Crimson Trace

Crimson Trace Laserguard on a Ruger LCP

I will soon begin my testing and evaluation of the Crimson Trace Laserguard for the Ruger LCP. I had not looked at the company website for a long while, but took the opportunity yesterday to go there and see what Crimson Trace is now up to.

When one buys a significant piece of technology, it is a good idea to know something about the company and people who make it and stand behind it. I do know that Crimson Trace was very prompt in responding to my request to test and review one of their laser sights but I wanted to know more. This is what I found on their site regarding their company and how they view themselves:

SERVICE AS AN OBSESSION

“Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is doing better,” said Ken Blanchard in his book, “Raving Fans”.

At Crimson Trace, our goal is not to meet your needs.  Nor is it to exceed your expectations.  Our goal is to create a “Raving Fan” out of you.  To us, customer service isn’t simply answering your questions, tracking your shipment, or talking you through installation.  To us, customer service is making your experience with our brand shine so brightly that you’re amazed.  That you’ll tell others about your experience.  That you’re not just a customer.  You’re a Raving Fan!

Our Customer Service team is friendly, highly trained, motivated, and extremely knowledgeable…but everyone says that, right?  Our team is all of those things PLUS empowered.  That means, the person you get on the phone can answer your questions, take care of your needs, and provide service that is above and beyond your expectations.  Call us or email us – and you’ll find out for yourself.

That is a high benchmark to set for yourself. As part of my review of the Laserguard, I will also see how well Crimson Trace lives up to their goal. So far, they are doing fine.

Know the Law

On the gun forums I use, and the one I moderate, there are continually postings that show the person making statements, or asking questions, is not familiar with the law that governs concealed carry and use of a weapon in their state. Unfortunately, states vary in their requirements for gun owners - perhaps someday this will become uniform, but I 'm not holding my breath. One one forum recently a poster stated that if a person who was in a self-defense situation and had to shoot someone, killed them and had to aim to do so, would be liable for a murder charge.

Seriously.

This, of course, engendered a bunch of back and forth on the forum, much of it heated and most of it uninformed, although not as bad as the original poster's bad information. Such incidents are best judged upon their merits, or lack thereof, and speculations about such a vague notion are merely that - speculations. However, there is a lesson here.

Know the laws of the states in which you will be carrying. Don't depend on internet chatter or advice. Every state now has its statutes online so getting to the real thing and reading them is no big trick. It is best to be informed and know your responsibilities beforehand so that you can stand a better chance of making a good decision if you have to.

One example. You are leaving your local supermarket with groceries when, in the parking lot two rows away, a nutcase starts shooting at people at random. You have an excellent opportunity to duck into your car and leave the scene. You are not in immediate danger of lethal harm. But, other people who are manifestly innocent (ordinary women, men, children) are. If you take care of yourself and leave you have not gotten involved hence are not legally liable, but, on the other hand, if you are legally armed for self defense, are you morally and ethically liable to come to the defense of innocent people? And, if you do so, what kind of legal liabilities and protections do you have?

I think it is best to know about, and consider such possibilities beforehand. In instances where these kinds of factors may come into play, there is no time for consideration of potential legal and moral questions. There is only time to act. It's best to know what you should do before you have to do it.

There are classes that discuss these kinds of issues and questions. I highly recommend them to you. You'll find my report on one such class in this blog - aftermath of defensive shootings. See what is available in your area. Considering the consequences, it will be both inexpensive and vital if you carry a handgun for self defense.

Crimson Trace Replies

Fastest yet is Crimson Trace. I got a reply the next day from their Media Relations Manager with the news that they are sending a unit for evaluation. No questions or delays. That's what I call good customer service.

So, I'll soon have a Crimson Trace and a LaserMax for testing and evaluation. I will post first impressions here as they arrive, then plan on another more extensive evaluation that examines operation, effectiveness, concealment qualities, and so forth. For now, first impressions are that Crimson Trace and LaserMax are in the lead as far as customer service and response are concerned. Now, if LaserLyte decides which department will be reviewing my request, I might have good news from them too.

Eventually.

Versacarry Mag Release Issue - Update

As you will see a few posts back, I had an issue with the magazine in my Ruger SR9c being unintentionally ejected when I bent over sharply while carrying in the Versacarry "medium" rise holster.
I contacted the Versacarry folks about this, then set about trying to analyze what happened. As the photo will show, when I had the Versacarry and SR9c  in my normal cross draw position, while wearing my usual Wrangler jeans, the mag release button on the Ruger is positioned right underneath the sewn end of a belt loop and the heavy Bear Creek gun belt I normally wear. When I bent over sharply it put pressure on the mag release button sufficient to trip the mag release.

