Giving up something to carry a gun

People want to know what changes they will need to make in their lives when they decide to carry a gun for self-protection. The answer I usually give out isn’t about new clothing or different equipment, it’s about a new attitude. Specifically, you can’t get angry when you carry a gun.

Ever. Let me say that again in another way: Carrying a gun means giving up your right to be angry at the actions of others, no matter how unbelievably stupid those actions may have been. 

An example. 

A friend of mine’s boyfriend got into an argument while driving with the driver of another car. Words were exchanged, and both cars pulled over to the side of the road. My friends boyfriend walked out of his car with his gun in hand, determined the other driver was unarmed, and drove off, believing the incident to be over. 

The other driver called the cops, claiming my friend’s boyfriend had pulled a gun on him (which, in reality, is sorta what happened). My friend’s boyfriend had a long legal journey that only recently came to an end and with a satisfactory (but not exculpatory) conclusion. 

What if he had just walked away and not stoked the fires of anger? What if he gave up his “right” to express his anger at that @#$! who just cut him off at traffic? Would he have had to worry about that other driver being armed? Would he to face a mountain of legal bills and possible loss of his right of armed self-defence? Is giving up the pretend right of being angry at someone worth the loss of your actual right to arm yourself in defense of your life and your loved ones? 

If  you answer to that question is “No, I am not willing to give up my right to get angry”, please don’t own a gun. The safety of myself others around you depend on such things. 

Wait, did we say the Ultimate Office Concealed Carry Giveaway was ending soon?

We’re not done yet! 

Tom McHale from MyGunCulture.com has graciously anted up two more prizes, so now we have a Second Prize and a Third Prize. 

2nd Prize and 3rd Prize are a paperback copy of The Rookie’s Guide to Guns and Shooting and a paperback copy of The Insanely Practical Guide to Holsters. 

So that’s a chance to win 6 books, 3 holsters and a night out on the town with Kate Upton*, all for just liking Teamgunblogger or MyGunCulture on Facebook and/or following us or him on Twitter. 

And because of all this extra added awesomeness, we’re adding on another week to the contest: Now we’re shutting the whole thing down at midnight on September 8th. 

This is it, though. No more added prizes. No more dates with supermodels. You’ve got until September 8th, and that’s it, this is over with, so enter now. Kate Upton is waiting for you.

*Note: Kate Upton not included 

 

Why do you need a gun safe?

So you’ve gone out and purchased a gun for home self-defense. 

Fantastic. Understanding that you’ll be your own first responder and doing something to protect yourself is the most adult decision you’ll make in your life. 

Having a gun in your home is great first step, but a gun isn’t a magical self-defense charm. Owning a gun doesn’t protect you: Owning a gun, knowing how to use it and having it available for use if, God forbid, you need to use it protects you and your loved once. If you keep your gun unloaded and in the box it came in, it’s going to be hard to get out and load if it’s needed. This is why quick-access gun safes have become a popular way to keep a gun safe in the home, and it’s something I use myself in my home to keep my self-defense firearm accessible and secure. 

There’s a bunch of people who don’t like this option, though, because they worry about how long it’ll take to access their gun in a safe if they need it, and prefer to keep the gun loaded in a nearby dresser or nightstand drawer. I can understand it, but such concerns leave out an important fact: Things get moved around inside your drawer. 

It’s 3:30 in the morning. You’ve heard a noise downstairs. You’re afraid. You want your gun. It’s in your nightstand drawer. 

Find it. 

Compare this to a quick-access safe. The gun and only the gun is in it and I know the gun will be there when I need it. No searching, no fumbling around and hoping I don’t grab the trigger by accident, just beepbeepbeepbeep and I’ve got my gun ready to go.

That’s just one of the reasons why I prefer keeping my gun in a quick-access safe rather than an unlocked drawer. These are two more reasons why I use a safe: My sons. They’re great kids and they’ve been through the Eddie The Eagle gun safety program, I know they know how to be safe around guns because I’ve trained them and watched them do it for myself. 

However, the consequences of them forgetting to leave a gun alone just once are just too great for me to not lock up my guns. Yes, I trust my sons. Yes, I know they know how to stay safe around guns. No, I am not relying 100% on those two facts: I keep my guns in a locked container because I know where they are and I know they are safe, and I recommend a quick access safe to everyone who has a gun and has kids or is concerned about the safety of their guns in their home. 

Training vs. Competition

A quick thought about the ongoing idea that competing in a firearms competition will get you killed in “the real world” because you’ll expect things to happen in a real gunfight like they do on in a match. 

I don’t look up at the night sky expecting to see rows of aliens slowing descending towards the ground, I don’t get in my car and hear the theme to Peter Gunn playing in the background and I certainly don’t think that things will happen in the real world like they do in an IDPA match. 

If you can’t figure out the difference between a game and the real world, you need a lot of help. 

Announcing The Ultimate Office Concealed Carry Giveaway

When I said “Free Stuff”, I wasn’t kidding. Announcing…

Here’s the deal. We have three great holsters for pocket semi-automatics to give away, along with two funny and informative books on concealed carry. From now until midnight Arizona time on Labour Day (or Labor Day to all my non-Canadian friends) each “Like” and “Follow” on either our Twitter feed or Facebook page is one chance to win, and each like or follow on MyGunCulture‘s Twitter feed or Facebook page is another chance to win, so with four clicks of the mouse, you’ll have four chances to win.

And to think people play the lottery instead of following us on Facebook. Our contest doesn’t even require you to spend HOURS scratching off a square on a ticket! 

