Tools are important. Mindset just as much. For over a decade I was denied the right to self defense with a firearm as I taught at a local community college in my local version of Mordor. I had this.
Looked like a cell phone case back in the day. It in fact housed this.
I liked it! Two shots. Equipped with a safety. Was not sensitive to temperature variations.
Then we get to the Kimber Pepper Blaster II. Same thing, but better ergonomics. It has sights and a little grip.
Then we get to this if the standoff weapon does not work.
One thing about a knife fight, you will get cut! I would prefer not to get into one.
Then it goes here. MANY have disturbed electrons in this space about what caliber stopping round. I get that, but if I can stick this in my front jeans pocket, that counts for much.
Yes the trigger is much like pulling a sled across a gravel pit! S&W Bodyguard .380.
Guess what. If I can stick this in my pocket as opposed to the duty rated belt and an M&P or a Colt Defender for short trips I will take it. It DOES beat a stiff word and rolled up newspaper!
Tools are important. The mindset and awareness to use them is more important. Mindset to not even get into a situation to get to this point is even more important to me.
I don't care what you are carrying as long as you can use it effectively.
I'm OK with that. I obtained one of these this weekend. Bought online and shipped to my home FFL range.
A Smith and Wesson M&P 9c.
So a basic pistol student last month has been with me every Sunday since. She is VERY logical and methodical in this journey to have a tool to defend herself. She has rented many Handguns and several others loaned by range personnel and myself to finally get to this. The deal was that if she liked it she keeps it, if not it comes home with me.
I finally caught a glimpse of her drivers license as she rented a lane today. About the same age as my Mother. She decided to keep the Pistol. I had to bring 9mm ammo as the range is out.
As she was confronted with the paper work on actually buying a handgun she commented that buying a house was a bit easier. She surrendered a Sheriffs office purchase permit and the deal was done.
I walked her to her car. She asked why. I told her she was carrying a readily visible pistol box. I asked her if she was going to have this for home defense. She said yes if she could find ammo. I gave her 11 rounds of round ball. Told her the magazine holds ten and then load one in the chamber.
I cannot over think the import of what I teach. It comes with a huge burden but is balanced with the fact that people are figuring out they are responsible for their safety.
I will keep going and I already made space in the safe for it. Guess I need to get one of the new Colt's!
So after a CCH class today a prior student wants personal instruction tomorrow. She is very logical and methodical in her quest for a Handgun suited for her. I get that. She seems to have found the Smith and Wesson M&P 9C as her choice after she shot several Handguns. Guess what. There are none to be had for love nor money here right now.
She wants to continue training. I get that. So for tomorrow my full sized M&P VTAC 9 is in the range bag along with one of the new M&P .22s.
That presents a problem for me. I will not go on the line without a weapon. The M&P is my carry gun.
So tomorrow an old friend will be on my hip. A Colt Combat Commander .45ACP in a El Paso Saddlery rig.
I DO love this pistol. Its thirty years old and went to Blackwater while everyone else ran plastic bullet hoses.
It comes at a cost however. During class today some asked about the hardware I presented. They were sharp. They wanted to know where to get a S&W Model 4006 or Colt Detective Special. I had to tell them that several Handguns presented during class were older than them. Nobody wanted to know where to get the Kel-Tec.
I returned to the Fortress of Solitude. Congratulations to my students today!
Sigh...
So I'm continuing to Try to show the Mustangs some love. For some reason I wanted to try to replicate the retro look of the 1966 Fastback rear window on the 2013. Here is the real deal:
Here is the rear window of the 2013:
The '66 was a true bolt in. It actually worked. Here are the commercials from back in the day from a old post of mine here.
Best I can do now is some fiberglass that attaches to the window. So what do ya think about this?
Yeah, I can place it better when the 3M trim adhesive comes out! Sorta hard to take a pic and hold that in place at the same time!
I await your comments. I now have time to do so because the color match was great but:
Trash in the paint or bad fiberglass mold. They will ship replacements next week.
So, in the meantime off for a full new shooter class tomorrow and the same Sunday for CCH!
I hope y'all have a great weekend!
So I continue to work with the Colt Defender. I seem to have found some food it and I like for the range.
15 rounds with 10 at 7 yards, 5 at 10. The reloads with 4.2 grains of Tite Group powder and 230 round ball totally changed the nature of the Pistol. It fed and fired them without a hitch and turned it into a fun Pistol on the line. I was not expecting that the gun would function with those powder loads. Yeah, I pulled the first two rounds to the right as I expected the recoil and tightened my grip before the trigger broke.
So I got an idea. The Commander is now fully in retirement and I thought that she and I did well at USTC. Now she looks to occasional range time and will not be carried. I thought I would be smart and get the CT lasergrips off and put her back to original Walnut grips and put the CT's on the Defender to replace the stock Houge grips.
BZZZT! Wrong! The compact 1911 platform requires a different model. I looked around and CT does have a NRA Instructor discount. About 40% off retail. Woo-Hoo!
In other news it appears that even after people seeing me in HD TV, it did nothing to slow this weekends attendance for Basic Pistol and Concealed Carry Classes. 25 New shooters Saturday and 28 CCH students Sunday.
I'm ready! I have my spiffy shirts ready to go!
Wish me luck! I have never taught this many students before at one time!
Remember my student from last summer? She continues to go to the range and this is one Revolver I don't think I am going to get back anytime soon.
Here is her effort today with it at 5 yards.
Good work Ma'am!
I'm not just observing as a third party the swirl around gun control. I am experiencing it first hand. The range has been packed with people I have never seen before. The Basic Pistol class and CCH classes are fully booked + for next weekend. Ammo of almost any caliber is hard to get. Hell, primers and powder are too. Again.
I have a day job. I don't need to do this. I go to the range and do what I do because of my passion to pay it forward. Give citizens the knowledge to defend themselves. Still, I never thought it would get this crazy.
So for tonight I have a moment of Zen.
From the new Mustang the view into the garage. Three generations of these cars are represented here, another generation is out of the shot as it is the daily driver.
I'm thinking sometime in the Spring I will take some days off and put the new one on the road. I long for the release. Maybe meet some old friends in WV and head to IN to meet more.
I'm thinking that p0rn and myself make this list!
Fox News Charlotte.
Of all the days I thought I could slum around at the range! I'm slowly chipping away at my alloted 15 minutes of fame it seems!
Congratulations are in order for Mrs. Curmudgeon. She passed the written and live fire tests for a CCH permit!
Come to find out Mr. Curmudgeon made my job much easier with loading/unloading exercises with a semi auto and a revolver and the use of a laserlyte training cartridge with dry fire exercises on an M&P.
40 for 40 rounds on target at 3,5,and 7 yards. Woo-Hoo!
After qualification she wanted to shoot the M&P! 9 ring at 7 yds =)
Sorry about the photo, but my Blackberry camera well, uh sucks.
Congrats again Ma'am!
Oh, I did eat some great food too!
So we go to the secret testing facility back yard and see what one of these things can do. I'm at or sightly over the maximum range stated for this device. About 13 feet.
You can hear the safety coming off and then two shots were fired (all you get). It does have sights on it and I don't know if the first shot was low due to the age of the device, it came from the lower chamber, or due to the fact I was pushing maximum range. If you do have to light one of these off, drop it when you are done as residue was beginning to leak from the muzzle of the unit after the shots. Kimber states the minimum distance for safe firing is two feet. I don't know if I would do that, but if it was all I had I would take the chance for cross contamination.
Oh, it IS a Kimber so make sure you have the special grease for it, LOL!
