molonlabetn

True... Like I said, I'm glad that they did what they thought was right and appropriate. And it is also true that the report likely took their statements out of context... But still, I dunno if I would have willingly engaged that situation when I was unaware of who the good guys and bad guys really were...

"opportunity"??? I would never look upon any situation in which I was required to use lethal force as an "opportunity". A "necessity" perhaps... And, his brother has pulled his gun 3-times? Plus, they TURNED AROUND to engage a shooter, in a situation which they were otherwise not involved in? Can we say "looking for trouble"? Just a hypothetical question... What if the shooter which the brothers engaged had been an under-cover cop who was trying to apprehend BGs that the brothers hadn't noticed? Answer: They'd be dead or in jail right now.

I will get a .40 S&W only after I have completed my long-term goal of aquiring a 10mm DW Razorback, and, am set-up to begin reloading for both calibers. At that point I may consider liquidating all of my other handgun calibers (except for .22lr) and reload for .400"/10mm cartridges only. That will simplify keeping bulk supplies. Along a similar thread, I would also like to eventually have only .308"/7.62mm rifle calibers... But, for right now, variety is the spice of life...

It would figure that I end-up working 12h/7d when the weather finally starts to get nice...

We haven't had a 'caliber war' yet... This is only meant to spur intelligent debate, and provide a setting for describing the reasons for your selected choice... Not to provoke animousity (the 'caliber war' connotation is not meant to be taken literally) For myself, there are a few calibers which I have little interest in... but mainly because I believe there are better choices, not because those calibers themselves are in-significant. I want to know what the most important external ballistic criteria are for the caliber which you prefer to carry... if you would like to expound on your reasons, or specify a particular caliber, bring on the posts! When responding, please assume that Shot Placement < and Projectile construction (JHP) > is equal in all cases. I realize that ammo-cost/availability is a reason for selection... I am looking for performance preferences only.

I run 5-10 miles a week, depending on the weather... < also, I stay under enough stress to make my ulcers have quite the slimming effect... >

The real advantage to cross-draw is when you find yourself sitting down (such as in a vehicle). The dis-advantage, for regular concealed-carry (or open-carry for that matter), is that it is easier for a BG to be able to block your ability to draw... and it places your gun in a very accessible position to a person facing you.

Howabout Tennesseans for the Individual Prevention of Violent Crimes (I know... it's kinda long...)

I remember seeing it on packing.org... The goof who writes this stuff is a troll who goes by 'molonlave'. Some of his posts are indeed down-right hilarious though... here's another one:

I suppose that it has something to do with the predominance of men to view firearms as a hobby, as well as a viable means of defense. Some women do, just not in great numbers... Since, most women would primarily seek gun ownership only when they feel a real need to be able to defend themselves. On the other hand, men tend to be drawn by the 'cool factor' of firearms, and the predominantly masculine past-time of hunting, along with the awareness of their utility in terms of self-defense. By nature, men tend to be more willing to stand up and fight, with violence... These are all generalities, which are certainly not true in all cases, but the overall effect is obviously what you noted... More often than not, women only own guns when there is obvious necessity. This results in lower awareness, and less of an active desire to put themselves in what they see as a 'violent' mindset, through involvement in practice and training. And, the ones who do participate in firearms training and ownership tend not to be as open about it (i.e. talking about it on the internet).

They're reliable enough... just keep them lubricated (graphite). They make a weapon noticably heavier, and are realistically best used for full-auto applications. I've only messed with them a few times, but it seems to me that I would much prefer to keep my weapons system as un-complicated as possible... I don't want to be using one and it fail, causing most of my ammo to be jammed up in an un-useable mag during a needful situation. More mags = redundancy & easier carriage.

Too true... We haven't actually FINISHED a war since 1945.

Heh... Well, now what if one were to train and practice to do this? From the standpoint of pocket-carry, this could eliminate the need to draw! You would simply have to 'hump' the BG while engaging the trigger with your... errr... 'dork'. !!!

Tungsten's .357 Revolver suggestion was a good one. Get something with a 4-6" barrel, and you can shoot light .38 Special loads in it for target-shooting/plinking, and then load it up with hot .357 Magnum loads when you keep it around for home-defense, etc... If you don't intend it for defensive purposes at all, then, a .22lr semi-auto would get you more mileage (cheaper ammo = more shooting). All of the 'big-name' manufacturers have a decent selection. Ruger 22/45s are very common, affordable, and fun to shoot. Or, look at Browning's Buckmark pistol, if you want one of the best options on the market (expect to pay a bit more though).

saintsfanbrian, good report... I just wanted to add that it would be a good idea to make sure that you can keep your middle finger out of the trigger guard when drawing. I have messed around with this method some in the past, and as a result of this thread just now tried it again with my Sig 239 as I was cleaning it... and when grasping the grip to draw, my middle finger naturally pulls inward as well, right into the trigger-guard. You may have more finger dexterity than I do, as you've mentioned before, but out of concern I just hope that you take that into account when under stress, and drawing quickly... Anything is possible with determination and practice. Cheers,

