Random thoughts from flyover country

Saturday, December 27

No guns for Christmas

It's true. I didn't get a single gun this year from Santa or anyone else. The refrigerator died after seven years (I though they were supposed to last longer!), and my gun money went into a new one. This refrigerator deal is some sort of racket! I could have bought a new SOCOM II for the kind of money they wanted!

Oh, well. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and has a prosperous New Year.

ECS

Tuesday, November 4

Welcome to the radicalization of a Conservative.

The Republican National Committee gave away the country this evening. Don't get me wrong, they aren't the only ones to blame for the debacle that was election night, because it's hard to beat the Democrats and the "main stream" media. It's also hard to win in the face of wide-spread voter fraud aided and abetted by Democratic state office holders (think Ohio's Secretary of State) and Senator Obama's own campaign. Senator McCain, trying to run a "nice" campaign without offending anyone, failed to mount a cohesive attack on Senator Obama and his questionable associations and failed to mount effective counter-attacks when the Obama campaign or the media attacked him or his running mate. It didn't help when members of Senator McCain's own staff made snide comments to the media about his running mate.

The only bright spot in this whole pitiful political season was Governor Sarah Palin and her wonderful family. Neither she nor her family deserved the relentless attacks visited on her by Democrats, their unhinged supporters, and the news media (at the risk of being redundant).

So, the RNC, without a radical revamping, has seen it's last dime from me. I will only support conservative candidates from here on out. Every time my representatives in the state legislature or Congress vote for something I oppose, I will let them know the effect of their actions on my continued support. I will actively campaign against anyone who supports legislation that I consider detrimental to this country.

I once swore an oath to this country and it's Constitution. I won't support anyone who speaks or votes in a manner contrary to the oath that they swore. I will not obey any law that abrogates the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.

I oppose bailouts, of corporations, states, or stupid people who borrowed more than they could pay back. (In the cases of older people who were deliberately misled by unscrupulous lenders, the onus is on the lender.)

I oppose tax increases to pay for increased government, including letting past tax cuts expire.

I oppose more government involvment in healthcare because it doesn't work well and increases costs. If you don't believe that, you probably think that Medicare and Medicaid have made healthcare better.

I support our current troop deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. If the Army would have let me return to active duty post-retirement, I would have gladly and proudly gone myself, so those who call me a "chicken hawk" do so at their own peril.

I support the continued development and deployment of advanced weapons systems to all branches of the military.

I support cutting unnecessary government spending by slashing pork, programs, offices, departments, staff, and other minions.

I support restricting Congress to voting on single-issue bills without unrelated amendments attached to them and preventing conference committees from adding crap when working out the differences between the House and the Senate.

The resistance is here. The resistance is now.

ECS

Thursday, October 30

For those who have decided they want a gun, what should they get ?

On Michelle Malkin's blog yesterday, a poster was asking for recommendations on a handgun. I recommended a medium-frame 3 or 4 inch barreled revolver chambered for a .38 Special or .357 Magnum cartridge. In these days of high-capacity 9mm and .40 S&W semiautomatics and "pocket rockets," to use one of the gun control crowd's favorite terms, why in the world would I suggest something that would have been at home in a police officer's holster in the 1970s?

Let's make some assumptions:

1. The handgun must be usable for a man, a woman, or even an adolescent. The person asking for a recommendation was female, but it's really immaterial. Another family member might need to be able to use it.

2. The handgun must not be punishing to shoot. If it hurts to shoot, the users will not practice with it and thus will not develop the skill necessary to use it effectively.

3. The handgun must be reasonably effective in stopping a threat.

How does the old "police revolver" stack up?

1. A revolver is simple to operate. You aim the gun at the target, pull the trigger, and it goes bang. You can see if it's loaded by looking at it, and you can load or unload it quickly and easily. There is no slide to pull back to load or clear the chamber, and you can't forget to drop the magazine.

2. With a .38 Special steel-frame revolver recoil, even with good defensive ammunition, is not a problem for most folks. On the other hand, a .357 Magnum steel-frame revolver can be a handful with full-house magnum ammunition with heavy recoil and muzzle blast/flash. I'd recommend starting with lower pressure .38 Special ammunition and moving up to more powerful ammunition until you reach your recoil/blast/flash tolerance. I'd recommend practicing with lower-power ammunition and saving your defensive ammunition for the piece de resistance of your practice sessions.