Mag release button exposed, but not in danger of being depressed. This is not my normal cross draw carry position but somewhat further back to illustrate the position of the various components: holster, belt loop, belt and button.

In the normal cross draw position, the mag release button is directly under the end of the belt loop and can also get pressure from the top of the stiff gun belt. As you can see, the magazine (empty) has been partially ejected. This was a result of bending sharply at the waist as if picking something off the floor.

Now, this is a situation that required a number of factors to come together simultaneously, something that is very unusual. My take on this is that when using any holster with which the magazine release button is exposed (i.e., not protected against actuation) check to ensure that there will be nothing pressing on the button while the gun is in the carry position you have chosen. If so, move the gun and holster, or use a different holster in that place. For the Versacarry line, the simplest solution would be to choose one of their holsters with a lower or higher ride which would move the mag release button to another place. I would, of course, test this with an unloaded gun just to make sure. In fact, if you use any holster that exposes the magazine release button, test it thoroughly to ensure that does not happen to you.

So, some after the fact testing and analysis shows that this issue was not simply the result of carrying my SR9c in a Versacarry holster, but carrying a semi-automatic handgun in any holster in which the magazine release is exposed. Take a look at your normal carry with this in mind.

Be safe.

Reviews, Evaluations and Customer Satisfaction

Many of the items I review here are provided by their makers for that purpose. Not all. Some I have bought courtesy of my credit card. After doing this for a while I have formed a few opinions of the way in which companies approach review requests. First, I am obviously not representative of a large publishing concern with a huge readership. I do have a fairly steady readership and have had almost ten thousand visits since I started this blog. However, I do concentrate on a specific area - concealed carry - and attempt to be rational and as objective as a gun-toting Second Amendment supporter can be. As you will have noticed, I try hard to keep politics out of the discussion. I find that when politics and guns are mixed, any chance for rational discourse goes rapidly out the window.

Back when I was a moderator of the old Elsie Pea Forum (RIP), I saw and got involved in many discussions concerning the use and value of laser sights mounted to concealed carry handguns. Now, being of the old school and having had my training and qualifications with a handgun courtesy of the U.S. Marines and an old Model 1911 pistol, I'm not one to favor laser sights right off the bat. It became quickly evident that many of those who had these gizmos attached to their pistols really liked them. More so, many gun makers provide some of their handguns with laser sights installed at the factory. Even so, many members of the forum lined up against them and their reasons were many but the most often cited were: dependence on another piece of gear that might fail at the wrong time; turning it on; trying to find the red dot instead of sighting on the target. The laser supporters answered these in various ways but it became apparent to me that I could not be an effective part of the conversations since I have no experience with this technology applied to handguns. And, furthermore, I was unlikely to do so since they are expensive and if I did want to equip and carry them on my self defense guns, I was looking at a considerable cash outlay for the sights and the new holsters I would need. So, I passed.

However, having re-thought this, I decided that if I could get some real-world experience with various laser sights on at least one of my carry pistols, I could do a thorough evaluation from a "normal" (yeah, I know...) person who legally carries a handgun for self defense. I don't have a bias, one way or the other, nor do I support any firearms related companies or have any interest in supporting one company or maker over another. I am basically interested in reporting, from my personal perspective, what works for me as part of my concealed carry systems and training and what doesn't. In this spirit, I contacted three manufacturers of laser sights for handguns asking for an evaluation unit that I could test and report on here. I also stated that I would return the unit to them after the testing and evaluation was done. This seems like a reasonable request. I get to find out about their products, test them, report here and send them back. They are out postage and some free publicity on my blog. Of course, the publicity could be good or bad or both.

Although I have not received any product to test as yet, the two responses I have gotten are interesting.

The first company to respond was LaserLyte. They were quick to reply to my query but vague about whether or not they wanted to participate. The person who responded to me is "forwarding my request to the proper department for review". Wow. Departments. I guess they are trying to figure out which of their departments should handle this request. I'm not too thrilled by this or what it portends for me actually getting a unit to test. I am certain that I am not the first person to ask for a review unit - there have been a bunch of reviews done to date already - so why would they have to find the proper department to review my simple request. It is possible that this is a stalling tactic, or perhaps this is just procedure, how they handle unknown people out there in cyberspace who are asking them for something. I don't know. That happened on November 21. It is now November 29, eight days later so either they have a great many departments, a great many requests of this nature, or my email is sitting on the bottom of a virtual pile of emails somewhere in the proper department.

