Personal Defense

Finding the right general use pistol for women

When we talk about women and pistols, it seems to frequently be about where I can hide this tiny gun wearing a skirt, or in my clutch. I mean, this information is great, because we have a lot of pistols on the market that is designed to show no printing – which is when the gun is outlined by your clothing. You can get a Glock 42 that holds 6 rounds, costs you $400, and it will disappear on you. Wonderful, fabulous, fantastic… But we know all this already. Women who have never seen a pistol could find one that will work with a four-minute google search.

Instead of that discussion, which I touched on anyways, let’s talk about a general use pistol. By general use, I mean a pistol that I can use on the streets every day, one I can take into the woods for a week, and that can generally just take the beating my lifestyle will inevitably cause. When I looked for one such pistol I was looking for something that wouldn’t sag with a belt and jeans on, or print through a sweatshirt.

That was just for my life in a city though, I also needed a pistol that I could take in the woods where I would be open carrying it no matter the conditions. My first stop was the Glock 19 — but whose wasn’t though? I love Glock, my duty pistol is a Glock 17 and I wish I could keep it forever as my own. Unfortunately, I have such tiny hands that double-stacks make the grip to wide for me. This effectively created a gap in my grip, and I just don’t like that for a gun that is mine and mine alone. So, to recap, I needed strong, reliable, and smaller but not too small — I know, I am a demanding mistress.

Luckily for me, and all those like me, Springfield Armory was up to the task and I didn’t even have to ask! Enter the 1911 Springfield Armory EMP, with the 4” slide, and the concealed carry contour. Golden light in the morning mist as the clouds break, singing angels, laughing children, this is the pistol for me. It’s a single stack, so my grip is better, and it holds nine rounds which honestly is a great balance between double-stack and sub-compact.

It’s a 1911, but it isn’t an ammo snob, and it’s stainless steel so I could pistol whip someone back to WWII if I had to. It doesn’t sag when I’m wearing jeans and doesn’t print in a sweatshirt. It may not be for a night on the town, but it fits in a purse just fine. Honestly, the EMP has allowed me to use one pistol for most of the things I want to do. I think the women just coming into our community will want a good concealed carry weapon, and maybe they’ll want something else eventually as I did.

Nicole is a veteran of the U.S. ARMY, Philosophy BA graduate, and a security contractor for DHS. She likes to shoot, camp, and read any book she can get her hands on. Her favorite writers are Sebastian Junger, Aristotle, and Kurt Vonnegut.

The Gray Man Gun of Choice

The Gray man as a concept is simple to understand. It’s someone who is trying to keep an incredibly low profile, to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Throughout a normal day, a normal person doesn’t worry about this, but if you are planning to do something dangerous then its best not to be noticed. A gray man can be any number of people, from criminals to cops, to the civilians in situations they don’t want to be in. The gray man doesn’t carry a MOLLE’d out backpack or laptop bag, doesn’t wear that sweet NRA shirt or hat and typically wants to look unassuming. This got me thinking what type of gun would be perfect for an “Operational” gray man, someone doing dangerous things in dangerous places.

The Local Choice

Clearly, the logical winner would be what are the locals carrying? You need logistics and what’s local might be easy to acquire. It blends in, extra magazines and ammo will be available so you can just drop one and possibly pick another one up when things go bad. So the local flavor is the number one choice, be it a Makarov, a TT-33, a Glock, or a Taurus PT 92.

The Option You Bring

When it comes to bringing a gun to a dangerous place where a logistics might be a nightmare, ammo may be hard to source, as well as magazines, and other gear. Initially, I thought about some kind of 80 lower receiver firearm like a home built 1911 or Polymer 80 Glock, but then that doesn’t solve my logistics issues for magazines.

So if the gray man cannot source magazines why not bring a firearm that doesn’t need a magazine? That leads us to the revolver. The 38 Special is a classic round but is it used worldwide? Yes and no. It’s popular but not likely to be the most common round out there. Neither is 44 Magnum, 45 Colt, or most revolver cartridges. One round that is common around the world that is compatible with some revolvers is the 9mm round.

The 9mm round is everywhere and in use by the majority of police and military forces. The ammunition is widely available and in a revolver, the varying qualities will be less of an issue when it comes to failure to fire, extracts, or eject. Most automatics are incredibly well made and well-made, but junk ammo is junk ammo. Revolvers have less ammo issues.

