The Glock 19 is a 4″ striker fired 9mm, holding 15+1 and is known for its reliability. The Smith and Wesson M&P9 is a 4.25″ striker fired 9mm, holding 17+1 and is known for its reliability.  Current generation Glock’s can be converted easily to right or left-handed and offer multiple back-straps for different sized shooters. The Smith is fully ambidextrous and has multiple back-straps for different sized shooters.  The Glock has a good trigger and sights made from cheese.  The Smith has standard 3-dot sights and a trigger that stinks like cheese.  Both guns cost about the same originally and cost about the same to make them serviceable.

The M&P is a little too big for me to carry daily and the capacity difference can be easily be matched with a Glock 17 mag (or nearly doubled with a happy stick)…  BUT!!! If this were the requested M&P9m that I keep lobbying for, the Smith would get the win…  Glock 19 Wins

The Kel-tec Ruger is a small 7+1 .380 pocket pistol that doesn’t lock back and can be had for under $300.  The M&P holds 10+1 of JMB’s own .45ACP and is among the best .45 caliber fighting pistols ever made.  I’m not sure there could be a larger difference between 2 pistols.  The 45 is a great combat/duty sized weapon but a little too big to be carried every day (for the record the M&P45c is about the size of a Glock 19!).  The .380 is the definition of pocket-able but carries fewer and less powerful rounds.  Ultimately I think the LCP is a little too small and the lack of anything that could be honestly called “sights” has to be held against it… Smith & Wesson M&P45 Wins

This is the gun writers challenge!  (Talk 45′s, shoot 9mm’s and carry .38′s.).  The 642′s smaller size, ability to be shot from a pocket and while in contact an attacker is a big benefits for a defensive firearm.  But real men carry full size 1911′s, it is the gun that was delivered by John Moses Browning and it makes big holes.  Your not under gunned with either one in your hand, but I can’t easily draw a 5″ 1911 and I can put my hand in my pocket… Smith & Wesson 642 Wins

I have admitted preferences toward striker fired, polymer pistols and the Sig 226 is a metal, DA/SA hammer fired pistol.  I even said in round 1 that neither SIG could beat the Glock 26 or the M&P9c, so the fix is obviously in.  That doesn’t mean that Sigs are junk or that they aren’t good defensive pistols, it just means I don’t care for them…  Sig 226 Loses

As a wrap-up to the Elite 8: We had 2 match-ups that were nearly too close to call, a match up of historical power houses and Sig that never stood a chance.

The match-ups for the final 4 include 3 Smith & Wesson’s, 2 9mms and a revolver (You could read that a strength of the S&W line, but it might make more sense to interpret as defensive firearms can come in many forms):

• Glock 19 vs Smith & Wesson M&P45
• Smith & Wesson 642 vs Smith & Wesson M&P9c

The next logical question is “Why don’t I own a Smith?”

Smith & Wesson has a very broad product range including all sizes of revolvers, a family of semi-autos, AR-15 platform rifles and rim-fire options in all the same product lines. So they need to be considered separately.

Rimfire

For me there are 3 purposes for rimfire guns plinking, competition and low-cost training and in my mind Ruger owns the rimfire space with the 10/22 and the Mark series of pistols. With the aftermarket support of companies like Tactical Solutions, Volquartsen, Kidd, Green Mountain and others a Ruger .22lr can go from ultra-reliable plinkers to tack drivers.

For the bullseye game Smith actually has the edge over Ruger with the 22A, however at more than double the cost you have to be a serious competitor to want to buy the Smith. In the games that appeal to me (steel challenge and Ruger rimfire) a less expensive Ruger or Browning Buckmark make great foundation to build a competition gun.

The area that Smith excel with rim-fires is in low cost training aids.

I have never heard anything negative about the M&P 15-22, the M&P22 or any of the rimfire revolvers and if I carried a stock Smith I think they would make great training tools… but I carry a customized Glock and I built my AR. If I am using a rimfire training tool I want it to as closely as possible mirror my defensive tools and for me a conversion kit gives me a more realistic training , experience.

Revolvers

I currently don’t shoot revolvers much as I carry and compete with semi-autos. A autos flat shape is easier for me to carry, the lower bore axis make them easier to shoot, the cost of ammo makes them easier to afford to train and the extra capacity makes me feel more confident. That doesn’t mean I don’t like them, just that they rent a top priority.

