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We shouldn’t even have to have this discussion….but here we go!
I have carried 29 years and have been in the concealed carry and self-defense business 23 years. Two things are abundantly clear:
You want to stop the threat immediately without the person having a chance to defend himself or target you. I have had someone tell me: “I want everyone to know I am armed so they know not to mess with me.” Think about this. A gun is a deterrent to a sane person, but an opportunity to an evil person. If I was going to commit a robbery, assault or mass shooting, I would shoot the armed person immediately, without warning. Game over. However, if there was an armed, concealed-carry person or persons, I would have no idea who they were or where they were. They would have a very good chance of being able to target me. A fair fight is a sporting event …. All the rest of the time, you cheat. Here is a scenario: Suppose I am at a Walmart and I see someone with an exposed handgun. I don’t see a badge or anything else identifying him as law enforcement. What do I do? Is this a good guy or someone out to wreak havoc and harm? That’s the issue with open carry …. How does anyone determine your intent? Good? Bad? Sometimes the very thing you are doing to protect yourself can be the very thing that gets you harmed. Open carrying an expensive handgun (or any handgun) is an invitation to “come and take it.” It’s like wearing a Rolex. Somewhere, somebody is willing to do whatever it takes to relieve you of that item, and “whatever it takes,” may be fatal. When you carry concealed, you ALWAYS have the advantage. Be smart. Always carry. Be aware of your surroundings. Stay safe.
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We want a cartridge that has sufficient stopping power or knock down power to stop a threat! What does that mean? Well, things have changed a lot since I started carrying thirty years ago! Just in the past few years ammo design and technology have changed the game! Any high performance hollow point ammo will usually stop a person from doing what they were doing! .380, 9mm, .40 S&W, .357 Sig, .45 ACP, are effective man stoppers. Obviously, some are more effective than others, but all are capable of stopping a threat and saving your life!
Shot placement is very important. Practice, practice, practice! Find a shooting venue where you can draw & fire and you can also move and shoot. You need to practice what you will actually have to do in a self-defense situation! Let's talk specifics. People who are recoil sensitive, women and older people with arthritis will want to consider the .380 or 9mm. Everyone else can shoot whatever they prefer. An ER doctor once told me the .40 S&W was the most devastating round in his opinion. So a .40 is a good choice! It will have a very sharp recoil in a smaller and lighter carry gun. The .45 ACP cartridge is larger and heavier and a little slower bullet than the .40S&W. It too is an effective self-defense round. The 357 Sig is also a great choice but has a few draw backs. It has a fair amount of recoil and it can be over penetrating at close range. It is also rather expensive to shoot and there are not a lot of hand guns chambered for it. For you revolver people, the .38 can be a good man stopper, however, I would not recommend using the .357 magnum in the small light weight revolvers with a short barrel. The recoil and muzzle flash will be hard to overcome! Here is the bottom line. Don' get paralyzed by over analysis! Like I said earlier, any modern high performance round can save your life! Another point, people who want to shoot a lot and are price sensitive will often want to choose the 9mm. It is a good man stopper and is very affordable to shoot! The most important thing is to carry all the time…period! Whatever you decide to carry is worthless if it's not on your person and is in the car!! So, the most effective round is the one you brought to the unexpected gun fight! Practice like you may need it! Pray you never will! COMMENT #3
WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE CARRY GUN? The one you can actually carry, that goes bang every time you pull the trigger! My point.....A 5'-3" 115 lb. female saying... "I want to carry my full size Glock 22 because I shoot very well with it." How well she shoots with it won’t matter! It’s too big for her to carry! Most self-defense shootings happen in a matter of seconds, at a distance of six to twelve feet. You don’t need to be able to do a two inch group at thirty feet! You need to hit center mass, (chest and abdomen.) POSSESSION AND ACCESS are the key. Remember... a .380 in your hand beats a hand cannon at the house! COMMENT #2
"I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD HAPPEN TO ME! What are the first three words of that sentence? "I didn't think!" Every victim, who isn’t dead says the same thing! You can hardly name a place where someone hasn’t been shot! It is a huge unnecessary risk to not have a firearm to protect yourself. We all should know the saying," I would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it! It only takes one time! Comment #1:
I’LL TAKE A GUN WHEN I THINK I’LL NEED IT” Really?...If you think you need a gun to go someplace…..DONT GO THERE! If you really knew that you were going to be shot, stabbed, raped, robbed or a host of other terrible things that can happen to anyone, anytime, YOU WOULD HAVE STAYED HOME! You need to carry your gun everywhere you go and avoid places that have a high probability of being dangerous. |
Steve WiesnerAdvocate for self defense for 22 years. Designed and patented the Pager Pal in 1997 and has since designed and patented the Tactical Edge Holster system. His main mission is to "Equip the Good Guys" Archives
June 2020
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