Recent events have forced me to change direction on my EDC

[GnarlsR2]

... impecuniosity ...

Geezz... I had to Google that word.

Yep... I've been there a couple times.

I have a vivid memory of this....

At 19, my first year of college, I was working a 4pm to 12 midnight shift at a plywood manufacturing plant. I was on my own to pay for my way through school. My co-worker, Dave, and I would volunteer to work on Sundays to make extra money. The job was always one of the nastiest that no one else would volunteer to do. One late Sunday afternoon we are finished and walking to our cars. I said "Dave, why are we doing this on a day of rest?" He said "Well.... money isn't everything but it is way ahead of whatever is in 2nd place."

 

[petepeterson]

This sums it up pretty well.

I've carried a 365 for a few years now. It replaced a 442 in the warmer months, and a 3914 when it was colder. It's the best compromise I've found for how I dress at work. Completely concealed. If I were starting over and concealment wasn't a top priority, I might be tempted by one of the larger 365 versions, but for now the 10-rounder works.

 

[haywood]

I’ve been a die hard J-Frame carrier for years, Two at a time. I must admit lately I’ve dropped a J and added my Glock 26.

 

[somorris]

Personally, I prefer DA/SA. As everybody knows, they have a heavy trigger pull on the first shot similar to a revolver then (depending on the gun) what can be a fantastic trigger pull on the rest of the rounds. Before you buy, take a look at CZ’s and Beretta’s. I know I am in the minority here, but just throwing in my $0.02 worth for your consideration.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Until they don’t. And then, you better have something other than a handgun. The ones that don’t run are most likely trained and skilled. While you are targeting them, they will be returning your fire. Just because you have a 5, 6, 10, 15, etc shot handgun does not mean you can prevail against that many of the foe. If they decide to stick around and return your favor, you will likely end up bleeding. It sucks, but the handgun, even the high capacity ones, does not guarantee victory for the good guy.

Kevin

Kevin, if a bad guy or a gang is "targeting" you that is a good point. They are out to get you.

But three dopers out looking for some any cash. You show resistance and they go on to the next guy/gal. I was at a Gas Station and some hoodlums pulled adjacent to my car, idling and they say something and I answered "--- ---- --" and they drove away.

You ever point a handgun at five thugs? Usually the ones who wet themselves will comply and surrender and the others will run away. JMHO, Sarge

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Five perps, five-shot revolver. What was the question?

The answer is "El Presidente Shooting Drill".

I believe it was Evan Marshall who put down three bad guys with three shots (revolver). One DRT, one paralyzed and one survived his GSW.

 

[Brian Parrish]

This past weekend saw some close friends and some of my favorite locales become the target of some gang activity.
In talking with several law enforcement officers at a security review for our campus they have seen a dramatic rise in carjackings, vehicle theft and even two abductions at places that never make the news when it comes to crime reports. Several neighborhoods including...

There is another phenomenon, "follow home", robberies and assaults. Since they follow you all the way home, then the new crimes happen now in your formerly safe neighborhood. The theory is clever, stake out a high dollar restaurant and follow the patrons home. Text your friends the address and they arrive to help.
Nothing wrong with carrying more ammo, it ain't in the way of anything, but maybe consider other strategies as well.

 

[GnarlsR2]

.... Keep your beak out of the mobile phone.

I've been rear-ended 4 times in the last 20 years. All 4 I was stopped. 1 driver was a man. The other 3 were women. All 4 had their "beaks" in their cell phone!

 

[pharmer]

There is another phenomenon, "follow home", robberies and assaults........

I have on several occasions gone "around the block" when someone is following from some distance. I am paranoid but hey, someone might be out to get me Joe

 

[S-W4EVER]

I have on several occasions gone "around the block" when someone is following from some distance. I am paranoid but hey, someone might be out to get me Joe

I live out in the county and I still pull over to let traffic pass before I pull into my driveway. I vary my route as well. It’s been a way of life for me...

 

[fatcat3]

I've been rear-ended 4 times in the last 20 years. All 4 I was stopped. 1 driver was a man. The other 3 were women. All 4 had their "beaks" in their cell phone!