If I were to arty one it would likely still not be a Smith as I own a Colt Detective Special. If I am going to carry a call sized revolver I am going to lean towards a steel framed revolver that will make it easier to train with and a 20% capacity advantage is hard to ignore.

While there is a good chance that I shoot my Colt next year in IDPA, I were to buy a competition specific revolver it would likely be either a model 625 or 627. I am vehemently opposed to the internal lock and it will keep me from buying a new Smith.

Semi-auto Pistols

By now most of the gun blogosphere probably knows I want Smith & Wesson to build a mid-sized M&P9. While some people get it the people critical of the idea say “Just carry a M&P9c with the grip extension.”

Um, No. There are 2 main reasons why:

1) If I am carrying a grip that big I want the other 3 bullets
2) I would never carry a spare mag with the extension and if I need to reload carrying an M&P9c I have either fired 13 rounds and haven’t solved the problem or I have just had a malfunction. In either case you can bet I need new shorts and I want a full grip.

I could get an M&P Pro to shoot in competition, but I view it as an additional gun handling practice and want the manual of arms and controls to be as close as possible to my carry gun. So no mid-size M&P9, no M&P Pro.

There are 2 Smiths autos I would like to have though and both are 3rd gen guns. A 3913, a stainless steel, single stack 9mm and a 3906, a stainless steel, double stack 9mm.

AR-15 Pattern Rifles

I don’t have anything against them and I am sure that they would serve my needs just fine, but the general consensus is that a Colt, Daniel Defense or BCM are of better quality (and I have a BCM).

There it is, they have a great product line, but either focus on a different part of the shooting sport, have a feature I can’t live with, have a hole in the line where my requirements are and/or there is a better option.

I really want to be a Smith & Wesson man, but alas I am not.

When this was originally posted by Rob Pincus he stressed “So, Have Fun With This” (emphasis his) at the end of his post which is a pretty clear indication that he doesn’t want anyone to get all worked up about it.  I however fully expect it to happen and believe it is part of the fun, so if you disagree tell me why.

For me the biggest challenge is that there are no rules to the game and the court isn’t specified, just that it is a “defensive firearm” that means that it could be for EDC, Home Defense, Backpacking whatever…  And since each person has their own feelings about caliber, capacity, weight, manufacturer, etc it is completely subjective.  I could get around that by writing rules that match my own needs and objectively look at each pairing, but that is too much like work.

Lastly I am going to be upfront an honest…  I carry a Glock 19 most of the time and a PM9 some of the time.  I am biased towards 9mm and striker fired pistols, but it appears Rob is as well!  The seeding contains seven polymer 9mms and nine 9mm overall.  There are also three 45′s, one 40, one .38, one .380 and a Taurus Judge.  If I was to perform a psychoanalysis on his seeding I would say we tend to agree on personal defense guns.

Now for the fun…

Sweet 15 and a Taurus Judge

Glock 19 vs Kahr PM9 – I am the most familiar with this match-up as I carry the Glock 98% percent of the time and the Kahr the rest.  The Kahr is thinner, it is easier to conceal… but it is too big to really pocket carry well which means it has to be carried on the belt, just like the Glock.  It is also too small to really be able to shoot it well and draw easily from a belt holster.  98% of the time if you can carry a Kahr PM9 you can carry a Glock 19. Glock 19 Wins

Smith & Wesson M&P9 vs Kimber Ultra Carry - I am going to let this match-up come down to reliability and on one-hand you have a purposely designed duty weapon and on the other hand you have a fighting pistol with modifications known for making the slide cycle too fast, made by a company that has had a history of QC issues.  I own a 4″ 9mm Kimber that has performed admirably and is ridiculously accurate but… Smith & Wesson M&P9 Wins

Springfield XDM 9mm vs Smith & Wesson M&P 45 - This is the major match-up of the first round!  The Springfield is a top-tier polymer 9mm and a former gun of the year winner.  The Smith and was designed with input from some of the most respected trainers in the industry and might just be the best fighting 45 on the market.  How do you choose between two great guns?  Easy, you remember that you are completely biased against the Springfield because you don’t like the grip texture, the striker cocked indicator, the grip safety or that it is made in Croatia… Smith & Wesson M&P45 Wins

