CCW (49)
Oregon: CHL Confidentiality Bill Heads to Governor
Written by reg mathuszThis long needed legislation heads to the Governor's desk. It will protect the names and addresses of ccw'ers. Sheriffs have been relunctant to turn over the info, but a NEWSPAPER sued for the info. The court ruled that ccw'ers had no expectation of privacy and ruled for the newspaper!
Someone asked about the Wilderness 5 stitch and in-the-waistband (IWB) carry. My original post neglected to mention IWB.
I have had the opportunity to try out a couple of different holsters and come up with some thoughts...
CompTac CTAC with Glock 23: No problem what-so-ever. Very comfortable and usable. Wore it out to dinner with the wife without any concerns.
Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe with fullsize M&P: Same as above except that I didn't wear it out to dinner
C5Leather with Dan Wesson Commander (1911 with 4.25" barrel): This is a hard-body leather holster with a reinforced mouth and a loop on each side for retention.
This setup is considerably heavier and bulkier than the first two. It was noticeably easier to put it on as my Galco belts are so thick that it is often hard to thread it through the holster.
The cinching ability of the Wilderness was also nice as you can adjust it perfectly!
After about an hour of trekking around hills with my dog it felt that the extra weight caused the top of the pistol (grip) not to snug up against my body. Good thing that it cinches. Here I think that thick leather has the advantage of keeping a pistol snugly against your body.
Unfortunately, I don't have any IWB holsters for my bigger/heavier pistols, but I suspect it is the same - ok for short periods of time but for extended duration carry I would opt for the "CSM" (polymer lined) belt which is stiffer.
Thoughts on carrying round chambered vs unchambered
Written by reg mathuszThis came up on a thread about M&Ps on Smith-WessonForum.com (HERE). It reminded me of a conversation I had on Friday with a coworker who carries his Keltec P380 unchambered. I wrote this response and thought I would post it here...
The problems with carrying empty chamber to me are:
1. Requires the use of two hands. I don't know about you but I am usually carrying stuff. Yes, I will drop what I am carrying but those extra seconds could cost..
2. Relies on more precise motor skills than I prefer to have to use under stress. Consider that you may have to do this moving, or taking cover
3. Requires that everything during the charging sequence to work and charge the pistol. If any one thing fails then the pistol is essentially a big rock. For example, what if the bullet fails to chamber, or the slide doesn't completely go into battery? You have essentially a rock in your hands.
This is exacerbated with one handed racking. Not only does your equipment need to support this (flat pistol sights, hard belt or hard holster), but you will need to clear your cover garment and rack the pistol, with the same caveats as (2) and (3) above, without being able to see what you are doing (do you really want to look away from the assailant?) and you may possibly be in motion.
Definitely not something I want to have to rely on, especially during stress and with an assailant. So, I guess to answer the OP's question, yes I carry chambered. :)
Why I always camp with a firearm (Mt Rainier Park Ranger fatally shot)
Written by reg mathuszThis is a complete tragedy: Ranger Fatally Shot at Mt Rainier.
1/2/12 update: Law enforcement did a good job protecting the visitors and campers, although I still would be concerned about visitors out there not necessarily in concentrated areas or numbers. Despite the 100+ LEO's out there they were still at severe risk. I don't there is much doubt they would be dead if they had run into the assailant.
As someone who regularly camps at Skate Creek (just outside Rainier National Park) it is a reminder of why I carry a firearm when out there.
Remember all the rhetoric about how the Rangers would keep you safe? Best intentions aside, when someone is bent on hurting others they will find a way, regardless of laws.
Officials were so concerned about the safety of the Park Visitors that they actually would not let them leave because they were afraid for their safety while LEAVING.
What about the folks in the campground, the people hiking, the people outside of the Park's boundary?
That could have been me, or my friends and family. That's why we camp armed.
Seattle wastes tax payer $ to pursue it's (already twice ruled) illegal gun ban
Written by reg mathuszGood grief. The city of Seattle is now requesting that the state Supreme Court review if the the state's firearm preemption (RCW 9.41.290) makes city government ineffective to protect citizens.
