TexasCHLforum.com

Okay, based on what both yerasimos and excaliber are telling me I am going to start carrying oc pepper spray. As an executive at a small manufacturing company, I must abide be the dress code and wear my shirt tucked in, but also having been there 14 years I also know its impractical to wear a jacket. I did try wearing a tuckable IWB holster briefly but found this uncomfortable as well from frequent leaning, squatting and bending over. My attempt was to find a means to both carry and be comfortable at work.

I hope I don't sound unappreciative of the comments or sound like I'm upset over spilt milk. I'm honestly not and I am willing to try alternatives offered. If pepper spray is a better means of defense then my P3at then I will give it a try.

fm2 wrote:

Txroadcyclist wrote: I know that carrying in an ankle holster slows reaction time but with situational awareness I am relying on the opportunity to use time to my advantage.

I think you mean draw speed, not reaction time.

Thank you fm2 that is what I meant

yerasimos

While I respect your opinion, you still seem to be talking down to me. You seem to have disdain for those (dandies) who frequent Starbuck's, wears Prada or Armani, reads Men's Health an carries a "mouse gun". With the exception of carrying the "mouse gun" thats not me but I will defend those that do in the hope that more people of every race, education and social class who are law abiding citizens will carry and thereby cause every would be criminal to think twice before committing a criminal act.

You implied that those that carry a "mouse gun" do not possess the skills to properly handle their weapon and I'm saying many of us do practice and are familiar with how our pistols shoots and are also aware of its limitations.

As I stated in a subsequent post, I had my weapon in a ready position before a friend who wore his on his hip. I'm not saying I can do this every time but it does point out that things can happen even when adrenaline is not coursing through one's veins. In your latest post, you mentioned crouching to retrieve a pistol from an ankle holster. I can't speak for others who carry on their ankle but I practice lifting my left leg (weak side with the weapon on the inside of the ankle) to draw my pistol from its holster to minimize time on the "X". Am I aware that this also could cause a problem? Again yes, I could lose my balance but again in an adrenaline charged moment, anything could happen. I do practice to try to minimize and shoot regularly to stay familiar with how my carry weapon shoots. I know that others who carry a "mouse gun" practice as well, just like I'm sure that there are a few out there who carry their .45 on their hips who seldom practice.

I've read that some people carry their weapon on them even in their home and thats fine but there are others who choose to just keep their doors locked and not carry their weapon at all times. I just ask that you respect one's decision and not talk down to them.

You and I probably have alot more in common then you think but your country boy pride is preventing you from seeing people how they really are. Now how about I school you in Fishing?

I just read my post and realized that I didn't make an argument for carrying my P3at and carrying it in an ankle holster, quite the opposite actually. The quotes in my post just made me angry in that they implied the those who carry "mouse guns" have virtually no experience in shooting and therefore should not be qualified to carry. I was also fixing to leave work when I logged in and typed without using my brain. To those who know me, I do that from time to time.
I and I'm sure many others that carry a P3at or other mouse guns have spent a lifetime using firearms. I know that carrying in an ankle holster slows reaction time but with situational awareness I am relying on the opportunity to use time to my advantage. I'm aware of the flaws but it is the best option for me. Any life or death confrontation will be chock full of flaws, what ifs and if I had only... A friend of mine once criticized me for carrying on my ankle until I had my weapon in a ready position before him when his untucked shirt got tangled with his hand in his attempt to draw, btw our weapons were unloaded and we both pointed in a safe direction, not at each other.
I just thought it was hypocritical to tell some that what may be right, i.e. carrying a .45 on the hip, might not be right for everyone and then criticize when they choose another option and then further imply that they could not possibly be proficient in the use of their weapon.

yerasimos wrote:

Greybeard wrote:Quote: "If I can conceal and control a full-sized handgun, why downsize?"

Some folks can't - or won't.

It seems that mouse guns are indeed the everyday "primary carry gun" for a surprising percentage of CHL people, people who, by human nature, would otherwise not carry at all due to discomfort or (often simply perceived) difficulty concealing something larger.

In my view, this reduces to mental roadblocks or lack of motivation to seek and obtain appropriate gear.

I question the reasoning behind, "Have a gun." These three words seem to imply that having any gun---even a gun you are unfamiliar with or have difficulty shooting properly---is inherently better than not having a gun. I disagree; if you cannot get a weapon into play quickly enough, it may as well be left in a safe at home; if you cannot produce hits on a threat upon demand, you delay in stopping the threat and risk injuring or damaging someone or something that did not merit shooting. Mouseguns and related gear trend toward all of these undesirable directions, and provide easily-retailed "solutions" (excuses) for people who are interested in being "armed" but uninterested in expending the time, effort and resources to seek competence beyond passing a minimal state-mandated qualification.

It seems to me that one thing that has always been stressed in this forum is to carry what is comfortable to you. I carry a P3at in a WRB ankle holster. I have a .45 Colt 1911 (my dad's weapon when he was a Marine Aviator and in my mind a family heirloom), a Ruger P-95 and a Taurus Model 85. I choose to carry the P3at because it is most closely matches my lifestyle. I do practice with it regularly. I may not be able to rapidly draw my weapon and it does not have an extensive range but I do practice situational awareness and I rely on it only to escape a deadly confrontation. I took martial arts for a few years and escape was the primary motivation for learning to fight. Could this mindset put me in danger? Possibly but that is my choice. Shooting is a passion for a alot of you and thats fine but as my screen name implies, my passion lies elsewhere. I read time and again that you should carry what you're comfortable carrying but when someone mentions a carry weapon viewed by the purists as inadequate the critiques come rapidly.
Cycling is my passion and shooting maybe yours but we do share an interest in the something. Taking an elitist point a view and talking down to those who also have an interest in personal protection but whose choice of carry is something other than a Glock, Sig, Kimber or 1911 is not going to help what both of us want to achieve in the long run and that is to encourage others to take responsibility for their own protection. As the saying goes "an armed society is a polite society" not "an armed society with a 9mm or higher caliber and whose barrel length is a minimum of 3 inches and whose muzzle velocity is...," well you get the point.