vol.8, ISSUE 8 Nov/DEC 2011

THE ULTIMATE RESOURCE FOR THE ARMED CITIZEN

USCoNCEalEDCarry.Com

HOLSTERS! for SNUbbIES aND 1911s

WHy Carry?

mobS, STamPEDES aND PUblIC

DISorDEr

INTrUDEr! ClEar yoUr HomE

WHaT booKS SHoUlD bE oN

yoUr SHElf?

USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 20114

Signed articles in Concealed Carry Magazine reflect the views of the author, and are not necessarily the views of the editors at Delta Media, LLC. Concealed Carry Magazine and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, Inc. are registered trademarks of Delta Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2004-2011 by Delta Media, LLC. Reproduction, copying, or distribution of Concealed Carry Magazine is prohibited without written permission.

20 The Big Bang Theory by Jim Fleming

22 True Concealment– Methods and Mindset by Ryan VanOrden

26 Inclement Weather Training by Steve Collins

28 Mobs, Stampedes, and Public Disorder by Miguel Gonzalez

33 Tuckable Holsters for 1911 Pistols by Mark Kakkuri

36 Houseclearing 101 by Jason R. Hanson

40 The Thinking Gunman’s Bookshelf by Tom Givens

44 Holsters for Snubbies by R.K. Campbell

48 Why Carry? by Rob Pincus

FEAtURES

CONtENtSNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011

Tuckable holsters for the popular 1911.

Even more holsters...for snubbies.4433

5NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM

COLUMNS

13 CCM PROFILE Bert Rollenby Oleg Volk

16 JUST ASKPocket and Ankle Carryby George Harris

18 THE ORDINARY GUYA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Showby Mark Walters

51 REAL WORLD CARRY GEARby Duane A. Daiker

54 BEHIND THE LINEVisualization—Program Your Mind for Successby Tom Givens

56 ARMED SENIOR CITIZENReality Based Defensive Handgun Skillsby Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D.

59 IT’S JUST THE LAWBook Review: After You Shootby K.L. Jamison, Esq.

61 Alan Korwin Respondsby Alan Korwin

62

BALLISTIC BASICSLet It Dropby Tamara Keel

DEPARtMENtS03 TIM’S THOUGHTS

03 ACROSS THEEDITOR’S DESK

06 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

07 TRUE STORIES

08 THIS IS USCCA

10 LESSONS LEARNED

11 DRILL OF THE MONTH

12 STUFF WE LIKE

Publisher Timothy J. Schmidt

Managing EditorKathy Jackson

Art Director Betty Shonts

Circulation Manager

Laura Otto

Assistant Circulation ManagerNikki Bublitz

Copy Editor John Higgs

PhotographerOleg Volk

Column Editors

Duane A. Daiker • Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D.Tom Givens • George Harris

K.L. Jamison, ESQ. • Tamara KeelDuncan Mackie • Rob PIncus

Mark Walters

Contributing WritersR.K. Campbell • Steve CollinsJim Fleming • Miguel Gonzalez

Jason R. Hanson • Mark KakkuriRyan VanOrden

USCCA Inc. Board of AdvisorsMichael Bane • John Farnam

Tom Givens • Rob Pincus

Published for U.S. Concealed Carry by:

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(877) 677-1919 • Customer Service(262) 677-8877 • U.S. Concealed Carry

Concealed Carry Magazine (USPS: 022-302, ISSN: 1550-7866), Volume 8, Issue 8, Nov/Dec 2011 Issue. November 18, 2011. Published 8 times a year, monthly

except combined issues: Feb/Mar; May/June; Aug/Sept and Nov/Dec. Membership is $67.00 per year. by Delta Media, LLC, N173W21298 Northwest Passage Way, Jackson, WI 53037. Periodicals postage paid at

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StAFF

ABOUt tHE COVERFRONT COVER Photographer: Oleg VolkModel: Dick Heller proudly shows off a Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Special. The gun is a “Heller Commemorative” model, engraved to reflect the historic win for gun owners in the Supreme Court case, Heller v. District of Columbia. Although Mr. Heller cannot yet legally carry a gun outside his home, the case that bears his name successfully overturned Washington, D.C.’s outright ban on handgun ownership. In that ruling, the Supreme Court wrote, “There seems to us no doubt, on the basis of both text and history, that the Second Amendment conferred an individual right to keep and bear arms.” Thanks to Mr. Heller and his persistent efforts over several years, he and his neighbors can legally own handguns for personal protection.

