Archive for Concealed Carry
Taurus Judge: Public Defender
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Taurus introduced the “Public Defender” revolver, another in the line of the Judge revolvers, at the 2009 SHOT Show.
Chambering the same .45 Colt and .410 shotshells as the other handguns in the Judge line, the Public Defender is built on a smaller frame (the 85 series frame), and is clearly designed for concealed carry. The Public Defender still chambers five rounds, yet is smaller and lighter, weighing only 28.2 ounces for the stainless or blued versions, and 26 ounces for the blued steel/titanium cylinder model.
The Public Defender has a three inch barrel topped with a red fiber optic sight. The rear sight is a fixed notch. The hammer has been reduced, meaning it is less likely to catch on clothing during a draw, but it can still be cocked for a single action, precision shot. The Public Defender wears a set of the Taurus Ribber grips.
The Public Defender felt a touch front-heavy, but that is probably a good thing for helping to manage recoil. While this gun is nowhere near the size of a J-frame snubbie, it is noticeably smaller than the previous Judge models. If you want to carry a .410/.45 Colt, this is the best package to do it concealed.
I spoke with a sales rep on day one of SHOT who said the pricing on the Public Defender would be around $500 for the blued and stainless models. The titanium model will be about $600. A Taurus rep on day two of SHOT also quoted me the same general numbers.
5.11 Casual Belt: Quality Gun Belt at Reasonable Price
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Looking for a quality gun belt for concealed carry, but don’t want to spend a fortune? 5.11 may have jsut what you are looking for.
Available in brown and black, the 5.11 Leather Casual Belt offers a sturdy platforn to attach your holster to, while keeping a casual or dress-down appearance. The 5.11 belt has a simple, yet attractive buckle, and the leather looks good. Most importantly, it has a stiff, reinforced piece that runs on the inside of the entire belt that makes this an excellent belt for concealed carry. Read More→
Smith and Wesson 1911 PSc Compact Pistol
Posted by: | CommentsI got a chance to spend some time in the Smith and Wesson booth, playing with all of the new handguns and AR-15′s they are introducing this year. One of the new pistols I liked the best is the S&W1911 PSc.
The PSc is a compact .45 ACP 1911. It feels really good in the hand. Like most 1911′s, the balance is nice and it points well. The gun’s finish is pleasing to look at, and the assembly seems to be very well done.
This pistol is certainly on my short list of compact 1911′s to consider if I was looking to purchase one.
Sig P238: More Information
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The Sig P238 is sized to attack the Ruger LCP market, but it is a completely different animal.
The P238 is a single action, .380 ACP gun. I got to work the trigger doing some dry firing at the Sig exhibit today. The trigger was nice! A light, crisp pull and break. I was actually surprised how much I liked the trigger. I guess I had been dry firing too many DAO pocket guns during the day, so when I made my way to the P238 late in the afternoon, I was expecting a poor trigger. Nope…the trigger on the floor model was quite nice.
The thumb safety worked well. It clicked on and off in a decisive manner: not too hard, but not too easy either. When obtaining a grip on the gun, the thumb can easily sweep the safety off. The safety is obviously much smaller than on a full-sized 1911, but it is usable.
The sights are nice! SIGLITE night sights were on the demonstration model, and they were far better than anything on a LCP, Kel-Tec, or Taurus TCP. You can actually use these sights.
Overall, I like the gun. The only negative thing that jumps out at me are the grip panels. There is something about the vertical grooves that make me dislike the look. If I replaced those with something more aesthetically pleasing, I’m sure it would make all the difference to me. Then again, I’m the guy matching plaids and stripes, so you better not listen to me on what looks good!
An Observation at the Ruger Booth
Posted by: | CommentsIt seemed that several gun manufacturers were launching pistols to compete with the Ruger LCP. But, it may be that the Ruger LCR was the LCP’s biggest competitor. I watched the Ruger exhibit for a while, and the LCR area was always busy. The LCP display, on the other hand, was all but a ghost town.
The LCR area:
The LCP area:
New Taurus Guns at the 2009 SHOT Show
Posted by: | CommentsThere was a lot of talk before the SHOT Show about some of the new guns Taurus would be introducing. Well, here is what I found:
Taurus Slim – Taurus previously announced the “Slim,” or 709-series, pistol. However, they are now offering it with a titanium slide. Let me tell you this thing is light! The Slim pistol is a single stack 9mm handgun that weighs only 19 ounces (unloaded). With the titanium slide, you can shave a few more ounces off of that number. The blued and stainless models feel good in my hand, but the titanium model is a real winner. Taurus lists the steel slide versions at $439, and says the titanium version will go for about $100 more.
A brief review and more information and photos of the Taurus 709 SLIM is here.