The second company to respond was LaserMax. My request went to them on November 21 and someone responded to me on November 26. It was short and sweet. Yes, they have evaluation units and will send one to me. That was good and it was customer friendly and pretty darn quick. I'll let you all know when it arrives.

The third company I contacted was Crimson Trace. I sent an email to them yesterday. I thought I had sent a contact form at the same time as I had contacted Laserlyte and LaserMax, but I don't think I did that, so I sent one (or another) yesterday. I also was in contact with a friend who is a holster maker who told me that when the Crimson Trace became available for the handguns for which he made holsters, he contacted them and requested an empty shell that he could use to make holsters for guns with their sight attached. He needed something to fill orders until the blue gun makers released moulds of guns with Crimson Trace lasers for holster makers. He sent them his web site URL and tax number and the necessary information to prove he runs an actual business. They said, sure, he could buy one from them at a discount, but were not willing to provide even the empty shell. This is not very good customer service in my view. Who knows? Crimson Trace may have adopted a more customer satisfaction friendly policy in the interim. When I get a reply from them, I will post the results here.

So, laser sights. There it is. I will test and evaluate whatever unit, or units, I can get from the makers and report my findings and personal opinions here. As this little project gets going, it is obvious that part of the reporting will include how the companies handle requests, queries and issues from their customers. For me, the attitudes and practices of companies making products plays an important part in whether I will spend my money on their goods, or look elsewhere for a similar product with good support and service.

Return of the Ruger LC9 and another look at lasers

Yesterday I went to my local gun store and retrieved my lonely LC9 which had been on the block for a couple of months. Earlier, I had decided that since my main carry gun for self defense would be my Ruger SR9c, it made no real sense to keep the LC9 and I could, instead, sell it and buy a new Ruger SR22 pistol to improve my shooting accuracy by getting more range time in at a reasonable ammo price. I bought the .22 pistol and put the LC9 up for sale. All well and good until a couple of days ago.

My son and I went out to the range, as in open range, to get some target practice. All went well except when firing the Ruger LCP, which has been my main at-home, around the house, carry weapon. I mean, it is small, light and easy to carry pretty much in any position. Except ankle carry. I don't do ankle carry, maybe because I wear boots and that seems way too much. Besides, I don't fancy a weight hanging off my ankle, no matter how light it might be.

The LCP, which is always clean and lubricated, twice failed to come back into battery after firing rounds of Winchester White Box practice .380 ammo. Might have been a function of lightly-loaded cartridges, or might not. They also have a flat nose which might have been a factor. This, coupled with the unavoidable fact that I cannot shoot the LCP with the same accuracy beyond 3 to 5 yards that I can achieve with the SR9c or the LC9 decided me to put the LCP up in the safe while I figure out what it's future will be, and to retrieve the LC9 and use it for my carry piece along with the SR9c in rotation, or, more to the point, when I feel like it.

This factor, not being able to achieve acceptable accuracy with the LCP, is the most critical in my decision. When one legally carries a firearm for self defense, one of the most critical responsibilities is to cause no harm to innocent people. Too often, innocent bystanders are killed or wounded by well-meaning but unprepared legal gun owners because the gun owners do not have the necessary skills to hit what they are aiming to hit. This is especially true in high-pressure situations which define close encounter gun fights. You just can't take the shot if you don't have a clear field and if you don't think you can hit what you are aiming at. Period.

Thus, the reason for my purchase and training with a Ruger SR22 pistol. And also, my reason for reconsidering my earlier decision not to use, or at least evaluate the use of, a laser sight on my concealed carry gun.

I am considering testing a laser for the LC9. I have not used one before but am familiar with the pros and cons, since this is often a hot topic for the gun forums I frequent or moderate. I have before come down on the side of not using a laser, but I think before I take a definite stance, I need to have some practical, personal and real time experience with one. To this end, I have opened negotiations with one laser sight maker to test one of their products on the LC9. More on this as it develops.

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IWB Thoughts

There have been many opinions voiced and gallons of ink, virtual and real, consumed over the "best" self- defense carry gun. I have avoided most of this and settled on what you might call a "middle of the road" gun - a large capacity 9 mm semi - auto that fits my ergonomic preferences. At this point I consider the most important aspect of self defense carry to be carry. I subscribe to the notion that the most effective self defense gun is the one you have when you need one.

That requires you to constantly carry your chosen weapon. Simple idea, but often not easy to follow. Obviously, developing a personal system to comfortably and effectively carry a self defense gun is key to this. And, the holster is the crucial component. In addition to keeping the pistol oriented correctly, the trigger covered and held securely, but not too securely to inhibit a clean draw, the holster must be comfortable enough to carry regardless of when, where and how a person goes about his or her daily business.

