Responsibilities of a CCW Permitee

Changes to the Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit permitting and renewal process (Colorado House Bill 24-1174) require CHP (formerly CCW) permit-holders to complete a mandatory training class as of July 1, 2025.

Despite the fact that one of my side gigs is a firearm instructor, I am not a fan of mandatory training. Adding expensive requirements to our right to bear arms goes against everything I believe in. We (I use the term loosely) are making firearms ownership and usage too expensive for the people who really need to have the ability to protect themselves and their families. And, as GunDude Mez is a fan of saying, "pass enough laws and everyone's a criminal".

Having said that, I had an eye-opening experience recently regarding training. I co-instructed our renewal course. We've been teaching the renewal course for a few months now, but last week was the first one I'd co-instructed.

Let me tell you, I was less than impressed. These CCW permit holders have had their permits for five years, and were due for renewal. I expected, at minimum, for the renewal students to have some level of comfort with basic gun handling. What I did not expect was for eleven of the twelve students up for renewal to have zero level of comfort with their guns. 

At the beginning of class, I always make the students come up, one by one, to our designated "safe" area to unload and show clear. It serves two purposes: 1) I can personally visually and physically check their pistols and magazines, and 2) I can immediately tell their level of safety and proficiency. Most looked at me blankly when I asked them to unload and show clear, then tried to hand me their bagged or boxed guns for me to do it. 

During the few minutes I have with each of them, I ask them about what they're shooting and what their carry rig looks like. More blank looks. We had a student with a revolver in a purse with a sticky holster, and another with an Urban Carry deep concealment rig. Now, I don't mind purse carry at all. In fact, that's my carry method of choice, so I wasn't about to give her any grief. Instead, I took a few minutes before class started to explain why she needed to have her gun secured in her purse with an appropriate holster, and gave her some resources. The Urban Carry guy? I just sighed and asked if he had any other method of carry with him. He did not.

We reviewed all of the changes to the Colorado law, as required, answered some questions, then broke up into two groups to go to the range. Our shooting test requires students to draw from holster, move and shoot, clear a malfunction, shoot from cover, and perform an emergency reload. None of it is very difficult, and all are skills that might be required if someone needs to use their gun for self-defense.

The very first shot, we had a bleeder. He'd crossed his thumbs behind his slide and cut himself so deeply that I sent him to Urgent Care for stitches. While I was off the range, patching him up and dealing with gathering his things, my range partner had to excuse someone who missed the target with all five of their first shots at three yards. We didn't even make it through the first range exercise and had to send two students on their way.

Not our actual range floor, but close enough.

Now, I told you all of that to tell you this:

If you are going to carry a gun for self-protection, you MUST be competent with the gun. I don't know how many times I have to tell students that guns are not a magic talisman. You cannot become competent with your gun in one eight-hour required course. You must seek out additional training and practice.

As a concealed carrier, you have some basic responsibilities, the first one being, you need to make sure you're an asset, not a liability. In order to ensure you're an asset to the community, at the very least, you should be able to:

• Safely handle your gun in all instances, including, and especially, administrative handling.
• Understand the mechanics of your gun, and where all of the controls are. You should have achieved at least conscious competence with your gun. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out this article.
• Choose a quality holster that meets the three holster requirements (cover trigger, securely hold the gun, and provide a consistent draw).
• Safely draw and reholster your gun, without muzzling yourself or others.
• Have a solid, repeatable grip.
• Place rounds on target at a variety of distances.

If you cannot check off the six bullet points above, you have zero business carrying a gun. Period.

Are there other responsibilities? Absolutely! But those aren't the point of this post, and are a moot point if you cannot safely handle your gun and put rounds on target in the first place.

KORE Essentials belt

 A little problem back in December had me looking for a new belt. The problem? I'd lost enough weight that when I put my usual belt on, the tongue overlapped too much and I couldn't tuck it in under my magazine carrier. Normally, I don't wear an external magazine carrier, so hadn't noticed my belt had gotten too big. Luckily, that day, my velcro under-belt for my duty belt stepped in and saved the day.

I knew I'd have to buy a new gun belt, but had no idea what I wanted. I have a couple from GunGoddess and I love them, but they're Western-styled and I'm not always about wearing my Wranglers and boots. I wanted to find a quality gun belt that I could wear with regular jeans and tennis shoes. As I was whining to Jay about it, he told me he'd just ordered a belt from KORE.

Now, as you know, I'm hardly a girly-girl, so the fact that it's KORE Essentials For Men didn't bother me one bit. All I needed was an EDC belt that didn't look like my old 5.11 training belt. While I like my 5.11 belt, it is not for every day wear. At least not for me. I looked through the options and found a belt that looked like it would work. I don't think it's overly "manly", and it doesn't really scream "gun belt" to me.

I had Dave Spaulding's Kinetic Pistol class looming and knew I needed a good quality belt for class and that my current belts weren't going to work, so I placed my order.

Weirdly (for me, at least), you don't order the belt by size. You choose the belt and the buckle you want and they send it to you, and it's up to the customer to cut it to size. They include instructions for determining the correct length to cut it down to, dependent on whether you are planning to OWB or IWB. 

This might be fairly straightforward for men, but it was a little trickier for me. Women's pants are stupid. Some ride just below the waist, some ride just above the hips. And I'm not talking just jeans, even my 5.11 pants ride differently. One pair is at my waist; one pair just above my hips. Depending on a woman's build, the difference between the waist and hips can be inches. Because of that, finding the right length to cut the belt down was difficult. It took me a couple of tries to find a length that worked with all of my pants, OWB and IWB.

I managed to get it cut down to the right size a week or so before I left for Phoenix, for Dave's class. I knew using the belt in a two-day class would make or break it for me - by the end of class I was either going to love the belt, or hate it.

One of the cool things about it is that there aren't any holes for a belt buckle, so you can adjust it in 1/4" increments instead of the traditional 1" increments. It makes finding "just the right" tightness easier. I'd worn the belt for a few days before class and knew it was comfortable and that I liked it, but was looking forward to putting it to the test in class.

For two days, the belt remained comfortable and distributed the weight of the gun and extra magazine very well. I did find that if I wanted to wear my mag carrier as close to centerline as possible, that I had to clip it onto my pants first, and then run the belt through it, but that was an easy solution. It probably had more to do with the tight clasp of my mag carrier than the belt.

Before I got my KORE belt, when I wanted to IWB appendix, I had to almost wear my gun in a cross-draw position. The larger belt buckle of my go-to gun belts meant that I couldn't easily carry my gun on the right side (about 12:15) and ended up having to carry it on the left (about 11:45). That wasn't super comfortable, so I was extremely excited to be able to move my gun back to where it was most comfortable. 

