Lessons

When things don't work, it is usually a sign that there is a lesson there, that some changes need to occur in order to correct whatever is wrong. The shooting in Connecticut is another example of something that does not work.

I have stayed far away from this story, as I did with the shootings in Colorado recently. Not because I do not grieve with the parents, friends and relatives, but because the story will be beaten to death in order to sell advertiser time, and to push various agendas. What gets lost in all this are the, to me, essential lessons.

The first lesson is that gun control as envisioned by gun haters is not only ineffective at resolving incidents like this (not to mention much smaller, frequent and more personal incidents that happen almost daily in America and across the world), it can contribute to the likelihood of things like this happening again. If guns were removed from law-abiding citizens, that fact would not stop the crazies, criminals and terrorists from getting and using guns, it would, in my opinion, make that much more likely and the consequences of that class of people more devastating. It would be plain open season on anyone without the means to protect themselves and their loved ones, and those people would, of course, be the law-abiding citizens who had to give up their guns.

Bad people think hard about confronting other bad people because they would know that the other guys are armed. Not so with the disarmed public. They would be easy prey to anyone who had a gun, knife or club.

The second lesson is that by prohibiting law abiding citizens from legally carrying in a designated place, that place then becomes what we used to call in the military, a free fire zone. Anyone wanting to wreak death and destruction would most likely pick a gun-free zone to do so for the simple reason that the odds are high that no one there would be armed and able to stop them. This is so obvious that I do not understand why we would ever want to create and advertise a free-fire zone to the criminals, crazies and terrorists.

I spent some time in Israel recently and I can assure you that the Israelis don't allow their school children to be unprotected or attend gun-free zones. You see a group of students out for a field trip, or a trip across town and they are invariably accompanied by adults with weapons. Go to a nice sidewalk cafe by the sea in Tel Aviv, and the guy at the entrance is packing. The Israelis don't think it is smart to have their people give up their weapons because a bunch of Arabs are trying to kill them and their families. We shouldn't either.

The third lesson is that this is, and always has been, a dangerous world. Thinking that removing dangerous things from the world will make it safe is a delusion. Cars are dangerous. So are alcohol, airplanes, electricity, poisonous emissions, submarines, knives, axes, and... well, you get the point. However, it should be noted that by themselves, none of the items in that list are dangerous in of of themselves. Unless they are used, or mis-used, by humans, they are pretty benign. Airplanes don't fly by themselves. Knives, axes and alcohol are static items that without human interaction would slowly degenerate into molecules over time. Guns. The same. So, obviously, one of the most dangerous elements to humans are other humans, and until that changes, I refuse to surrender the right to protect myself from them as effectively as I can.

In the end, I cannot see how depriving law abiding citizens the right to keep and bear arms would have in any way stopped the tragedy in Connecticut. Or in Colorado.

I can see that if a teacher, aid or even passerby on the school grounds who was legally carrying a weapon that day might have stopped or minimized the damage that did occur. At least the possibility would have existed where, instead, the law had decided to make that school a free fire zone for a crazed criminal.

If you are scared by all this, be scared of the society and the dangerous people in it, not the many things those unfortunate individuals may use to express their violent souls. Also, be somewhat comforted by the knowledge that there are among you many who hold their freedoms and rights dear and who would seek to protect themselves and others, perhaps you, from those dangerous individuals, and who legally have the means to do so.

A Humbling Lesson

A Crimson Trace Update

After having the Laserguard installed on my LCP for a while now, I have been getting used to the feel, activation and use of the laser mounted on the gun. Theory aside, the experience is teaching me new things, not all of them flattering. First, contrary to what I have read on numerous gun forums about acquiring the "little red dot", I have absolutely no trouble finding the red dot - and, it's not so "little" either. In fact, it is very bright under most circumstances, most especially in low light conditions. Actuate the laser, and your eye immediately goes to the bright red dot which should be on the target, drawing your attention to the target immediately, not to looking for a 'sight picture'.

