handgun carry

[david]

After you acquire a handgun you have to figure out what to do with it.  Are 
you going to carry it on your person, or leave it in your vehicle or at home? 
 Obviously it is most readily accessible if you carry it in a holster.  This 
is also the most secure place for your weapon.  You know absolutely where it 
is and who has it.  

If you decide on holster carry buy the best quality you can find.  It makes 
no sense to spend several hundred dollars on a handgun and then stuff it into 
a $15 one size fits all leather sleave.  A well designed holster will hold 
the weapon securely without the use of thumb snaps, etc.; will allow you to 
assume the correct firing grip while your gun is in the holster; will not 
allow access to the trigger while the weapon is holstered; and it will retain 
its shape so that you can reholster with one hand.

Handguns can also be carried conviently in a fannypack or a purse.  If you 
carry in a purse, personal planner, etc., you must train yourself to always 
retain control of it.  It takes a lot of practice to learn to never set it 
down and move away from it without securing it somehow.

The next step is to learn how to get your handgun into action as rapidly as 
possible without shooting yourself in the ass or the foot (which wastes ammo 
and and impairs your ability to survive a shootout).  Ideally you should 
attend course where you can learn the correct skills and tactics from the 
start.  I took personal handgun courses from the American Small Arms Academy 
and Front Sight.  Other well known schools are Gunsight, Thunder Ranch, and 
Lethal Force Institute.

Two good books to purchase are "The Modern Technique of the Pistol" by 
Gregory Boyce Morrison and "Combat Handgunnery" by Chuck Taylor.  Both books 
cover all the basic gun handling skills, defensive tactics, and principles of 
firearms safety.  T

hey also break down the presentation from the holster (quick draw) into 
individual steps which can be repeated until they are programmed into your 
muscle memory.  When an action is repeated 3,000 times it becomes a 
programmed response which is performed automatically.  Because of that I 
couldn't possibly fire too soon during a high speed presentation.  To shoot 
myself during my draw I would literally have to slow down and do it 
intentionally.

Keep your powder dry,

David Neilson