Cold Weather Shooting

Yesterday, I was an assistant instructor for a basic pistol class. While the classroom was heated and comfortable the range was outdoors and we are in full-blown winter. It was twenty degrees and windy. Getting out of the wind was tolerable if you were stomping your feet and well dressed for the cold but standing in the wind was a bit like getting hit in the face with ice cubes. Any exposed skin immediately started to sting, turn red, tingle and finally go numb. Or, in the case of hands, induced incredible shaking.

We instructors did our best to put our backs to the wind and stand between it and our students to shield them at least a little bit but it wasn't much use. If you were on the firing line you were going to wish you weren't.

My first student on the line didn't have anything for his head more substantial than a baseball cap and he had no gloves. Before he shot he needed to show me that he could safely manipulate his firearm and then take the required number of shots. By the time he was half-way through the manual of arms his hands began to shake, badly. I let him put his hands back in his pockets for a few moments and we went through the shots as quickly as we could. He had to stop a few times to put his hands in his pockets or cover his ears and face. To say he was miserable would be an understatement. He did very well considering the circumstances.

My next student was better prepared with a hat and a hood and thick leather working gloves. He got to the line and picked up the gun to show me he could operate it safely and couldn't operate it at all with his gloves on. While his gloves were ideal for working in a field or digging a ditch, they were too thick and too big for use operating a firearm. He had to take them off to operate anything but the slide and, like the first student, as soon as his hands were exposed to such cold they began to tremble. He did an amazing job of shooting through the tremble, however, and got one of the best groups I've ever seen in a first timer, cold or not.

This pattern repeated itself over and over again. Those who had gloves had thick winter gloves or even mittens that they had to take off in order to shoot. Many of them couldn't fit their gloved finger into the trigger guard, especially on the smaller baby 9mms and .380s that are popular in concealed carry. Those who didn't have gloves were so cold they could barely feel their flesh or had trouble operating their firearms because their hands began to get stiff and unfeeling.

Despite it all, they did very well and I'd love to see them all back on a warmer day.

As for myself, the only gloves I had were the cheap, knit gloves you can buy a pair of at WalMart for $1.

While my hands were chilly they were not ice-cold. The gloves protected me from the biting cold wind, but were thin enough for me to operate every gun well enough to demonstrate and shoot.

As far as the students I worked with, there was only one other young man--an avid hunter with well fit hunting gloves and a full-size XD--who had no problems with gloves and operating his firearm.

I had learned long ago that if you are going to carry in cold weather you need to address shooting and how that cold is going to effect your hands and shooting ability. I have shot many times with hands so cold I could not feel them. If forced to shoot without gloves, it's nice to know that until frozen stiff, my hands will still work enough to shoot. But I've also tried other types of gloves to the point where I'm willing to suffer a little cold for thinner gloves that fit well enough to not impede my operation of the gun.

I know there are shooting gloves out there that are quite pricey that likely work very well for most. I've given up trying them. Mostly because I have extremely short fingers which leave excess material at the top of the fingers of most gloves that can impede my ability to operate a firearm well. But I can buy 10 pair of knit gloves for $5 and stick them in all of the pockets of every coat I own as well as my purse and the diaper bag. And if they tear or I need to rip them off and get rid of them there is no real loss. They may not have a lot of gripping surface but that is what texturing and cocking serrations are for. I trust those features on my firearms and they've not let me down yet.

Think about the cold but don't over think it, either. If you can find a good pair of gloves that fit you well to wear there is no bulk or excess material, they may be a good investment. Or, if you're like me, you can go cheap and stuff your pockets with cheap gloves that will be there when you need them but won't get in your way.

XX weeks of holsters

About 2 years ago I posted a video titled "Holster Pick and Book Suggestion" seen here:

In it you can see just a few of my holsters. Some of them have been sold or traded and new ones have been added. Including holsters that I am going to review in the future.

