently interrupting signals to more muscle groups. The 50,000 volts allows the electricity to arc through clothing even if the probes did not successfully embed in the criminal’s skin.
The C2 cartridge is detonated by a static charge igniting a primer which pushes a tiny nitrogen filled canister against a point that punctures it. The pressure of the inert nitrogen gas then drives the probes out of the cartridge, pushing the blast doors out of the way, and sending the probes at a hundred MPH into the target. It’s serious business, but way cool too!
If a C2 is fired, there are 20-30 confetti-like serialized AFID tags left behind. AFID is the Anti-Felon Identification Program. Their small size and quantity make it difficult for someone to pick them all up. Law enforcement can check the AFID tags to find the serial number of the cartridge used, and then find the owner. Remember what I said about not registering one in your name for someone else to use? When replacement cartridges are purchased, they will also be registered to the serial number of the TASER they are being purchased for. You don’t have to pay for another activation.
Here is a photo showing a closeup of the probes that fire out from the TASER and the tiny AFID tags. A quarter is shown for size reference.
The photo below shows a spent cartridge with the wires that connect to the probes that carry the electrical charge to the target. I had to bundle them up in a bunch to fit into the photo. Some AFID tags and the C2 appear in the photo also.
There have been ZERO deaths directly caused by any TASER device. When I took a course on using less-than-lethal devices, we talked about secondary causes of death. I could zap a felon with a TASER while he is attacking me in a stairwell. He could fall down the stairs when he gets zapped and break his own neck. Falling down the stairs is the cause of death. The TASER did not cause the felon’s death, but it could be said that it was a secondary cause of death. To me, what caused the death of this hypothetical felon is him attacking me in the first place. And less-than-lethal doesn’t mean someone can’t be seriously injured. If a probe from the C2 hits an eyeball at one-hundred MPH then that eyeball is going to be in a world of hurt.
I recommend the C2 highly for its intended purpose. I would like for all of my friends and relatives to have one to carry with them where it is legal, and I would like them to be legal everywhere. For those I know who have chosen to never carry a firearm, I highly recommend that they consider carrying a TASER C2. Every responsible adult needs to have a method of defense against becoming a victim of violent attack.
One cannot reason with a sociopath. There is no mercy coming from a psychopath. If I find myself being attacked to the point where force is justifiable for me to defend myself, but the lethal force of my firearm is not justified, I am very happy to know that I have a tool like the TASER C2 with me.
The only caveats that I could come up with are that the actual cartridge can only be used to defend against one attacker. However, the C2 will still function as a direct-contact electrical stun device after the cartridge is deployed, and the user can also do a quick reload of another cartridge and fire again. The other issue is the difficulty level of inserting a new cartridge into the C2. It has to be inserted by using force on the tabs on the sides of the cartridge. I can’t slam it in like the magazines of my autoloaders. I manage it just fine, but for someone with weak hands they probably would need assistance inserting a new cartridge. As far as the grip surface of the C2, I’d like it to be rubberized to improve the ability to grip the device, but that isn’t a big issue.
The holster, which is an accessory, is of excellent construction but it’s not designed with the capability of deploying and firing the weapon in 1.5 seconds. It has a magnetic clasp that is slightly difficult to close properly. I would say that this is due to the elastic band that rests below the handle of the C2 as it sits in the holster. The elastic serves to raise the weapon slightly out of the holster when the strap is released so that the C2 can be removed. That elastic will wear over time making the device even more difficult to remove from the holster. I found a much better holster for the C2 that will be showcased in next week’s review.
Here is a photo of the holster from TASER.
It is recommended that a C2 be carried in a holster and not loose in a pocket or purse. The cartridge firing is initiated by a static charge, and having the C2 sliding around inside a coat pocket could generate a static charge. Also, having a C2 sliding around inside a pocket or purse could cause the safety door to become caught on something and open. This exposes the actuator button opening up the possibility of an accidental discharge occurring.
The C2 model pictured in this review also has a white LED light, and a LASER aiming device that is activated when the safety cover is slid open. That little red LASER dot is an intimidator in its own right. TASER really had a good idea when they added it. All that I need to do is hold the device in my hand, slide open the safety with my thumb, and the light and LASER light up my target quite nicely. I can really light up the target when the TASER is fired into it!
Here are two photos. The first one is of Steve holding the TASER. The LED light can be seen shining into the camera’s lens. The second is a photo with the LASER dot shining on Steve’s chest. Steve is my father-in-law. And no, he wouldn’t consent to being zapped. Not even for a Klondike Bar!
If a C2 is accidentally discharged then just slide the safety cover closed to stop the cycle. That is a great safety option. A new C2 owner needs to practice opening the safety door without simultaneously pressing the actuator button. Practice with the cartridge removed. TASER encourages this type of practice firing in their training DVD. Using the tip of my thumb on the safety to open it keeps me from having an accidental discharge. If I try to slide that door open with the first joint of my thumb, then I hit the button with the tip of my thumb. Common sense is all it takes, and I still have some left.