3. As far as "stopping power" goes, no handgun is a "death ray." However, the .357 Magnum handgun loaded with 125 jacketed hollow point (JHP) full-power ammunition is the standard by which all others are measured. Using lower-powered ammo reduces stopping power, but may increase accuracy, and bullet placement is one of the top three things that determine effectiveness, given a minimum power level. The other two are placement and placement. There is nothing wrong with the effectiveness of any .38 Special defensive load, so my recommendation will provide an adequate level of protection provided you practice enough to establish competency and accuracy.

I'm going to wind this up with a short discussion of bullet types that I consider effective enough for defensive ammunition. You want either a lead semi-wadcutter hollow point of 158 grains in weight or a jacketed hollow point in 110 grains to 135 grains for the .38 Special. For the .357 Magnum, you want a 110 to 125 grain JHP. I'll get more detailed with specific recommendations for ammunition in a follow-on post.

Finally, if you aren't familiar with firearms, or especially if you aren't familiar with handguns, I'd recommend getting training from a competent instructor.

ECS

Tuesday, October 14

In the event of riots...

...what will you do?

I know, you're all wondering why I'm bringing up something that seems so far away timewise. It's been years since the "Days of Rage" in Chicago, the riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the riots that followed the California state court acquittals of the police officers accused of using excessive force in the arrest of Rodney King. What could I possibly be thinking, right?

Two scenarios:

1. Senator Obama loses the Presidential Election. His supporters, enraged by a perception that the election was "stolen," riot.

2. Senator Obama wins the Presidential Election. His supporters, emboldened by a perception that they won the election and deserve the spoils, riot, looting and attacking anyone they perceive to be a "McCain cracker."

"Not possible!" you say. "The One wouldn't allow it!"

Really? You need to read the posts of the wingnuts on the left-wing blogs and get back to me. In the meantime, check out the following:

http://messages.yahoo.com/Cultures_%26_Community/Issues_and_Causes/Current_Events/US%255FNews/threadview?bn=7088116-guncontroldebate&tid=924437&mid=924450

http://messages.yahoo.com/Cultures_%26_Community/Issues_and_Causes/Current_Events/US%255FNews/threadview?bn=7088116-guncontroldebate&tid=923988&mid=923996

http://messages.yahoo.com/Cultures_%26_Community/Issues_and_Causes/Current_Events/US%255FNews/threadview?bn=7088116-guncontroldebate&tid=923556&mid=923558

Now, back to the riots -

How do you prepare, and what do you do when they start?

Preparation requires having a plan. Cowering in your bedroom under the covers may be your plan, but it doesn't appeal to me. We're talking about planning to survive the riots with your life, your property, and your dignity/sacred honor intact, so we plan. Actually, we have two plans: one if you and your family is home, and another if you're scattered to the four winds. A contingency for the second one is if you have to leave your home to retrieve/rescue a family member.

Let's make a list of essentials needed to execute these plans. Remember, riots are deadly things.

First, we need a secure place for the family. A safe room might be great for tornadoes and hurricanes, but it won't be worth a tinker's dam if someone is intent on burning your house down around it. A storm shelter might be good option if it has a secure, hidden entrance, or two. We don't want to get trapped inside one while folks pour gasoline down the air vents. That pretty much means that we must secure the house. (I'm not going to discuss apartments, because by their nature they cannot be secured.) A brick-sheathed house is better than a frame house; a concrete block house is better than a brick-sheathed house; a solid brick house is better than a concrete block house, and a poured concrete house is better than just about anything else. However, it's a bit late to be looking for a new house. (See why planning is important?) Therefore, we'll need something to block the doors and windows from unwanted entry and to stop bullets. That means sandbags or furniture (several layers of either one).

We'll need food and water for how ever many members we have in our family for at least a week with additional supplies for unexpected guests (people stranded at our house). We don't want to try to go grocery shopping in the middle of looting season. In the event of power failure we'll need a way to cook, heat, and light the house. That means gas stoves, lanterns, heaters, flashlights, generators, and fuel and batteries. Batteries and the generator will also be needed for a minimum of a good AM/FM radio and a police scanner.