Anyone who have watched my holster reviews know that I am as thorough as possible. Because of that I am very careful to wear the holsters I review. Some holsters I have reviewed I have loved from the onset. Some I have not liked so much. Either way, I make sure I carry the holsters for as much time as I can before I film any reviews. I don't, however, always stick with one holster only for that time. Sometimes I switch holsters a few times a day because I want to change into a different outfit or am doing something I want to go back to tried-and-true method of carry for.

But as I was going through my holsters early this year, I decided I want to see if I can commit to sticking with one holster for one consecutive week at a time and how many weeks it would take me to get through all of my holsters.


In some cases it might mean I have to carry a different firearm than usual and I'm also curious as to how that is going to change things as well.

I think it will be a fun experiment for me. I will not only be forced to revisit what I like about certain holster systems but perhaps what I dislike as well.

So now I have to come up with a set of rules for myself:

Of course, as stated, the goal is to carry a firearm in a different holster system every week until I have gone through every single holster in my collection (provided, of course, that I still have a gun to go in said holster).

Rule #1 would be obvious: I can't go back to my standard mode of OWB carry just because. An exception to that rule would be if I were required to carry a specific way for a class.

Anyone else have any other rules for me? Let's here 'em.

While you guys are coming up with rules, I'll start inventory on my holster so see just how many weeks I'm looking at. 

Collaberation and the Gun Community

I have a confession to make: I am lousy at working with people on certain things and sometimes I can be downright socially dumb.

I plow forward in my efforts to make a point or figure something out and I don't always remember to recognize those around me who help me with everything from inspiring posts, question, to answering my own questions and even helping out with research. I don't even always remember to acknowledge the people who ask me for help.

Today, as I read A Girl And Her Gun's post on how little bickering and fighting for dominance there is in the female "gun community." She's very right. The female gun community has been a place of support and help from every side. And while I have been on the receiving end of such support I realized that I have done blessed little to show just how supportive I feel towards others. I realized that I wasn't even subscribed to many blogs I read or the FB pages of people I converse with regularly and feel very fortunate to have met, conversed with and greatly benefited from knowing.

I would very much like to rectify this and expand my horizons to include even more sources of people that I can get behind and support and encourage and learn from and pass their information on to you so we can all benefit from knowing them.

There have been some great people (men and women) who have supported me and I would like to thank them publicly:

Kathy Jackson, the author of Cornered Cat. She was the first resource I was directed to when I started out almost seven years ago.
Greg Ellifritz, author of Active Response Training. The man is not only a goldmine of information but a patient and interactive individual who's always promptly and thoroughly answered my questions.
The Staff and membership of Defensive Carry and their support, patience and acceptance of me when I was just a young'un starting out.
Dr Ruthless who's been happy to point me in directions for unarmed self defense resources for younger girls.

Holster makers such as UBG, Crossbreed, Looper Law Enforcement, Remora, Galco, have subjected their products to me for testing and review... some of them are still in the process of being picked apart as well.  

Last, but not least, my own husband, JD, author over at Guns, Guns and More Gosh Darned Guns. He is a resource that I would be dead in the water without. His organization, memory and patient understanding are impeccable and he has all of my respect and admiration not only as a wife but as an individual looking for straight talk about gun issues.

And of course there are all of those who come along for the ride. I'm glad you're here! 

I know there are far more out there as well who have helped and supported me that I'm overlooking and for that I apologize.

I'm really hoping that this year can be a year that I branch out and get over my one-track-mindedness and branch out to others, working with them to continue to drive the interests of learning self defense further than it could ever be with just me sitting at the helm.

Thank you all!!

Let's get to work making an exciting 2013.

Fighting To The Gun

These last few months have been a flurry of learning and experiences for me. Shortly after completing my Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training, my husband and I enrolled in Krav Maga, an Israeli version of down and dirty self defense training. While going through that program our instructor learned we were firearms instructors and got his first ever private firearms lesson from me.