Taurus Judge vs Ruger LCP - This is the battle of the marketing department and it is so beautifully placed as a 1st round match I can only guess it wasn’t a fluke.  The Taurus Judge is a sales Juggernaut even though it fires a cowboy caliber and a traditionally children’s shotgun shell through a barrel with too little rifling for the 45 colt and too much for .410.  While being packaged as a giant revolver.  The Ruger on the other hand was a blatant copy of a gun already on the market, but is managed to ignite life into a caliber that, at the time, was considered ineffective.  The sales of both of these guns managed to spark ammunition companies to develop new ammunition that actually makes them effective and have changed the defensive firearm landscape for the better! On the other hand a Ruger LCP is exceptionally flat and slips nicely in a pocket and I have never been attacked by either a bandito or a bagel… Ruger LCP Wins

Smith & Wesson 642 vs Caracal - Not that it will make any difference, but for the sake of actually comparing guns I am assuming that this is the “C” model and to be contrarian the “Quick Sight” version.  Why?  Because it is paired with a small j-frame with marginal sights used primarily at bad breath distances and it is the most innovative.  Looking it objectively… The Caracal is 15+1 the Smith is 5+0.  The Caracal is has a fairly light crisp trigger, the Smith as a long heavy trigger pull.  The Caracal shoot the more powerful 9mm while the Smith shoots a .38. Looking at is subjectively…  The Smith & Wesson has been a defensive gun standard for over 60 years and the Caracal has never been released in the American market in large numbers.  The Smith is a beautiful machine made in America from Wood and Metal.  The Caracal is just another striker fired pistol (even if it had top designers).  If I knew I was going to be in a defensive confrontation with one of these guns I would want it to be the Caracal… Smith & Wesson 642 Wins (It seems the Mob had big money on the emotional favorite)

Springfield TRP vs Glock 22 - This hardly seems fair.  I have recently been called a Glock fanboy by Say Uncle for claiming the Glock had a better grip angle for concealed carry and that I can’t draw 5″ 1911 because I have a leprechauns torso.  I have also already given the G19 a win and bashed a Springfield.  Never mind, this is really a blowout.  Glocks were designed to be 9mm and I think they work best in that caliber.  1911′s were designed to be 5″ 45′s and they undeniably work best in that caliber (or at least a cartridge of that length) and the 1911 is an absolute classic.  It may once again be a mob fix because I would prefer to fight with the Glock 22, I really don’t like grip safeties and I haven’t trained with a 1911 enough for the safety to be instinctual but… Springfield TRP Wins

Sig 239 vs Sig 226 - Single Stack or Double Stack that is the question.  I have complete faith in the ability of both of these guns to perform, but I wouldn’t buy either of them for CCW; they are both simply too big for their respective capacities.  And I don’t think either of these guns can beat either pistol they could face in round 2, so if you are playing at home don’t worry about your bracket.  Since the only defensive use I could put these guns in is home defense the nod has to go to capacity…  Sig 226 Wins

Glock 26 vs Smith & Wesson M&P9c – Because of the results of a boxer’s fracture in my right hand (If your interested, I got in a fight with a wall over a girl… I lost the fight but got the girl) I have trouble shooting guns that don’t give me a full grip; this is part of the reason I carry a G19 and want Smith to make a Mid-sized M&P.  However in this match-up we are comparing the 26 and the M&P9c…  Both are striker fired 9mms, both are 12+1, both are reliable, both have a component that needs to be replaced (sights on the Glock, trigger on the Smith), both have grip extensions, both cost about the same.  This is a true toss-up!  But since I have to pick a winner…  The Glock grip works fine for me, but the Smith is probably more ergonomic and more adjustable… Smith & Wesson M&P9c Wins

As a wrap-up to round one: Smith & Wesson was undefeated with 4 wins, the Caracal was robbed by the mob and it seems that the ref is can be swayed by emotional forces.

In the Elite 8 the match-ups will be…

• Glock 19 vs Smith & Wesson M&P9
• Smith & Wesson M&P 45 vs Ruger LCP
• Smith & Wesson 642 vs Springfield TRP
• Sig 226 vs Smith & Wesson M&P9c

Expanded Winchester 9mm PDX1 image originally posted on the Hi-point Firearms Forums by jkallen83 making it the 1st Hi-point related content on WTBGU!

