Throwing the Curve

Taurus Curve

 

Yes, it's causing quite a rukus with the "gun guys", who mainly are, let's face it, traditionalists, if not experts in their own minds. Not all, of course. There are quite a few very knowledgeable, smart and innovative thinkers in the firearms community. There are also quite a few ego-ridded, self-styled experts who don't tolerate diversity very well. The introduction of Taurus' Curve .380 has certainly rattled a number of cages out there in expert land.

I have yet to delve deeply into the reports and reviews of this radical and innovative new handgun, but what I've seen on the internet is certainly interesting. And, frankly, somewhat sad and disappointing. I don't really know why I'm disappointed because with every innovation there comes a wave of nay-sayers, critics and just plain mean commentary. And, my favorite, those criticisms of aspects and features of the new product by people who have yet to even see one, much less perform a hands-on evaluation.

There seem to be three main areas of complaint by the self-styled critics:

1. It's ugly.
2. It's only a .380
3. It's curved.

It's Ugly: What's that got to do with anything? Does it matter that you have a good-looking handgun to the person who wants to kill or hurt you? "Oh, pardon the ugly, gun, but I'm going to have to shoot you with it anyway." I know people who won't bother with Spyderco knives because they don't like the way they look. OK, but that doesn't have anything to do with the knife's function, and neither does it with a piston.

It's only a .380: This is a continuing and not very helpful rant by the caliber Nazis. If you check out the latest report on why the FBI is moving back to the 9 mm cartridge, and do some research into actual bullet and caliber effects on wounds, you'll find that the big caliber stopping power argument is based on ancedote and myth. I suspect that for some people having a big gun is more of a psychological attribute than anything else. If you were to pull your big 1911 .45 and shoot at me and miss, and I pulled my little .380 and shot at you and hit, which would you think would be more effective?

What underlies many of the big-caliber arguments is the vision some people have of being assaulted by a couple of two-hundred fifty pound, speed addled bikers who are so cranked up on drugs that a handgun equivalent of an elephant gun is needed to "stop" them. What's more likely is that pulling a gun will defuse most situations quickly anyway, regardless of how big it is, and shooting statistics will show that even average sized assailants can be shot multiple times with large caliber weapons and still keep on going.

Basically, one can dismiss this argument out of hand when discussing concealed carry self defense guns. I know plenty of people who own big guns who routinely leave them at home. Why? Because they are big guns. I also know many people who always carry small guns with them for just that reason.

It's curved: This is closely related to the "it's ugly" argument, but is available for a more objective and reasoned analysis. It is pretty obvious as to why it is curved. Concealed carry handguns are carried on the person far more than they are drawn and shot. The big advantage of concealed carry is to carry. Anything that makes this easier and safe is to be considered an advantage.

Let's assume that the Curve will shoot as accurately as other small, compact .380 handguns, like the Ruger LCP. From what I have seen demonstrated on the range, this is a fair statement. What is there about the Curve that may make it better than other similiar handguns? The form factor alone is a step ahead. Smooth with little to impede IWB carry or draw. Ergonomic shape which offers better concealment and probably more comfort. A supplied belt clip, which can be used with a kydex detachable trigger guard, if desired for increased safety. And, the built-in light and laser combination which is a brilliant idea considering that the majority of incidents that would require resort to your firearm happen in times of darkness.

So, there are three add-ons that the average concealed carry person doesn't have to bother with: a holster, a laser and a light.

As to the belt clip, I think a certain amount of common sense is called for. Not having evaluated the gun at this point, I don't know if the design of the frame and trigger, coupled with the double action firing mechanism is enough to give me the confidence to carry IWB without the trigger cover. It might be, or I might like a thin, kydex holster for it.

 

One thing for sure, the Curve is a gun, not a piece of art work, and so far it seems to have taken a big step ahead of its competitors in the concealed carry market. I'm looking forward to evaluating one and reporting on it here.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

190 Million Armed Guards

 

Guarding Paris Civilians

What's wrong with these pictures? On the face of them, nothing much – the French military protecting some of their citizens from Islamic militants, and my own Spydero Delca 4. From what's happening in Europe, increasing security for everyone is certainly a good idea. It's a good idea here in the USA too, since we are not immune from violent attacks by religious fanatics. In the photo, the ratio seems to be one armed soldier for every five civilians. For the popuation of the US, that would require roughly 190 million armed soldiers or law enforcement personnel for seven days by twenty-four hour duty. So, about half of the population to guard the other half.