Gee..if that's the case then really state law can just be disregarded. Oh wait..that's what the city of Seattle does anyway. They knew their handgun ban was illegal when they first passed it. The former mayor is gone, but apparently the current administration is no different. Ironic that citizens are supposed to obey the law, while the city itself won't.
"The state of Washington hereby fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation within the boundaries of the state, including the registration, licensing, possession, purchase, sale, acquisition, transfer, discharge, and transportation of firearms, or any other element relating to firearms or parts thereof, including ammunition and reloader components. Cities, towns, and counties or other municipalities may enact only those laws and ordinances relating to firearms that are specifically authorized by state law, as in RCW 9.41.300, and are consistent with this chapter. Such local ordinances shall have the same penalty as provided for by state law. Local laws and ordinances that are inconsistent with, more restrictive than, or exceed the requirements of state law shall not be enacted and are preempted and repealed, regardless of the nature of the code, charter, or home rule status of such city, town, county, or municipality."
You tell me what is unclear about this?
Article: Seattle asks state Supreme Court to allow gun ban
It is great that we generally wear more concealing clothes and can move away from a summer (small) gun to a bigger or fullsize, but I see but see little on how to carry when you have to actually spend time outside.
Traditional holster logic doesn't really work. OWB, IWB works fine for when you are just going out to your car or smoking in the parking lot, but it is not the same when you are out for hours (or longer).
You still have to access the pistol if you need it. Not so easy under your multiple layers of clothing and winter jacket. Yeah, I can conceal my 1006 or a fullsize 1911 under my winter coat, but can I get to it without unzipping 3 jackets or spend 5 minutes of fishing through clothing layers to get to it?
Here is what has and hasn't worked for me:
IWB - clearly inside the waist isn't really going to work very well.
OWB (outside belt holster) - this might work if you can put the pistol only under your winter coat. I have considered getting a "duty belt" or a Wilderness to supplement my regular belt. You could wear it over all of your layers.
It would be great if you had a patrol jacket, like 5.11's, where there are actually snaps for quick access to a sidearm. I don't own any of these...yet.
shoulder holster - actually resizing this to go over all of the layers of clothes and under your main coat works pretty good. You still have to unzip it for access it, but is fairly comfortable. You don't have to worry about printing since you already look like a marshmellow.
ankle holster - depends on the type of pants and weather. Trekking around outside (at least around here) even if there is no snow usually results in wet pants and wet backup pistol. Not so easy to access when dressed like the Micheli-man...
man bag - I will be darned but I have found that increasing the strap size of my Maxpedition to fit over everything including the winter coat works REALLY well. Still gives very quick access to the pistol and quick carry of other things like a flashlight (since it gets dark befor 5pm now).
jacket pockets - my ski jacket had pretty good front pockets that were perfect for a mini-Glock or J-frame. My current favorite jacket is a Columbia 3-in-1 that has cavernous zippered hand pockets. I suspect mini-Glocks will work and possibly bigger.
If you have any ideas, I have missed let me know. Keep in mind that for me it has to be concealed so drop or offset holsters won't work.
Ah, silly former Mayor Nickels. I blog about this because I specifically wrote the former Mayor's office explaining that I would not violate his (illegal) ordinance banning firearms (even legal state licensed concealed pistol holders) and I therefore would not visit Seattle.
The irony was, I explained, that I was a law abiding citizen and would follow even his illegal law. On the other hand he was a political leader passing laws that he knew was illegal -- the city ban of firearms was illegal by violating state preemption. The city was even told this by the Attorney General).
Seattle had already lost their court case about this but amazingly still decided to appeal it! Well, the appeals court has ruled what we already knew - a handgun ban CLEARLY is in violation of the RCW. The STATE preempts the entire field of firearms. DUH!
What a waste of tax payer money!
It may still be a long time before I set foot in Seattle or spend any money there, but if I do at least I will be able to legally carry my pistol without worrying about a renegade mayor's illegal gun bans.