BACK COVER - Full size XD-45 with extended magazine rests alongside Tula .45 ACP ammuni-tion and an Icelandic pattern knife made by Niko-lay Yermolenko.

USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 201144

Among the most often carried handguns in my battery is a well worn J-frame Smith & Wesson .38 Special with two-inch barrel.

When I first became a peace offi-cer more than thirty years ago, most of us carried a J-frame

as a backup on duty and as a primary off duty. The J-frame is the right com-bination of reliability, portability, and power. In an intimate-range struggle the revolver may be pressed against an op-ponent’s body and fired more than once. A semi-auto would jam at the first shot. This makes the revolver a top choice for backup use.

But there is another advantage of-ten left out in reports concerning the J-frame: the two-inch barrel J-frame may be brilliantly fast from leather. With a properly designed holster, the J-frame practically leaps into the hand. At close range, the short sight radius is fast on tar-get. I would never say the J-frame is easily mastered, but the type may be used well.

I have noted that many shooters come to my class with a handgun that is a non se-quitur to the problem at hand. But some come to the class with a good choice. Among these are the young shooters who have recently qualified near the top of the class with a snubnose .38 revolver. It can be done, and when you have mas-tered the J-frame .38 you are well armed.

During my last few years in police service a rookie officer took a matter to the chief that he and I disagreed on. His wife had purchased a stainless Walther PPK .380 automatic for off-duty use for this officer. I did not allow him to qual-ify or carry the piece. The .38 Special is little enough for defense use, but will serve with the best loads. The .380 ACP is another matter. This rookie asked the chief to intervene. After all, the man said, “James Bond used a PPK.” I was apt to

ream a rookie out when he compared fiction to reality. The Chief laughed, “Maxwell Smart was smarter than James Bond.” The rookie was instructed to get a .38 if he wanted a backup, and reminded that nothing less than a .38 Special could be used for (mandatory) off duty carry. Maxwell Smart did indeed carry a con-cealed hammer .38 Special revolver.

There are three types of snubnose .38s: Those with a concealed hammer, those with an exposed hammer, and those with a bobbed hammer. By far the most suitable for concealed carry is the con-cealed hammer version. It may be fired from a pocket and the humpback grip frame is more comfortable to fire and use with modern +P loads. Then there is the choice of frame material. I find steel frames most comfortable to fire and the aluminum frame handguns more easily carried.

When it comes to holstering the J–frame, some folks just drop the gun in their pocket. That’s not a good idea. You need a good holster. The choice in

HOLSTERS for snubbies

[ B Y R . K . C A M P B E L L ]

right: The Smith & Wesson 442 has been the author’s constant backup

over a decade. The piece has

been holstered in any number of well chosen

holsters.

below: Bobby Mac is a recognized

specialist in snubnose revolver

holsters. This pancake type offers a good

balance of speed and retention.

45NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM

J-frame holsters is wider than that of-fered by, say, Commander .45 holsters. This is simply because the J-frame .38 will fit in places the larger guns cannot. Belt holsters, inside the waistband hol-sters, tuckables, and pocket holsters are all viable for the J-frame. Many of these designs simply would not work well with a heavier handgun.

The J-frame is packable, concealable, and fast into action. But the J-frame also packs enough power to be effective if the shot is well placed. The holsters illustrat-ed take advantage of the light weight of the J-frame to enhance comfort and also offer real speed in most cases. Others are light, thin, concealable, and still main-tain a balance between speed and access.

The first holster anyone should con-sider is the strong side belt holster. The strong side holster offers a natural draw. There should be a good reason for deviat-ing from the ease of access of the strong side holster. Among the most effective I have used is a wrap-around pancake style from Silver Star Custom Leather.

This holster keeps the handgun tight against the body with good retention while also offering good concealment. With the holster tightly held by a good gunbelt you have good speed because the gun butt is presented at the right an-gle for a rapid presentation from leather.

Another choice that is reminiscent of the Berns Martin break front comes from Blackhawk. The Blackhawk holster fea-tures an elastic band built into the hol-ster that keeps the revolver secure, but offers a good sharp draw. This one re-quires some practice in pushing the gun butt forward on the draw to break out of the elastic band, but it is a viable option.