 

 

Obviously riduculous. Also ridiculous is the notion that the rest of us should be prevented from having the ability to protect ourselves. I understand that there are people who do not want to take on this responsibility but choose to rely on the police and armed forces to do that for them. I also understand that they should not have any say in whether or not others decide to take on that responsibility for themselves. Even moreso, I believe they do not have the right to tell me how I can or cannot choose to defend my family and loved ones just because they prefer a different solution.

I am licensed to carry a concealed firearm in my state, and in many other states that offer reciprocal rights to mine. However, I just spent a week in Washington state which is not one that recognizes the carry rights I have in mine. They certainly recognize other rights, such as my driver license, social security card, etc., but when it comes to concealed carry they do not for some reason that probably doesn't make much sense. So, having to visit Washington state for medical reasons, I was prevented from carrying one of my pistols with me. My wife and I spent five days there protected by my Spyderco, which, really, isn't much of a protective device since I'm a senior and not trained in knife fighting, but it was better than nothing.

But back to the religious fanatics threat. I think that future incidents like the one in Paris, especially if they happen here in America, will begin to shift people's perspective on self defense. Is there any sane reason why honest citizens should be prevented from carrying weapons in defense of these homocidal religious nut-cases just because some people are afraid of guns?

So, some advice that bears repeating: if you have any desire to be able to protect yourself and other innocent people, learn how to use a handgun safely and effectively, get a concealed carry permit and carry a weapon. Odds are you will never have to use it, but if you do, at least you will be able to fight back.

Posted with Blogsy

Aware

This time I present a guest whose view and philosophy mirrors my own. Many of my friends and family do not get why I carry a gun. Perhaps this will help them to see the world more like I do.

I carry a gun every day

Ernie Traugh, guest columnist
January 4, 2015

Every day I get up and put on a gun. It’s part of my daily routine. No different from making coffee or feeding the dogs before I leave for work.

There is so much misinformation about who that makes me. I’m a “gun nut.” I’m one of “those right-wing Second Amendment people.” I’m the scourge of the earth to some.

Funny how that works.

They don’t even know me but they are worried that I’m what’s wrong with this country, this state and this city I call home. I walk among them and they don’t even know it. I’m the guy in the jeans and Under Armour shirt, the guy in the $200 sport coat and $125 shoes, the guy in Nike pants and a hoodie, and some days I’m the guy with dirty hands from working in the yard, but most of all I’m the guy they never see.

Oh, they acknowledge me sometimes. When I hold the door for them because my parents raised me that way. When I let them go ahead of me in line at the gas station because they seem to be in a hurry. When I pick up their baby’s pacifier in the aisle at the grocery store and hand it back to them because it fell out and they didn’t notice. But they don’t see me. I’m just another guy in the store with things in my hand. But only my left hand. I don’t carry things in my right hand. Not at the store. Not in public.

Why? Because I’m “that guy.” I know that bad things happen. Every day. Everywhere. So I try to be aware. I try to study my surroundings. I expect to not see it coming every time. I expect that evil may show up while I’m shopping or walking through the mall or eating at a restaurant. It doesn’t make me crazy. It doesn’t make me paranoid. It simply makes me aware. Unlike a lot of people that walk by me every day. Looking at their phones, their notes, their purses, or any of the other distractions that plague us. I get it.

I also get that there are wolves. Hungry. Lean. Skilled at their trade. Studying you. Studying me. They like you. They don’t like me. I see them at the mall. I see them at the gas station. I see them right here in this town. Do they know I’m armed? No, they don’t. They know that I’m aware. I look at them. Kill them with kindness. It’s a like a mutual agreement. I see you; you see me. Let’s not kid each other.

It’s weird in a way. The man and his friend in the store that looked all around and even glanced at the camera above us — those guys see me. I’m aware that the door is over there. I’m aware that the coffee pot is within reach and full. He urges me to go first to the counter. “Oh no, you go please. I have all day,” I reply. Now he has to make a purchase. Now he knows I’m polite …. I’m polite and I do not want them behind me in line.
The lady with her kid? She doesn’t notice me, but I’m there. I have a phone. I have a flashlight. I have two knives. I have a firearm. And I have a plan. If this doesn’t go well I want to get her and that little one out of here. Chances are nothing is going to happen until they’re gone anyway. I’d like to leave too.

One man asks the other a question. He hands the guy a few extra bucks to make the purchase of an item at the counter. They leave. I make my purchase. I call the employee by name and tell him to have a good night. I walk to the door and hold it open for the woman approaching. She says, “Thanks.” I say, “Yes ma’am.” Then, poof. I’m gone.