Prior to taking Dave's course, I'd worn the KORE belt with an OWB holster in class to teach with, and was pleasantly surprised that when I had to use the bathroom, the holster didn't slip. With all of my other gun belts, as soon as I buckled to unzip, the weight of the gun would pull on the belt, threatening to flap over. With this belt, the holster and gun didn't even think of moving. It was like magic. 

As far as EDC belts go, this one was worth the money. It's sturdy enough that if I had to rack my gun off of it I could do it without a problem. It's comfortable enough to wear all day. And it's adjustable in 1/4" increments, so if it becomes necessary to loosen it, it's easy to do. And I've mentioned that with OWB, I don't have to worry about my gun/holster flapping around.

If you're looking for a good EDC belt, and you're not worried about finding a belt for women, this was a great investment.

Movie Purse

This may surprise you, but I am not a purse kind of girl. If I can't carry something in a pocket, I don't carry it.

I do break my no-purse practice when going to the movies. How else am I going to smuggle all of my Dollar Store candy in during the summer? In the winter, it's easy, throw on the barn coat and load up the pockets, but in the summer ... well, it's just easier to carry a movie purse.

The movie theater we most often frequent (Cinemark) has implemented a bag limit of 12"x12"x6" and all bags are subject to search "for safety reasons". Now, if I was worried about someone smuggling in a gun, I sure the hell would have made the bag size smaller. I can fit my Para, Jay's full-sized M&P, and my G42, plus magazines for each in my size-compliant movie purse. This is another of those "feel good" rules. Whatevs, I carry on my body, not in a purse, so they can search it and take my $6.00 worth of Dollar Store candy out of my purse.

I bought a cheapo WalMart canvas purse at the beginning of the summer to use as my movie purse and it was adequate. I could fit two boxes of candy for each of us and a bottle of water if I forced it.

While on duty one night at our local venue, we were walking through getting the lay of the land and I saw this "concealed carry" purse ...

Yes, those are rhinestones and silver studs.

I didn't buy the purse that night (my shift was just starting), but I couldn't get it out of my head, so I dragged my husband back a few days later and bought it. I knew from the get-go that I wouldn't be using it for concealed carry, but I had to have it for my movie purse.

And what an excellent movie purse it is. Not only do I have room for a ton of candy, but I have room for a lot of other important things. Things like a flashlight, knife, tourniquet, gloves, etc.

Flashlight, sharpie, knife, tampons (traditional use only), gloves, CAT

The tourniquet and gloves slip down into the middle zippered pocket, which leaves ample room for other necessities.

Lots of room left for the important stuff - candy!

If my bag is searched, certainly the flashlight and knife will raise some eyebrows, but with the TQ tucked away, no one should give it any thought. However, if they unzip the middle pocket and see the TQ - and they know what the TQ is - they'll probably be suspicious that I'm carrying. I'm going to guess that the high school kids they have working at the movie theaters aren't going to know what it is, or aren't going to give a damn - they're just going through the motions.

There is a zippered area on the back of the purse that's supposed to be where you conceal your gun. Um, it's not very discreet and it's not lockable.

Nice try, but poor execution

This zippered pocket just screams "Look! Gun is in here!". There is no way to lock the zipper, so the bag must stay with the person At All Times to avoid little hands getting into it. Now, I'm not saying that if you have a proper concealed carry purse, with a discreet and lockable pocket, that the pocket should be locked all the time, because that's not feasible. However, if there are little hands around - ever - that purse needs to be under adult control At All Times and little hands must be kept away, or it needs to be locked. No one wants to be on the news for a child getting a hold of a gun and shooting themselves, a sibling, or a parent. (For the record, in case you hadn't figured it out, I'm not a fan of purse carry.)

Since this purse was sold as a concealed carry purse, and even though I have no intentions of carrying in my purse, I thought I'd slip my gun in and see how well it would do.

Wasn't sure there was room in the pocket for an actual holster, so went with trigger guard cover instead.

Slipped right in.

No printing, so that's good.

The inside of the concealment pocket is a basic lining material, so it's slippery. I wasn't sure that a holster would fit in there, so I used my trigger guard instead. If I was going to use this purse for carrying, I would either secure a soft holster (like a Remora or Sticky holster) in the pocket with velcro, or I would sew the paracord from the trigger guard in place.

There's no room in the zippered pocket to add an extra magazine without fouling up the arrangement. I suppose you could slip an extra mag into that small outer pocket, but that will print like hell, and if you put a mag inside the main part of the purse, it's not accessible.

This is a really well-made purse, but it is not a great choice for concealed gun carry. Concealed candy carry, though ...

CanCan Hip Hugger holster

Photo from Can Can Concealment's website.

Sometime back in November or early December, I loaned my CanCan Concealment Hip Hugger holster to a friend of mine, 9mMShell. (She used to be just MShell, but Double Tap re-named her.)

He asked her to do a write-up of her experiences with her new carry system. She did such a good job on his FB page that I asked her if I could steal it for here. I figure since Double Tap writes for GunDivas, it's a good cross-over.

"I purchased the Can-Can Holster from Gungoddess.com. I have a concealed carry purse, but have been uncomfortable with the gun out of my direct control. A friend loaned me her Can-Can to try. I LOVED it. I found it to be comfortable, adjustable, and secure, particularly with that feeling of having the gun on my person. The firearm is in easy access, in what is essentially a hi appendix carry. I've been wearing the Can-Can for nearly seven weeks (3-5 days per week), and I can honestly say, I'd buy this particular product again, and recommend it to friends.

This is a snug, waist-fitting garment, that can hold 4 guns and 3 mags. It has 7 hooks and eyes to secure, such as a corset, and 3 size level adjustments (but you can buy an extender). There are magnets where the muzzle rests to confirm security. I carry a Glock 43. A 6 +1. The Can-Can has several straight lines of a gripper material to hold it in place on your waist. I suggest applying body lotion to your belly/back area if you are going to wear this to aid the garment placement and security. The lotion prevents shifting, but the Can-Can doesn't do a whole lot of shifting at any rate. The shifting that does occur is mostly when I sit and then stand.

Here are the things I need to work on. I have a large scar running under my waist line, which the muzzle of my Glock causes to itch, so adjusting the garment, or utilizing one of the other built in carry holsters should resolve this issue. When I sit for long periods, the muzzle of the G43 lands right on that scar and it aches a bit. I probably need to shift it to one of the back pockets when I'm going to be sitting for a period of time. The Can-Can clears through courthouse security, minus weapon, of course, but I don't have to put it on and off. There is not enough metal parts to set off the court systems metal detectors. I wear glasses and the hooks and eyes are a little hard to see/manipulate, what, hey, when you wear glasses, what's not a bit difficult to manipulate.

With the billowy blouses that clothes designers are coming out with, this is really a fantastic concealed carry under-garment. It comes in black and optional colored stitching. I chose blue, because, even if no one else sees it, I think it's sexy as hell. I feel safe and secure, and ready to protect myself, if necessary. Coming in at nearly $80, yeah, that's a lot. But what's your life worth? What's your security worth? I feel good wearing one."