Another strong side holster I some-times use comes from Jeffrey Custom Gunleather. This one is a very sturdy, easy on and off design that features a belt loop with a strong snap on the back of the holster. The scabbard is kept secure, but you may change the hol-ster quickly if need be. The holster isn’t quite as close-riding as some, but due to the grip clearance it is among the fast-

est strong side holsters for the J-frame. A true specialist with snubnose hol-

sters including holsters for the Ruger SP101 and Colt Detective Special is Bobby Mac. Since many snubby .38s are hammerless, Bobby understands the need for good retention and also builds a holster that is very fast into action and comfortable. His pancake holsters are sought out by professionals and the buy-ing public. A few factory ready J-frame holsters have been known to split at the belt loop because they are thin and light and folks tend to just pull them off the belt without much care. The Bobby Mac holster will survive such treatment.

An advantage of the snubby .38 is that it is short enough that a strong side hol-ster conceals almost as well under a light jacket as an inside the waistband holster (IWB). But when carrying under a sweat shirt or sport shirt, the inside the waist-band holster works well. There is no hol-ster body below the belt line and with a properly designed holster speed is good.

There are several preferences at work

left and inset: Firing a snubby .38 from the pocket repeatedly is possible and may be effective. Two discoveries: Most hollowpoints other than Hornady Critical Defense plug with fabric; and you will need a new pocket holster.

below: The Blackhawk holster, left, and the Shooting Star Custom Leather holster, right, offer good options for belt carry. Each is secure and fast with a good balance between access and speed. The DPX HEST folder is often carried along with the .38s.

The Gould and Goodrich ankle holster was designed for rugged police duty. Should you carry anything less? This holster even laces into boots if necessary.

left: This Active Pro tuckable is suitable for use with a number of handguns. The author has successfully concealed holsters considerably larger than a J-frame .38.

right: The Remora or “Sticky” holster is an excellent holster.

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HOLSTERS FOR SNUBBIES

including clip to one side of the gun, clip over the cylinder, and dual offset belt clips. It is up to the end user to decide which suits their needs best.

The NTAC IWB is a Kydex design with dual spring steel clips. This holster may be used as an OWB or IWB, so there is real versatility. The Kydex construction offers resistance to oil, solvent, and per-spiration. The holster retains its shape for years and offers a good, sharp draw.

The Barber Leather Works design is one of my personal favorites. This one of-fers a tilt to the front for speed and con-cealment. The leather is top grade and the holster is well molded for the individ-ual handgun. There is a strong holstering welt that prevents the holster from col-lapsing when the handgun is drawn. The belt clip rides on the rear of the holster. This works well with a light .38.

Sideguard offers two designs for the J-frame that serve different purposes. The first is a conventional IWB with the belt clip over the cylinder. This makes for a very compact holster taking up a minimum of space on the belt and under the waistband. This is a very handy hol-ster that is secure, but fast to fit into the waistband without unfastening the belt. The second Sideguard design is thinner for maximum concealment. The belt clips are situated at the ends of the hol-ster body and there is no reinforced welt for holstering. The holster will collapse after the revolver is drawn. This is the flattest quality IWB I am aware of. The IWB is probably the best choice for most of us for carrying the snub nose .38, but there are other choices.

Pocket carry is very popular. I am late

coming to pocket carry, but I some-times carry a backup in the pocket. I have used several pocket holsters with good results.

The Gunfighters LTD pocket holster is very light and inexpensive. This is the one for casually dropping in the pocket. I own several to protect my J-frames when they are stored in the safe, but the hol-ster also rides in the pocket with me, par-ticularly when the J-frame is carried in a jacket pocket. The DeSantis Nemesis is a similar, but slightly heavier design that is very popular.

Perhaps the state of the art at the mo-ment is the Remora. Frankly the other guys have a lot of catching up to do with this design. The Remora is designed not to collapse after the piece is drawn from the pocket. The Remora is also designed to work as an IWB without belt loops. While it performs okay in this applica-tion with most handguns, and it is known as the “Sticky” holster, I am still exploring this use. (The Remora holster is available for many types of handguns.) As a pocket holster the Remora is a big step forward. When the firearm is drawn, the Remora stays in place and does not collapse. Just remember to blade the hand on the draw. Do not attempt to make a fist and affirm the grip in the pocket or you will not be able to draw the handgun.