Wisconsin (WI) CCW reciprocity list now available!
Written by reg mathuszFolks have been wondering about the CCW reciprocity provision of the new CCW laws. The list is now available! Interestingly, some of the states which WI will honor do not have the 4 hour mandatory training for WI residents that was approved as "emergency" rules (and now the actual law). Non-residents will be able to CCW without the training requirement while WI residents will have to to take it.
Sorry, WI residents can only CCW with a WI CCW license!
This list is current as of 10/18/11:
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
**Wisconsin residents must have a Wisconsin concealed carry license**
Also note the new CCW laws do not take effect until Nov 1, 2011!
This is from: http://www.doj.state.wi.us/dles/cib/ConcealedCarry/ConcealedCarry.asp
I saw no non-resident restriction, and it is interesting to see Utah on the list, but NOT Florida.
Finally--Big brand ammo for use against zombies! (seriously)
Written by reg mathuszJust in time for Halloween, Christmas (good gift?), return of AMC's "Walking Dead" and TEOTWAWKI?
For those that haven't seen Hornady's new Z-MAX (Zombie Max) ammo (website also has a cool video of someone shooting zombies which I am attaching here).
The website says:
Hornady® Zombie Max™ ammunition is NOT a toy (IT IS LIVE AMMUNITION), but is intended only to be used on…ZOMBIES, also known as the living dead, undead, etc. No human being, plant, animal, vegetable or mineral should ever be shot with Hornady® Zombie Max™ ammunition. Again, we repeat, Hornady® Zombie Max™ ammunition is for use on ZOMBIES ONLY, and that's not a nickname, phrase or cute way of referring to anybody, place or thing. When we say Zombies, we mean…ZOMBIES!
VIDEO:
zombie-max-web
Here are a couple of screen shots...
and the specs...
Looks like Critical Defense with a different plug.
Travelling by car to CA ... some thoughts on bringing a firearm/ 12 hrs in a car with a pistol strapped to my ankle
Written by reg mathuszSo I just drove straight through to California. 12 hour drive-my wife and I alternated driving all night/morning.
I am licensed to CCW for the majority of the trip until the CA border. So I will be darned if I am going to travel across multiple states because one state is ridiculously restricted. I will meet their requirements for that portion of the trip.
Just before the border my 9 shot pistol (Glock 27) - I didn't want to bring a CA restricted/banned mag since I dont know what the ramifications are - is unloaded, separated from the magazines, locked in a hard case, which is then locked in the trunk. My trunk has a "pass thru" so it is in its own lock box so there no question of it being "secure" (CA definition).
Anyway, I had my Glock 27 strapped to my ankle in a Renegade Leather Holster (great holster by the way). 12 hours? Not a good idea. Not comfortable, in fact hurt my back. As a matter of fact when the little Glock got packed up from hurting itself (per CA law) my back felt better! Definitely not carrying on the ankle back. Good thing I brought my Maxpedition Versipack bag.
I am a big proponent of shoulder holsters for driving but not when it is 95 degrees out. People at gas stations and rest stops look at you funny for wearing a cover garment. Still, if you have AC it is an option. I will have to get one for my Glock 23 and see how comfortable it is. Oh, and I guess, some 10 round mags for it too.
More...
Man Bag II: What fits in a Maxpedition Versipack Fat Boy?
Written by reg mathuszSomebody asked what will fit in the Maxpedition Fat Boy. I always keep a Glock 23 in it, so I decided to retry to see what fits.
Glock 23? Yes, you don't even need the holster strap (I have a velcro strap that I use, not the official Maxpedition one).
S&W M&P fullsize? Yes
Colt 1911/Government? Yes, although I didn't think it did. I seem to remember the zipper catching on the hammer/beavertail. I wonder if when the bag was new it was stiffer and didn't work. One thing to note is that my Colt is series 80 style with a classic round ring hammer and stock (pre-duckbill) grip safety. Big grip safety tangs or fancy hammer? That may not work.
S&W 1006/4506? Nope.