My experience with the same holster has also been very positive. I used a Flashbang bra holster for a couple of years, until my bra wore out and I couldn't find another one that I liked as much to replace it. That sounds silly, unless you're a bra-wearer. Some bras just don't support the Flashbang as well as others, so when I got frustrated, I ordered the CanCan and have been using it nearly daily ever since.

I've seen some concern from other users that the trigger is only covered by elastic, but I've not had an issue with being able to manipulate the trigger through the elastic. There are a couple of work-arounds if you feel the need. One is to use a kydex holster inserted and secured to the CanCan. It's a great solution, because it further protects the trigger AND makes it easier, and safer to re-holster. The other option is to use a kydex trigger guard and secure the string around the CanCan, so that when you draw your pistol, the trigger guard falls off, allowing you access to the trigger.

Photo from Google images

While they sell these trigger guards as "holsters", I do NOT recommend them as a holster, but they are good as an adjunct to an existing soft holster.

Let's Talk Holsters

It was right around this time last year that I posted a piece about sexy holsters. In it, I listed things that are important to look for in holsters.

The concealed carrier ranks are growing by leaps and bounds, which is mostly a good thing. However, I'm seeing a large increase in the number of carriers who suffer from the Dunning-Kruger effect. I'm not saying that to be mean, they just don't know what they don't know.

Most recently, I've seen this play into holster choice. Recently, someone asked for recommendations on guns and carry methods, so I gave an answer. When she said that she loves "the clip" (Technaclip) on her gun, I mentioned that it wasn't a good carry method because it didn't cover the trigger and could lead to a negligent discharge. She took that as I was saying she was negligent. I was not. However, her comment made me think that maybe a refresher on what constitutes a good holster was due for circulation again.

The other "holster" (and I use that term very, very loosely) that seems to be popping up again and again is the VersaCarry. Gah!

A good holster will:

1. hold the gun securely in place (no flapping, or migrating)
2. cover the trigger (without being able to inadvertently activate the trigger)
3. allow the carrier fast and consistent access to their gun
4. not require constant adjusting and re-adjusting 

I know how hard it is to find good holsters, I do! There is no one magic holster, no one-size-fits-all solution for your gun.

I know they are expensive, but shouldn't we put as much consideration into buying our holsters as we do our guns? I have three different holsters for my carry gun, just so I have options depending on what I'm wearing. I've put nearly $300 into holsters for my $500 gun, and I had to accumulate them slowly. I carefully considered the pros and cons for each holster, but the one thing I never compromised on was the safety of the holster. Each holster meets the four criteria listed above.

If you are holster shopping, or know someone who is, please make sure you scrutinize the holsters and make sure they are safe.

Things like the Technaclip and VersaCarry fail spectacularly when scrutinized for safety.

Printing, but not the way you think.

I've been carrying in my CanCan holster, but I'm really short waisted, so I have to carry at 12:00 otherwise the gun jabs into my thigh.

Anyway, I've had three children vaginally and I'm on the backside of my forties, so sneezing is always an adventure.

You know ... sneeze and pee, sneeze and pee.

Really the only way to keep from peeing is to squeeze my legs really tight and lean forward a touch when I sneeze. It's a maneuver I've pretty much perfected.

So last night, I get home and I'm walking into the house when I feel a sneeze come on, so I assume the position: legs clamped tight, bent a bit at the waist.

And then I sneezed.

Holy mother of God, it wasn't a little sneeze like I was prepared for, it was a sneeze from my f*cking toes. My abdomen tightened up and I doubled over with the sneeze. In doing so, the muzzle of my Glock *slammed* into my pelvic bone.

Like, SLAMMED into my pelvic bone.

I now have a muzzle-shaped bruise just above my hooha.

#arentyougladyoureadthispost #shortgirlproblems #kegelsdontactuallywork #onlyIwouldhurtmyselfsneezing

Concealed Carry Essentials Class

In keeping with my promise to do more training this year, I took a Concealed Carry class. I first got my CCW in college, but then let it lapse (at the time I couldn't afford the renewal fee) after about eight years. It took me a couple of years to get around to getting it again, but I finally did and have been carrying ever since.

Despite the fact that I carry on a daily basis, I thought I could learn something from a class that focused on CC. I was right.

The class was small, which lent itself nicely to good discussions. Instead of a lecture/range class, it turned into an idea exchange, full of discussion. We followed the course outline to guide our discussions and I feel as though students and instructors were treated respectfully. The beauty of classroom discussion is that it allows people to examine things from different points of view. Our instructors acted more as moderators and allowed us to teach ourselves through discussion. Of course, they introduced new concepts and taught us new skills, but the most striking part of the class in my mind was the free-flowing discussion.

It was most excellent.

In addition to the outline and discussion, we did a few classroom drills. One was the Tueller drill. An instructor lined up 21 feet from us and attacked with a training knife, while we attempted to draw and "fire". It was a good experience and an effective way to show not only how quickly you can get cut, but also a quick test to see who could move off the X. We all would have been cut, but the majority of us were able to "shoot" our attacker while moving away.

One of our discussions was on clearing malfunctions, which lead us to practicing clearing double feeds. I've done it before, but by the end of the day got a lot more practice than I wanted.

Once on the range we shot a variety of drills including the Dot Torture. I do love that drill. Can't shoot it clean yet, but I do love it. We shot at distances ranging from 1 yard to 25 yards. Initially, I was worried about shooting out to 25 yards because I was shooting my G42 and I only had about 300 rounds through it. I shouldn't have worried; the distance wasn't too much of a problem.

We ran a drill that was similar to many of the match stages I see every month: shoot the hostage taker in the head; step to the side, two to the body of the next bad guy; another step to the side and two to the body of the last bad guy. All three targets were at ranges varying from 3 - 7 yards. I've seriously shot similar scenarios dozens of times. I had this. The Shooting God must have thought I was feeling a bit too cocky, because She had some tricks up her sleeve for me and my Baby Glock. Primarily double feeds. Not one, not two, but three. I'd clear one, slap the magazine back in and end up with another one. I might or might not have said bad words.

I had trouble with double feeds while we were shooting from the line, but thought I was limp-wristing or doing something dumb, so I really focused on my grip, but continued to have problems. One of the instructors ran a magazine through with no problem, so I knew it wasn't my gun or my ammo. It was me. I am fairly certain that I wasn't seating the magazine well enough when I changed mags. Sure enough, I started really slapping my mags in and my double feeds cleared up.