The next need is a way to defend your house and stuff. Ladies and gentlemen, there isn't any way around this: we're talking about guns..., and more. That means at least one rifle or shotgun per able-bodied, responsible member of our family; at least one handgun, ditto; and sufficient ammunition. (You'll have to decide what "sufficient" means.) I would really like to have some concertina/razor wire stashed in our garage as well, but it's almost impossible to get. Ironically, some of the most effective defensive long guns for the price are former Warsaw-pact weapons: SKS carbines, semi-automatic AK-47s, Mosin-Nagant rifles and carbines (M38/M44), and Makarov 9mm handguns. At least people who might riot know what they look like and the damage they can do. A decent repeating shotgun can be had new for well under 200 dollars (Maverick 12 gauge pump by Mossberg) and with slugs, buckshot, or duck hunting shells can be devastatingly effective. Just about any decent quality handgun, or even "bargain" handguns will do.

As in the "Rodney King riots," a show of force, or willingness to use force, can prevent rioters from approaching an otherwise unprotected area. The Korean shopkeepers kept their businesses safe by being seen armed on the roofs and around them. I recommend coordinating with our neighbors, if possible, to defend our neighborhood, our street, our block. This sort of effort prevented looters from going into some neighborhoods in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The important thing is that we must be prepared to use those guns to defend ourselves and our families. I'm not talking about shots over rioters heads or in the dirt at their feet. We must be prepared to shoot to stop any threat. That means holding center mass of the target. We'll discuss this again.

If we are away from home, we and our families must be prepared to reach a place of safety and/or home. This means we must have emergency supplies in our vehicle and the means to defend ourselves. Our family members should also have the same sort of supplies and armaments. Water, blankets, jacket, rain gear, first aid kit are bare minimum requirements. Handguns, either carried legally concealed, or secured in our vehicle, are most portable, but , if we have a secure way to store them in our vehicle, a compact long gun such as a "coach gun"-type shotgun, a lever action carbine, or an SKS or M-1 Carbine would be an excellent choice. For the vehicle or concealed carry, we will, ideally, have a decent quality handgun, but the important thing is to have a gun of adequate caliber. If all we can afford is a HiPoint 9mm, that's what we go with.

Before we head to our house, we need to get as much information as we can about where the riots are taking place and what the traffic is like. We take a route that avoids riot areas as much as we can, and we do not stop if someone attempt to block our path or run us off the road. We don't get out of our vehicle as long as it is operational. If rioters try to get us to stop by running out in front of us, well, that's their problem. I need to address something else, right now. We can't be trying to do this in one of those tiny little cars. If that's all we have, we stay put or go way out of our way to get home if we can get there without going any where near the riots. We need to have, at the very least, a mid-size car, SUV, or pickup truck, and we need to ensure we always have at least a half tank of gas. This is a case where bigger is better. Remember Reginald Denny? He was driving a 14 wheel dump truck with a load of sand, but he stopped and was dragged from his cab. To be fair, he didn't have a radio in the truck, so he didn't know about the riots, but we don't go anywhere with our doors unlocked, do we? We don't get out of our vehicle to try to reason with anyone. We are in a two-ton vehicle, and we will use it.

If we can go straight home, that's what we do. If a family member is in a secure place we may need to leave him/her there until order is restored or it's safe to retrieve him/her. If that family member is in an insecure place and can't get to his/her vehicle safely, we may have to do an extraction. We stick to major streets, and we don't stop until we get to the family member's location. Then, we do a stop-and-go, even if we have to drive right up to the door. If someone shows a gun in a threatening manner, we get down, go, and prepare to return fire. If someone points a gun, we shoot.

Over dramatic? Maybe, but my family and I will not be victims. Racist? Not at all. I don't care what color someone is if they are trying to harm me or my family. The important thing is to have a plan.

Questions?

ECS

Monday, September 22

Carry at home, or not?

Do you carry at home, do you keep guns stashed at “strategic” locations around the house, or do you keep everything locked up in the safe or locker when you're home? Alternatively, do you believe anyone who keeps a gun available at home is “paranoid?” I've heard people who carry on a daily basis describe locking their carry gun away once they get home, describing people who don't as paranoid. I've heard other people talking about having a number of identical guns readily available but hidden around the house “where no one else can find them.” I know others, of whom I include myself, who continue to carry when they get home. Of course, there are those out there who think anyone who carries a gun is a dangerous psychopath, but we all know who they are and don't care what they think.

