You think it's bad HERE?

I don't want to downplay the gang problem in the Tulsa area, but at least we haven't had funerals in Roman Catholic churches shot up. It seems that a fine, upstanding, young, rising music star named James Holman, age 32, died, and the funeral home rented St. Columbanus Catholic Church for the service. Unfortunately, someone at the service decided to take out some rivals. Two members of the Gangster Disciples were shot resulting in one dead and one wounded. Police recovered two guns at the scene - one from the newly dead thug and one from the wounded thug. The shooter(s) is(are) still at large.

Oh, yeah: "Holman, identified by police as a gang member, was gunned down last week at an apartment building in the Washington Park neighborhood."

Final note: Chicago will most likely have 500 murders or more this year. Last time I checked, they were up to 477 or so year-to-date. Illinois is the only state that has no provision for law-abiding citizens to carry handguns either concealed or openly, and Chicago still has the most draconian gun laws in the United States.

ECS

Open Carry in Oklahoma

As of 1 November 2012, individuals with a Concealed Weapon License (henceforth know as a  Handgun License) issued under the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act can carry legal* handguns either concealed or openly. Initially (before 1 November) there was a great deal of hand-wringing in the media about Open Carry with the concomitant alarm about how businesses would handle it and what the "risk" would be to law enforcement. Letters to the editor and comments on TV and radio station websites were full of the expected whining from the hoplophobes and scaredycats about having to see a handgun on someone's hip.

On 1 November the media covered Open Carry quite breathlessly as if waiting for something bad to happen. The only "thing" that happened was a luncheon at the Trail's End Barbeque in Owasso where about 50 folks from the Oklahoma Open Carry Association (OKOCA) showed up carrying their sidearms to celebrate. Of course there were, again, the letters and comments from the hoplophobes and scaredycats, saying how worried they were and how uncomfortable open carry made them.

I open carry every day at work, because it's part of my job. I have open carried off duty only a few times since it became legal (mostly to avoid conflict with my wife) and then only to run to the grocery store or Hallmark, mostly because it's generally too cool to run around without a jacket when I'm not at work.

Interestingly, even though a sign maker reported a run on "No Guns Allowed" and "No Open Carry" signs, I haven't seen any that weren't there before. One of the branches of my bank has a sign that reads "Please remove all hats, sunglasses, and hoods before entering. Failure to do so will result in being denied entry." It does NOT have a "No Guns" sign. Next time I need to get change, I think I'll leave my hat, sunglasses, and jacket in the truck!

Only twice have I seen other people not readily identifiable as police officers carrying openly. One of those was the local Regional Coordinator for OKOCA and her husband who had to remind an event organizer that just because he got a permit to close a street didn't give him the right to deny open carry. I don't think we'll really see that much open carry until the weather warms up again, but it's nice not to have to worry if the wind is going to blow your cover garment up and expose your holstered handgun which was breaking the law under the old law.

ECS

*(Pistol means any derringer, revolver or semiautomatic firearm which:

a. has an overall length of less that sixteen (16) inches,
b. is capable of discharging a projectile composed of any material which may reasonably be expected to be able to cause lethal injury,
c. is designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand, and
d. uses either gunpowder, gas or any means of rocket propulsion to discharge the projectile.)

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

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

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