All of this will go to the lucky winner:

A DeSantis Superfly holster for pocket semiautomatics

A DeSantis EZ-Rider II RH Belt/Portfolio holster

A DeSantis Apache RH Ankle Holster

A paperback copy of The Rookie’s Guide to Guns and Shooting, Handgun Edition

A paperback copy of The Insanely Practical Guide To Gun Holsters

That’s a prize packaging worth more than, umn, well, a lot. And all of it could be yours if you jump on board our Twitter feed, Facebook page or MyGunCulture’s Facebook page or Twitter feed. 

Look, you’d have to be an idiot or Nancy Pelosi not to do this. Or both. So do it. 

Holster Review: Desantis E-Z Rider II

Advantages: Holds the gun and magazine well, fast on the draw, flexible carry options.
Disadvantages: Not a lot,really.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

One of the carry methods I wanted to test out for my article on concealed carry in the office was off-body carry, specifically a day-planner or portfolio holster, and the DeSantis EZ-Rider II fit the bill nicely.

The EZ-Rider II offers more than just off-body carry, though, as it comes with a detachable paddle attachment that allows it to be carried on the belt as well. The holster easily holds my KelTec P3AT and fits my S&W Shield as well. The included magazine pouch is too big for the skinny and short P3AT magazine, but it easily holds double stack magazines that it was made for.

The holster is made from ballistic nylon, with a leather backer and plastic paddle for belt carry, and was surprisingly fast to use. The zipper was easy to grasp and open (although an additional pull would make that task easier) and I found it was fast and easy to get the gun out and into play from the holster. 

How fast? Well, let’s compare the time it took to draw and shoot at a target from the EZ-Rider II to a the time needed for a tuckable inside the waistband holster. 

Average Time to Draw and fire one shot

Seated
IWB (Tucked): 4.77
EZ-Rider II: 3.43

Standing
IWB (Tucked): 3.23
EZ-Rider II: 3.30

And this is what that looks like in action. 

I was pleasantly surprised by this holster. If you’re looking for something different in a holster, or if you’re looking at trying off-body carry and want something that’s fast to access and easy to carry, I’d suggest you give the DeSantis EZ-Rider II a try.

Concealed Carry in Business Casual

I have some thoughts about carrying a firearm in an office environment, and what holsters work better when you’re dressed up over at Shooting Illustrated.

I’ll have a review of one of the holsters on Tuesday, then a big announcement on Thursday you don’t want to miss.  

What’s coming up on Thursday? Two words: Free stuff.

Choosing your first firearms trainer

So you’ve purchased a firearm for self-defense, (good), and want to learn how to use it safely (better), so you start to look around online and ask people you know who’ve they’ve trained with. 

This isn’t a bad way to find a trainer, but how do you evaluate their advice? We’ve all gone the mechanic who was recommended by someone else, only to find out they were less than competent and messed up our car something fierce. Here’s a few guidelines to help locate a trainer that can help you learn to shoot better when you’ll need it the most.  

1. Look for trainers who are nationally certified by a recognized training organization. 
   The NRA is the largest firearms training organization in the world and has certified thousands of people to teach others to safely use a firearm. Other programs such as the Combat Focus Shooting program are starting to go nationwide and would also be an excellent choice for a first-time gun owner.
2. Look for trainers who teach safely. 
   There is absolutely NO reason for students, instructors or photographers to go “down range” (i.e. by the targets) at any time during live fire. 
   None. Zero. Zippo. If your prospective trainer talks about how his methods are too “hardcore” or how he plays by “big boy rules”, smile politely and walk away. Real life is scary enough, there’s no reason to make it more dangerous when you train. 
3. Train the skills you’re most likely to need. 
   I suck at long-range shooting. Anything over 300 yards with a rifle is theoretical at best for me. I need to train that skill in order to get better at it, but it’s also not a priority for me right now because I’m not a hunter or a sniper and don’t need to make a 500 yard rifle shot on a regular basis. 
   If you’re looking at a trainer who talks about the latest “Tier One Tactical Operator” techniques and how he can teach YOU to shoot like a Navy SEAL in just two short days, smile politely and walk away. The fact is, you’re NOT a Navy SEAL, you’re a regular person who wants to stay safe in a dangerous world. Leave the SWAT tactics to the police. Your job isn’t to clear a building, your job is to keep you and those you care about safe until more help arrives.
4. Be prepared for your class before you show up the first day. 
   If you don’t own ear protection or eye protection, buy some. A good trainer will have extra sets of safety gear for students that forget theirs, but you really should own your own. I like electronic hearing protection like these inexpensive Howard Leight earmuffs for training classes because they allow me to clearly hear the instructor’s commands, but filter out the loud noises when the bang-bang part begins. For eye protection, well, you get what you pay for, and considering how much you use them, you REALLY don’t want something cheap protecting your eyes on the firing line.
   Also, make sure you have the minimum amount of  ammo required for the class (plus 10 percent more) on-hand at least a week before the class starts, because these days, chances are there will NOT be ammo available when you need it.

A quick note about hats and firearms training: There’s a reason why you see almost everyone in a training class wearing a ball cap of some sort as they’re shooting their guns on the firing line: A spent casing can go just about anywhere when it’s ejected from a gun, and if that hot piece of brass gets lodged in-between the top of your shooting glasses and your eyebrow, it can ruin your whole day and/or eyesight as well. Wear a cap with a brim on it when you shoot to deflect brass and stop this from happening.

Train now, and train safely, because if, God forbid, you need to use your gun to defend your life, you won’t “rise to the occasion”, you’ll fall to your lowest level of skill. Learn to shoot quickly and accurately now, before you need it on the worst day of your life.

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