If you have been reading my blog for a while you know a lot about me including that I listen to a number of podcasts, that I am a proponent of the 9mm cartridge and carry a Glock 19 (but I would switch to a mid sized M&P9 if they ever make one…  I will keep beating that drum!), and that I really like the caliber wars!  Yesterday we had a public win for the 9mm.

About 3 weeks ago Paul from the Safety Solutions Academy released a podcast discussing why he doesn’t carry a .40S&W and I piggybacked off the idea igniting a small anti-40 fire storm that was covered by Michael Bain (don’t call him Mr. Bain he doesn’t like that ), George Hill and Say Uncle over the course of the following week.

About 2 weeks ago Paul happened to be passing through Charlotte and I met him for lunch. As we were talking about the “drama” that he had caused, it became clear that we had both chosen not to carry a .40S&W for the same reasons, but that we had also chosen different calibers for our own reasons.  Neither of us were wrong, we just weighted the factors differently and therefore came to different logical choices.

In yesterday’s SSA podcast, Paul public announced that he had made the decision to switch to the 9mm because of:

1. Wounding Capacity
2. Ammunition Capacity vs Firearms Size
3. Ammunition Cost
4. Integrity with students

I am not egotistical enough to think that my arguments changed Paul’s mind (Ok, I am. But I’m also pragmatic enough to realize that he is a smart guy and likely came to the realizations on his own) but I do think it is interesting that 1st 3 are the same arguments that I made in my 9mm vs 45 (Round 1), my original anti-40 post and my response to the Mad Ogre.  Maybe there is something to this!

The only area that I disagree with Paul is in his desire to integrate with his students.

If you accept them as true, reason’s 1-3 should be enough alone to drive a person to carry a 9mm and I think 9mm is the best choice, but I also think an instructor should educate his/her students and let them make the choice themselves.

Playing devils advocate…

The argument about wounding capacity can be approached from the standpoint that the time to the 1st shot is the same for both guns and some people believe that the 1st shot is the most important.  In that case a bullet with more power is desirable.  There is also the argument that felt recoil is subjective and that some people may actually have faster follow-ups with a .45 than a 9mm, only the use of a timer will let them know for sure. Some believe that they should switch to a .45 in the winter because of heavy clothing (I have never understood this one, which round is criticized for over penetration?)

The ammo capacity argument can be negated by the belief that accuracy is more important and they feel they are more accurate with a .45 (BS) and that the statistical likelihood of a gun fight lasting more than 8 rounds is very low.

The ammo cost argument is very personal and both George Hill and a training executive I interviewed on another topic, said that they carry what they think will work the best and are willing to pay the extra money.  Great!  Cost isn’t a constraint  for everyone.

Clint Smith famously said “Carrying a gun for self-defense should be comforting, not comfortable.”  Obviously he was talking about the physically carrying the pistol, but confidence in the ammo choice goes a long way to being comforted by your carry gun.

I think it is fine for an instructor to say to his students…

“I have dedicate my life to the study of armed conflict.  I know can draw and fire the 1st shot of my .45 as fast as a 9mm.  I accept that I am giving up .08 seconds in my averaged aimed splits, because I fire 12,000 rounds per year in training and I am confident in my ability to be combat accurate with 95% of the rounds I fire under stress.  Yes, I may have to reload in 2% of the armed conflicts that I hope I am never in, but I can do it from concealment in 1.5 seconds and I believe that is fast enough.

For a less experienced shooter, I recommend a 9mm because it provides nearly the same terminal ballistics, it will allow them to get back on target faster, the smaller round size permits more capacity reducing the likelihood of a mandatory weapon manipulation, and for it to be loaded into a gun that they are more likely to carry or that fits their hand better.

If you are interested I can point you to resources to help you decide what is best for you and you can give me a call after class if you have any questions you would like to discuss.  My phone number is on the syllabus I passed out at the beginning of the class.”

At the beginning I said I like the caliber wars debate.  And I do…  I mean I really do, it is like a socially acceptable religion discussion because.

• There is a bunch of data that can be quoted
• There are so many variables at play that nearly all of the data is refutable based on the scenario
• It is a decision we bet our life on

but I have said before and I will say it again…

1. All Pistol Calibers SUCK!  If you need a gun you want a long gun.
2. All Guns are better than harsh words or a sharp stick
3. All pistols/calibers are a collection of compromises

As Paul points out in the podcast there isn’t much difference in the damage done by a .38, 9mm, 40S&W or .45ACP… but there is a difference and I believe each shooter should make up their own mind on what to carry.  (That doesn’t change the fact that I think the best decision for most people is a mid-sized M&P…  I mean Glock 19.)