5 Rounds for a Gray Man?

It’s not the most common revolver, but if you are bringing one with you that’s not a problem. My particular model is the Ruger LCR 9mm. S&W and Taurus also make 9mm revolvers and Ruger also has the SP 101 in 9mm. While it does use moon clips they aren’t required to fire the gun, just to easily eject all the rounds. The gray man shouldn’t be getting in full-on firefights, but the lower 5 round capacity may be an issue if things get really bad.

At the same time as a revolver, it doesn’t leave cases behind. This makes it easier to stay gray and keep moving. Policing calling brass is for Privates. The gray man doesn’t have time for that. A snub nose revolver is also very easy to conceal in a variety of ways. Due to their small size, you can carry them any way you choose. From ankle to shoulder rig the classic J frame design is easily concealable.

Mission Dictates

The more I think about the more I lean towards the revolver for this particular task. It’s not the best option for every scenario, but its a functional choice driven by a particular need. The revolver fits in with the gray man in a variety of ways, including the fact it’s unassuming. Revolvers aren’t used by police or military forces much, or really even government agencies. The guns would potentially be as much a mystery as the man carrying it. If it’s ditched it doesn’t lead back to a three letter agency.

Obviously, the mission will dictate the weapons the gray man carries, but for day to day use the 9mm revolver is, in my opinion, an outstanding choice.

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Originally published on the Crate Club Knowledgebase

Practice Blades and Unique Knife Training with Kyle Defoor

Kyle Defoor is one of the few, if not the only firearms instructor that incorporates blade work and combatives into his training. We’re not talking about folding knives clipped to your pocket either. These are concealed fixed blades with one purpose. To defend your life with. Watch as Kyle goes over the knives he uses and a simple knife training method for practicing your draw from concealment.

Atienza Kali Blades

Sayoc Kali Blades

Sayoc QuickDraw Timing Target

*Photo courtesy of Ballistic Magazine Youtube channel

Combat blades and the Gerber Ghoststrike

Combat blades and the Gerber Ghostrike

I’m fond of the SOCP Dagger. It’s light, sturdy, and it has a great sheath. It falls into the category of an effective combat dagger. Although one problem with the SOCP dagger is that in many States in the US it is classified as a dagger and you are unable to carry it (depending upon State laws). Enter the Gerber Ghostrike. Only sharpened on one end and looking more like a classic knife, the Ghoststrike looks good. It is these qualities that will likely allow it to be carried due to some states laws compared to the SOCP dagger. When I first received the Ghostrike I thought, this will break the first time I use it. Fast forward a week and I was attending a “stab lab” where a dummy was dressed in standard military ripstop clothing and you test to see what knives can penetrate effectively.

Gerber Ghoststrike (Left), SOCP Dagger (Middle), SOCP Trainer (Right).

I’ve seen many knives not penetrate clothing. In fact, it’s a lot more common than you’d think. With some trepidation, I yanked the Ghoststrike free and did a quick jab into the ribcage of the dummy through a Military ripstop top and a soft t-shirt underneath. It penetrated smoothly and without resistance. In fact, it felt better than the SOCP dagger in puncturing through the clothing. I spent the next hour pushing this blade through various layers of clothing and at varying angles. In each case, it penetrated smoothly and without resistance. The grip of the Ghoststrike is skeletonized with a rubber covering. I’ve seen some user reviews which state that the rubberized texture had broken free with light use. However, I’ve worn this knife for approximately a month in some very harsh conditions without any signs of the rubberized grip coming loose. The knife grips very easily and will not slip out even when wet from sweat or rain.

Gerber Ghoststrike (Left), SOCP Dagger (Middle), SOCP Trainer (Right). The Ghoststrike sheath is excellent and modular.

The sheath has excellent retention and multiple options for mounting it. However, I wish there were a deeper sheath similar to the SOCP dagger. Further, I’ve found that on close combat knives a ring at the end really helps with drawing and retention. And finally, my largest problem with the Gerber Ghoststrike is that it does not have a training knife. This limits my ability to train with this knife in various scenarios. The Gerber Ghoststrike utilizes 420HC stainless steel which is corrosion resistant and tough. Some may argue that this type of steel will not hold an edge well but frankly this knife will not be used often and if it is – can be sharpened easily which I can attest to. Again I stabbed with this knife violently and multiple times through clothing and the knife held strong.

In any case, I’m nitpicking this knife, it has a great ability to puncture smoothly and comes with a sheath that will give you what you need. The knife handles well, is light, strong and will puncture when you need it to.

