Choosing a concealed carry holster

Over at HubPages, artgib gives us an excellent overview of the different holster options for concealed carry.

It's too bad Plaxico Burress didn't read this before he went to the club. Instead, he's been kicked off his team, deprived of his livelihood, and sentenced to two years in prison (New York's taxpayers will get the bill) for the non-crime of accidentally shooting himself. Meanwhile, felons who actually hurt other people get off with probation and still get to collect their food stamps and SSI (how you can be too disabled to work but still earn a living as a burglar or mugger has never been satisfactorily explained) checks.

Seriously, your holster shouldn't be an afterthought and is no place to cheap out. As with most things, you get what you pay for. A good holster is both more secure and faster on the draw than the cheap alternatives, as well as more comfortable and concealable.

How much is your life worth?

Defensive handgun recommendations

I wrote this article a while back on the semi-automatic Glock 17 (caliber 9mm).

For revolver aficionados (and I am one) Terence Gillespie favors the Ruger SP101 (caliber .357 Magnum). A handy lever-action carbine in .357 Magnum, such as the Marlin Model 1894 (my personal choice) or the Winchester Model 1892 (not currently produced by Winchester, but many high-quality clones are available) makes a wonderful companion piece for woods bumming, hunting, plinking, and self-defense. The carbine may be preferred in those jurisdictions where handgun ownership is prohibited or excessively onerous.

Both handguns are rugged, reliable, and accurate. You won't go wrong with either one.

The Smith and Wesson Model 41 pistol

Here's an article I wrote for Squidoo a while back, explaining why I think the Smith & Wesson Model 41 is the best .22 pistol on the market for general use.

The Encyclopedia of Bullseye Pistol

The Encyclopedia of Bullseye Pistol is an online resource dedicated to the sport and discipline of Bullseye Pistol Competition. Bullseye Pistol is a formal, highly technical approach to shooting. It is shot one-handed, unlike more modern combat-oriented training and competition. The course of fire is described in the NRA manual:

NRA conventional pistol competition consists of firing slow, timed, and rapid fire. This is done at 50 and 25 yards outdoors and almost exclusively at 50 feet indoors. Generally an outdoor match will consist of 20 shots, slow fire at 50 yards (2 10-shot strings, 10 minutes per string), 20 shots, timed fire at 25 yards (4 5-shot strings, 20 seconds per string), 20 shots, rapid fire at 25 yards (4 5-shot strings, 10 seconds per string), and the National Match Course (10-shots, slow fire at 50 yards, 10-shots timed fire, and 10-shots rapid fire). This match consists of 90-shots for a possible aggregate total of 900 points. For a 2700 aggregate this match is fired once with each gun; .22 caliber rimfire, centerfire, and .45 caliber. Many match programs call for only one or two guns, that is a 900 or 1800 aggregate.

Most indoor tournaments are fired with .22 caliber rimfire only for a 900 aggregate. However, some indoor matches use all guns for a complete 2700 aggregate.

Pay a visit to the Encyclopedia today. Be sure to download the Army Marksmanship Unit Training Guide (PDF), linked on the homepage.

10 tips for better, cheaper and happier shooting

The coronation of Emperor Barack I has been, if nothing else, a boon for the gun industry. I have a passion for shooting, both for sport and for self-defense. I get a real kick out of turning a total newbie into a safe, happy, competent shooter. As a certified firearms instructor, I get a lot of questions about guns and shooting. Here are a few of my more common replies:

1. Start with a .22. The .22 Long Rifle is the cheapest and most ubiquitous round in existence! It's cheap practice, and lets you work on fundamentals without a lot of blast, flash and recoil. My .22 goes with me to the range every time; it gets shot more than any of my other guns.
2. Ignore the .468 Belchfire Magnum and other such gun magazine fodder. At best, it's a connoisseur's cartridge; at worst, it's just something ginned up for publicity.
3. Revolvers are not obsolete. The perception that they are, on the other hand, gives us some great bargains in used handguns.
4. Bigger guns (size, not caliber) are easier to shoot than smaller guns. You are not doing your wife or girlfriend a favor by thinking she needs a small, lightweight, handgun.
5. The more you mess with a gun, or the more stuff you hang on it, the less it wants to work.
6. There are two kinds of red dot sights on the market: Aimpoint, and everything else. None of them will make up for bad marksmanship.
7. The difference in diameter between 9mm (0.355") and .45 (0.451") is less than one-tenth of an inch (0.096"). Think about that before you get carried away in the Great Caliber Controversy.
8. The .30-30 has been in service for more than a century. It still works fine on deer. It's dandy for self-defense too, even if the rifles aren't painted black and covered with hand-mauling rails. Ammo is some of the most ubiquitous, highly-refined and consistent available. Rifles are inexpensive, light and handy. I like Marlin but if you prefer Winchester, I won't begin to try to change your mind.
9. Being in the police or military doesn't make a person a firearms expert, a competent coach, or even a competent shooter. Likewise, in evaluating your own needs, do not attach excessive importance to what the cops and soldiers use.
10. Take all the money you just saved on gimcracks, gewgaws, over-hyped and under-reliable "Ultimate (insert gun type here)" etc., and invest it in some real training. It may not seem glamorous now, but you'll thank me for it later.

Stay safe, have fun, and keep your powder dry!