Our experiences are almost exactly opposite one another. He is a career martial artists who has dedicated decades of his life to hand-to-hand combat yet he knows next to nothing about firearms. He wants to get his concealed carry permit and so he wants to learn about guns but his mindset has not adapted to the gun yet. When given self defense scenarios he brilliantly comes up with unarmed responses and when given the option of a firearm it's an awkward afterthought he has to be reminded of.

I, on the other hand, have come from a very different background of ideals and training. I've spent almost seven years learning about guns. I have little doubt that I would be a formidable opponent with a firearm. But I have to get to the firearm first. As our Krav instructor amuses himself with his near inability to remember a gun as an option, I frustrate myself with my lack of options if a gun is not available.

He doesn't know how lucky he is and how irritated I am.

In my blog titled Gun Centric Much?? I talked about the carry community's dirty little secret and that is that the gun is way over pushed as a solution to every self defense problem. Just today I got a comment that said, "... my plan has always been not to FIGHT if I can just SHOOT!"

That statement, quite frankly, is terrifying. 

First, I'm going to touch a bit on legalities. Not every self defense situation out there warrants the use of a firearm or deadly/lethal force in general. Nor should anyone's goal be to use lethal force when they have a less-than-lethal option available to them. As Rory Miller put it in Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected the basic formula is this:

"You may use the minimum level of force that you reasonably believe is necessary to safely resolve the situation." 

If you want a further breakdown of what that means I strongly encourage you to pick up the book and read it for yourself. It's very enlightening and essential information for anyone who wants to understand the legalities of using lethal force.

In a nutshell, however, if you are going to have a lethal means of self defense on your person then you should understand when you can and cannot use it.

But, let's get past that. Let's say you are perfectly justified in using lethal force. In fact, you MUST use lethal force to defend yourself.

You've just been assaulted. A man twice your size with three times your strength has just attacked you. He's fighting to get his hands around your neck (or worse, he already has them there) and he's growling that he's going to kill you. 

Well, if polled, a vast majority of people would respond to this scenario with a hearty, "I'd shoot him!"

That sounds pretty simple, doesn't it?

But as your reach your hand back toward your gun your attacker recognizes the gesture, reaches down and grabs your gun hand, stopping your draw. He also begins to pull up his shirt and you see he also has a gun.. and he's reaching for it.

Now what?

"I'd shoot him!" doesn't seem to be so simple any more, does it?

What many people who carry guns fail to realize is that, in many cases, the hardest part of using a firearm in self defense is actually getting to the gun. 

I can feel the eye-rolling through the screen. 

"I carry my gun on my body in an easy-to-access location. It's in an open top holster with no retention device. I practice my draw stroke daily. I have a less-than-a-second draw. I ever wear tactical clothing with weighted corners so that it can be brushed aside easier. I never button my cover garment....."

Those are good things. And they mitigate some other problems with getting to your gun. But they no amount of ease of access is going to help you free your gun hand from your attacker's if that just happens to be the way the fight starts.

I once asked the members of a gun forum I moderate what they would do if their first indication of danger was that their gun hand was grabbed by an attacker.

I was shocked when a good number of members flat out said, "I don't know."

Most attacks happen at very close distances. Many of them within five feet and if anyone tells you they don't let strangers get that close to them they are lying or delusional. In many cases, the first indication of danger is a surprise attack, a sucker punch, a grab, a push. Yes, sometimes there is an interview stage where a potential attacker will ask for the time or money or a cigarette, but, again if escalation occurs you may well find yourself in a physical fight just to get to your gun. Then you still have to make effective shots, potentially while still in a physical struggle.

On Monday we did a bit of this in Krav. It was/is not easy to do. I have two bruised knees, a sore foot, scrapped ankle, bruised back and scratches on the front and back of both of my upper arms. I also have a nasty three-day-old headache from said head being bounced off the mat (Thank God there WAS a mat!).

There are three scenarios we worked.