He an IDPA Expert and SO that is constantly working to improve his shooting and was using game film to analyze the performance of Master class shooters. Specifically he was trying emulate the high tang grip of Bob Vogel.

Since I know him I chuckled a little bit, but I also commend his effort. He isn’t just shooting once a month and hoping to get better; he is watching videos, reading articles, and thinking about his technique and performance. He is willing to make changes and take risks to get better, in practice.

It is much better to fail in practice than at a match, or even worse… When the balloon goes up!

As for the high tang grip…

There are some guns that are very forgiving of a high tang grip like the 1911 and the S&W M&P series of pistols, because they have pronounced beaver tails. Until the SHOT Show this year the Glock was not one of them, but at the show Glock unveiled a replacement grip with a beaver tail (unfortunately for IDPA shooters a recent ruling has made its use push the gun to ESP, so if you need it do the Sevigny Speedway and shoot ESP).

If like Bob Vogel and me (likely the last we will ever be mentioned together), you want to shoot a Glock and have a very high grip you have to accept that you will bleed occasionally, but not like the photo above and there are things you can do to minimize it.

My high grip is established by wedging my hand as deep into the tang of the grip as possible and then lifting my strong side thumb to put pressure against the top of the grip and expanding my hand to also put pressure on the bump everyone hates.

This gives me a very strong grip, but I am only gripping with the muscles of my forearm any tension it your upper Pam, shoulders or back is only detrimental.

Using this technique, the grip tang holds the skin on the thumb-side down very tightly and  below the slide. The fleshy pad on the finger side however gets pushed up and can be rubbed by the slide.

After only a few rounds it will cause me to bleed and feels like a small pinch, but I have found an easy fix.

I keep a couple rolls of 1st aid tape in my range bag to tape the fleshy part of my hand down. It leaves some in slightly tan lines but it protects my hand. You can see the tape in the video below.

I have found this grip works well for me and I am willing to accept my tape solution for the function, size and reliability of my Glock 19. When the balloon goes up, I will deal with the pinch and small scratch on my shooting hand, but it is also one reason I want a mid-sized M&P because no one likes to bleed… even a little bit.

On the way to school this morning my 4yo daughter said “Hey look Dad, I can move all my fingers at the same time.”  Not wanting to miss a teaching moment, I explained that it was natural to be able to move all of them together and that I spend alot of time learning to move just my pointer finger.

For the rest of the trip my son, my daughter and I practiced trigger movements in an open top Jeep and I’m sure it cause at least a few double takes.

Fast forward a few hours and I was trying to get the yard ready for our early spring, lamenting the fact that early weeds come with an early spring.  When I grabbed the round-up sprayer and started squeezing, it reminded me of the conversation with my daughter and I took the opportunity to exercise my trigger finger and sprayed all of the weeds in the driveway with my trigger finger focusing on pressing it straight to the rear and minimizing the sympathetic movement of my other fingers.

It was a good reminder that there are training opportunities everywhere if you are alert enough to notice.

Yesterday’s post on why custom holsters aren’t, took far longer to put together than I thought it would and seems to have zapped my blogging energy for today, so here is a picture of an AR-15.

This is my rifle and it is was built from the following components.

▪ BCM Blem Lower
▪ BCM BFH 16″ Light Weight Mid-length Upper
▪ BCM Bolt Carrier Group
▪ BCM GUNFIGHTER w/ Med Latch
▪ 13 Inch VTAC TRX Extreme Battle Rail
▪ Battle Comp 1.0
▪ Daniel Defense Rail-Mount Fixed Front Sight
▪ Troy Folding Rear Battle Sight
▪ Magpul CTR Stock
▪ Magpul MIAD Grip
▪ VCAS Padded Sling

It might look odd to some because it has iron sights and no quad rail!  Weird huh?

Feel free to post any questions, comments, insults, snide remarks, poems or haikus below.

As a quick mention, following the SHOT Show Battle Comp sent me a note and offered to send me a comp to review.  I jokingly replied that I would love to, but since I was already running one they would have to send me a competitors comp to compare it to.