I can’t call a bullet back into a firearm, but I can stop the C2 cycle. I can also put the device on the ground and run to safety after I fire it into a criminal. The 30-second cycle will complete on its own. And if someone steals my C2 after I’m running away to call the police, then all I have to do is give TASER a copy of the police report, and they will give me a new one! Now that is great customer service.
Here is a photo of my sister-in-law Becky firing the C2 into a foil target. The short video of the firing of the TASER appears at the end of this article.
The C2 comes in different colors and patterns. In the picture below the extremes can be seen in the color and styles available. Leopard print doesn’t really go with my wardrobe, but it may suit yours. Check out the TASER website at www.TASER.com. In addition to several color options, the C2 is also available in desert and forest camo patterns. Now that is more my style. Be sure to check the company website for information on whether or not a TASER can be carried where you live.
Thank you TASER for making a great product that will facilitate us civilian defensive operators in surviving an attack from a criminal intent on doing us harm.
YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK (in case the above video doesn’t appear for you!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVm3W6KPd1g
Like the reviews? Hate the reviews? Want something changed about the reviews? Email cody@uscca.us. Own a Sig Model 239? Visit www.aldersonarts.com.
== USCCA Members-Only ==
Forum Highlights
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If you have never logged in but are a member, visit THIS location to watch help videos, including how to find out your username and/or password!
CCW Lifestyle Seems “Weird” To Many by ‘rjm7630′
I read books on self-defense and the concealed carry lifestyle while on my breaks at work. Some of my coworkers have taken notice that I am always reading those types of books.
Just the other day I was reading the latest book by Massad Ayoob that just came out on concealed carry. I always read these books with a highlighter in hand and I highlight what I consider to be some of the more pertinent portions, or sections that I really agree with and that stand out to me.
One of my coworkers assumed that since I was highlighting sections of this book that I was reading it for some class and preparing for an exam or a test. He said to me, “What’s up with the highlighter?” “Are you studying to get ready for a test?” I said, “Yes, I am studying.” He said, “When is the test?” I explained to him that I did not know when the test would be. I told him that it is more like a pop quiz that could take place at anytime, I just have to make sure that I am prepared, to the best of my ability, to pass that test.
We got to talking a little more about concealed carry and he wanted to know how often I carried concealed. When I explained to him that I carry practically 100% of the time he really thought that was abnormal. The whole “studying” and highlighting in the concealed carry book, and the fact that I always have a gun on me seemed really strange to him. I have received this type of reaction from several of my other coworkers. The ironic part of this whole story is that I work in law enforcement. One would think that of all people, those in law enforcement should understand the ccw lifestyle.
That is really what it is all about for the individual who is committed to carrying concealed, it is a lifestyle. You have to make many decisions based on the fact that you have a weapon on your person. For example, how you dress, where you go, whom you associate with, etc… You commit yourself to maintaining a level of awareness to your surroundings that is far beyond the average person. This is so foreign to those who do not carry concealed that many times they view you as paranoid. Any of you have any experiences like this that you care to share??
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We all know the story. Some of us may not have seen the testimony back then.
by ’santahog’
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do…&p%20r=goog-sl
We all know the story. Some of us may not have seen the testimony back then.
NOTE FROM TIM: Get your tissues… and WATCH this video.
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What you can do on a Jury by ‘Diocoles’
If someone does something and it’s against the law, but the law isn’t correct in this instance, you have the ability to disregard anything the judge says regarding basing it on the facts only. Or any other instructions the judge gives you.
It’s called jury nullification.
Lawyers are usually not allowed to tell a jury about it.
You can read a bit about it here at wikopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification
I also consulted a criminal lawyer my wife works with and he verified it. Judges don’t want them to speak of it. They don’t want you to know your full rights.
Very interesting reading. To me anyway. Thoughts?
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== “Looter Footage ” ==
USCCA VIDEO OF THE WEEK
“What’s done in the dark…”
An almost haunting 10 minute clip of looters in post-Katrina New Orleans.
View the ‘Video of the Week’ here…
== “Tim-spiration” of the Week ==
USCCA PHOTO OF THE WEEK
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…
“I am not in favor of concealed weapons. I think that creates a potential atmosphere where more innocent people could (get shot during) altercations.”
-Barack Hussein Obama, Junior Senator
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!
- “Taurus ‘Judge’ .410 pistol in action”
found at:http://www.claytoncramer.com/gundefenseblog/blogger.html
Police said a homeowner shot in self-defense when armed suspects tried to rob him overnight.
Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Monday, 67-year-old Douglas Dabbs pulled into his driveway on Tobylynn Drive and was getting out of his pickup truck when two armed men came up to him and tried to rob him. The two men were identified as Nibeyu Demissew Yosef and Jermichael Jerome Burgy.