Another lesson for me is that I am far less dependent on obtaining a standard site picture, which requires that I raise the gun to eye level and hold it relatively steady while I line up the front sight on the target. While I consider this to be a good and useful tactic, and strive for it even with the laser installed, I have learned that it is not a necessary component of my aiming technique, especially under self-defense situations. Let me explain.

Training and muscle memory are extremely important in getting the body and mind to act as they should under stressful situations. Acquiring your firearm and bringing the pistol to bear accurately is a solid requirement in those situations, but as you can imagine, there are times when one will not be able to perform this routine as it is normally practiced. You may be running. You may be down. You may be blocked somehow from getting into the standard sight-acquisition/shooting posture. There may just be no time to get there. Such situations call for what is termed "point and shoot" techniques. The issue with that is without some indication of where the muzzle is pointing, when a standard sight picture is not possible, you really don't know what you will be hitting when you pull the trigger.

I have learned, by using the Laserguard, that I do not instinctively aim where I think I am aiming when practicing 'point and shoot'. Like, bringing the pistol up to the fire position, without getting a normal front sight picture (maybe extending it quickly from the waist to mid height while looking at the target) the laser shows me that I am almost consistently aiming too low, and often to one side, off my intended target. Why does this matter? Well, for example, if I was sitting and had to draw and fire very quickly without coming to a sight picture - time being of the essence and the threat being close and moving toward me - with the laser, I now can tell when to fire. The red dot is on the target, regardless of where my gun is positioned, I know I am going to hit the target pretty close to that dot, not fire into the wall or, worse, someone else.

I am amazed that even in such close proximity, one's aim can be off enough to miss a center-of-mass target when doing this quick drill. I better understand the statistics that relate the fact that trained shooters, we are talking about law enforcement and military trained shooters, often miss their targets even when they are within five yards or less, sometimes much less.

So, one good lesson I have learned from using the laser without, so far, firing a shot, is that my belief in my natural ability to point-and-shoot is misplaced. I need practice getting on target with that method and the CT Laserguard revealed that shortcoming, and will be a good aid in improving my accuracy. I also suspect, that by so practicing and developing the reflexes and muscle memory by using the Laser, I will still be a better shot if I should have to make that shot without benefit of an active laser sight.

You are never too old to learn something new.

Crimson Trace Installation

This will be a short post, since it was a brief installation. It is about a close to a no-brainer process as possible. Slip the battery into place. The instructions make it clear how to orient it - you have a 50-50 chance to get it right even if you didn't read the instructions, which I don't recommend. They are clear, accompanied by a useful "exploded" drawing and brief.

Slip the laser half of the Laserguard over the trigger guard. Attach the other half, press them together and secure with the two included screws and allen wrenches. Note: make sure the screws go in from the correct side!

Done.

Custom LCP. Skateboard tape on the receiver. Hand painted Ruger emblem. New Crimson Trace Laserguard.

The light is bright and tight. The on-off button on the front strap of the grip is always under your hand and when the pistol is gripped normally, it is on. The fit of the sight is perfect for the LCP with no appreciable gaps or wobble.

I dry fired a number of times and got instant feedback on my trigger pull. Not bad for an old guy. Live fire will probably tell a different story, but that is good. Improvement should be a constant process. For me, there are no issues with the Laserguard getting in the way of gripping or firing the pistol.

So, next will come a more extensive review after I have carried and used the LCP and Laserguard for a while. So far, I am impressed. Time will fill out that impression.

And the winner is....

The winner of the most responsive customer service is Crimson Trace. They were the last company I contacted with a review request and the quickest to respond to that. Then, they quickly dispatched a unit out to me which arrived today. Thank you, Crimson Trace for your willingness to respond to your customers rapidly and effectively.

LaserMax also responded to my request which I made about a week before contacting Crimson Trace. Although they wrote that they were getting a unit to me for review, I do not have it, nor have I had any further communication with them.

LaserLyte is evidently still searching for the appropriate department to handle my request. I have heard nothing from them since they so informed me.

Here is the unit. I will install it later today and report on how that activity went. But for now, I can say that Crimson Trace people are fast, the packaging is first rate and it got here in a hurry. The unit is well padded and protected and all the necessary hardware is included along with the installation and user manuals.