One day I will move to rifles and do a review on all the pieces and parts I built me rifle from, but if you are looking for a comp the Battle Comp 1.0 works great and they are a company that wants to work with bloggers like me, so consider a Battle Comp comp.

My White Dog Custom Holster (http://www.whitedogholsters.com/)

A good belt holster must do 4 things

1) The gun needs to be in the same place every time.  A floppy holster (or holster belt combination) will allow the gun to shift on the belt or flop away from the body so the grip isn’t at the same place for every draw.

2) The gun needs to be there every time. The holster must have enough retention to keep the gun in the holster during all probable activities.  This is a very user specific requirement as a mountain biker (heavy tension) has different retention needs than a competition shooter (light tension), who has different needs than a police officer (active retention).

3) The gun must be comfortable to carry. A holster that creates hot spots, causes pain, or is frequently in the way will be left at home.

4) The gun must be immediately accessible to the wearer. Lets face it if you need a gun, you need it now.

(A fifth requirement for many is that the holster/gun combination must be concealable)

Seems simple enough right?

The issue is every person is unique and every gun is different and every carry location is a different and each persons needs are different. With a little quick math you can see that there are about eleventy billion valid holster permutations and about another eleventy billion possibilities that make no sense at all.

How ever most custom holster manufacturers as you 5-6 questions

1. What model gun is it for?
2. Are you right of left handed?
3. What color do you want?
4. What kind of leather do you want?
5. What width belt should the holster fit? (sometimes)
6. Do you want a straight drop or a FBI cant? (rarely)

Most of these questions are superficial to determining what is the best designed holster for any shooter.

Lets look at each of the 4 requirements of a good belt holster individually and break down the considerations.

1) The gun needs to be in the same place every time.

Inherent in this statement is that the gun is in a desirable place and I realize that you can train to access the gun in any location, but if you are having a custom holster made, why not have it in the right place for you?

We commonly describe where a holster sits using the hands of a clock with 12:00 being in line with the belly button, 3:00 being the right hip, 6:00 being the center of the back and 9:00 being the right hip.  This is a very good method of describing where a gun is on someone else, but on our own bodies there are 3 additional dimensions that we need to consider.

In addition to the clock, you should consider the height at which the gun is carried.  As I discussed last Wednesday, it can be difficult for some people to carry a long slide gun if they have a short torso or a limited range of motion.  This can be adjusted for however with a holster that is set lower that the shooters belt line.  This allows the shooter to start the draw from a more extended arm position .

Secondly, you should consider the cant of the GRIP. Most holster manufactures describe the cant in relationship to the barrel, but as I discussed in my post about grip angle the important factor is that the angle of the grip is the same as the natural angle of you shooting hand when it reaches that position.  This angle changes based on how far around your body you need to reach and how high or low the holster rides.

If this angle is too steep like it may be in a Glock worn too far forward, with a straight drop holster, you must bend your wrist to get a good master grip and this can bind the shooter up a little on the draw, because they are already using some of their range of motion to establish the master grip -or- they must draw with an incomplete grip “fix” it during presentation.

Lastly, you should consider the angle of the firearm in relationship to the body. Women especially can have difficulty with a holster built for the muzzle of the gun hang on the same plane as the belt, like it would on an average mans hip.  The pistol should sit vertically in the holster regardless who is carrying it and women may require a built in angle in the loops a count for their curves.

2) The gun needs to be there every time.

The issue with holster retention is that the requirements can differ between people and circumstances, but it can also change over time as materials stretch and flex.  This suggests that all holsters, custom or not, should have adjustable retention.

Regardless of how much retention exists, it is important for it to be consistent on each draw and that there is are no abrupt changes in the pressure required to draw the pistol.

3) The gun must be comfortable to carry.

Clint Smith famously said “A gun shouldn’t be comfortable, it should be comforting” and while that is true to a point, if it doesn’t get carried is isn’t doing anyone any good.

There are 3 main ways a holster can be made more comfortable.

First if the holster does not evenly distribute the weight front to back and work with the belt to keep it from shifting right to left it can feel as though it is pulling on you.

To keep the pistol from weighting one side of the holster more than the other a holster with 2 clips should be constructed so the pistols center of gravity is centered between the clips.  If it only has 1 then it should be directly behind the pistols center of gravity.  This keeps the pistol from torquing on the belt during normal carry and reduces its leverage to torque the belt on the draw, as well.