That is, until we did the POST qualification test. It was smooth sailing for most of the test, but when we got to the part where we had to clear a manufactured double feed I had problems again. I got the fake double feed cleared, slapped the mag back in and - WHAMMO! - another double feed, this time for real. I got it cleared, got back on target and the buzzer went off. I was half a second too late to get my round off, so I failed the POST test. I most definitely said bad words at that point. Luckily, it's not required for my job, it was just another skills test for us - our final exam on the range, essentially.

That last double feed cemented my thought that I was the cause. If I had taken the extra quarter of a second to really seat the magazine, I would have finished with time left, but I got in a rush and it bit me in the ass.

During our class debrief, the instructors asked how we felt about using the POST qualification. All but one student loved it. Despite failing the test, I loved it. It was a challenge and gave me something to strive for - a feeling shared by most of my classmates. The one dissenter thought that it might cause some students to be discouraged, which I can see, but I think it's all in how the instructor sells the drill. I'm all about challenges and learning from failures, but I understand not everyone is wired that way.

All in all, it was yet another excellent class put on by Double Tap and I look forward to the next one.

Sexy Holsters, Part II

Note: despite the "Sexy Holsters" title, this post applies to all new shooters and their gear. It just so happens that I have seen dangerous sexy holsters most recently.
 
It is important for us as shooters and instructors to help educate new shooters. We know that there are is a large batch of new gun owners joining our ranks. Many of them will take a basic class (if required) to obtain their concealed carry permit and stop there.

Sadly, many of these new owners will see sub-par - and sometimes down-right dangerous - holsters and buy them because they don't know any better. It is our job to educate them, even if it is only a five minute discussion or a handout in a basic level class. If the students are not exposed to what they need to look for in a good holster, they'll forever be at a disadvantage. Additionally, we need to explain to them why certain things are so important. Giving students a list of what they need without giving the why of it isn't going to help them learn to evaluate their gear critically.

What I find even more frustrating are the manufacturers who are cranking out these holsters. The ones I spoke with at SHOT Show didn't really have a clue about what a good holster entails and they themselves had not continued their training beyond the basics. If the designer does not know what is required in a good concealed carry holster, how can they possibly design one?

The reality is that these poor designs are going to continue to pop up. Why? Because you'll always find people who say, "I've carried this way for years and never had a problem." They're right - they've not had a problem because they've never had to access their gun in an emergency. They've not taken a class with their concealed carry rig and have never tested it under pressure.

I hope to be one of the people who carries daily, yet never needs to use my gun, but that doesn't mean I'm going to use inferior equipment. I want to know my gear works every time.

Beware of Sexy Holsters

Do you remember, in the not-so-distant past when gun manufacturers just painted guns pink and called them "women's" guns without any thought about the functionality of the gun? (Let's be honest, there are still a whole lot of manufacturers continuing to do this - only they offer a wider variety of colors.)

It took a few years, but there are now manufacturers who are making guns that fit a variety of hands. After years of having to "make do" with guns that didn't fit my hands, it makes me very happy to see different sized pistols being offered.

Now that we have more gun options for smaller hands and the number of female shooters joining our ranks has sky-rocketed, holster manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon. I saw several holsters for women that are not only a Bad Idea, but are dangerous. Look people, you cannot just slap together a sexy looking holster and market it to women. Wait ... apparently you can, as evidenced by the holsters we saw on the floor.

Just like with guns, women need the same functionality in their holsters as men do. A good holster should:

1. hold the gun securely in place (no flapping, or migrating)
2. cover the trigger (without being able to inadvertently activate the trigger)
3. allow the carrier fast and consistent access to their gun
4. not require constant adjusting and re-adjusting

It's really not that difficult, just four basics need to be covered. Of course, there's the ability to conceal comfortably and too many manufacturers - even holsters "made by women for women" - are focusing on the concealability and overlooking the four basics.

One of the holsters we saw was no better than using an ACE bandage to strap your gun to your body. It's got a sexy name (no, I'm not giving the name or a link to this product) and their sales pitch is great. They talk about the versatility of their holster: how you can carry anything from a pocket gun to a full-sized one and how many different places on your body you can wear their holster. If we use the four listed basics as a checklist, it fails on three of the four.

1. Does it hold the gun securely in place? No, there is nothing to keep a pocket gun from slipping down in the pocket of the holster, or to keep a full-sized gun from flapping over with bending.
2. Does it cover the trigger? Yes, the trigger is covered, by only by a couple of thin layers of cloth so while it's technically covered, I'm not convinced that the trigger cannot be activated
3. Does it allow the carrier fast and consistent access to their gun? No, in fact, the manufacturer recommends wrapping the holster over the grip of the gun to get better concealment. If you cannot put your hand on the grip of your gun easily, you might as not wear one.
4. Does it require constant adjusting and re-adjusting? Yes, which is a bad, bad thing. Have you ever worn an ACE wrap? If so, you know that it needs constant readjusting throughout the day; it shifts and slides around, or gets too tight or too loose with activities of daily living (ADLs).

Another holster was corset-style. It was dead sexy, no doubt. I've seen several different version and each time I just roll my eyes. One of the corset-style holsters places the butt of the gun right under the carrier's breast. Another corset-style holster places the gun in a better place - between the breasts - but still makes the drawstroke difficult. These types of holsters fail in one (possibly two) of our four basics.

1. Does it hold the gun securely in place? Yes, as long as the corset is made well with good stays.
2. Does it cover the trigger? Yes, though it's covered with just a layer of cloth.
3. Does it allow the carrier fast and consistent access to their gun? No. The first type of corset-holster which puts the grip of the gun directly beneath the breast might look sexy as hell, but if you're using your gun to give one of the girls a little "lift", there is no room to draw it. The second type of corset-holster carries the gun in a better place, but is still difficult to access. With both types of corset-holsters, the carrier either needs to pull her shirt up over her breasts or wear shirts that allow access from the collar. 
4. Does it require constant adjusting and re-adjusting? This depends on the quality of the corset and stays. If it is made properly, there shouldn't be any adjustment required during ADLs. After all, our ancestors settled the West wearing corsets. However, if the corset is poorly made it will slip, twist, and roll with ADLs.

Oh, the yoga pants. I almost forgot those. They're popping up all over the place. I have to tell you, I love a good yoga pant, and I don't even do yoga! However, the yoga pants with built-in holster fail on all four of the basics.

1. Does it hold the gun securely in place? No. Beware, without a retention strap, too much bending will allow the gun to "walk" up out of the cloth pocket and fall out. 
2. Does it cover the trigger? Yes, with just a layer of cloth.
3. Does it allow the carrier fast and consistent access to their gun? Since the gun typically sits in a designated pocket the answer is yes and no. Yes, it might be in the pocket (you know, if it didn't fall out with ADLs); no because the it's just in a pocket and you can't guarantee consistent access.
4. Does it require constant adjusting and re-adjusting? Yes. Think about how many times a day women adjust their yoga pants. Most women do it unconsciously, so just watch others. Now, add the weight of a gun to the pants and imagine how many times during ADLs the carrier will have to adjust.