A shiny badge would draw more attention to you in the case of a brief, accidental exposure of your gun, than the gun itself. Most holsters and gun finishes blend-in to clothes quite well. What if someone sees it and assumes you are a LEO? Think of the implications that could have in the wrong situation! (though admittedly unlikely) As one who routinely open-carries, I can tell you that most people do not fly into a panic or rage when they see your gun... as a matter of fact, very few people even notice at all, many times assuming that it was just a pager or cell-phone that they caught a glimpse of, not bothering a second glance. In either situation, it draws more attention to you than anything... since it does not convey accurate information to the average person, meaning, they see it and assume "cop". Like I said... It is neither a good or bad idea, except in rare circumstances, and even then it's value is still indeterminate. I dunno... But, I won't call anyone stupid for wearing one. And I don't think they are junk...

I just posted in the other thread, and at the risk of repeating myself, I'll summarize... I don't think that it's necessarily a 'bad' idea, but I don't think that it's worthwhile, either. You're right about arrest powers, we don't have any... not what this situation would describe, anyways. Specifically, we can't use the threat of deadly-force to hold someone against their will. For one, if a situation has deteriorated to the point where I must draw... the trigger pull will occur within a fraction of a second. Very little about a situation can change in that amount of time (not saying that it couldn't happen...). To put it another way, I'm not going to draw unless I fear for my life, and would be justified in defending it! Many people bring up the fact that there are many, many crimes which are stopped by merely brandishing a firearm, without firing a shot. Yes, this is true... This is a grey area, in which many times the person who introduced the gun into the situation was not yet justified in doing so, technically, BUT the outcome was positive, so basically no-harm no-foul. I would never advocate anyone using the threat of deadly-force to get out of a bind which is otherwise not lethal... I'll shut up and let others pontificate further.

I've done that... sorta. When I bought my third handgun, a Sig SP2340, it was new to the market and pretty much unknown, but since it was new they were going for very close to their MSRP, which was about $700... Well, turns out, if I would have waited a few months (or a year), I would have paid almost half (and been able to purchase 12rd mags for it) As it was, I lost money when I sold it... (couldn't find holsters, etc, for it) I would buy another one, they are still pretty cheap... It was a great shooter too, just a bit more rough-around-the-edges than regular Sigs, but otherwise quite comperable to a Compact H&K USP.

CCW Badges seem a bit goofy, to me, but with all due objectivity there might be some situations which you might benefit from a quickly identified 'good-guy' badge. There are a few reasons why I don't own one: - I've never heard of a success story involving CCW badges. - Wearing them in plain sight pretty much goes against the whole idea of carrying concealed. - It could possibly be construed as impersonating an officer, depending on how you conduct yourself. - In my mind, since any criminal could buy one and wear it while accosting someone, there's no 'value-added'. - In any situation which requires you to identify yourself as a legally-armed citizen, the badge would mean nothing until you pulled out your permit as well... so, why not just carry your permit in a holder? I don't know how such a thing would be recieved by LEOs... but I do know that some LEOs who teach TN HCP classes, sell them. So, it must be somewhat accepted as reasonable in some circles. I doubt that wearing or carrying a CCW badge is un-safe... provided that you conduct yourself in a manner which is above reproach.

I had a room-mate many years ago who took it... he nearly drove me nuts during that period of time. He just passed the bar a few months ago... It was worth it. We're still good friends.

Several people have shot themselves in the leg with Glocks when drawing and re-holstering (regardless of holster type)... I don't see any consistency with your judgment on that issue. Perhaps there have been debris issues with the SERPA mechanism... but several marines I know over in the sandbox use them, and give nothing but glowing reports under the conditions they face. Any device can fail, and any human can make a mistake. I have not seen any evidence of these problems being more common (or even nearly as common) as others which have been discussed.

I agree with that assessment... free advertising, per-se. Not that there's anything ethically wrong with that, it just seems more genuine when the feedback is from customers... not as a pseudo-commercial. And, for the record, I have no interest in trying to influence Tungsten how to run his own site, one way or the other. Interacting with people on the internet requires a thick skin. I choose to come here, like everyone else... and there's no stipulation that we all have to agree. It simply becomes more obvious over time who can do so with some class, and who can't...

I just figured out that I could be a 'benefactor' without getting a Pay-Pal acct... contribution sent. Thanks for the great site Tungsten!

If you like BHPs, you'll take to a Sig P226 quite naturally. Both guns are probably in about the same price-range (the Sig being worth more, especially with the N/S). There's no question that the Glock would be easier/lighter to carry and conceal... but that's nothing that couldn't be overcome by choosing a proper holster. Remember, Sig has the trademark on "To hell and back reliability"...