Let's examine the options listed above.

You have to believe that there is a reason for you to carry a defensive handgun in public or you wouldn't have gone to the trouble to apply, pay for training, undergo a background check, and pay the fee(s) to get a concealed handgun license. You may be in business and carry large sums of money or have extremely valuable merchandise. You may have a business in a less-secure part of town and feel the need to be able to defend yourself, your employees, and your customers. Or you have just decided to take responsibility for your own safety and the safety of your family.

If you are the one who carries all day long and locks your carry piece away when you get home, do you believe that your home is a place of safety, inviolable, where no one can intrude? We have all heard too many times of home invasions, burglaries, and rapes being committed in homes and apartments to believe that. So, with your gun locked away, if someone kicks in your door or smashes through a window, what will you do? Will you stand your ground, hoping to stop the attacker(s) without your firearm, wondering if your wife, significant other, or perhaps your child will be able to get to your gun, get it unlocked and in action before you are overwhelmed? Or will you run for your gun safe in an attempt to get your gun out before any family members are assaulted or before the attackers get to you? What you have effectively done by locking up your gun is disarmed yourself and left yourself and your family unprotected.

Perhaps you have guns stashed around the house, believing that you'll always be close enough to one to respond to any threat. You may, in fact, be correct and able to defend yourself and your family from the door-kickers/window smashers. However, unless you distribute those guns to their hiding places when you get home, they are available to whomever may be in the house, by invitation or not. This includes your children, their visitors, or the ever-popular burglar who enters your home when you aren't there. You may think you have found the “perfect hiding places,” but children and criminals are just as inventive as you are. The “neat-o” picture frames and clocks that swing out to reveal holsters or shelves are not just advertised where the law-abiding can see them. Under mattresses or beds, in between the cushions of your couch or easy chair, among the books or magazines on your shelves, or under the desk, nightstands, or end tables are just not secure. You may come home to find your carefully stashed guns gone, or, worse, find a bad guy in your house armed with YOUR gun(s). If someone is always home, stashing guns around the house may work for you, but I think it's a bad risk.

Now, consider what happens if you carry your gun(s) with you into your home, leaving it(them) right where it(they) was(were) when you were out and about in the big, wide world. If someone kicks open your door or smashes your window, you don't have to wonder if you have time to get to your gun, unlock it, and defend yourself and your family. You don't have to worry about someone getting to your stashed guns before you do, and you needn't be concerned that someone got into your house and got to your guns first. You have your gun(s) on you and can respond appropriately to any threat.

My wife used to ask me if I really though someone was going to kick in our door while we were home. With a spate of home invasions in our area, admittedly not in good neighborhoods, she has stopped asking that particular question. I generally download a bit when I get home, usually putting my Smith & Wesson Model 13 away and carrying only my Taurus 85SSUL. (Since I always carry my KelTec P32, I don't count it.) I may or may not conceal the gun I'm carrying in my house, and it isn't a subject for discussion anymore.

Has anyone ever broken into my home since I received my concealed handgun license? Nope. Do I hope anyone tries? Of course not. The closest we've come was when one of those young gentlemen selling magazines to win some sort of prize or scholarship came to the door and almost ran when he saw my revolver, backing away saying, “Don't shoot me, sir!” When I reassured him that he was safe, I asked him a number of questions. The story went that he was from an “inner city area” and was trying to turn his life around with this “program” where selling magazines would earn him enough points to get into a “training program” that would allow him to get a good job. The kid had a good spiel, but I just had to decline, having all the magazine subscriptions we needed. After he left my yard, I walked my dog on her leash around the neighborhood (after I woke her up) just to scope out the action. He skipped my next door neighbor's house, possibly due to the police car in the driveway, and tried almost every other house up the block, unsuccessfully from what I could see.At the entrance to the neighborhood, he stood around until a van with out-of-state tags came by and picked him up. I saw the van later in other parts of town with an older man (Okay, about my age.) in it with young people going into other neighborhoods. Was it on the up-and-up, or was it casing possible victims on a larger scale? I don't know. There didn't seem to be any up-tick in burglaries in town, but it may have been a scam. I let our local law know about it, but I didn't hear anything from them.

The bottom line is that if you're going to carry, you probably need to carry at home, too. Just my opinion.

