Category: All About Guns
When it comes to self-defense, you have many concealed carry options. Who you are, what you carry, what you wear and where you will be can all influence your choices.
In my previous article about the best daily carry gun, I explained that once someone decides to include a firearm in their self-defense plan and be their own “first responder,” they should carry it wherever it is legal to do so. At home, on vacation, at work, when out to dinner with friends and family — even when exercising.
If a person could predict, without a doubt, when and where a criminal attack would occur — the prudent person would just stay home that day or avoid the specific place where the crime is predicted to occur. Law-abiding citizens do not seek out trouble, but also cannot predict when trouble will find them.
Your Choice in Concealed Carry Options
Some citizens who obtain licenses to carry do not expand their training beyond that which is required to obtain the license. In most states, the required training is a “safety class” that is in no way related to carrying a pistol in public. Not building on basic firearms safety training with classes that are appropriate to carrying a gun in public is a huge mistake in my opinion.
The number of “Constitutional Carry States” has grown significantly, and more people than ever are carrying guns — which is a good thing to my mind. However, some are going about their lives without what I consider as much training as they could have, and that is unwise.
Your Choice in Concealed Carry Options
Some citizens who obtain licenses to carry do not expand their training beyond that which is required to obtain the license. In most states, the required training is a “safety class” that is in no way related to carrying a pistol in public. Not building on basic firearms safety training with classes that are appropriate to carrying a gun in public is a huge mistake in my opinion.
The number of “Constitutional Carry States” has grown significantly, and more people than ever are carrying guns — which is a good thing to my mind. However, some are going about their lives without what I consider as much training as they could have, and that is unwise.
Let me state this here — I remain strongly opposed to any type of government-mandated training, permitting or licensing to own or carry a firearm. However, it is my long-held view that responsible gun owners should voluntarily seek out training that is appropriate to their needs.
Citizens who regularly think about personal safety seek to expand their training. Unfortunately, many are often “stuck” with a “one-size-fits-some” program. Most of these programs are built around a strong side belt holster and a mid-sized or even a full-sized pistol. Many trainers are very experienced, come from law enforcement or military backgrounds and teach important skills such as shooting from unconventional positions, shooting while moving, shooting fast and accurately and the proper use of cover and concealment. Some instructors even cover the legal aspects of the use of deadly and non-deadly force as it applies to private citizens.
In my experience, though, few instructors teach people how to carry and draw a gun from a position other than from the dominant side hip. This training may work for males who normally carry on their hip — but what about females?
A New Look — Options for Women Who Carry
In my experience, many women dislike strong-side belt holsters because their hips’ shape makes an inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster uncomfortable. On the other hand, outside-the-waistband (OWB) holsters often “print” through women’s clothing.
The Springfield Armory Alexo Athletica line offers an excellent line of carry-centered clothing for both men and women. Pursuant to our topic here, the women’s products offer many concealment options.
The Alexo Athletica line includes women’s leggings with built-in pouches to carry a small gun such as a Hellcat. Each pair has more than one “gun pouch”, to allow carry in a comfortable and accessible location. When paired with a DeSantis Flextech pocket holster, the trigger is properly protected.
I’m acquainted with a young mother who carries a Springfield Armory Hellcat and have been helping her out with some self-defense training. The Hellcat is small enough to conceal well and packs substantial firepower due to the availability of 11-, 13- and 15-round magazines. The Alexo Athletica line of clothing works well for her because the Hellcat weighs just over a pound and fits neatly in the appendix carry position.
Drawing and presenting the pistol for her came relatively easy: in one day I was able to teach her these lifesaving skills. Reholstering is the same as for other pocket-style holsters. The loaded Hellcat is inserted into the DeSantis Flextech, and then the entire package is placed into the built-in pouch sewn into the Alexio Athletica leggings or pants. This lady is well-prepared; she carries a spare magazine in a NeoMag, clipped to one of the pouches on the opposite side of her body.
Packing It In with Off-Body Carry
Some women prefer to use a “holster purse” because it accommodates a full-size pistol, such as a Springfield 1911 TRP. In my experience, they like pistols like this due to their weight, as is easier for many to shoot well. Now, this type of carry requires the caveat that — unlike a pistol in a holster on your body — you must never release control of that bag since it contains a firearm.