Armed with BB guns the two men demanded money from Dabbs. Dabbs said he reached into the console of his truck, retrieved a handgun that fires .410 shotgun rounds and opened fire on the two robbers.
Yosef, 19, was wounded and transported by ambulance to Southern Hills Medical Center where he died shortly after arriving.
Burgy, 23, took off after the shooting, but police later tracked him down at Southern Hills where he was recovering from a non-critical gunshot wound to the head. Police said that Burgy admitted to being with Yosef during the robbery attempt, so police charged him with attempted aggravated robbery.
Police also said that Dabbs does not have a handgun carrying permit, but no charges against the homeowner were anticipated.
Burgy has been lodged in lieu of $80,000 bond. A convicted felon, Burgy had previously been found guilty of aggravated assault in 2006 and has been on probation for that offense. Burgy also has convictions for unlawful gun possession and driving without a license.
Yosef had been issued a total of four state misdemeanor citations in 2007 and 2008 for driving without a valid license.
Police said they were looking into whether this overnight robbery may have been linked to other robberies in the area, or whether this robbery was a random or targeted attacks.
HANDGUN ACCURACY SECRET #63:
“Take your strong hand. Make a fist, about as hard as you would
squeeze your gun. Now move your trigger finger back and forth like
you’re pulling the trigger. Now imagine that your support hand is
squeezing the gun and helping control it. Loosen up your strong
hand a little bit, and now pull your trigger finger as fast as you can.
You should notice a significant difference in how freely your trigger
finger can run. If you make your support hand help control the gun,
you will discover a far greater degree of trigger control.”
Visit this webpage for a text portion and audio recording of another invaluable Handgun Accuracy secret:
http://www.deltamediallc.com/products/accuracy/
Closing Thoughts
This week, I want to give some input on two questions. First, the easy one:
1) LCP, CCW, CHL, DA, FOF. I have no idea what some of these stand for. Please ask your editor to define the multiple acronyms used in your newsletter articles, especially the Readers Forum. Not all your readers are CGN’s (Certified Gun Nuts). -Wolfgang
I have to say- ‘CGN’ was a new one for me! Wolfgang, you’re not alone, and I apologize if I’ve become lenient in my assumptions when dealing with acronyms. The truth is that there are a TON of acronyms in the Concealed Carry World. Here are a few quick answers to these specific ones:
LCP: This is actually a relatively new pistol made by Ruger. It stands for “Lightweight Compact Pistol”.
CCW: Concealed Carry Weapon [permit].
CHL: Concealed Carry Handgun [permit].
NOTE: Different states have different names for their permits… these include but are by NO means limited to CCW, CHL, CPL, and CHP.
DA: I’m assuming this was used talking about a ‘Double Action’ pistol, one where the pull of the trigger cocks and releases the hammer. (As opposed to a single-action, where the hammer is cocked manually or by the previous shot, and the trigger just releases it.)
FOF: This generally stands for ‘Force on Force’, which is a type of training which utilizes tools such as Airsoft guns or padded mallets for training, all to give a person the feeling of actually being in a fight.
The SECOND question is this:
2) Tim- I am new to carrying concealed. My police officer friend told me to carry with a round in the chamber at all times, but my husband suggested that I don’t. He said that cops do, because they are in trouble all the time, but I am not. What do you think?
Now this is a pretty big question. Let me start by saying that nearly everybody who carries concealed and especially those who train professionally all carry with a round in their chamber at all times.
There are going to be two reactions to your question. The first reaction by many will be “of course you should, what good is a pistol if it’s not ready?” The other reaction will be “carrying with a round in the chamber? That seems like an accident waiting to happen!”
I know many people who carry concealed, and I found that a good number of them didn’t feel comfortable at first with carrying a round in their chamber. However, after just a few weeks of carrying regularly, all of these people became comfortable with their weapon and carry position, and they realized how safe carrying really is.
They all eventually became not only comfortable with the practice of having a round in the chamber, but they adopted it.
I know many people won’t agree with me on this, because there are a lot of people in the camp that dictates that you might as well not carry at all if you aren’t comfortable with a round in the chamber, but the story above tells me this:
I feel comfortable saying that it’s BETTER to carry with a round chambered (for many reason including that it allows for faster responses to life threatening situations). BUT- if you are not comfortable with that, I suggest you carry without a round chambered for a few days or even a couple weeks if that’s what it takes, until you are comfortable with the idea of carrying WITH one in the chamber.
I almost guarantee you though, that carrying with a round chambered will become second nature to you in a matter of days.
I hope this helps.
Do you have a pressing CCW concern that you’d like to get some feedback on? Use the contact form found at this page to let me hear it! Just use the graphic below!
Tim Schmidt
Founder - U.S. Concealed Carry
http://www.usconcealedcarry.com
