JC57

Whether or not you choose to carry is up to you. I always carry concealed when I carry at all, so I would suggest that course of action to you.

I am not a gal but my wife is. She is not a TGO reader, so I will answer for her. She carries in one of these: GTM-90 Concealed Carry Large Hobo Sac GTM090. It has a steel cable in the strap to prevent the strap being cut. It is designed to be carried cross-body. Before you go telling me about what a bad idea it is... you try talking to her.

I don't "frown at" it, as in disapprove of you or others for doing it. That's your choice and it has no bearing on me. However, it's not something I feel that I need to do. Why stop at 2? Why not three, or four? And don't forget knives. My only self defense training was in the police academy years ago, and then ongoing in-service training classes for about 13 years. Never was the idea of a backup gun touched upon that I can remember, and I'm pretty sure I would have been reprimanded, suspended, or ridiculed if I had carried one. Most of our weapons training was related to being able to use the one pistol (and shotgun) effectively, knowing when NOT to use it, and in retention techniques to make sure it didn't get taken away. Turns out, contrary to the movies, TV, and what you would assume from the internet, police work is not a constant gunfight. Most of the time is spent driving, talking to people, and writing reports. I did carry two pens, though, and two sets of handcuffs. Those did get some use. Edit: So as to keep on track with the OP - I am not thin, but I am flexible enough to reach behind my back with my left hand and draw a weapon that is carried in the 3:00 to 5:00 position, unless it is in some kind of extreme forward-cant holster with a thumbsnap or other retention system that is designed to prevent access. I have actually practiced doing that in the past, and it works, but how easy it is would depend on the holster design.

What an unusual story. Things have certainly changed a lot in the 18 years since I left law enforcement. I would have been fired if for some reason I unholstered my service weapon and handed it to a citizen, or took the shotgun out of the rack and let him hold it. But I was just a regular street cop, not SWAT. Maybe their training and departmental rules are different than mine were back then.

Probably what changed is that he had to plug all the cables back in after he swapped out hard drives. If his computer has an on-board video card as well as an add-in video card, both would have connections for the monitor. For instance, the system I am running right now has that set up, and it is possible to run both at the same time if I so choose. If he plugged the monitor into the wrong one, then he could have the problems described. I.e., before he took the computer apart, the monitor was plugged into plug A, and when he put it back together again it's now in plug B. Most systems with an on-board video adapter will auto-disable it when an add-in card is also present, however if both are active then the device settings may be autoconfiguring or autodetecting the monitor, and hence the blinking of the video display that he's seeing. The good news is that it hasn't shot him yet.

The win is starting to drain out of this thread....

Funny as heck OP, drunk or not. If you're gonna go out in a blaze, go big! Been plenty drunk before myself, but I'm one of those "I love you guysh (hic!)" kind of drunk. I tend to say stuff like he said in the OP when I'm sober. I guess the booze tends to reverse the personality when it lowers the inhibitions. Nice guys let their repressed a$$hole loose, and jerks like me let their repressed decency out. I vote we let him back in and buy him some more booze!

It was an oversight. We'll get you next time.

I think the theory behind Buffalo Bore's hard-cast flat-nosed lead is that they they won't expand, they will penetrate well, and that the flat point will do more damage than a smooth round nosed bullet. Kind of like a wadcutter punches a nice round hole in a target, but a round-nosed pokes a hole through that you can flatten back out. They even recommend that if you choose to use their hollow-point ammo, that you load one in the pipe for first shot expansion and follow it up with the flat-nosed lead for penetration on subsequent shots. At least that's what they say on their web site. I don't have any way to test all of the claims so I depend on the more science-minded shooters on web sites like this to do the testing and help out the rest of us. When I carry a 380 I am knowingly sacrificing performance for concealment and convenience. It's a tradeoff I have decided to make, so I'll live or die with the consequences. I do try to pick good rounds, and based on the felt recoil alone, I know the Buffalo Bore is some pretty stout ammo.

Buffalo Bore "+P" if your gun can shoot it safely: .380 Auto +P Bullets for Pistols and Handguns , pick from various bullets. This is what I carry, 95gr JHP and 100gr HCFN lead. Corbon DPX 380 Auto 80gr DPX | COR®BON/Glaser Self Defense | Dakota Ammo, pricey but supposedly the most consistent expander. Shop around for the best prices. Winchester Ranger T: 50rd - 380 Auto / ACP Winchester Ranger T-series Holow Point RA380T | SGAmmo.com, the price is for a box of 50 from this site.

S&W Model 66 4".

Why Walmart in particular? Do you normally shop there on Sunday mornings or is there some special significance to that being your first location to carry?

I use a product like this as well. Ordered it from here: Center Of Mass Central. I bought two of them keyed identically, one for my car and one for the wife's. We both have permits. Only for when leaving the car briefly, never for long-term storage. I went with the keyed model because I can operate the lock by feel, but a combination lock requires enough light and my reading glasses.