Obviously, larger handguns are more difficult to holster well and carry for a long period. Another reason why the big caliber advocates have a fundamental problem when it comes to actually carrying the big guns for self defense. But, even so, there are many, many holster designs that attempt to answer those requirements. That is why many of us have accumulated our box-o-holsters.

In terms of basic comfort, the OWB (outside the waist band) is superior to the IWB (inside the waist band) design, but IWB designs generally are better for concealment. There are, of course, exceptions. Most of us will eventually settle on one of each as our favorite holsters.

For me, my best holsters share certain characteristics. Comfort, of course, but comfort alone is not enough. I don't want a holster so comfortable I "don't know it is there". I want to know it is there and where it is, but I don't want it to be a constant nag or pain. I have one IWB holster, an N82 Tactical, which is insanely comfortable (for a holster, let's stay real, we aren't talking about pillows here) but sometimes doesn't want to let go of my gun when I need to draw it. Not good. Fails a prime requirement - make the gun easily accessible all of the time, without fail.

Stability. When I put a holster in place I expect it to stay there. So far, every holster I have tried, IWB or OWB styles, that has only one clip does not stay in place. Not that it migrates from one side to the other, but it moves too much. The grip rotates down to the belt line. Or up so the end pokes into my shirt, printing "gun here!". Not good. I don't like getting out of the car and having to readjust the position of my holster. So, two clips or belt loops are mandatory.

The hybrid holsters built with two clips and a synthetic shell on a leather backing are stable, but I don't find them acceptably comfortable and they are hard to put on and remove. Besides, I don't like those clips with the "tails" that stick out. Just the ticket to catch on your shirt or sweater hem when pulling it up get to your gun.

So, loops - one big enough for stability, or maybe two loops - and reasonable comfort that does not impede access. And, a good place to accommodate an extra magazine would be good. So, I'm looking closely at the D.M. Bullard Texas Conceal Carry holster. Since I favor cross draw carry, this might be an excellent choice. A good belt loop attachment will keep the grips above the belt line and the flat, wider design incorporating a spare mag pouch, might make it stable and reasonably comfortable. If I am able, I will review this holster here and see how it stacks up against the other IWB holsters I have tried and reviewed.

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New D.M. Bullard Bodyguard

I have a Bodyguard OWB holster from D.M. Bullard for my LCP. I have had it for about two years and It has become my standard OWB holster for that gun. It is comfortable, secure and provides ease of access. And, importantly it conceals the LCP with almost anything including T-shirts. When I carried an LC9 I also bought and frequently used one of David's Bodyguards with equal satisfaction. I have been carrying my Ruger SR9c in a Bullard Bandit for OWB but having put the LC9 up for sale and using the SR9c as my main carry gun, I decided to go for a Bodyguard because of the better all-around concealment it provides.

Some people try many different makes and models of things before, through personal experience and preference, settle on a few out of the many and stick with them. Like many of you I had a box full of holsters accumulated while searching for the "best". The "best" is, of course, a very subjective and personal decision, as it should be. I confess to being a native of Fort Worth, Texas and therefore partial to such things as boots, hats and holsters made in Texas, so it was natural that I was intrigued with David Bullard's work when I first encountered it. I now have many products made by David or his craftsmen and I am still gladdened by the consistent quality and craftsmanship of his work. But, beyond that, I have found that his designs work. To me a good leather hand made holster is a thing of beauty, but even more so when it does exactly what it was designed and intended to do. So now, my box of holsters is emptying out and I am depending more and more on Bullard for my needs.

My new Bodyguard for the SR9c arrived this week and I quickly put it to the test. Perfect molding to the gun. Even the slide striations and indent for the magazine release button are precisely molded in. The trigger is completely covered, which, should one choose, allows carry of pistols like Ruger semi-auto to be carried with the manual safety "off" with assurance that the trigger safety is always protected. The gun and holster are held firmly in place with a good gun belt, behind the hip at a steep cant for comfort and concealment. This design works very well for the smaller pistols and equally as well for the larger gun.

I broke the holster in quickly by wrapping the pistol in two layers of kitchen plastic wrap and holstering a few times. Now, it is held tightly but releases easily. Seemingly a contradiction, but true.

I will be putting this new Bodyguard to the test over the winter and into the summer when lighter garments will be in order and I will report on that experience. Many holsters feel and perform very well initially, but with use and time may exhibit issues and flaws not obvious during the "honeymoon" period. I certainly don't expect any with the Bodyguard, but you never know.

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