Unfortunately this means the overall width of holsters for guns with a less extreme grip angle need to be wider to carry as comfortably because of their increased cant requirement.

Second it can be made from softer materials like leather to cushion some of the hard edges on the firearm and mold to the wearers body

Lastly, it can be made thinner.  A thick holster pushes the pistols weight out away from the body and provides it greater leverage to torque the belt.  Additionally its extra dimension can hit on other objects adn be more difficult to conceal

4) The gun must be immediately accessible to the wearer.

The most comfortable, most forgiving, most accessible way to carry a pistol would be suspended below the belt like you see in cowboy action shooting; but due to legal, social and possibly tactical requirements we must usually conceal the gun in some way.  Unfortunately some methods of “deep concealment” are so deep that they might not allow the gun to be brought to bear in a critical incident because they are covered in layers of clothes, prevent the shooter from getting a good master grip or are too difficult to draw from in non-standard positions.

For me a “fighting” holster must provide more than .75″ of clearance under the grip to allow be to obtain a consistent master grip each time and should not hold the gun so tightly that I can’t easily get my thumb and fingers around the grip.  (On my favorite IWB holsters, I must snatch the gun from the holster with my finger tips and then get my thumb on the gun during presentation.  It can be done but it is not ideal or as consistent.)

To truly fit a holster to you a custom holster manufacture should also ask about, or at least list information concerning…

1) The desired height of the grip from the belt (-/+ drop allows for more/less concealment and range of motion)

2) The required grip angle (defines barrel cant)

3) The list of the gun to hold it vertically for female shooters

4) Requested amount of retention

5) Free clearance around grip

It might be that your holster requirements are not possible with a chosen material or design and a knowledgeable holster maker should be able to help you find a model that fits your needs.

Wouldn’t that be better than a box full of holsters that didn’t quite work?

As we started the trip home I noticed a burgundy Ford Escape driving down the inside median, next to the retaining wall, on Ohio SR315 on the wrong side of the road!

Since I was driving I pointed out the car to my wife and she immediately started dialing 911 and I gathered all the information I would need to the tell the operator.

The call went like this…

911: 911 what is you emergency?

WTBGU!: There is a burgundy SUV traveling south bound in the north bound lanes of 315 at Goodale.

<5 second pause>

911: Has there been an accident?

WTBGU!: Not yet.  I am pacing him and he just passed 670.

911: I have an officer en-route, can you see him?

WTBGU!: No… Yes, I can see the lights ahead.

911: Does he have him?

WTBGU!: Not yet… Ok he is stopped.

911: Great.  Thanks.

<Click>

I tried to find a link to the story in the local paper, but there isn’t one; only links to recent stories where wrong way drivers killed themselves and others.  While I would have liked to been able to link to a news story about the incident, I am quite glad that is wasn’t worth printing.

By being aware of my surroundings I was able to identify a critically dangerous situation and communicate it to my wife.  She knew exactly how to react and while she dialed 911, I formulated a quick script that concisely described the situation describing what is happening, where it was happening and the description of the vehicle.   I then remained on the line to provide an additional set of eyes for the dispatcher.

The lessons that people and our community concentrate on are much more frequently utilized to help others and then themselves and it is always nice when they are proactive enough to prevent a news worthy story.

Stay Aware & Stay Safe!

Today’s guest posting is by Nick Savery is the author of the new blog at www.IndestructibleTraining.com.  Like WTBGU! he discusses integrating training across a variety of systems and platforms for the purposes of self-defense.

Risky Business – Making Training “Real”

Training is risky business.  Guns can be deadly, and any contact activity can be dangerous.  But riskier than training would be a life or death scenario.  If we don’t take risks in our training, we are by default taking a bigger risk with our lives.  Where do you draw the line?

If we want to maximize our preparedness, we train like we fight.  There are some things we really should be prepared for before the time comes.  The preparations that we make will depend on how risk averse we are, and ideally finding the delicate balance between risk and reward.

Here are a few examples of risky things to practice, and some logic for finding an appropriate balance.

Indoor Shooting

If we are ever attacked in our home, it is fairly likely that we will need to navigate our homes while using our firearms.  Shooting indoors provides many challenges in itself.  One such challenge is the volume level.  Even with hearing protection, shooting inside is usually extremely loud.  You could prepare yourself for this by practicing at an indoor range, but unless you shoot without hearing protection you might never know exactly what it will be like.  I have yet to hear of a self-defense attempt that failed due to volume, so it would seem to be of minimal reward to practice without hearing protection.  Every shot without protection reduces your hearing, and you can’t get it back.