This is why I gave up my motorcycle. Got run off the road 3 times in one year. HANG UP AND DRIVE!
I'm still comfortable with my 638. Been shooting J frame for a long, long time. While there is no such thing as too much ammo, for me ymmv, it is nice to know that I have 5 on tap that I can point shoot and hit out to 15 yards or so with less than perfect grip in the heat of the moment. OR, maybe I'm a Fudd

 

[Krogen]

There is another phenomenon, "follow home", robberies and assaults. Since they follow you all the way home, then the new crimes happen now in your formerly safe neighborhood. The theory is clever, stake out a high dollar restaurant and follow the patrons home. Text your friends the address and they arrive to help.
Nothing wrong with carrying more ammo, it ain't in the way of anything, but maybe consider other strategies as well.

This calls for situational awareness. I know we hear that all the time, but how many of us keep an eye on our rearview mirror? I don't mean just checking for other cars, but the same car hanging behind you. Or even way back behind other cars. If you see something amiss, just drive somewhere else, make some odd turns. Don't go home. Are they still there? If so, you know the answer. Go somewhere secure but don't go home until you shake them.

 

[Rick H.]

Man oh man some people blur the lines of what a EDC/CCW is actually for. In a way I dislike these kinds of threads because rarely is good information given and little common sense is shown. Before you worry about what newest and bestest high cap pistol you are going to carry worry more about your situational awareness. Pharmer is on the right track and a few others. If you are walking out to your car do you pay any attention to who is following you? If you leave a store or restaurant do you look in your rear view mirror to see if someone is tagging along with you? If you are sitting in an eating establishment do you sit so you can see the door? Do you know where the next best exit is for a quick escape? If on foot do you walk with a purpose or do you shuffle along like Joe Biden? Do you ever come to a stop when walking and quickly turn around to see who is behind you, or at least take a good look over your shoulder? When you return home do you stop for a second in your driveway and look at your house before pulling into your garage? Does your house look the same as when you left? If not are you going to enter your house or call the police for assistance?

When I was rookie cop my FTO had me immediately start playing the "what if" game and almost 50 years later I still play it. What if you pull into a gas station late at night and its supposed to be open, but you don't see a clerk? Do you wait until you see the clerk or just jump out of your car and start gassing it up? What if you come home after a night out with the wife and you find your garage door partially open and you know you didn't leave it that way? If you have a remote garage door opener do you wait to make sure the garage door closed all the way before you leave? When I take my garbage cans out at night and I go back in the garage, before I go in the house I close the garage door and watch it close to make sure no one sneaks in after me. Do you watch your immediate area around your home for strange parked cars? Sure it could be someone at a neighbors house, but there's no harm in being cautious. How about a strange car that passes your house several times? Is he looking for an address or casing for a burglary or worse? What if he is targeting your house? I even write down license plate numbers of cars and a quick description of them when I am coming and going from my house or snap a quick pic of the vehicle with my phone. When you are going to the range do you load your stuff up in your vehicle in plain view of everyone, or do you load up in the garage with the door closed? Out of sight, out of mind. I don't need to telegraph to everyone that I have firearms at my residence. If someone knocks on your door do you just blindly open the door up to them? Or do you check them out a bit before opening the door? Peep-holes are great for this as well as door bell cameras. Just don't blindly open your door to someone you don't know. Call me an extremist, but I always have a pistol close at hand even at home.

