My Own Perspective
by David Colburn
Most commonly I find articles that others have written and while I agree with a large part of what I see (which is why I post so many), I certainly do not agree with all of the articles. This is my perspective;
Choosing to carry a firearm or any weapon is a choice. One that informed people are performing more and more as our society degrades on a daily basis. “Situational Awareness” and just common sense should tell you we do not live in the place we grew up in. Things are different and not paying attention could be fatal or worse fatal for your family. Criminals are becoming much more aggressive, arrogant, they know the laws and what the judicial processes are and they are no longer afraid of a government that has no “teeth”. Since your own government is not going to or is not able to protect you, there are only a couple of choices left. One is to force our government to step up and do the right thing and the other is to handle your own business.
Choosing how you will defend yourself is a personal choice and one not to take lightly. There are legal ramifications and with the conflicts possible fatal results. The saying “don’t bring a gun to a knife fight” is very true as is “I would rather be tried by 12 than buried by 6”. Don’t go into a situation under powered or under protected. Remember that if you decide to carry a weapon you will also have to decide how to protect that weapon and be aware that you have it on at all times. You will need to train your mind and your body to prepare for the eventuality of that conflict. You must choose to survive!
I personally choose to carry both knives and firearms. While I feel that is probably the best option is certainly is not your only option and there are places where you cannot carry so other tools are going to be necessary such as knives, pepper sprays, your keys or personal items that can be used as weapons. All things need to be considered period! After all this is about Survival!!!!
- To Carry or not to Carry, that is the question.
Once you have made the choice not to be a victim you have some important choices to make. You now have to open your eyes to what is going on around you and start thinking about what you do and how your do it. Every place you go, every person you come in contact with. Many years ago I was working delivering a computer to a client I ran into an old schoolmate. We talked for a few minutes and then I took the computer inside and came back out a few minutes later. He had robbed my jeep taking one of my weapons. I called the police and had him arrested but lost the firearm. He could have easily taken that weapon and used it against me or someone else. I realized that people are just not all good and that everyone needs to protect themselves and their property.
So this one is easy for me, I worked security as a profession for many years. While performing my duties in security and for event companies along with Bars and Restaurants as well as concerts, I have always found that no matter how nice a place it was there is always trouble. In all those years I have carried, mostly because I wanted to not because it was required. I always felt that by having the answer (the weapons) available to me when I needed them that it not only protected me, it also protected others. This was partially because I had a very bad temper and did not want to go to jail or lose my license to carry and partially because you never know when you will have problems or how severe they will be.
Type or Firearm and Caliber;
I’m going to start with firearms because that is the topic that I feel the most strongly about for self-defense situations and while it is not always the answer it certainly is a situation changer. You can ask 20 people this question and get 20 different answers but since this is my perspective here is my answer. I will start with the caliber and then go into which guns and why. I do NOT carry anything smaller than a .40 caliber unless I carry a backup which I do from time to time. Shooting is quickness not speed. You have to respond quickly, draw quickly, fire quickly and access quickly. Whew, I’m tired just thinking about it. If you have only about a second to think, draw, fire and re-access then the bullet you let fly should do as much damage as possible right? You bet your ass, you just did! With that said ONLY man-stoppers and usually custom ammo made for self-defense. I want EVERY option covered. I prefer 10mm because it hits very hard and flies very straight. My first shot will be quick and somewhat accurate and WILL take you down. A center mass shot with a 10mm is just about as good as you can get with a handgun. If you are still a threat after that then for the next shot I will have more time for better shot placement. And don’t get me wrong I am gong to be firing multiple shots to stop the threat however the first one needs to do as much damage as possible, it may be the only one I get off. I am looking for the most Trauma that I can get out of one round. This is the equivalent of a one punch knockout! So in summary on the caliber, .40 caliber, .45 caliber, 10mm are all good/great and .357 magnum has it’s place also I’m just not a revolver fan. The 9mm and .380’s of the world just need to many rounds to stop someone, not that they haven’t historically it just takes more which equates to more time which equates to a longer threat. People are going to argue about weight, recoil, carry size and other factors….let them. In my estimation if you are going to carry for protection you should be training and working with firearms on a regular basis. The natural progression is to work into larger calibers and more proficient behaviors.
Law-enforcement officers I have talked to tell me about sending rounds down range to get time and create distance from the assailants and gain cover. As state/county employees they have insurance and are not nearly as liable as we are for where each and every bullet goes. I am about quick accurate shot placement. I do not feel you have to hit the “X” ring every time. You do have to hit the target every time. This means being quick and accurate which again equated to time and practice. Your training should include several aspect but my most important 2 are quickness and accuracy. How fast can you get your firearm into the ready position and how accurate can you be once you get there. With respect to the caliber a poorly place 22 caliber bullet will only piss someone off whereas even a poorly place 10mm may be a fatal hit. Some of the custom bullets expand to 3/4 of an inch or better. I really like 2 bullet types for exactly this reason. Hornady Critical Defense/Duty and Federal Hydrashok are my carry rounds of choice no matter what gun I have on me.
As to the firearm itself, to be honest any firearm that gets the job done is the right one. I prefer Glocks. They are reliable, safe, very few outside devices to manipulate and a very small learning curve. I have carried a 1911 practically since I was able to carry and love them also. Nothing feels as good as a 1911 in your hands….. The 4″ and 5″ versions just weigh to much for every day carry but the 3.5″ versions are perfect. I have owned several different type s of firearms however I ALWAYS get drawn right back to the Glocks and 1911’s. This is just a fraction of what could be a full book itself although it should be enough to get your mind stimulated. Every manufacturer out there has what they feel is their best offering. It doesn’t hurt to try as much as you possibly can before you buy.
Accessories and their purpose;
For many years when I first started carrying I left the guns alone and never put anything extra on them, that has changed. I now employ several different things that I feel make a difference in my ability to acquire my targets and hit them. This ranges from different sights, lasers, different grips and materials to custom bullets, holsters, trigger jobs and recoil springs. Oh and I should probably throw in after market barrels. All of these accessories have their place in your shooting and make things easier depending on which you avail yourself of.
I now use lasers for dry-fire training as well as low light situations and I have never been a fan of the stock sights on most handguns. I now think that the laser is a great tolls and while it should not take the place of your sights it really enhances your ability to shoot in “out of position” scenarios. Aftermarket barrels and/or fitted barrels are much more accurate than stock and accuracy is always a good thing. Most guns come with extra mags however never enough so I always opt for more. I generally purchase 5-10 mags per gun. Overkill? Maybe however when you can’t get them any longer it pays for itself.
Types of Conceal Carry:
This is a personal choice we all make everyday and everyone is different. Whatever you are tall, short, skinny or fat you should make the choice of holsters that suits your ability to get to them quickly (again that word quick). In my opinion certain carry locations are not for main carry locations such as ankle carry, pocket carry and behind the back. These are spots where you have to move into tight spaces or long distances to get the firearm out. If you doubt me take a look at competitive shooters and see where they carry for speed. I prefer cross-draw carry but this is not always easy to conceal. Remember that you have to be quick when trying to draw your firearm. Catching your hand or weapon on a piece of clothing can be fatal.
Once you decide what to carry and what ammo you are going to use and finally where you are going to carry your choice the next step is to start carrying. Start carrying all the time and everywhere you go. Get in the habit of putting the gun on like you put your pants on. And yes carry around the house. What? Carry around the house? Yes! Carry around the house! Home invasions are up!!!!! Personal invasions are up!!!! Carry everywhere you can and when you can’t carry something that is legal where you are going…..but carry something to defend yourself.
More later