S&W 1066/4566? Yes (5900's should fit too)
Sig P225? Yes
Sig P220? Yes, I thought not, but it seems to. Doesn't extract well with Hogue rubber panels (duh).
FN FNX? Nope, hammer catches zipper
Browning HiPower? Yes, suprisingly with ease
3" K/L frame? Yes
4" K/L? Nope, well, at least not with fullsize Hogues, or wood presentations
Smaller pistols will, of course, fit but you definitely will want the optional "holster" which is a velcro loop (or similiar) to angle the pistol so it can be withdrawn easily.
Hope that helps!
Galco leather belt vs Blade-Tech hybrid belt (gun belt as a dress belt?)
Written by reg mathuszYou have probably heard that a key component of carrying a pistol (at least on the hip or the waist band) depends on your belt.
I don't care if you buy the belt at Wal-Mart or Macys -- their belts stink. They are not thick enough or rigid enough to support any serious weight. Heck, I have even bought a couple belts, including a Bianchi "gun belt" that wasn't good enough.
Years I have sucked it up and bought Galco. In fact, my primary 1.5" leather belt is a Galco. It is over 10 years old! It cost, what I thought was a fortune at the time (I think it was $60) for a belt. It was worth every penny.
For dress belts I have used various department store 1.25" belts. Despite not carrying a pistol (ok, maybe a J-frame Airweight a couple of times) these belts never last. I ended up buying one or two a year from just daily wear.
I thought, although expensive I should get a good belt and not worry about for a long time and possibly be able to carry a pistol with it too.
I went and bought a black Galco. It was $80!
Ah, but it did not disappoint.
I wanted a brown one also, but was balking at spending another $80. I happened to be looking for a Blade-Tech holster locally when I found their line of hybrid belts. These are leather with a kydex insert/backing. Interesting--it was also about half the price. In brown. Sold!
Both belts make excellent dress belts. Well, for that they are certainly over-built. But, I do find myself now snapping on a multi-tool, cell phone, flashlight to it.
Carrying a pistol? Amazing. Both belts easily support a pistol! I have strapped fullsize 1911's and my big S&W's (1006) to it without a problem. The rigidity of a 1.5" is definitely missed though. I wouldn't want to carry the big items for an extendeed amount of time. However, I was pleasantly surprised that either belt comfortably carries a Glock 23 or a fullsize S&W M&P with ease. I wouldn't hesitate to carry either all day.
The differences between the two? (leather vs hybrid leather/kydex)?
Well, to be honest glancing it is hard to tell the difference. Both belts look like quality products. The Galco is finished on both sides including the threads, while the Blade-Tech is finished on one side-- The underside is a light tan.
Wearing the two does have a different feel. The Galco, being a traditional leather breaks in and stretches. The more you wear it the more it molds and fits to you. After you have it a while you can actual see it take shape. Commonly it will bend at the buckle notch you frequently use. One thing that is nice (about leather) is as you put more weight on it the belt will actually slightly give. Wearing heavy pistols like the 1006 is very comfortable. An alternative way to read into that is that the belt is very forgiving if you gain/lose a little weight. You can flucuate, say from summer to winter weight (lol) and still remain on the same belt notch.
The Blade-Tech hybrid is stiffer. It does not give. If it is tight it will always be tight. If you gain ....winter weight.... you are going to have to move to the next notch on the belt. This also comes into play with a heavier pistol. It doesn't give so it pulls the pistol in towards you, regardless of weight, or your body.
The advantage? Man, carrying the pistol is SNUG and in close--great for concealment! Disadvantage? Not necessarily the most comfy.
The end result? BOTH are great belts, and I wouldn't hesitate highly recommending either one!
Wisconsin becomes 49th state with concealed carry (CCW)!
Written by reg mathuszPassed both Houses awaiting Governor's signatureb who has indicated he will sign it (unlike his predecessor).
Congrats Wisconsin! Being in a state that has allowed it since the '70s we welcome you! (Yes that is a plug for my home state of WA) :)