ECS

Friday, September 12

Getting back to guns

In 1929 at the Tula Arsenal in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, this 1895 Nagant 7.62x38R came off the assembly line. It wasn't finely finished, and it's design was admittedly obsolescent, soon to be supplanted by the Tokarev but not replaced. The arsenals that built these revolvers continued to churn them out through the end of World War 2 in 1945. Under the old Soviet system, when a gun was in production, it stayed in production.

My brother, formerly a Russian linguist/specialist for the USAF, told me that as late as the 1980's some Soviet police still carried this gun. In a country where the odds of a полицейский facing an armed criminal or citizen were miniscule, the mere threat of a gun may have been enough.

I just wanted one. Surprisingly, it feels very good in my hand. The trigger pull, both single-action and double-action are heavy but manageable. The finish shows some tool marks through the almost black bluing. This is not a "shiny" gun, but the wood grips are very nice with checkered wood inlays in the front and back straps.

The Nagant action is interesting in that as the hammer moves back the cylinder first rotates, then moves forward to surround the forcing cone of the barrel. At the same time, the recoil plate also moves forward to support the base of the cartridge lined up with the barrel. Using the unique ammunition with the bullet buried below the mouth of the casing, when the gun fires the extended case mouth expands, sealing the cylinder gap. This makes the Nagant the only revolver, contrary to what we've seen in the movies and on TV, that works with a suppressor. Releasing the trigger allows the cylinder to retract and reset. On the down side, all the movement when the trigger is pulled in double-action is what make the trigger pull heavy.

The gun came with a fake-leather fabric holster with a double ammunition pouch that holds 14 rounds. (Did I mention that the Nagant is a seven-shooter?) There may have been a cleaning rod and lanyard with it originally, but they are long gone.

The 1895 Nagant holds the record for service-handgun production and service. While there's no way of knowing if mine saw active service, I'm happy owning a piece of history.

ECS

Tuesday, September 9

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-mckay/were-gonna-frickin-lose-t_b_124772.html

Post a comment
Sorry, but you have been banned from commenting.
New comments on this entry — Click to refresh
Loading comments…
if (HuffCookies.get('huffpost_user')) setTimeout("CommentPollerV3.check(124772, true);", 30000);

I guess "free speech" doesn't include pointing out the lies on others' posts or objecting to being called a racist because I disagree with damn' near everything Senator Obama espouses.

ECS

Monday, September 8

Out of my approximately 17 posts on HuffPo, they have deleted seven of them. I wonder what scares them so much.

ECS

Saturday, September 6

Dems React To Palin Speech: "Formidable," "Shrill And Sarcastic" (VIDEO)


"I am not taking any chances with the republican this year; they like to disenfranchise voters, especially minorities."



Like the Democrats doing everything they could to disenfranchise military voters in Florida?



ECS
About Sarah Palin
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Thursday, September 4

Palin Slams Obama, Dems


A conservative marries the girl he gets pregnant. A liberal drives her to the abortion clinic.



ECS
About Sarah Palin
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Palin Slams Obama, Dems


"So I say to the republicans: after letting Rove and the swift-boaters lie about our candidate, you got nothing coming."



Exactly what "lies" did anyone tell about John Kerry?



ECS
About Sarah Palin
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Sunday, August 31

McCain/Palin 2008

I'm as happy as a mosquito in a nudist colony! I think Senator John McCain hit a home run in naming Governor (AK) Sarah Palin as his Vice-Presidential pick. It sure took the wind out of the DNC's coronation of Senator Obama and makes the selection of Senator Biden as the Democratic Party's VP candidate look pitiful.

That said, I'm also disgusted by the reaction of Obama's proxies in the media and in the DK crowd. The attacks on Governor Palin's daughter and baby boy are inexcusable. I'm waiting for the good Senators to disavow any connection with those attacks and those who make them. I'm not holding my breath.

ECS

Saturday, August 30

What to wear; what to wear?

This isn't about clothes, and it isn't about guns. It's about what clothes you have to wear to conceal the gun[s] you want to carry. For example, today I carried a four-inch S&W Model 681, a two-inch Taurus 85SSUL, and a KelTec P32 concealed in 95ºF heat. How did I pull this off without suffering heat stroke? It's really pretty easy.