PT22/25 – These tip-up barreled guns now sport a polymer frame and lighter weight. Unfortunately, the only samples they had on the floor (one of each) were in a back room for a private meeting with some big buck distributor when I was there. These will start at about $220 and go up depending on what options you get. The rep couldn’t tell me what options you may get.
Taurus TCP – The TCP, or Taurus Compact Pistol, is the latest .380 ACP pocket gun to hit the market. Kel Tec had this market cornered until Ruger launched the LCP last year. Now everyone is looking to get in on it.
The TCP is a very small, very thin, very light polymer pocket gun. The sights are almost non-existent, but I guess this was meant as a last ditch “get off me” kind of gun. The TCP does have a slide lock.
I’ve got photos and more information on the Taurus TCP here.
24/7 – The Taurus rep said all of the 24/7 pistols were re-designed so the curve on the backstrap was slightly altered and now each of the pistols could hold one additional round as compared to the originals. That seemed a little strange, so I asked him to repeat himself, and he confirmed the information. As to why they changed the curve/grip he merely said “ergonomics.”
1911 – Taurus did indeed introduce a double stack 1911. For my hand, it is way too thick. The magazine well is huge, and the gun balances nicely. Fit and finish seemed top notch on the floor sample (it better, right?).
Taurus also introduced a 1911 chambered for the .38 Super.
The Public Defender – By now, everyone has seen the Judge: Taurus’ .45 Colt/.410 shotshell combo revolver. Well, Taurus just announced the Public Defender. This revolver is also chambered in .45/.410 (2 1/2″), but on the smaller 85-series frame.
The frame was lengthened to accommodate the longer cylinder, but it is a lot smaller than the full-sized Judge. Yes, it still holds five cartridges.
The hammer spur was trimmed and rounded to make it less likely to snag on clothing, but it is still large enough to cock for a single action shot (precision with a .410 shot shell?) A fiber optic front sight and the ribbed Taurus grips are standard.
The Public Defender in stainless will set you back around $500, while a titanium model will go for about $600. More information on the Public Defender is here.
The Tactical Judge – Taurus has introduced a tactical version of the Judge, complete with a ported barrel and Picatinny rail. Read more information about the Tactical Judge here.
On all of the guns, the rep was a little loose with shipping dates and pricing. So, stay tuned. When they start shipping, and when we have firm prices, I will let you know.
Sig Sauer P238 Subcompact: Single Action .380 ACP Pistol
Posted by: | CommentsSig Sauer introduced a new pistol: the Sig P238 Subcompact. The P238 is a single action .380 ACP pistol designed for the concealed carry market. 
It is designed to be carried cocked and locked much like the time-proved 1911 pistol.
The P238 is clearly aimed at the same niche that Ruger entered last year with the LCP. Time will show if Sig can take a piece of this hot market with a single action .380. MSRP starts at $515, but can be had for much cheaper at Impact Guns.
SIG SAUER P238 Specifications
Caliber: .380 ACP (9mm short)
Frame Material: Aluminum
Frame Finish: Black Hard Coat Anodize
Slide Material: Stainless Steel
Slide Finish: Nitron or Natural Stainless
Length Overall: 5.5″
Height Overall: 3.9″
Width Overall: 1.1″
Barrel Length: 2.7″
Sights: Post & Dot Contrast, SIGLIGHT Night Sights
Sight Radius: 3.8″
Weight w/out mag: 15.2 oz.
Mag cap: 6 rounds.
From the Sig press release:
SIG SAUER, Inc., the leading manufacturer of commercial, law enforcement, and military
firearms, proudly introduces the P238, in .380 ACP; specifically designed as a concealed carry or backup
handgun for legally armed citizens or law enforcement professionals.Reacting to many requests from the marketplace for a subcompact SIG SAUER pistol, engineers designed the new P238 as a smart looking, small handgun built with the same accuracy and reliability as large frame SIG SAUER pistols.
With an overall length of just 5.5 inches a height of 3.96 inches, and weighing just under a pound, the SIG SAUER P238 is the ultimate firepower in an all metal frame concealed pistol. The P238 is built on an anodized alloy beavertail style frame with fluted aluminum grips for comfort and a secure hold during rapid-fire usage. The stainless steel slide features the popular SIG SAUER slide serrations and improves overall performance and accuracy.
Additionally, the contrast or SIGLITE® Night Sights are removable and adjustable for windage. The sear and trigger return spring are redesigned to prevent spring over-ride of the ejector during assembly.
Two finishes are available; Two- tone and corrosion resistant Nitron®. The new SIG SAUER P238 is shipped in a lockable hard case with one 6 round magazine at an MSRP starting at $515.00 for the Nitron® with contrasting sights.