Are there good holsters for women on the market? Absolutely! There are a couple of great holster manufacturers out there that are made by shooters who put a lot of thought into their holsters and address all of the four basics while still addressing concealability.


Concealed carriers should examine their carry gear as critically as they examine their carry guns.

Initial Review/Range Report: Smith & Wesson M&P40 (/9/357Sig)

Cross Posted at Daddy Hawk's Toy Box

It's been a stressful few weeks. Between work, getting ready to be out of the office for work and personal travel, The Queen not feeling well, M&M needing her daily dose of Daddy Hawk, house work, cooking, shopping and generally failing badly at getting the sleep necessary to function as a normal member of the human race, I was getting ready to shoot something. Whether that something turned out to be an animate or inanimate object was rapidly becoming less of a concern to me. So, the other evening, I finally had a chance to sneak away from the house (actually, I just didn't return home as early as I otherwise would have) to visit the local range for the purpose of taking the new M&P out for its first official test spin.

So, before I dive into breathlessly describing how wonderful the M&P is or isn't, I'd like to issue my standard disclaimer and tell the FTC (who I hope are enjoying a restful Obamacation) that I paid my own hard earned, seriously value deflated dollars to buy this particular M&P. Smith & Wesson has no idea who I am and has not offered me any compensation or consideration for this review. So, go suck on your banana punk monkey. These opinions are 100% mine.

Alright, now that my libertarian tendencies have been mollified for a little while, let's get down to business.

Starting with the title of this review, you will notice that I am calling this the Smith & Wesson M&P 40/9/357Sig. The dirty little secret is that M&P saved a whole hoochie load of money developing this pistol by going big for commonality across the platform. The recoil spring is identical for all three calibers. Need proof? Go look up replacement recoil springs on Midway USA's website. Barrel dimensions are identical (a fact we will address in more detail in a bit) which means the slide dimensions are identical which in turn means that the frame dimensions have to be pretty darn close too. There may be (though I seriously doubt it) a tiny skosh bit of difference in the mag well on the 9 as opposed to the 40/357; however, the 40 mags are marked ".40S&W/.357Sig" (or vice versa depending on your perspective) meaning that the frame of those two calibers have the same freaking dimensions.

Now, reading the forums [for a?] (and even watching a few videos from manufacturer reps) you will find many a post that suggests that the slide on the 9 is not strong enough to hold up against the pressures generated by the .40. I've not come across any comment on the .40 slide not being strong enough for the .357Sig, but give it time. Someone will decide that the slides on the .357Sig MUST be stronger to contain the uber high specialness that is the chamber pressure of a .40 case necked to a 9mm bullet. Personally, I call el toro guano. I don't see Smith & Wesson making some slides "stronger" when they are toleranced to the same dimensions as other "weaker" slides when using the same (presumably...I'd be happy to hear a S&W rep confirm that) materials on the same manufacturing line. I'm no metallurgical expert, but I don't think it works like that.

Don't take my word for it though. Proceed at your own risk. Do your own research. I take no responsibility for your own stupidity for something you read on the internet from someone who is a self avowed non-expert in the field.

Here is my personal, anecdotal experience on the subject to close out this portion of the review. I bought the M&P40 as well as a 9mm replacement barrel. I can confirm for you that the 9mm replacement barrel was a perfect, drop in fit. 9mm ammo fed from the 40/357 mags without a hitch (including the last round despite what I've read from other noted internet experts on that point). The pistol fired and cycled the 9mm ammo without incident. I would not hesitate to attempt the same with a .357Sig replacement barrel. Your mileage may vary.

I'm not going to spend much time here on the aesthetics of the M&P. As polymer pistols go, I think it's a good looking pistol. The fish scale slide serrations are unique as well as functional. The black Melonite finish performs its intended function well enough and will serve as a good canvas for a custom coating should I ever decide to get around to doing something to set my M&P apart from the masses. The rounded grip is quite comfortable, and I had no problems hanging on to the gun even during moderately rapid fire (something between .5 and 1 second per shot). A texture job on the grips would certainly enhance that, but I don't see it as a necessity unless you were gifted with exceptionally sweaty palms.

As to safeties, Smith & Wesson wisely in my humble opinion took the “buffet” approach of offering a wide variety of options. Do you live behind the nanny state curtain? They have you covered with 10 round mags, magazine disconnects, thumb safeties and infernal (internal) locks. Do you live in free America where you are trusted to make decisions for yourself? They offer versions without the infernal lock, with or without the thumb safety, etc. My particular model is completely safety free (other than the odd trigger safety which is marginally okay). Call it a point and click model if you like.

From a concealability point of view, I have no problems hiding it in the appendix carry position under an untucked polo shirt. Bear in mind that I am 6'4" tall and heft about 240 pounds on the scale. So, petite folk may have a different perspective on this. Wearing it unloaded, "Mexican" style (as I have not found an AIWB holster for it yet that I like), The Queen did not notice the gun (she was not informed that there would be a CCW "printing" test) over the course of an hour or two. Even without a holster, the gun was comfortable (hardly noticeable in fact) and stayed put fairly well while performing normal household activity (I would try jumping jacks without a good holster). I have not tried it in the 4 o'clock IWB position yet; however, I don't foresee it being any more visible than in the AIWB position. In the 3 o'clock OWB position, I would expect it to bulge an untucked shirt just a bit. But, balance it with a mag carrier at 9 o'clock and it might not be an issue.

Function-wise, I only had time to run 70 rounds of .40S&W, 10 rounds of 9mm (including time for the barrel swap back and forth), and 47 rounds of .22 (through the Ruger 22/45 Mk III which was feeling all lonely neglected in the range bag). I had no failures to feed, fire or extract. The only function issue of any note was that the slide did not lock back after the last round consistently. As a matter of fact, it probably locked back less than 50% of the time. I didn't diligently keep track of the problem. So, I can't say how often for sure; however, it was definitely noticeable. Next range outing I try to see if grip firmness affects that or if there is a mag follower issue.

Speaking of the 47 rounds of .22 as a quick digression, it would have been 50 rounds but for these little treasures.

 

I've never seen anything like that in a box of factory ammo. Not even from a box of cheapo, Walmart, Remington bulk pack.

And, just for GunDiva, a picture of the target.

 

No, I didn't WANT to change the target. That's 47 rounds at 7 yards fired as quick as I could load mags and fire. It was *VERY* satisfying to use the .22 as a bullet hose. Not that I am suggesting that one should EVER skirt the range rules or anything. Fortunately, the dude in the next bay giving his girlfriend her first taste of semi auto (using a Ruger P94 in .40...after letting her shoot .22 and .38/.357 revolvers...with full power magnum rounds no less) and was going all bullet hose with his gat (he was nice enough…so, I won't call him nasty names here) giving me the cover necessary to have some fun unnoticed by the front desk.