1. Getting to the gun.
2. Keeping the gun when your attacker discovers you have one.
3. Keeping your gun and defending against an attackers gun.

Depending on the scenario, getting the gun can be hard enough.

Someone grabs your gun hand, you may have a smorgasbord or options depending on your training and the situation. Whether you punch him in the nose, kick him in the groin I don't care as long as it gets you free to get to your gun if it needs to escalate to that. It might not need to go there, but at least you have that option now.

The number one, absolute best way to keep your gun is to keep it in its holster. Correction: Keep it in its QUALITY holster. The little nylon one-size-fits-most piece of junk you bought for $5 on the sale rack that has two tears in the plastic that holds the firearm to your belt is NOT a quality holster. Now, I certainly understand that not everyone can carry in a quality belt holster. Some outfits and carry needs demand an array of holster options that may be less-than-ideal. However, whenever possible, I would hope (and assume) that you are carrying in the best holster you could find for your lifestyle and needs. And, dare I say, if your cell phone has a better holster than your gun than you may need to rethink some priorities.

Now, here is the problem with keeping that firearm in the holster. If the holster does not have an active retention device (and even if it does (depending on how much you trust that retention device)) it's going to take one of your hands. Which means that you are going to be fighting with one hand tied behind your back. Protect your head the best you know how (and if you don't know how I suggest you learn how) and get mean. Go nuts. Do whatever you can. If someone is trying to get your gun the likely outcome if they succeed is not going to be them smiling fondly and saying, "HA HA! I got it."

And lastly, keep your eyes open and look for tell-tale signs that the attacker is going for a weapon of his own. Reaching to the hip or under a shirt are two big ones. They are universal signs announcing, "I have a gun."

So, here you are. You have one hand on your gun, trying to keep it in the holster because some guy is grabbing for it. You have your head buried in his chest and you're trying to defend it from his blows while also staying on your feet and trying to get him off of you. And you see him reach for his waistband. 

I wish I had an easy solution to this one. It's a crappy situation for sure. If the scenario doesn't open your eyes to the understanding that you might need a little more training than a day or two at the range than I don't know what will.

On Monday, my favored response seemed to be attempting to get to his gun before he could.

When you grab a gun from someone else's waistband it's likely going to come out of the holster like this:

Use it. Your pinky can just as effectively shoot a gun as your trigger finger can (I hope). You will have to fight the urge to just drive the muzzle into his flesh and pull the trigger. Why? Because you're going to push the slide out of battery and it won't fire. If it doesn't fire after that, oh well. At least you have a nice bludgeoning tool. Start bludgeoning.

But let's say he gets the gun first? I'll have to get back to you on that one because it just plain sucks. The gun-nut in me wants to say, "How well do you know your guns?" A wheel gun with a stopped up cylinder cannot fire. Grab that cylinder and hold on tight. Any semi-auto with a slide out of battery cannot fire. A gun also cannot fire to the side. Get "inside the gun" (meaning behind the muzzle vs in front of it) and try to stay there while you commence the fight of your life. It seemed to work okay for me on Monday but I can't say I got away without ever getting shot. Which is why I have Option C: Medical Supplies!!

Lastly, get used to firing from unnatural positions. On Monday, I "fired" twice from the ground (thank goodness for the training I've had that kept my legs and knees out of the way of my muzzle) , multiple times with my attackers gun held in my off hand upside down (as in the picture above), point blank. I believe that only once did I get a two-handed shooting grip and that was because I was able to get my attacker off of me, get some suitable distance and draw on him while he was still on the ground.

I found it interesting to watch our Krav instructor work. He's much more likely to take a gun away and beat the attacker with it than use it because he's still incorporating firearms into his mindset. Others were also reluctant to shoot because they were either unfamiliar with guns or perhaps even intimidated by them. My sparring partner was more than a little trigger happy, however, and would shoot me whenever he got the chance. My husband and I were also quick to pull the trigger given the opportunity (for better or worse). Our only real advantage was our willingness to fire from unconventional shooting positions whereas I saw others actually taking the time to try to transfer firearms to their dominant hands or turn them around to make a shot.