Ruger’s New Revolver: Hammerless, Polymer?
Posted by: | CommentsThe Ruger LCR: Light Compact Revolver
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UPDATE: The Ruger LCR is real and was available for shooting at the 2009 Media Day at the Range. I’ve got a first review of the Ruger LCR with my impressions of the gun here.
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I just had someone send me a photo of a revolver that appears to be a hammerless Ruger that is unlike anything I have ever seen them make.
I do not have confirmation that this is the “Show Stopper” that I talked about before, but it is definitely different. In fact it even looks as if it may have polymer parts!
The ergonomics clearly look like a gun designed for CCW. In fact, it looks like it is very thin! It is impossible to tell from a two-dimensional photo, but it appears the cylinder has only four chambers, suggesting that emphasis was placed on making this a very slim gun.
Keep in mind that this is not from an official Ruger press release. It may turn out to be a hoax.
Democrats Afraid of People Carrying Firearms at the Presidential Inauguration
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under “This person got elected?” comes the UPI story about delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton from D.C. Norton thinks that people will misunderstand the recent change in the Department of the Interior policy that allows citizens to carry a concealed firearm if it is allowed under the local jurisdiction’s laws. Norton is afraid that normally law abiding citizens will carry a concealed firearm to the inauguration. D.C. does not allow citizens to carry a concealed firearm, so under the current policy, no citizen is allowed to carry a concealed firearm at the inauguration.
Since someone who would do harm to the president is a criminal, and criminals by definition do not obey the laws, it would seem that Norton is only worried about stupid, but law abiding, citizens. That’s kind of funny because I am worried about stupid politicians.
The Department of the Interior has finally updated their regulations as many of us have asked them to do for many years now: carrying a concealed firearm in a national park is no longer banned.
According to the NRA_ILA website, “[the new rule] would allow an individual to carry a concealed weapon in national parks and wildlife refuges if, and only if, the individual is authorized to carry a concealed weapon under state law in the state in which the national park or refuge is located.”
Previously, the Department of the Interior banned all concealed carry of firearms under the misguided belief that people would be safer without them.
Thank you to all of you who wrote in to the Department of the Interior supporting this change. Also, thanks to the NRA for spearheading this effort. When we all get together for a common purpose, we can get things done. Lets keep this positive victory in mind as we move forward into 2009.
The Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network, LLC is a group of armed citizens who have networked together to provide legal assistance for innocent citizens who used deadly force to defend themselves. Some rather impressive people are associated with the Network, including Massad Ayoob, John Farnam, Tom Givens, and Dennis Tueller. Read More→
Robber Shot by Shopkeeper in a Marietta, GA Liquor Store
Posted by: | CommentsA shopkeeper shot an armed robber in a Marietta, GA liquor store on November 15, 2008. The robber pointed a handgun at the owner, demanding money and gin. When the robber started to put away his firearm so he could carry his loot, the business owner was able to produce his own handgun and bring it to bear on the robber. The robber then began to pull his firearm, forcing the shopkeeper to shoot him. The robber then fled.
Kudos to the business owner for keeping a cool head and acting when the robber was distracted.
Below is part of the store security video.
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution article:
Marietta store owner fires back at would-be robber
A would-be robber apparently got more than he bargained for when he tried to rob a Cobb County package store.
When a man wearing a hoodie and carrying a gun tried to rob the Windy Hill Package store, the owner fired a handgun at him, police spokesman Dana Pierce said.
The owner of the store at 2425 Windy Hill Road in Marietta believes he shot the suspect as he ran from the store during the Nov. 15 robbery attempt. A store security camera captured the incident as it unfolded around 7:30 p.m. at the store near Cobb Parkway.
The suspect is seen on the security camera pointing a gun at the clerk.
The owner, who asked that his name not be used because the suspect is still on the loose, said the robber first asked for a bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin. When he came back to the counter he pointed his gun at the clerk and gestured toward the cash register.
As the store owner pushed a bag with the bottle in it toward the robber, the robber put his gun in the waistband of his pants. The clerk quickly reached under the counter and brought out his own gun – a .45 caliber – which he fired at the robber.
The robber appears to be hit in his right side and staggered as he turned to leave. Piece said no bullet holes were found in the walls of the store.
Pierce said the suspect left without any money – or his gin.
When the robbery began to unfold, the owner said, “He was yelling something like he was going to kill me. I didn’t think nothing of him when he came into the store, because we get guys that dress like that in here all the time. It all happened so fast that I didn’t have time to be afraid.”
Police checked local hospitals for patients with gunshot wounds, but haven’t turned any up.
No charges are expected to be filed against the store owner. The owner said this was the first time that someone has attempted to rob him since he bought the store in December 2007.