Holster purses have a pocket for a pistol that is accessed separately from the main compartment. Most quality purses intended for carrying a firearm have a strap that sandwiches a piece of metal cable between leather or fiber to prevent the purse from being violently torn away from the owner.
Drawing a pistol from a holster purse is very different than drawing from “on body” carry — including the Alexo Athletica leggings. The purse needs to be carried so that the concealed pistol points in a safe direction and, when needed, repositioned so that it is pointed at the threat. The user must reach inside, get a firing grip on the pistol and then use the support hand to pull the purse away from the pistol after having manipulated the zipper to open the pouch. In this mode of drawing, the purse ends up on the support side of the body and the pistol is pointed at the threat without crossing anyone or anything else.
This technique must be practiced with an unloaded gun — guided by a qualified firearms instructor — until it is reflexive. Once the draw has been perfected, then and only then should the trainee move on to live-fire practice using the holster purse with their preferred carry gun.
As noted, the trade-off of using a Holster Purse is that it can never be put down as long as there is a firearm in it. Not in a shopping cart, not on an empty chair in a restaurant — never. Those who carry a gun should never lose (or give up) control of their firearm, and a firearm should never be left where unauthorized people may be able to grab it.
Final Thoughts on Your Concealed Carry Options
When I work with someone who has requested specialized training, I spend time learning about their lifestyle, daily activities and which types of carry methods they intend to use and why. I also ask about any other training they may have so I can get an idea of what if any, basic pistol handling skills they may have already learned.
Once I have learned as much as I can, I develop an individualized training plan. It is best to always start off with an unloaded pistol and practice drawing without the use of a cover garment. Once the draw stroke has been mastered AND my student can place accurate hits on a silhouette target from three to 15 yards, we incorporate drawing from concealment.
Most carry methods are not hard to master, but in order to properly learn these life-saving skills, gun owners should seek out training from an experienced and well-qualified instructor to learn how to draw and aim a pistol from someplace other than a holster on a belt on the dominant side of the body.
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And what do we have here now?
Gun cleaning is an important aspect of gun ownership – don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Beginning, intermediate, and advanced shooters are all responsible for keeping their guns in peak condition. Clean the gun your life depends on like your life depends on it — anything less is rank laziness and does not befit a firearms enthusiast.
Reason #1 – Cleaning a Gun Prevents Malfunctions
What exactly happens when you fail to clean your weapons? If you are running a Kalashnikov or a Glock, not much, but it still matters to ensure they’re always in proper working order. I have a Glock 22 converted to 9mm I have owned for a decade. I have brutalized that poor pistol, most typically with a sound suppressor hanging from its snout. Sound suppressors look cool and cut down on noise pollution, but they will render your guns invariably filthy. Increasing back pressure forces some of the carbon fouling that might otherwise vent into the atmosphere back into the action. The result is copious gunk and that gunk can lead to firearm malfunctions.
Reason #2 – Your Life Depends on a Clean Personal Carry Gun
I do actually try to pay attention to my carry guns, but we all suck at this at times. If my RPK chokes while turning ammo into noise, it might elicit some good-natured grumbling. The same thing cannot occur with my Glock 42 while I am standing between some deranged meth addict and my family. Digging into the guts of a well-used pocket gun can be enlightening.
There isn’t a great deal of mechanical energy we are dealing with here, anyway. Let all the lube evaporate out of your favorite slim .380 defensive pistol then pack it to the gunwales with pocket lint and don’t be surprised if it chokes in the clutch. Holstered guns typically fare fairly well over time, but should you be in the practice of carrying a sidearm in your pocket that thing will get gross quick. I have been on occasion gobsmacked by the sheer volume of sundry grunge that will accumulate in a pocket gun over even a short month or two of regular carry.
Reason #3 – You Want the Magazine to Work Properly
The box magazine on a pocket gun sucks up filth like crazy. Slide the floorplate off and tidy up the inside of the magazine whenever you strip the gun.