Now, digression complete. Move along. Nothing to see here.

In an earlier post, I commented on the quality of the trigger pull. I believe I said something about broken glass. That issue is still there; BUT, I found it much less noticeable when actually focusing on the front sight with the intention of shooting something. Maybe I'm easily distracted. Who knows? That's not to say that I might not still have a trigger job done and/or splurge on an Apex trigger kit. I want at least 250 rounds (preferably 500 rounds) through it before I decide on any substantive changes like that.

A quick note on field stripping: it’s pretty simple. Remove the magazine, clear the chamber, use a tool to push or pull the lever in the mag well that disconnects the sear down, thumb the take down lever down, remove the slide from the frame, remove the recoil spring assembly and remove the barrel. Done. It’s as quick as stripping a Glock though the downside is that it’s not completely tool less unless you have a finger that can manipulate the sear disconnect lever (I don’t). Reassembly was equally unremarkable.

The sights are fine for their intended purpose. This is not a bullseye gun. The rear sight is drift adjustable for windage. For elevation, it’s either learn your hold overs/unders or get a different front sight post. Having said that, I’m 95% certain I will be replacing these sights with fiber optic replacements soon since my 40 something year old eyes don’t focus at arm’s length the way they used to.

Moving right along, let’s talk accuracy. My first shot at 3 yards was in the x ring which, let’s be honest, shouldn’t be that hard at that range. The remaining 4 shots out of my first string were inside the 10 ring (four in the x ring); however, the grouping is not as tight as I would expect of myself at that range. My next string of 15 (one full mag) at 7 yards was even less impressive.

 

I was aiming for the top 8. Other than that, I have no explanation for that pattern or the others that follow. I’d like to throw an alibi out, but I got nothing. It’s certainly minute of bad guy accuracy and will get the job done, but I’m just disappointed because I am used to getting most everything inside the 9 ring at that range.

Finally, the only thing left to talk about are some odds and ends. Recoil was quite manageable for me at least (especially after my recent experience with the S&W M325PD). The 147 grain subsonic 9MM ammo had less felt recoil than the 180 grain .40S&W ammo. Duh. No surprise there. It’s no .22 pistol, but you’re not going to have to worry about digging the rear sight out of your forehead either. No issues with the mag release. It did its job just fine. I was unable to remove the little frame mounted tool that lets you swap out the grip panels. I’m sure I was just not doing it right since I hadn’t bothered with reading the manual yet. The witness hole/loaded chamber indicator worked as advertised. No issues with the mags themselves other than the first round is sometimes a pain in the butt to get in if you’re not paying attention to the follower and the feed lips. Rounds 14 and 15 will be challenging for most people to load without the use of a mag loader which Smith & Wesson did not see fit to include. Some people swear by the Uplula’s, but I’m not sure that a stiff, thin piece of metal wouldn’t work just as good. I may just have to test that theory and report back.

 

So, to sum up, I like the gun. It fits my hand well with the medium grip insert, and I can shoot it adequately as is. There are things I would like to change and probably will. Is it as good as a Glock out of the box? Meh, maybe. Glocks have better triggers out of the box while the M&P has better sights and more options in addition to being better looking (IMHO). After typical modifications (triggers, sights, texturing), they are a wash from price point, reliability, and functionality standpoints. Glocks have a slight edge when you consider accessories and other ancillary items like the fact that there are carbines available that use Glock mags but none that I am aware of that use M&P mags.

You've Heard About Checks in the Mail, Right?

This is sort of like that...

That last line in the green section is of particular interest to me right now.

Bye bye NICS background checks. It was nice knowing you. No...not really. Don't let the door hit you on the butt on the way out.

Concealed Handgun Class

Back in the 90s, not long after Texas joined the ranks of states that trust its citizens to carry concealed handguns, I took the plunge and got licensed to carry along with many of my fellow Texans. I have to say, my motivation for doing so at the time was mainly because I could as opposed to any well defined awareness of the need for self defense or any other "valid" reason. I am a guy, guns are cool, and I thought "why not?"

Fast forward a couple of years, and I met the woman who would become The Queen. She grew up as a person of tremendous personal religious faith who believes that one should rely solely on God for personal protection. She is not anti-gun. In fact, she enjoys shooting as much as the next non-liberal person. She was, however, very uncomfortable with the idea of me carrying a revolver in my pocket anytime we took a late night stroll or having a gun in the car when we were out and about.  

Along about license renewal time, I was undergoing a bit of a spiritual awakening myself due in no small part to The Queen's example and God's inescapable influence. Let's just say, I have a somewhat better understanding of the Book of Jonah than the average bear. I came to believe, as I still do, that God is a far better protector than I can ever be, and my part in the defense of self and others is to be aware of my surroundings and lead us not into unsafe places. Nonetheless, I took the renewal class; however, I might as well have not bothered as I never sent my renewal paperwork into the state. 

Thus, my license lapsed many moons ago. It is a decision which I have never been given cause to regret. 

Fast forward more than ten years. I find myself married to a wonderful woman who I love dearly and starting a family through the trials and joys of fostering to adopt. The circumstances of life and money have forced me to abandon active pursuit of my first, non-marital passion, flying airplanes. Needing an outlet for my inner man child, I reverted back to a long dormant interest, firearms.

Much has transpired in the world of firearms since I was last really active in the sport. The assault weapons ban of 1994 came and went. Texas has become more firearms friendly by expanding the castle doctrine to include carrying in your personal vehicle. The polymer gun market niche has gone from the Glock and maybe the Glock to a near majority if not an actual majority of all handguns encompassing most if not all the major names in handguns including Ruger (which was into polymers before polymers were cool with the 22/45), Smith & Wesson and Sig Sauer. You can now even print an AR-15 receiver for crying out loud.

And my gun wish list has gone completely and totally out of control. 

The first thing I did when I became active in shooting again was to buy one of my long time wish list items, a 1911, and get involved in the local action pistol shooting club (mainly IDPA with some USPSA matches to boot). It also had me keeping an eye out for deals on other wish list items and setting money aside when possible to purchase some of those items. 

One of the things that has irked me the most about all this is the background checks they are required to do when purchasing from a dealer. Personally, I don't think a form 4473 and a background check should be required to purchase a firearm. I does nothing to combat criminals obtaining guns illegally, but that's a rant for another time. With The Great Firearms Buying Frenzy of 2012 following the election continuing into this year, I've been told, as recently as late February, that wait times of several days are not unheard of when requesting a firearms transfer through an FFL dealer. My last transfer went through in about 30 minutes on a weekday in the evening after work; however, that was before we all jumped off the Fiscal Cliff with Sequestration and the White House's edict to make the budget cuts are felt by you and I as much as possible. What do you bet manpower for NICS checks went under the budget axe? 