Maneuvering through a structure with a gun and engaging targets within that structure is also a risky activity.  Ideally you would want to know what it’s like to engage targets within the home.  Clearly without a good backstop this is not worth the risk.  Not to mention that punching holes in your own home is probably not a good way to impress your wife.

There are two options to emulate this training.  First is to mock up a hallway at the range.  I’ve seen this done at IDPA matches that use plywood walls or empty water barrels to create barriers that imitate the challenges of shooting inside a building.  The other is the use of an Airsoft gun to practice these skills in your own home.  Both options are compromises, but they keep the risk to an acceptable level while giving you the majority of the reward reaped from practicing shooting within the home.

I would definitely recommend practicing maneuvering and engaging targets within your own home with an Airsoft or blue gun, since this is the most likely place you might need to defend yourself in tight quarters.  I generally recommend practicing skills outside of your comfort zone to hedge against unexpected circumstances.  This might include taking your training outside your own home into other structures; however, I would say that training in your home is an exception to this rule.  While it would be great to train in various buildings for more general experience moving through structures, the reality is that you are far more likely to need this type of skill in your own home.  You want to have the home field advantage, so practice as much as you can at home, even if it seems ‘comfortable’.

Shooting with and around friendlies

Hopefully none of us will ever be in the situation where we need to take a hostage shot or be guiding our friends or family while dispatching a foe.  Practicing a hostage shot with a live hostage is clearly not worth the risk and can be easily practiced with a paper target.

There is no easy way to practice shooting on the move while corralling family members.  You need a live walking individual to be able to practice this, and as a result we add many variables to the equation.  This creates an overly dangerous scenario for both you and your training partners.

A safer approach is two fold – practice these skills dry or with inert firearms first, and train with Airsoft guns.  Both of these options mitigate the risk by taking the dangerous hot lead out of the equation.  In either case utilizing a laser might help identify when unsafe manipulations occur.  Nothing can totally replace practicing these skills with live fire, but make sure you (and any willing participants) are well prepared before you decide to do so.

Related to this is shooting while carrying a child.  I don’t have kids myself, but if you were to be attacked while out with your family I can easily see the first response to an assault being to scoop up your child while engaging the target and moving to cover.  Practicing this on the range is also dangerous.  Try replacing the screaming kid with a sandbag (just for this exercise of course).

For more on this topic, Claude Werner recently discussed training the skills necessary for protecting your family on the personal defense network.

Shooting while injured, stressed, or fatigued

Self-defense rarely occurs in a vacuum.  Defending oneself is a high-stress and often heavily physical event.  If we are lucky, we will be able to do so without being injured.  If we are not so lucky, we must be prepared to defend ourselves despite injury.

Shooting under any of these circumstances is inherently dangerous.  Fatigue will not only degrade our shooting skills, it can also impact our ability to make decisions.  The same goes for most life-threatening injuries.  Blood loss can significantly reduce our ability to react.

Stress and fatigue are fairly easy to induce at the range.  Performing a circuit of body weight strength training exercises can get the blood pumping and push us physically.  We must be careful, however to do this in a controlled environment to mitigate risk.  We don’t want to push ourselves to the limit right away before trying to perform the most dangerous tasks we can.

For example, practicing a weak hand only draw stroke can be very dangerous without the added stress of fatigue.    Performing these two together without a very good understanding of how fatigue affects us is probably not a good idea.

Simulating blood loss could be as simple as giving blood prior to heading to the range.  This greatly increases our risk (wooziness and firearms doesn’t sound like the best mix), and should be performed with the same caution you would take with intentionally inducing fatigue before training.

Training is inherently risky.  We can make it more or less so through the decisions we make about how we train.  Higher risk doesn’t always come with a higher reward.  We want to make sure that any risks we take are outweighed by the rewards we reap from them.  Some risks will never be worth it.  And others could save your life someday.

If you liked today’s post check Nick out at www.IndestructibleTraining.com.

If you would like to submit an article for posting, please send it to ron@balloongoesup.com.  I would love to to have guest posts on topics like the .380, revlovers, and pro-XD content.