Just another uneventful trip to the store. The best kind ever. It’s funny those men truly saw me but other customers didn’t. Why? Maybe too busy. Maybe too much on their minds. Maybe because they didn’t worry for one second about those two men or me.

When I get home I don’t tell my wife about the two men who lingered. The two men who entered together but stood so far apart. The two men that seemed to have no sense of purpose or item they were in search of. No need to talk of them because nothing happened. This happens daily. Sometimes once. Sometimes multiple times. I like uneventful days.

Most people don’t know me. But man, they sure do judge me. If I use a gun to defend myself they will read about it. They will hear about it. They will weigh in on what should have happened.

I have seen bad people do bad things. I have seen good people dumbfounded and in shock because they couldn’t comprehend what was happening in front of them or, worse yet, to them. It’s not fun or pretty to think about, so most people don’t. They don’t stay awake late at night watching videos from self-defense experts. They don’t read the articles. They don’t look at unedited news on the Internet. They don’t search out the videos of people fighting for their lives and losing.

A man stabbed outside a bar. A couple hijacked and killed in front of the store. A store clerk shot even after complying with a robber’s demands. A video from inside the grocery store of a mad man with a gun shooting people while looking for his ex. Dashboard cameras of an officer involved in a shooting. It’s an ugly world so they choose not to see it.

I don’t train for the warm fuzzy days where everyone gets along. I train for the other days. I try to round out my skill sets. I look at what others have done to succeed. I watch videos of those who haven’t. Some refer to it as making something good out of something bad. Like watching videos of officers being killed as every person that’s gone through any type of law enforcement academy has had to do. Learn from others’ experiences.
People from all walks of life legally carry guns. Some are men and some are women. Some are old and some are young. The ones I know train. The ones I know are aware: Aware of their surroundings. And aware of all of the armchair quarterbacking that will be done if they ever have to use that tool of last resort on their belt. So why do it anyway? Because they value their life and the lives of others. Simple.

My so-called “gun nut” friends and customers are some of the most congenial, trustworthy people I know. I only wish everyone had such friends. I wish everyone understood like I do.

• Ernie Traugh is owner operator of Cedar Valley Outfitters, which opened in 2001, and has been a reserve police officer since 2004. Comments: ernie@cedarvalleyoutfitters.org

Posted with Blogsy

God Wants to Kill You

God wants one of his faithful followers to kill you if you aren't a believer and don't do exactly what he said. Or exactly what an illiterate, medieval, small-time merchant said He said to him through an angel no one else saw or heard. This is not historically limited to belief in any particular god. All religions have taken this basic stance at one time or another. Fortunately, most religions have come to understand that this is not acceptable. Brides who are discovered to not be virgin on their wedding night are not dragged to their father's doorstep and stoned to death. Our soldiers do not dash our enemies babies against rocks as certain ancient religious books require. No, we have, mostly, become more humane, civilized and ethical. Mostly.

But there remain in our world, many, many people who will gladly kill you for your unbeliefs, and "know" they will be divinely rewarded for so doing. Witness the killings in France by followers of Islam. "Allah ahkbar!" God is great. I kill you in the name of God. Blessings be upon me.

This is an enormous problem in today's world. There exist, in all countries now, many followers of Islam who will either be willing to kill you for their religious beliefs, and many more who will not condemn publically or work to stop these fundamentalists because they too are afraid they will be killed. For the Islamists jihadists, it's a win-win. Oppose me and I'll kill you. If I kill you for opposing me (and my God) then God will send me to heaven. And, you to hell.

I don't see any way to stop all of this unless those people are prevented from acting out their beliefs. Not likely to happen especially when they are trained young to hate everything not Islam. I have not heard or read of any solution that is likely to have a widespread and immediate impact to this world problem that does not involve a real holy war – a war to get rid of people who want to kill you for God. It's the mother of all problems.

But, I do have a few thoughts about how to cope with this on a more personal level. Fundamentally, it is my firm belief that everyone has the right to fight back. You might not win, but you don't have to go quietly. I believe, but I don't know for sure, that almost no civilians in France are allowed to carry firearms for self defense. This is, of course, true in other European countries as well as in some states in our own. Isn't is obvious now that there are people living among us who are intent on, and are planning to, murder us and our fellow humans because we don't give their religious ideas the 'respect' they claim they deserve? Think about this for a moment. If you don't believe in the same god that I do, you will surely go to hell, and, if you disprespect my god or his mouthpiece, I have the right, no, the obligation, to kill you and that is fine because god will reward me in heaven for it.