I carried the "big gun," which is equipped with Crimson Trace laser grips, in Bianchi Model 7 thumb break holster using the slots for a strong side FBI carry. I carried the box stock "medium gun" weakside in a Bianchi Model 105 Minimalist. The "little gun" I front pocket-carried in a Blackhawk holster.

My clothes for the day? I wore a Hanes Pocket-T, Levi's 501 jeans, and a photographer's vest, and my self-defense suite was undetectable. However, my former neighbor, a DEA agent, had he seen me, would have asked what I was carrying. Why? The vest. He remarked on more than one occasion that I looked like a "Feeb." No, that's not a derogatory term for someone who is mentally challenged, it's what he called FBI agents. (Hmm. I'll have to give that some thought.)

Later in the day, my wife and I went to the grand opening of the new BOK Center in Tulsa to see my mom's tax dollars at work. Since my wife really gets tired of the vest, I made an adjustment in my concealed carry battery to fit the situation. I left the M681 in the pistol safe, removed the Minimalist from the belt, and moved the 85SSUL to an IWB strong side holster. Because the temperature outside had increased, I changed the Pocket T for a regular t-shirt and wore a Hawai'ian shirt over it. Downtown Tulsa was crawling with police officers in cars, on foot, and riding bicycles, and, again, my self-defense suite went unnoticed/undetected.

Earlier in the week, I joined fellow scooterists for our regular Thursday evening group ride and dining out activity in 90º+ weather. (Actually, it was around 86º when we started.) My S&W Model 13 rode IWB strongside, the Taurus Ultra-Lite IWB weakside, and the KelTec, again, in my front pocket. I wore a graphic t-shirt under my FirstGear Venom mesh jacket and Levi's. Due to the breathability of the mesh jacket, no one thought my wearing it in the restaurant was unusual. In fact, the A/C had the place pretty cool.

The point I want to make is that you can conceal handguns up to full-size service guns like the Smith & Wesson 681 if you take the trouble to get a decent holster and dress appropriately. If the situation prevents you from wearing a cover garment like a vest, a coat, a jacket, or an untucked shirt, you need to carry a gun that you can conceal in your pocket or a push-up holster. My choices will probably not be yours, but take the time to examine your carry options and your clothing options.

ECS

Sunday, August 24

Bad news for the Democratic Party or the American people.

Presumptive Democratic Party Presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama named Senator Joe Biden as his Vice-Presidential pick. Given the anti-gun history of both these gentlemen, the Republican Party and every gun rights organization in the nation should make a big deal of this to the American people. Even with Senator John McCain's luke-warm support of the Second Amendment and the First Amendment (remember campaign finance reform?), the presumptive Democratic ticket's record is ripe for exploitation. If we can create enough noise about this to get the attention of the MSM, it can be bad news for the Democratic Party.

The flip side is that if the Obama/Biden ticket wins, given their anti-gun rights records, the American people and their individual right to keep and bear arms (as guranteed, not granted, by the Second Amendment) will face a minimum of four years of increasing pressure. Remember what Senator Dianne Feinstein said: if she'd had the votes she'd have had "Mr. and Mrs. America" turn in their guns.

ECS

Saturday, August 23

Concealed Carry Thoughts 2

I prefer revolvers for concealed carry in the main. If I thought I was going into combat, my choice would be different due to the differences between self-defense and combat, and I probably wouldn't be too concerned about concealability. Since personal self-defense generally doesn't involve laying down a base of fire or suppression, I don't need what some commentators refer to as "firepower." What I need is something that works every time, is concealable and has sufficient power to stop an attacker. What I want is something that works just like every other gun I might carry. My solution is revolvers.

The big questions are, "What kinds of revolvers? What caliber revolvers? What barrel length/frame size revolvers?"

As much as I love single-action revolvers, concealing one tends to be a problem especially since most of mine are .45 Colts. So, that leaves double-action revolvers. While I really like Colt Detective Specials, they have moved into the realm of collectibles. That leaves any number of other makes. Since Smith & Wesson and Taurus use the same basic system of cylinder release (push forward on the latch), that's what I elected.