Shoot your carry guns from time to time, and not just with cheap blasting ammo. It can be illuminating to go to the range and run your ready magazine dry in a high-mileage carry piece. I have had several unexpected stoppages during this exercise. There is one gun I no longer rely upon because of some dismal no-notice range performance. Defensive ammo is expensive, but it is worth the trouble to freshen up your primary magazine every year or two.
Strip it down and tidy it up on the first of each month. It won’t take you five minutes. You would willingly devote more attention to some medical machine if it were keeping you alive. If you are serious about packing a gun for protection, you need to keep it properly maintained.
Reason #4 – Clean Guns Will Function from the Range to a Combat Zone
I ran my first M16A1 professionally in 1984. I’ve had every type of stoppage imaginable with this weapon, including blown cases and a failed front sight base. The gun will run and run well, but it needs a little love. The rub is that the direct gas impingement system pumps all of the gun’s sundry funk right back into its entrails.
M16A1 rifles at the Ranger School at Fort Benning back in the 80s had been ridden hard, but meticulously maintained. However, I used one during a competition there that would not run more than three rounds at a sitting despite being spotlessly clean and lightly lubed. Stoner acolytes please forgive me, but this is, especially in its earliest iterations, a remarkably finicky combat weapon.
Let an AR get properly dirty and the results will show. Failures to extract, failures to eject, and bolt over failures pepper the fail-scape. The solution is obviously regular cleaning.
Scrub off the bolt, bolt carrier, bolt carrier key, and sundry small parts. Personally, I use a pocketknife to scrape the carbon fouling off of the tail of the bolt. Whichever way you choose to complete this task, make sure you’re doing so regularly.
Reason #5 – You Don’t Want to Have to Drop Hard-Earned Money on Repairs
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, an adage that is especially true in the realm of gun cleaning and maintenance. By cleaning a gun after shooting, you can offset the need for costly repairs later on – along with a few sideways glances from an unimpressed gunsmith. You’ve spent enough money on the firearm itself, so why pay extra to repair it due to negligence? Also, while your gun is off getting fixed it’s not in your possession when you may need it the most.
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How cool is this Webley?!
A Winchester Model 67a
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M94 carbine
The period from 1873 through about 1960 is, for me, the most fascinating period of cartridge and firearm development. So many different things were going on, from repeating firearms, the development of self-contained metallic cartridges, smokeless powders, bolt-actions, double-actions, semi- and full-automatics, jacketed bullets and telescopic sights, just to name a few.
Here we will take a look at a cartridge conceived in the blackpowder era that transitioned into the smokeless-powder era, with little more than a slight change in bullet construction and propellant. And like many cartridges of this era, it lives on today with a devoted—if not overly large—group of fans. That cartridge is the .22 Hornet. It started when Winchester spawned a small-game, black-powder cartridge in 1885 called the .22 Winchester Center Fire. It was originally chambered in the company’s then-new Model 1885 single-shot rifle.
Some 19 years later, Remington would chamber the No. 7 Rolling Block in .22 W.C.F., as well. The case was a diminutive proportioned bottleneck design with a long, sloping body and a scant 5-degree shoulder to facilitate extraction in the dirty-burning, black-powder rifles of the day. A 45-grain cast lead flat-point bullet in front of 13 grains of black powder turned up some 1,550 f.p.s. of muzzle velocity. The cartridge had widespread popularity as a small-game, target and varmint round. Yet with the advent of smokeless powders, shooters desired something that fouled less and could be shot more.
A dimensional schematic of the .22 Hornet cartridge.
During the 1920s, experimenters at Springfield Armory led by Capt. Grosvenor Wotkyns, and later Col. Townsend Whelen, tweaked the cartridge for a while, and by 1930, the .22 Hornet debuted. The case is virtually identical to its parent .22 W.C.F. cartridge, although the black-powder version typically was loaded with bullets .228″ in diameter. Hornets were initially loaded with .223″ jacketed bullets, and have now settled on .224″ bullets. With smokeless powders having more energy-to-weight, the same 45-gr. bullets were launched at 2,400 f.p.s., albeit they were jacketed bullets.