Most of us have always known that evil exists and sometimes walks among us. People intent on committing a violent act and don't care who gets hurt. Someone with a murderous grudge. A junkie looking for more money for more drugs. Sociopaths who bascially don't give a damn. The list is long. Pick up any newspaper, news magazine, see any internet news site, watch tv. This is not new. Everyone knows it exists, but most everyone doesn't really believe it will touch their lives. Until it does. Now, it is playing out on the world stage and can't be swept under the rug.

There are people in the world, living among us, who will gladly kill us because of our ideas.

Every person, everywhere, should have and insist upon the absolute right to protect oneself and others from the depredations and murderous intent of others of our species. At this point in history, the best means to do this is by having, carrying and knowing how to use a gun. Period.

Let's face it. Even if every man, woman and child on the planet had an assigned, 24 x 7 bodyguard, that bodyguard would have to carry a gun in order to be minimally effective. It takes a gun.

I can hear the arguments now: even if the French journalists had all been armed, what could they have done against those trained jihadists armed with automatic weapons? Answer: We will never know, but at least they would have been able to fight back.

What if the jihadist criminals had killed all of them anyway? If the citizenry of France had been armed, do you seriously think those murderers could have just driven away unharmed?

The gun is not evil here. Take exactly the same gun used by one of the Islamist killers, and give it, instead to a French policeman who kills the Islamist. Is the gun first evil, then good? Obviously not. It's a tool, much like a vaacum cleaner, made to do a specific job.

The basic right involved here is the right to defend oneself and fight back effectively against evil. Those who seek to remove that right will never be friends of mine. I understand that they are afraid of guns and violence, but I don't understand how they can thank me for my military service and thank their god for the armed men and women they need to protect them yet seek to deprive me of that right.

Get a gun. Learn how to use it effectively and safely. Carry a gun. Protect yourself and others and at least be able to stand up and fight when god tells his thugs to kill you for him.

Posted with Blogsy

A Perfect Combination

The Ruger LCP .380 in a D.M. Bullard Cross Draw holster

In Europe the round we call a .380 is referred to as the "9mm Kurtz", or 9mm "short". Which, basically it is. I think Ruger has done a great deal to make this caliber extremely popular with the average concealed carry person here in the USA. Now, I understand that there are a number of individuals and writers, many who are comfortable with the term "expert" even though that is handed around a little too readily in some circles, who will disregard and disrespect the .380 round and handgun. This is unfortunate because the modern self-defense .380 cartridge is an ideal choice for most concealed carry folks when coupled with a good, reliable pistol, such as the current generation Ruger LCP and a quality holster designed for how most of spend our days.
As I posted earlier, the FBI has decided that, all factors considered, the 9mm is the ideal handgun choice. I think the .380 (the "short" version of the standard 9mm) is also an excellent round when loaded with modern self defense bullets like the Hornady Critical Defense. My opinion about this goes beyond mere caliber and bullet ballistics, but includes more practical considerations for the average person. You have to look at the gun, ammunition and concealed carry holster as a system. They all must work in conjunction to provide the best firearm and concealment system for you. Not for a real expert or LEO or military operator with hundreds of hours of training to rely on, but for the average Joe or Jane who carries in daily life with minimal training.
Here is why I like this setup: the Ruger LCP is a very light, compact pistol, which, with the new generation trigger, is easy to shoot, is made in a safe double action configuration requiring no manual safety, is inexpensive and affordable for the average person and handles the modern .380 ammo.
The ammo is now easily capable of stopping a threat. I'm not talking about stopping power, which is more relevant to Sharps buffalo rifles or elephant guns than any pistol, but about deactivating and disposing of an immediate threat. Just the sight of a gun making a perp flee is "stopping the threat". That's the aim of a self defense weapon. Stopping the threat.
The remaining item in this system is just as important: the holster. A light compact pistol deserves an efficient, quality holster so that the weapon is carried as often as possible. Around the house, doing yard work, shopping for groceries, picking the kids up from school, driving the car, sitting anywhere. To my mind a good cross draw holster is perfect for this. See my much earlier and lengthy post on why the cross draw carry is much better than you may have been led to think. One major factor in favor of this style of carry for most of us is the fact that we spend most of our ordinary days sitting. Sitting in the car, in a restaurant, at our desks and in our homes. The cross draw is the perfect holster for this. Comfortable, accessible and concealable.
So, my own perfect carry system is a Ruger LCP loaded with modern self defense ammo and carried in a D.M. Bullard cross draw OWB holster. After using Bullard's holsters I know they are high quality and will do what they have been designed and built to do for years. There are a few other makers who specialize in leather gun gear, but none better than Dave Bullard's. Equal, perhaps, but not better.
As regular readers will note, I am a big fan of Bullard holsters. For good reason. I have carried and tested them for years and they work. Even better, after they break in, they become like old, comfortable friends that I can always count on. If this sounds like a plug for Dave's holsters, it is.
So, think about a perfect system for you. I believe a small, compact 9mm or .380 handgun loaded with modern self defense ammo in a good cross draw rig is about perfect.