Caliber is a subject where everyone has an opinion. My primary defensive caliber is .357 Magnum with 125 grain jacketed hollow point (JHP) bullets. My reasoning is that not only do the Evan Marshall and Ed Sanow statistics from Handgun Stopping Power: The Definitive Study show that round to be right at the top and whenever a new defensive pistol round is introduced the developer compares it to the .357 Magnum, but this powerhouse is available in readily concealable handguns
. My secondary defensive caliber is .38 Special +P with a 125 grain JHP bullets. It isn't the powerhouse that the .357 Magnum is, but it is adequate and can be used in .357 Magnum revolvers. It is also more controllable for someone who isn't a dedicated pistolero.

While there are those people who can conceal N-frame Smith & Wesson or Colt New Service revolvers, I'm not one of them. The choice for me is a K-frame Smith & Wesson or smaller. In particular the Model 13/65. My preferred barrel length is three inches. I can conceal a three inch Model 13 easily, and it doesn't get in my way performing normal movements like sitting in my truck or riding my scooter.

So we come to my concealed carry battery: (1) a .357 Magnum S&W Model 13 with a three inch barrel and Bianchi Lightning grips, (2) a .38 Special Taurus Model 85SSUL* with a two inch barrel, and (3) a .32 ACP Kel-Tec P32 (Okay, it's an automatic.). When away from the house I carry the M13 IWB on my right side, the 85SSUL IWB on my left side, and the P32 in my pocket. At home, carry the M85SSUL strong side and the P32 in my pocket. If going somewhere where the revolvers would be too intrusive (a rare occasion), the P32 goes it alone. The biggest change comes during the winter when my four inch S&W M681 replaces the M13 on my right side in a Bianchi #7. That moves the M13 to the left, and the M85SSUL moves to a coat pocket.

You may have different requirements and different solutions, but that's what freedom is all about.

ECS

*(Stainless Steel Ultra-Lite)

Concealed Carry Thoughts

Thanks to the great State of Oklahoma, I have a Concealed Handgun License. While I would rather not have the state involved at all in how and when I carry a gun, at least Oklahoma is a "shall issue" state, and the regulations are not onerous. So, I figure to live with 'em.

When it has come up in conversation (rarely), I have had otherwise reasonable and intelligent people ask me why I carry a gun. They ask me if I'm afraid or if I see myself as some sort of Rambo or vigilante. Or, they tell me they are afraid of guns. They then pontificate on the evils of guns, all the damage guns do to "our society," and how, if it were in their power, they would ban guns.

Well, for the record, I'm not afraid (most of the time) of anything (almost), nor do I see myself as Rambo or a vigilante. I carry guns (Yes, I typed guns.) for the same reason I wear a seat-belt; for the same reason I wear a helmet, armored jacket, boots, and gloves when I ride my scooter; for the same reason I have insurance on my house, car, truck, and scooter. If you need any of these, you're going to need them right now. I, for one, don't want to be looking for something to protect myself if someone attacks me or a member of my family, especially since I'm what they call a high-mileage model. (Hand-to-hand combat training was a lot of miles and a lot of wear'n'tear ago.) I'm not looking for trouble, but I intend to be as ready for it as I can.

For those people who are afraid of guns, my mother included, I can only ask if they are afraid of kitchen utensils, tools, cars, and their hair dryers. A gun is a tool. It won't go off by itself. It won't turn the person holding it into a slathering, wild-eyed, murderous monster bent on wreaking havoc amongst his family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. It has no motivation, morals, or ability of its own. That is not to say that a gun should not be respected, but a gun can't make anyone do anything.

(My mother has acknowledged that her fear of guns is irrational, but, when a woman down the street from her house was murdered in cold blood after surprising burglars in the middle of the day, she insisted that either my brother or myself, with our guns, come stay with her until the police apprehended the killers. This we did, because that's what family does.)

As for guns damaging our society, I would say that criminals damage our society. Criminals don't obey laws. Banning guns won't change that because criminals won't obey the laws banning guns, leaving the law-abiding defenseless. The gun banners, when I ask them what to do if threatened by an attacker, say that I should let the police handle it, "That's what we pay them for." They get a bit flustered when I say that their response to an immediate threat is to hope that people with guns come to their aid in time to save them. They get more flustered when I tell them that the police have no legal responsibility to protect any individual who doesn't have a pre-existing relationship with the police, i.e. a snitch...excuse me, a confidential informant.

It is a sad commentary on our "society" that people abdicate their responsibility for their safety, for their families' safety, and for their very lives to others.

So, I will continue to carry concealed handguns.

ECS