Package components from the box. The laser guard itself was securely packed in the foam envelope that it is resting on in this photo.

The essential parts. The small stickers are supplied with all laser products, although I do not plan to attach them since I will be the only one operating the unit.

Bear Creek Holsters' Concealed Caddy

I have a new Concealed Caddy gun carrier made by Doug Childers of Bear Creek Holsters in Texas. This is an item that I might never have thought of, even though it is such a useful part of any carry system.

Concealed Caddy with a Model 1911

With a S&W 686 4" Barrel

The fit.

As many of you do, I spend a lot of time in my car. Probably too much, but in this day, it can't be helped. For me,  living at a minimum of fifteen to twenty minutes away from major stores and service facilities, being in the car often is just part of life. A good example is the prohibition of carrying concealed within a post office.

This requires that I remove my carry gun either in it's carry holster (easier with a clip type, which I don't particularly like) or from the holster and place it in an inconspicuous place in the car while I visit the post office. If I were leaving it for more than a minute or two, I would lock it in the car safe, but, for a two minute in-and-out, in a small town, that's a little too much for me. Then, back in the car, retrieve my gun and/or holster and put it back on. Now, with this new Concealed Caddy, I can house my gun in the Caddy, take it from the house to the car, slip the Caddy between the seat and console and off I go. When I leave the car for my quick post office visit, the Caddy and gun stay where they are (in a locked car, of course) - nothing to tip off someone glancing inside that there is a holstered gun in the car - and I can just come back and drive away. The gun is always readily accessible but out of sight. And, instead of switching holsters, or having it rattle around inside the door pocket, my handgun sits protected inside a nice, lined leather case. Here are some photos from the Bear Creek Holster site demonstrating how the Caddy works:

The Concealed Caddy tucked between the seat and console.

Both snaps open. If you weren't looking almost straight down, you would not see the handgun inside. Also, if you were in the passenger seat, you also would not be able to see the gun.

Slide your hand down, using the inner surface of the flap as a guide, and it falls naturally on the pistol's grips, ready to be drawn if need be.

Like many simple ideas, this one is basic and effective. The Caddy is made from premium leather - your choice of color, within reason I imagine, and is lined with soft leather to protect your precious handgun. It closes with two sturdy snaps and, when closed, completely covers and protects the gun inside. The neat triangular shape allows you to wedge it practically anywhere and the characteristics of the leather outside surfaces help it stay where you put it.

I began my testing and evaluation of the Caddy with a trip from southern Colorado to that weird La-La Land of Colorado, also known as Aspen. It's a long drive almost completely through the state south to north and back again over various mountain passes and valleys with around numerous elevations gains that go from around 4000' to over 11,000' feet. Twists and turns. Frequent stops. In and out of the car. So, I took my handy Ruger SR9c along in the Caddy and a Remora in the door pocket for those times I needed to make the transfer from Caddy to holster and back again. Like, I pull into a quick stop gas station for something to drink, I'm not leaving the pistol in the car, for obvious reasons. The drill was simple. I kept the Caddy between my seat and center console with the rear snap open on the Caddy. It was easy to wedge down sufficiently low to not interfere with anything, yet, when I needed to get to the gun inside, I merely swiveled the Caddy forward, which positioned the flap in the open, unobstructed by the console and easily accessible, popped the front snap and slid my hand inside to a ready grasp of the grips. I would have my Remora out, slide the Ruger into it and that into my waistband and, shazam!, ready to exit. Reverse the process and you are ready to hit the road again.

I could have as easily just slipped the Caddy from its position between the seat and console, got out, tucked it under my arm and gone about my business. Nothing there to indicate what I am carrying. The Caddy is shaped to accommodate a range of gun sizes, but since it isn't shaped like a handgun or molded to shape, it is just a nice leather triangular envelope which could house almost anything. A nice touch.

I will be posting again as me and my Concealed Caddy get more mileage together, so check in again now and then. At this point, after hundreds of miles and days of a hectic road trip, we are getting along fine and I wonder why I didn't think of this before. But, Doug did. Thanks, Doug.