There's a million things you can do to make yourself less vulnerable to opportunists and that's what most bad guys are. If four guys with hoods on are walking towards you on a city street jay-walk if you have to to the other side of the street, or go into an open business and let them pass. Discretion is the better part of valor. If something bad happens and the shooting starts don't worry about returning fire, get behind cover! Once you have cover then worry about getting your weapon out. If you have no cover, which is rare, go prone or kneel. Don't just stand there like a fence post exchanging lead with the bad guys. Facts are facts and most bad guys have no desire to be shot and once they see you are armed they will take off at a run. The biggest problem I see today is having higher capacity firearms means you have the ability to waste more ammunition. Point shooting is great if you are trained in it, but even if you are there is a time when you have to use your sights. Many still claim they don't like optics, but I love them. I have them on my EDC pistols and have qualified with them for three years now and I won't go back to irons. Once you get used to a red dot you will understand why I like them. Sure, sure they make the weapon a bit bigger, but so what? The positive benefits of a red dot far outweigh the negative aspects especially with aging eyes. Even though I have used a red dot for several years now I am still amazed at how well I shoot with them versus iron sights. I don't co-witness my optic sights either. Doing so clutters up my optic window so I avoid doing so. A little common sense, situational awareness and playing the "what if" game will go a long way to keeping you safe and sound. Some people could carry a belt-fed machine gun and it wouldn't make them any safer.

Rick H.

 

[Krogen]

Great post, Rick! I strive to keep situational awareness in operation. There's one specific place I fail repeatedly; gun shows.

It is so easy to walk the show with my head down, looking at stuff on the tables and not paying attention to the big picture. On top of that, it "feels" like a safe place because theoretically I'm around like-minded people. I can't tell you how many times a buddy comes up behind me and greets me. I often jump out of my skin. I let somebody get inside my zone and they got the drop on me. Sure, it's a buddy and no harm no foul. But every time, it's a big eye opener. That's how it happens when you have your head in your phone or otherwise distracted.

 

[Smoke]

I can't think of a single encounter I've had with a (suspected) criminal that wasn't directly related to working as a Security Guard and I think that had a lot to do with the fact that most of the time they had me working in stupid places at stupid times and watching over stupid people. Whenever I was working days, it was always those stupid First Amendment Auditors.

When I was working as an armed guard I carried an M&P 40 for G4S and a Glock 19 for Allied.

I never noticed that either gun made any real impression on anybody that I encountered at work.

Except, there was one counter girl at the Love's truck stop where I got gas every morning at my last assignment . I guess she decided that being a security guard made me a first responder so I got free coffee every morning and she always found a reason to come into the guy's bathroom when I was in there. She was a cutie but I'm pretty sure that I had been married since before she was born.

I had a couple of people who tried to snatch the M&P40.

I had a few people tell me that it wasn't real or it wasn't loaded or that they were going to beat my *** and take it away from me or question why I felt the need to carry a gun at work (Because that's what your employer contracted for. If you take issue with it, please feel free to take it up with them.)

The two things that I carried that made the most impression on people were my OC spray and my phone.

I've told this story before, I ran into a wino at Pinello Ranch in Colorado Springs who told me that he was going to get an ax out of his shopping cart and cut my head off with it and the fact that I was armed obviously made no impression on him whatsoever and he heard me on the radio talking to my boss who was telling me that the El Paso County Sheriff's Department was so many minutes out in route to me but as soon as he saw me take my OC spray off my belt and start shaking it, up he dropped the ax like it was on fire.

Whenever I had to ask somebody to leave property they would rant and rave and cuss me out and tell me they were going to beat my *** and all sorts of things like that and I would pull out the company phone put it on speaker hit the autodial button for CSPD (never 911) and as soon as they heard "You have reached the Colorado Springs Police Department Fire and Emergency Rescue switchboard" on speaker they left.

I will say that right about the time I quit in October of 2021 the phone didn't have as much as of an impact because everybody knew the Police weren't coming.

I carry the same Glock 19 I carried at work. I'm used to carrying it. I don't really feel like it takes up that much space on my belt and I can dress in a way that conceals it well.

Whenever I'm going someplace where I can't conceal a Glock 19 I carry my Glock 26 in a pocket holster in my right front pocket.


Kramer Leather Holster BTW

It seems to be a lot less for hassle to me to "rotate" between those two guns than to switch between a bunch of different guns.

 

[heeter3]

I still like my revolvers. I carry one of my snubs with a speedloader or speed strip all day, every day and everywhere.I divested myself of all my semiautos when I retired they just were not for me.I shoot my revolvers on a very very regular basis and am confident that if I need to use one of them first it will be with me and second I will be well protected.