Not sure if the OP is still reading this one or not, but I hope I can provide some input on the Bersa 380 vs. 38 question. I've got a Bersa Thunder 380 and it is a completely reliable, very accurate gun that's a lot of fun to shoot. I've put several hundred rounds of Magtech and PMC FMJ and several brands of SD JHPs through it with no problems*. 7+1 capacity using the standard magazine, with an optional 9+1 (which I also have). Like any auto, it needs to be shot enough that you are comfortable that it functions with your choice of ammo, and a shooter needs to get used to the DA to SA transition for followup shots if they are not used to it. I have owned and shot many 38 revolvers over the years, and still have a few. For all of the good things I have to say about the Bersa, if I only had one handgun to choose for home defense and the choice was between 6 rounds of 38 +P 158gr SWHP and 8 rounds of .380 95gr JHP, I'd go with the 38 every time, preferably a S&W K-frame Model 19 or 66 in 4" barrel. But if the choice was between a J-frame with 5 shots and the Bersa, then the scale would tip in favor of the Bersa. Mainly because I can't stand shooting J-frames and am just not that accurate with them. Edit: Re-read the issues regarding your mother's stroke. The Bersa is a DA/SA and the first pull is essentially like a revolver. Its quite safe to leave the gun loaded, chambered, hammer down and the safety off. It can't go off without a relatively long trigger pull. * only problems with the Bersa were from some Sellier and Bellot ammo which would fail to feed properly, and the same ammo (maybe a bad batch) caused problem with two different guns so I tend to suspect the ammo. Good for practicing clearing jams, though. Nothing else ever caused any issues.

Usually just over 3 weeks is the norm. In addition to getting your gun, that gives you time to shop for good belts and holsters for it. Those things don't carry themselves, you know.

Pardon the thread hijack. That particular shop does enough business selling their own guns that they are probably intentionally trying to discourage people for using them for FFL transfers and the like. I know of another shop in the same region that will charge you $40 for a transfer of a new weapon from another FFL (since I assume that cuts into their sales) but only $25 for a used gun (plus the $10 TICS fee). I suppose that's reasonable, companies have to make a profit somehow. Back on topic - If it were me, unless I knew the person fairly well, I'd want to see the paperwork showing that they were the original purchaser or some other trail of credentials of ownership of the weapon. Other than that, requiring good solid ID and including detailed information about both parties on a bill of sale is your best bet.

I've been wondering when the longer term implications of high unemployment would start to play out. I was primarily thinking about teenagers getting out of high school and finding there were no jobs available, and discovering that gangs were still hiring. I thought it would be last summer, which is why I became interested again in firearms and self defense after 15 years or so of not thinking much about it. This year, we've got gas prices on the rise again, still not a lot of improvement on the traditional entry-level unskilled jobs front, and now that the federal stimulus package is tapering off, local governments are starting to realize that they are going to have to raise taxes or cut services or both. Somewhere that's going to translate into less money for police, courts, and jails, or the "nice-to-have" community programs that keep teenagers occupied during the summer months. Hopefully my concerns will not not materialize but I'm thinking the petty property crimes may start to increase.

So your friend wants to sell or trade this gun, 10 5/8" barrel Model 29 or 629 from the sound of it, with a very light (I'm assuming) single-action trigger, possibly tuned by a gunsmith, with a scope of some sort installed, and he's asking you what you think it's worth so he'll know how to price it? For that gun, depending on the specific model and generation (the number after the dash, i.e. "29-2"), the condition, whether he still has the original box, papers, what brand of scope, whether or not the gun had to be modified to attach the scope, the value could range anywhere from 500-ish to over $1,000. One thing that might knock the price down would be low demand for a specialized long-barrel gun like that. It's essentially only good for handgun hunting, so there will be fewer interested parties in general. However, that's not a common barrel length so it's got rarity going for it. He'd just have to be lucky and find someone who really wants one of those. It's one of those things where there may not be many people looking for a gun like that, but those few that are might be *really* looking for it.

Everything has moved past us to the east. No major issues in Memphis as a result of the storm. Looks like it's about to arrive in Nashville as I type this.

I assume you must be referring to the Model 29 or 629, which are on the N-frame, not the K-frame. K-frames were primarily 357/38 special and below. No 44s in the K-frame that I can recall.

That's your answer right there! Great price for that gun and you save on tax and TICS fees. I note from TN Outlaw's classified post that it comes with the 10-round mags, but that's plenty for practice and qualifying. Later on if you want to buy a 15-round mag for carry you can pick one up for about $30.

Since this will be a full sized service gun (I assume you will be uniformed and carry this on a gun belt of some sort?) you might want to consider the Ruger P95. They should retail for close to your $300 target price if you can find one in the blue finish, which is a little cheaper than the stainless. Ruger® P-Series P95™ Centerfire Pistol Models for more details. 15 rounds and relatively light weight for a full-sized gun, which makes a difference when you're carrying it every day for 8 hours. When I was a policeman and they let us start carrying 9mms in the late 80s/early 90s, that was one of the choices (edit: it was the P85 back in those days, a predecessor model) and I knew a number of officers who carried one. No problems that I can recall. Since you're on a budget, 9mm is the least expensive service caliber and will save you money over 38spl for practice and for defense ammo.

Not sure about handgun permits but AL state law requires that you apply for an AL drivers license within 30 days after establishing residency. After that time, your out-of-state license is not valid to drive in AL. If I were you I would ask, very specifically, if what you are planning on doing falls within their laws. I guarantee you can get away with claiming you are a TN resident just visiting, until something happens (traffic accident or DUI in the case of the DL), or some situation where you have to actually USE your firearm, or a law enforcement encounter while you happen to be armed (in the case of the HCP). That's when you'll find out what the laws are for sure. I'd personally not want to risk what appears to be a promising future by doing things that could get you in serious trouble if you happen to be wrong.

Don't call the department or the chief, you'll just get the poor guy in trouble and probably a directive put out to all officers to disarm everyone they see open carrying during any encounter. Just mind your own business and be happy for the free ride. SOME police officers understand that carrying a firearm is your legal right, and since you weren't breaking any laws he had no need to deny you that right. I think you ran across one of the good guys. Don't screw it up for him.

I think you forgot your list of questions.