The .22 Hornet was touted by Winchester engineers as the most accurate ever tested in their labs at that time. Winchester’s .22 Hornet enjoyed even more widespread popularity, quickly enough that, by 1936, the .22 W.C.F. was no longer loaded, despite the fact that until 1932 no factory rifle had been chambered for the .22 Hornet. Sales brochures of the era touted the .22 Hornet as a 200-yard rifle, but in practice it was more suited to targets no further than 125 yards.
Handloaders and backyard experimenters had a field day with the Hornet, so much so that bullets from 34 to 55 grains have been tried in it. Today most factory loads and handloads utilize bullets from 35 to 46 grains and have very frangible construction. Velocities are usually in the 2,700 f.p.s. range with modern powders and extend the usable range of the .22 Hornet out to 175 yards.
Those who want or need a relatively quiet, light-recoiling and inexpensive-to-shoot firearm seem to love the Hornet. It can be used in somewhat settled farm country to keep the rodent population in check without scaring the neighbors. Powder charges generally range from 12 to 20 grains, depending on the powder, so one gets a lot of loaded rounds from a pound of powder. The .22 Hornet has a bit of history as a target and training cartridge, as well.
In such places as Australia and New Zealand, the cartridge was not only was popular with small-game and vermin shooters, it was a favorite for cadets in training as well. It was quite popular in Europe, where the Germans call it the 5.6×35 mm R. CZ-USA still chambers its premium 527 Lux in styles targeting American and European markets. Handloaders have gotten more performance than factory ammo makers have been able to until recently.
For decades, the .22 Hornet factory loads spit out 45-grain bullets at 2,400 to 2,500 f.p.s. Handloaders were getting some 2,700 f.p.s. and more with the same bullets using powders like the then Hercules, now Alliant 2400, along with IMR 4227. That still wasn’t enough for many, so enter the wildcatters. The most popular wildcat off the .22 Hornet is the .22 K-Hornet, developed by Lysle Killborn in 1940. More than a few other wildcats were made, but Killborn’s has kept most of its legs.
The standard .22 Hornet on the left compared with the .22 K-Hornet on the right.
As one of the first of the “improved cartridges,” the .22 K-Hornet generated another 200 f.p.s. more than the standard Hornet. The .22 K-Hornet’s increased powder capacity—made by fire-forming the taper out of the case and giving it a sharp 40-degree shoulder—offered a real improvement and increased point-blank-range capability. I fell for the siren song of the K-Hornet some 44 years ago when I had my Ruger No. 3 reamed out to .22 K-Hornet.
After trying several bullets from 45 to 52 grains, I finally settled on a Sierra 45-grain Varminter bullet in front of 20.0 grains of IMR 4198 and producing 2,888 fps from the 22″ barrel of my No. 3. I even shot a Lyman 225415 (now discontinued), 50-grain, flat-point cast bullet with a gas check for some time. In front of 4.0 grains of then-Hercules Unique, it was deadly on red fox at 50 to 75 yards. When I quit night hunting fox, I give up on it because installing the dinky .22-cal. gas checks became too much of a hassle. P.O. Ackley necked the Hornet down to .17 caliber in the 1950s, creating a .17 Hornet.
Bullet technology being what it was in the 1950s, the .17 Hornet was mildly successful. However, when Hornady brought out the .17 Hornet as a factory round a few years ago and companies like Savage, CZ-USA, Ruger and others began chambering it, senior pest and varmint shooters eagerly flocked toward it. The Hornady load sends a 20-grain V-Max bullet out of a 24″ barrel at 3,650 fps with a trajectory of just over plus-or-minus 3″ over 300 yards. Winchester Ammunition also loads a 20-grain, polymer tipped bullet to 3,650 fps with similar trajectory, as does Federal.
A box of Federal 20-grain .17 Hornet.
Prairie dog shooters love it. It is sometimes said that classic designs never go out of fashion. Sure, the hotshot .22-cal. cartridges like the .223 Rem., .22-250 Rem. and .220 Swift get most of the attention and ink. But most hits on varmints from field positions—i.e. the shooter hasn’t hauled a shooting bench out into the field, he must shoot from position or at least on sticks—occur at less than 200 yards. For that kind of shooting—and hitting—the nearly century-old Hornet remains a fine choice.