The Tuckable holster allows a hand-gun to be carried under the shirt with the shirt tucked in. This neatly solves a number of problems, including con-cealing a handgun with dress wear, but no jacket. The J-frame offers a num-

ber of possibilities for this type of carry. When carrying concealed most of the

time you only have to evade the observa-tion of people that you are not in contact with for a significant amount of time. Going into a store or restaurant or walk-ing across a parking lot, you are not un-der intense scrutiny. It is quite another thing to be armed about those that you work with on a daily basis. I have car-ried for a considerable time in such an environment when only I and my client knew I was armed. I carried a handgun larger than a J-frame, but the princi-ples are the same. Carrying my Smith & Wesson Military Model 19 with 2.5-inch barrel in the Active Pro Tuckable was neatly accomplished. I wore the revolv-er over my right rear pocket. The Active Pro Tuckable was fitted into the trousers and the shirt tucked in over it. To draw, the shirt is ripped out first and then the handgun is drawn. The shirt is ripped out with the same hand that draws the handgun, so some practice is required to attain speed. The Tuckable is a com-promise, but in this case a good one. The Active Pro design isn’t made of cheap fabric, but rather the material is thick enough for the job and tightly woven. I would prefer a metal hook, but the plas-tic belt hook is well designed and of good material. While fabric isn’t molded to the handgun in the same manner as leather, the Active Pro design achieves good fit by properly sewing each holster for the in-

right: This Side Guard holster and J-frame .38 combination is worn by a military intelligence officer. It works well for him.

far right: Among the best designs yet for the IWB/ snubby .38 combination comes from Barber Leatherworks. Note the strong belt clip.

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HOLSTERS FOR SNUBBIES

dividual handgun it is designed to fit. As an example the trigger guard is properly blocked off in the revolver types.

Ankle holsters are the natural home of the backup .38. I do not recommend the ankle holster as a good option for the pri-mary gun unless there are overwhelming reasons. The ankle holster is accessible when seated and when the wearer is driving. However, only the best quality holsters should be chosen. The problem is that when the body is traveling, the legs move more quickly than the torso. There is a lot of momentum built up with an ankle holster. If you move quickly there is

a real chance the handgun will be dislodged from the hol-ster. A twenty dollar pawn shop holster simply will not do the business. Gould and Goodrich are among the best factory production holsters. This holster is con-structed of quality leather. The design elements are outstanding. The leather strap that attaches to the leg may be laced through boot loops as an exam-ple. The thumbreak is a folded over de-sign not likely to be actuated unless you intend to draw the handgun. This holster

is a marvel of design in many ways and an option that civilians as well as peace officers would be wise to explore.

A final option is the revolver-mounted belt clip offered by Brownells. Brownells offers a tune up kit consisting of premi-um springs, a set of Hogue grips, and the belt clip. It is a minimal fashion, but then so is the snubby .38. This belt clip will prevent the J-frame from falling out of the belt, but the firearm still rides against the skin. It is a neat trick for the grab and go to the stop and rob. When it comes to

the snubnose .38 there are more carry options than with any other hand-

gun type. Take care in selec-tion and practice with the holster you choose. The

life you save may be your own. H

CONTACTS

Active Pro Gear www.activeprogear.com (800) 479-8056 Barber Leather Workswww.barberleatherworks.com(740) 404-2933

Blackhawkwww.blackhawk.com(800) 694-5263

Bobby Macswww.bobmacs.com(646) 926-2622

Brownells Shooting Supply www.brownells.com(800) 741-0015

DeSantis Gunhide www.desantisholster.com(800) 424-1236

Gould and Goodrich www.gouldusa.com(800) 277-0732

Gunfighters Ltd. www.gunfightersltd.com(619) 482-1786

Jeffrey Custom Leather www.jeffreycustomleather.com(918) 306-2406

NTac Holsterswww.ntacholsters.com(586) 255-2856

Remora Concealment & Security Productswww.remoraholsters.com(239) 293-1165

Sideguard HolstersSideguardholsters.com(651) 263-1434

Silver Star Custom Leather www.silverstarcustomleather.com(559) 816-1698

Ntach holsters offer good versatility with loops designed for either OWB or IWB wear. They are good kit.

Jeff Silvester is a new name in snub nose holsters but his work shows ingenuity, originality, and good craftsmanship.