Why you Should Consider Carrying a Fixed Blade Knife for Defensive Purposes

If it moves it can break! That is a basic principle of engineering. Moving parts are vulnerable to forces applied to any of the non-fixed parts. Folding knives have a hinge; they are made of several parts: the blade, the handle, the locking mechanism and probably some type of release switch and/or lock. A fixed bladed knife is one piece of steel with a gripping surface attached.

Although my Ph.D. is not in physics, I am a certified science teacher and study physics as part of my job instructing Pramek Adaptive Combatives, which is very science based. I teach knife defense and also knife combatives as part of the curriculum as a Pramek Adaptive Combatives Instructor and have also taught knife defense and knife combatives at several seminars in the past. I usually receive opposition to the fact that I do not teach the usage of folders as combat knives.

Whenever an object has two parts connected by a hinge breakage can occur as well as a serious injury to the person holding the knife if the hinge does break. The knife user will have his or her fingers cut quite severely.

The torque is the product of the magnitude of the perpendicular force multiplied by the lever arm. Because you are applying a force to the end of the folding knife’s blade, there will be a push back of force (Newton’s 3rd Law – equal and opposite reaction) and that force can ultimately be manifested in a perpendicular load on the blade and subsequently create a substantial magnitude of torque at the pivot point (hinge).

Even if you have complete confidence that your knife will not break while cutting or stabbing another human being, what about the possibility of the knife striking a hard surface such as the ground or a wall during the dynamic stages of combat?

Depending on the jurisdiction, fixed blade knives may not be legal to carry concealed; if that is the case, perhaps a concealed weapons permit will allow you to do that. In Florida, that is the case. A fixed bladed knife is a knife designed for fighting. Although the convenience of carrying a folder may be attractive, it is not intended to be combat knife.

Many people think it is not possible or practical to carry a fixed blade knife in a sheath, however, it most certainly is. There are many short and very high quality fixed blade knives available that can have the sheath attached to a belt or that even have clips for when not wearing a belt. There are also other carry methods such as inside of a boot or on the ankle.

With a fixed blade knife, the tip may break if the blade strikes a hard surface but the knife will not fold in half cutting your finger and become useless as a folder would.

Think about it and you make your own decision with your kit, but remember, you might be betting your life on that decision!

Author – Dr. John M. Landry, Ph.D. (State Law Enforcement Detective Lieutenant – Retired). Dr. Landry has served as a police instructor since 1995, and is certified as a Field Training Officer, Firearms Instructor (Rifles-Shotguns-Pistols), General Topic Instructor, Defensive Tactics Instructor, TASER Instructor, Chemical Weapons Instructor, Impact Weapon Instructor, Firearm Retention Instructor, Handcuffing Instructor, and Reality Based Training Instructor. Dr. Landry has also trained with some of the best instructors in martial arts, firearms, and combatives to include the Crucible’s Iraq Pre-deployment course.

Speer’s New Gold Dot 10mm Auto Personal Defense Load Delivers Power and Performance

LEWISTON, Idaho – August 15, 2018 – Speer Ammunition is pleased to announce its new 10mm Auto 200-grain load. SpeerGold Dotammunition’s reliability has made it the No. 1 choice for law enforcement. The brand offers the same performance for self-defense with the addition of a powerful 10mm Auto load that takes advantage of the cartridge’s capability. Shipments of this ammunition are being delivered to dealers now.

While most 10mm Auto offerings produce ballistics similar to those of 40 S&W, Gold Dot’s 200-grain bullet is loaded for optimal performance from the cartridge. Like all Gold Dot loads, its bullet is built using Speer’s exclusive Uni-Cor method. The jacket is bonded to the core one molecule at a time, virtually eliminating core-jacket separation and creating a precision hollow point that is accurate, tough and unbelievably consistent through all common barriers.

Features & Benefits

New power-packed 10mm Auto load
Consistent penetration and expansion through common barriers
Extremely uniform jacket maximizes accuracy
Gold Dot technology virtually eliminates core-jacket separation
Nickel-plated brass
Reliable, sensitive CCI primer

Part No. / Description / MSRP

54000 / Gold Dot Personal Protection, 10mm Auto, 200 grain / $34.95

Speer is a brand of Vista Outdoor Inc., an outdoor sports and recreation company. For more information on Speer Ammunition, go to http://www.speer-ammo.com/.