Posted with Blogsy

Cancer. Reciprocity. Veterans. A Mess.

This is more of a personal note, but I think it has impact for many of us who carry concealed with a permit, and those who would like to.

I have cancer. Many people do, and I'm more fortunate than others, for which I am thankful. I'm still active, can write and shoot and do the other things that are important to me. But, as part of my treatment, I must leave my home state and travel to Washington for treatment. My wife and I will be there for about a week. Unarmed, as it turns out.

Washington state has no reciprocal agreement with my home state, so even though I can legally carry in many states, Washington has seen fit to force me to travel to Seattle and stay for a week without my self defense weapon. Why is that? I'm certain their reasons are a tangled web.

As a veteran with eight years active and honorable service, who was trained, paid and encouraged to carry, use, operate and maintain various weapons and weapons systems in defense of my country, it puzzles me no end to see that now, as a civilian, I can't legally carry for self defense and the defense of others in many states in my country.

After this medical stuff is put to rest, which will be very soon now, I plan to resurrect my small campaign to have the right to carry legally given to all honorably discharged veterans in the United States.

I will be looking for people and organizations to get on board and help out.

Think about this.

The Caliber Wars are Over

Well, probably not. There will always be holdouts, know-it-alls and those who find myth more real than fact. I like some myths. They are entertaining and tend to make good, but not so believeable stories. I stumbled across an article by Mark Miller the other day which I want to pass on to you. It is entitled: The FBI is Going 9mm: Here Comes the Science. Mr. Miller's information derives from a blog, Loose Rounds, post, cited by him here: http://looserounds.com/2014/09/21/fbi-9mm-justification-fbi-training-division/

The gist of the post is that the FBI is now making the move back to 9mm ammunition and handguns, and they are doing so for solid, scientific reasons according to the information in Mr. Miller and Loose Rounds' posts. I can't verify that the FBI has actually published such a statement, and I have not tried to do so. What I do find interesting is the interplay between modern handgun projectile technology and the effect ammunition has on the shooter as well as the target.

Given the fact that the vast majority of people who carry a handgun for self defense are not adequately trained in the use of their weapons and do not shoot, much less train, on a regular basis, and that one is legally and ethically responsible for every round that one shoots, it appears to me that there are two different schools of thought here.

One, having to do with caliber of the weapon, power and effect of the projectile on a target but that pretty much avoids discussion of the average shooter (remember most of us who carry but don't train adquately) being responsible for and able to get rounds on target. If you miss, that miss is actually going hit somewhere you didn't intend it to go. And, where that "errant" round ends up is your responsibility and you better pray it isn't into some innocent person. All of the technical data: bullet weight and configuration, expansion co-efficents, velocity... all of that doesn't matter much if you hit something you don't intend to hit.

Two, the combination of the handgun, cartridge and projectile should be such that the person firing it (remember our average ill-trained self defense carry person) has a much better chance of shooting it accurately and effectively. This means, of course, that all other things being equal the average person shooting a pistol with a minimum recoil and muzzle blast, effective grip and trigger pull, will be somewhat more accurate with the first, and perhaps more importantly, second, third and subsequent rounds fired in a self defense confrontation.

This second school of thought – a gun that is reasonable to shoot multiple rounds accurately by the average person with modern ammunition that will inflict acceptable damage – makes much more sense than using popular hand-cannons favoried by many big caliber proponents. And that gun is best expressed in the 9 mm semi-automatic pistol loaded with modern hollow-point self defense ammunition.

This makes sense to me. Couple that with a laser sight to help compensate for the inadequate level of training most of us have, and you have the best combination for a reliable, easy to use and shoot, quality handgun for self defense.

See the entire post on Loose Rounds here: http://looserounds.com/2014/09/21/fbi-9mm-justification-fbi-training-division/

 

Posted with Blogsy