This post isn't so much about what to do in these situations (because I'm still learning that, too) but to make you aware that sometimes getting to the gun is a lot harder than you might imagine. And "I'd just shoot him" can mean a lot of exchanging blows before you even a gun out of a holster.

Learn to be ready to fight to your gun.

No Easy Way

A few days ago I saw a posting on a forum by a woman asking for advice on being better prepared to defend herself and her children at home.
 
Immediately she listed some restrictions including no guns, no knives, no dogs and no impact weapons.

Restrictions are understandable for various reasons and that is the great thing about self/home defense, there is an abundance of options.

And the options came pouring in. Pepper spray, increasing quality of locking mechanisms, alarm systems, etc. For personal security it was suggested some hand-to-hand defense classes might be a prudent investment in addition to carrying taser or personal alarm. The information was mostly solid and standard for the kind of information being sought.

Then the woman came back with her list of excuses. Too much money, too much time, too much change, too much risk of getting hurt. She didn't think it would be worth it, didn't think it would work. By the end of reading her response it felt a bit like, "Well, I guess I'm just doomed, but thanks anyway."

She, and many others like her, come to self defense like someone goes shopping for an outfit to make them look skinny when they are overweight. They want all of the results without any of the work. They want that magic trick of the eye that will melt off their ill preparedness and not only mask it but actually work in the event it is needed. It doesn't work that way. There is no easy way. At least not an effective one.

If you want to be better prepared and better able to defend yourself and others in the event you need to do so, it's going to take spending a little money, getting a little dirty or bruised, a few days out of your weekends and some hours in your evenings. It's going to take a commitment and work and effort.

There is no specific order of things that must be done, or no specific list of things you must get, but it's a truth that people find both time and money for things they really want or need.

Set a budget for both your time and your money. Set a goal for your personal security, home security, family or work security or a combination of them all. Work until you've achieved that goal and then set a new one.

It may not be easy but it's worth it.

Contusions of Krav #2

We have a guy in class who is 6' 4", 250 lbs. I love/hate sparring with him because he's a monster (151 lbs and 1' 2" my superior) but if anything I do is working against him it will work against almost anyone.

One thing we are learning against such a big opponant is "cutting him down" so that vital areas are accessible. We do this mainly by attacking his knees.

Except, this is what happens when you attempt to knee someone in the soft part of the knee and end up hitting the hard part.

Of course you need to be very careful when attacking any knee while sparring because they are easily injured so this impact was pretty whimpy. Nevertheless, it left my knee looking a little worse for wear. He just stood there and laughed at me while I started making whining noises.

Moral of the story:
When you attempt to knee a knee, go deep.

Contusions of Krav #1

There's an old joke:
"What do you tell a man with two black eyes?........ Nothing, he's already been told twice."

The moral of the story is, you learn from your beatings... or, at least you should.

I've now been doing Krav for just over a month. We started out pretty slow with a few class mates extra hesitent to really bring the aggression that is quite frankly needed in the kind of fighting Krav is made for.

So I wasn't really getting hit.

You'd think that was a good thing. But I'm not paying to stand around and learn a few moves that I can't really be sure are effective against a determined attacker.

I came here to learn how to fight and in order to do that.. well, you gotta get your skin dirty.
This is my first good Krav bruise obtained while sparring with a former tae student. He must have kicked me twenty-five times in the thigh and while it didn't seem to hurt much at the time I was feeling it the next day. And he was pulling his kicks big time. His full force blows would put me on my butt.

We haven't gotten much into defending against kicks but this mark makes me wonder what I could do different?

Move? Try to catch the kick? I'll have to come back later and think about my lesson learned... for now the lesson is sheer body toughening.

My phone does not do the deep purples justice.