There is a ray of sunshine though. You can get around the point of purchase NICS background check (but not the form 4473...that's also a rant for another time) with a concealed handgun license. They seem to figure, rightly so, that some one who has gone through the hassle of getting a thorough FBI background check, taking a class and paying a hefty fee for a CHL will mostly likely clear an NICS check. So, why waste the manpower and resources to duplicate effort? Right? 

It makes so much sense it's a wonder the government allowed it (that too is a rant for another time).

If that weren't enough incentive, there is this. My sister...the devil started making noise late last year about getting her CHL. Around about November, I saw a Groupon deal that was almost too good to be true: CHL class for two including lane rental for $75.  This was obviously before they stopped offering firearms related deals. Around here that's about the bare minimum for a class for one person (and I've seen some places charging up to $125). 

So, I floated the idea to the family. Anyone interested in getting the class out of the way while they're giving it away for free practically? The Queen politely declined seeing no benefit or need to her which is quite alright as I am not the type of husband to force his wife to do anything she does not want to do. My sister...the devil was interested but decided to make her own arrangements despite me offering to cover the cost if necessary (me thinks she might be kicking herself now). Surprisingly, my mother expressed an interest.

There's a bit of a back story there that I will address shortly. Suffice it to say for the moment that Mimi (as mother is known to the grandkids) probably has the best excuse in the family for getting a CHL even if she never totes a heater in her life. I bought the deal for her and I and booked us the earliest slot that matched our calendars which was in late January. 

Of course, Murphy had a few choice words to say about that plan. I got sick the week before the scheduled class time immediately following which The Queen and newly adopted daughter M&M took ill requiring a rescheduling of plans. I was a bit concerned about this development as it was shortly after this that Groupon announced it's decision to no longer honor firearms related deals. 

Fortunately for me, the range where the class was scheduled did honor the deal. So, no harm no foul. The class was rescheduled for a week ago Sunday, March 10. My birthday, in fact, not that it matters a whole hill of beans.

But, here is my first minor gripe. I checked the range's website for the class' start time and was informed that 9:00 AM was when things got kicked off. Of course, Murphy had to screw with things yet again. This day was, as you will recall, the time change ending Daylight Savings Time (yet another rant for another time). Guess who was out until 1:00 AM the previous evening with his wife at the drive in theater? Guess who thought he had slept in too late until he remembered that his phone automatically updates the time?

Yeah. That'd be me. 

Anysnoozer, Mimi and I arrived at the range with what we thought was 15 minutes to spare...only to find out that class had been going for 45 minutes. 

Doh!! Facepalm!

Fortunately, we did not get any grief from the instructor unlike the young lady who came in a few minutes after us. I did come to her defense and tell the instructor of the website misinformation campaign. He promised to check with the range staff about that issue.  Unfortunately, there were no seats left for Mimi and I to sit together and only a couple of seats left period as the class was booked to capacity if not over capacity. Double fortunately, we had not missed anything important as he spent the first part of class going over range commands and safety.

There was a reason for that which we discovered rather promptly. The shooting portion of the class was to be done first. 

That was a little disconcerting because I had been hoping to have the lunch hour to get Mimi and I out on the range for a little warm up and familiarization. Mimi was to be using a rental gun for the test and hasn't shot handguns much and not at all in recent years. I have plenty of handgun experience, but I've been on shooting hiatus due to the situation with the foster kids which, until recently, kept my trigger time to next to nothing. Needless to say, some practice time would have been very welcome. 

In hindsight, the way they handled this makes perfect sense. This particular range only has seven shooting lanes for reasons that I have not yet figured out as they have room for double that amount. The class had so many participants that it was necessary to break the class up into five separate relays to get everyone through. The range does not open for regular business on Sundays until 11:00 AM. So, the sooner the CHL class gets run through the range, the less interference the range has with regular business.

I was in the third relay, and Mimi was put in the fourth relay at my request so that I could watch over her shoulder and provide moral support as necessary (I was not allowed to coach her at all...which turned out for the best as will be discussed shortly). 

I won't spend much time discussing my shooting. I did well enough to pass with a 248 out of a possible score of 250. I am greatly disappointed that I dropped one shot out of 50 especially when it was an "easy" shot at 15 yards with no real pressure. Two things come to mind in hindsight: 1) shooting is a perishable skill, and 2) I need to focus on my own shooting and not let the cadence of other shooters affect my own timing. 

I've always heard that shooting skills degrade over time, and I have experienced that to a certain extent in the past. However, it's something else to pick up your weapon cold after a several month hiatus and have trouble just finding the right grip. We were supposed to get a little range time in over the previous weekend. Unfortunately, Mr. Murphy saw to that be creating a little crisis that eliminated any possibility of a practice session. 

As far as letting what others are doing get inside my head and affect what I am doing, I think that too is a casualty of not getting enough practice time in. Normally, I can tune what others are doing out fairly well; however, I've always had a little jumpiness when I first get to the range. Some of that is excitement. Some is a healthy paranoia that there are people around me with guns that I neither know nor trust. After the first round or two, my jitters settle down, and I can get down to business. Add in a little performance anxiety and "I really want a perfect score" pressure, and dropping a round here or there is bound to happen. 

I've already posted a photo of my target previously, and it's pretty obvious that there was too much/too little finger on the trigger for at least 20 rounds. Most of those would have been at the 7 and 15 yard lines where shooting errors will be more apparent. Still, I can't complain about getting 30 rounds through the same, ragged, inch and a half to two inch hole. That's good enough to ruin any bad guy's day. 

Poor mom though...oy vey!

First, while waiting for our relays to begin, we did some familiarization and gun handling with rental Taurus .380. The Taurus was of decent size that a good grip was possible. Mimi learned how to operate it in short order and all was assumed to be kosher. 

Then, Murphy struck again. The Taurus bit the dust with several malfunctions in the early relays, and a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 was brought in as a substitute rental. Uh oh. No bueno batman. Some of you may be asking why we rented the .380 in the first place instead of a 9mm or other suitable caliber. Two words: AMMO SHORTAGE. The range only had .380 and .45ACP in stock for rental guns. 

Anyone here think turning Mimi loose with a polymer .45 rental gun is a good idea? Neither did I. 

In hindsight, I should have begged or borrowed a solid 9mm (such as my cousin's Kahr) from someone and scrounged the ammo. Oh well. Live and learn.

Back to the shooting. The Smith may be a popular pocket pistol; but, from what I saw of it, I wouldn't spend my money for one on a bet. The sights are non-existent for one thing. The thing is super tiny for another. It makes a Glock 26 feel like a full sized gun by comparison. Next, it too suffered from several malfunctions most of which were of the failure to go fully into battery variety. I will give it the benefit of the doubt and chalk that up to Mimi's gun handling as she was having a difficult time remaining steady for personal reasons. Bottom line: caveat emptor. Don't buy one unless you have tried it personally and know that's what you want. Don't buy one for someone else unless they've asked for it specifically. 