 

[Nomadmax]

As stated above, tactics, especially those that avoid confrontation altogether are superior to just about everything else. Without them, a guy can find himself in a situation where 17 rounds of 9mm might not be enough. People don't pay attention anymore, in fact you easily spot the rare one that is.

I live alone and right inside both entrances is a crisp $100.00 bill, one on the counter, the other up front on an end table. No matter what time of day or night I come home, I don't step inside until I see that hundred in the same place I left it.

Work smart, not hard.

 

[much ado]

Little Things

Good post by Rick H and if I may add one more little thing in the same vein: Lock your storm doors (if so equipped). Yes, try to figure out who might be ringing or knocking before you answer but that storm door might give you a couple extra seconds you might need. Hard to do with lots of comings and goings (kids, etc.) but we`re down to the 2 of us now.

 

[Doriangray6]

This past weekend saw some close friends and some of my favorite locales become the target of some gang activity.
In talking with several law enforcement officers at a security review for our campus they have seen a dramatic rise in carjackings, vehicle theft and even two abductions at places that never make the news when it comes to crime reports. Several neighborhoods including one that consistently ranked year after year as one of the nations safest places are no longer safe havens.

The two abductions were separate incidents both being woman shopping in a relatively safe (until now) area and both ended up being found miles away sadly murdered. Multiple assailants are suspected based upon initial evidence.
One at a shopping plaza and another at a mall.

My coworker had his Nissan Pathfinder stolen out of his elderly mother’s driveway in one of those nationally ranked safe neighborhoods. Several friends have had their vehicles broken into as well as the catalytic converter being stolen. It’s to the point law enforcement is recommending not to shop alone when visiting high traffic retail areas. Something about easy access to highways makes it more attractive to the criminal element.

For the past 30+ years I carried a revolver mostly j frames. I’m a decent shot with them and can always hit a paper plate at 10 yards. Depending on ammo or my ability that day I can shoot a palm sized grouping and sometimes have 3 or so rounds touching.

My buddy showed me his Ring Camera footage and there were 4 maybe 5 who approached his Nissan. Hard to tell as the vehicle was slightly obscured by the porch railings but you could make out several hooded figures Suddenly a 5 shot snub does not seem to be enough.

I had a Shield 1.0 at one point many many years ago and couldn’t hit the side of the barn if I was standing inside the barn! I am now looking at a 365 or CC9 or Hellcat. At my age I may also look into an optic but not sure. The newest crop of mini 9mms have double stack magazines and larger grips some with inserts that can help with me handling and controlling them. Some friends are gonna let me shoot a few to see what I like. I may look on the used
market for some older DAO semi autos since that should approximate a revolver trigger that I am accustomed to.

Scary times we live in and after the ah ha moment this morning hearing the latest news that snub just doesn’t enough now.

Sobering to say the least.

I bought an optic ready Hellcat for the grandson a few years ago from a guy in Laramie that had gotten it for his wife but after a couple mags she decided that she didn't like it.
It was an early model and I had to do a little tuning on the trigger because it would sometimes stick when pressure was applied from the side, something Springfield Armory has since addressed with a new trigger design, and after that the trigger worked smooth and reliably.
Since it resided in my safe until the grandson turned 21 to make it easier for my arthritic old hands to rack the slide I got a recoil spring set from MSP and installed the slightly lighter spring.
And to make make it easier for me to use the slide lock and mag release I installed extended versions from Apex.
From Lakeline along with one of their 15 round mags I got a pinky extension for the 10 round magazine which improved the grip considerably when using it.
I liked the original sights, especially that big dot on the front, but the grandson, who is now 21 and has it his safe, likes optics and may put one on it when he gets out of the Air Force and starts shooting again.
The small size makes it a bit snappy when shooting but it's quite manageable and despite its' short barrel surprisingly accurate.
If I run across a good deal on another I may get it for myself.

 

[LVSteve]

Not knowing the area the OP is describing, I'm having an issue with context. Maybe it doesn't matter as nowhere is a safe area anymore and this has became the norm some time ago.