Come to think of it, that's pretty good advice for all firearms purchases. 

I don't have a photo of Mimi's target, but I think she would agree that it looked she had dumped a couple of loads of buckshot at it from over 15 yards as opposed to aimed fire from a .380. Part of this was due to her lack of familiarity with the gun. Some due to her inexperience as a pistol shooter

Some, however, was due to the personal issues I have mentioned previously. You see, Mimi had an encounter several years ago in which she woke up at 6:00 AM to find a naked man on her balcony. She lives alone in a small, country town and this was a bit of a shock to say the least. The man was later identified as a mentally disturbed Viet Nam vet which did nothing for Mimi's state of mind.

With time, the purchase of a Ruger 10/22 for home protection (her choice after several hours at a gun show with plenty of input from unbiased sources), and a major home remodel including elimination of the offending balcony, she gradually came to relax in her own skin and home again. 

She agreed to go to the CHL class with me, as she put it, "...because I think I need to."

I took that at face value until we got to the range for the shooting portion where it became apparent that she was not completely comfortable with things. I assured her she was under no obligation to continue if she didn't want to, but she bravely soldiered on. Even when it became apparent that her shooting was not up to par. 

I will give kudos to the instructor here. He was beyond patient with Mimi, giving her pointers as necessary and helping her clear the malfunctions in the Bodyguard. His scoring of her target was...shall we say...generous. He gave her a 212 out of 250 where 175 was the minimum passing score. I'm not saying he counted some holes twice, but I'm not saying he didn't either. 

For her part, Mimi reported after the fact with a few tears peeking out of her eyes that she was surprised to have feelings from the naked guy incident bubble up during the range time. She told me, wisely I think, that she wants to take a step back and start over with a handgun 101 class and possibly some private instruction before circling back around to take the CHL class again. Even though she "passed" the class, she does not feel she is ready. And that is a decision I respect. 

After the shooting was over, it was time for lunch before the mind numbing class room portion of the class going over the minutiae of Texas deadly force and gun laws. I confess that I had a hard time staying awake and took every opportunity to get up, stretch and get fresh air. Mimi and I both passed the written test with no problems. 

It was a good experience overall. I enjoyed the mother/son bonding time. The instructor did a good job of making the class room material interesting with personal stories from his own experience as well as funny video clips to break up the monotony. 

Soon, I will have a newly minted CHL in my pocket with all the rights and responsibilities associated with that. I anticipate very little change in my current behavior. I still do not plan on carrying regularly. My main reason, as mentioned earlier, is to remove some of the hassles associated with my hobby. In addition to no more NICS checks, I can now also go to and from the range and not worry about taking my gun off if I have to stop for groceries on the way home.  

And, I can now carry a gun when chaperoning my daughter on her first date...when she turns 30. 

Quick - Diagnose This Target

Do you know what I was doing wrong (I do because I already cheated)? Can you figure out what your targets can tell you about your shooting? No fair Googling the shooting errors chart (until after you've given up). 

Texas CHL qualification from yesterday. 50 Rounds total. 20 rounds at 3 yards. 20 rounds at 7 yards. 10 rounds at 15 yards. Scored 248 out of possible 250 (the major flyer was at 15 yards...got in a rush and didn't focus). All things considered, not bad for someone who hasn't shot anything since September (yes, I know, bad me).

More discussion to follow.

It Never Fails

I've mentioned that I bought Baby Girl as a "bra gun" for running.  My initial intent was to carry her in a Flashbang holster, but after talking to Lisa Looper from Flashbang, I decided that carrying her in a Marilyn would be a better option.  Only, they don't make a Marilyn that fits the Tomcat, so it was back to the drawing board.

As I was walking through the kitchen the other day, I saw a sticker left over from SHOT Show for Pistol Wear holsters.  They are essentially belly bands designed for working out; they're supposed to be comfortable and breathe while you're hot and sweaty and moving around.  So I thought I'd give one a try.  I ordered the PT-2 holster.  I ordered the PT-2 because it's for smaller-framed guns and the Tomcat's not exactly a big gun. It arrived two nights ago and I immediately put it on under my scrubs.  It doesn't print at all, which is a huge plus and I can tie my drawstring pants around it while still having access to the top opening if I reach under my shirt.  That was the good.  The bad is that Baby Girl is so little (she's fun-sized, like me) that she kind of slides around in the pocket and if I'd have to draw her, I might have to fish around.  I might be able to fix that issue by making a spot for her muzzle to slip in with some velcro.

Shortly after I ordered the PT-2, I read in one of my Facebook groups that one of the ladies had taken a Remora thigh holster, removed the holster from the thigh band and slipped it into her bra in the same position as the Marilyn with good success.  Remora just happens to make a holster that fits Baby Girl, so cha-ching went my debit card.  I haven't received the Remora yet, but it has shipped and I've been eagerly anticipating its arrival.  I was looking forward to having carry options for under my scrubs at work and at the gym.  I'm pretty sure that I would get some strange looks in the locker room when I changed if I have the PT-2 on, but if I can slip the Remora into my sports bra, I can "hide" it when I'm changing by simply facing the locker.

Anyway, I told you all of that so I could tell you this...

While at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo today, I was wondering around with Jay and my parents and we stopped at my Mom's favorite saddle shop.  Hanging in a display right by the cash register was the answer to my concealed carry prayers.  A mini day pack.

Baby Girl is tucked snuggly inside

For scale - the bag isn't much bigger than my hand.

It was like the bag was made for her.

It's simply a mini day pack like you'd find at REI or any other over-priced outdoor store, but it's very roomy.  When I finally got home and spent some time looking at it, I was happy to find the soft pocket that I could slip her muzzle into and keep her from flopping around.  That main pocket is deceptively large.

There is another pocket (you can see the zipper under my thumb) which is perfect for a spare holster or to slip my CCW permit in.

If you look at the top picture, you'll see a rubber handle/loop.  That loop will fit over a saddle horn.  You know, if I ever go back to riding with a saddle.  By the handle, there are two rings to attach a strap for cross-body carry.  On the back of the pack, there is a space to feed a belt through, which is how I will typically carry it.

Dang it.  Dropped almost $100 on "real" holsters for Baby Girl, walk into a saddle shop and find the perfect solution for $20.

It never fails.

Please tell me I'm not the only one this happens to.

CCW Reciprocity

I received an email today that alerted me to a graphic that 5.11 Tactical had developed.  It's a chart showing states that allow concealed carry and the reciprocity between states.  While it doesn't tell you exactly which states honor your permit, it's cool to see how many states allow concealed carry and where your state ranks as far as number of states who honor your CCW.  For people who have a CCW permit, it's nice to know how well received your permit is.

Source: 5.11 Tactical