I got to thinking that the folks at the Campfire collectivly have a vast knowledge about shooting and the people who spend time in the Handgun forum have much knowledge about handguns and handgunning both from a sport and combat perspective.

I am interested in learning more about my handgun hobby and thought it'd be interesting to see what we think are important pieces of info related to hanguns.

I was a cowboy from the first time I saw a western movie. Hoot Gibson, Bob Steele, Johnny Mack Brown, Hoppalong Cassidy, etc., etc., were my heros. I don't remember when or how I learned it but I've known from my earliest days that single action revolvers are carried with the hammer down on an empty chamber. So I submit that as my important handgunning fact.

Thanks,

Front sight, always see the front sight!

I was going to say that. My shooting greatly improved when I read somewhere to focus on the front sight and the target.

In my opinion, if you are carrying for self-defense, it is more important to practice your "firing stroke" than time spent live firing at targets. The firing stroke is the entire motion starting from your weapon being holstered and concealed, and ending in dry firing, or live firing, on a target. You should, in fact, spend more time with the firing stroke practice with an empty gun than at the range with a loaded gun. Just make sure the gun really is unloaded. Practice should be slow and deliberate until it is second nature, and then you can add some speed to it. If you spend 90% of your handgun practice time doing this, and 10% live firing, you would become highly skilled fast. Make sure to have a target to dry fire at, so you are developing marksmanship skills at the same time. Otherwise it is a waste of time.

If you don't want to shoot it ... don't point at it!

Norm, I second every tip that has so far been offered. Hawkeye's suggestion on dry firing, either out of the holster or statically, is THE technique in all rifle and pistol shooting for accuracy improvement.
My contribution is this: buy a case(5000 rounds) of quality practice-grade .22 ammo and shoot the entire case in 2004. RS

� Focus on the front sight -- make it the center of your attention, irrespective of how blurry the rear sight and the target become. Concentrate on it and get to know it completely.

� Train yourself to distinguish between the exact middle, the left corner, and the right corner of the front-sight blade. IOW, see the top of the front sight as a width, not a "point."

� Practice holding the top of the front sight 1/4, 1/2, 3/4. and all its height above the top of the rear sight, and you'll be both surprised and gratified to see how accurately you can shoot even a four-incher at longer ranges than a handgun is supposed to be good for.

� Master shooting with issue sights (especially with sighted-in adjustable sights but even with fixed sights if that's what you have), before you mess around with a scope on a handgun. A scope is not as helpful or useful for eliminating the need for skill with open iron sights, as green handgunners think it is. You won't even get all the benefit of the scope if you haven't first mastered the use of the iron sights.

Lots of good tips...mine is... grip, sight picture, trigger control...master these and you are going to be acccurate.

I'll second the raising of the front sight for distance shots...flat out amazes me how accurate it can be. dvnv

My wife and I are both LEO's and she was a mediocre(230's out of possible 250) in qualifying combat course. First, we worked on her drawing her Glock and assuming the proper shooting stance be it standing, kneeling, use of cover, etc. and to do it repeatedly until she could do without thinking. She had the basics down as far as sight picture, breathing, trigger control so we worked on "Aim small, miss small". Instead of aiming at center mass of a sillouette target, aim at the spot where a shirt button would be in the center of chest. She practiced with deliberation at first and then speed followed(Combat courses are timed). She now shoots 248 or 249, she hasn't scored 250 yet but will before long. Handguns are more accurate than most people can shoot them. Practice and you can use one to its full potential

First I would like to provide a comment on avagadro's post which is very good advice but...from an LE or personal protection standpoint you may very well have to point at something you do not want to shoot but feel you may very well have to shoot at any moment. That being said I offer two tips at each end of that spectrum:

Practice holding a handgun on a target in an "at gun point" situation with both eyes open trying to be aware of your surroundings. Try giving commands and then fire at a signal provided by someone else at an unpredictable time.

Second, once you have mastered basic handgunning skills stop standing in one spot and emptying the entire magazine. Practice the "Firing Stroke" as The Real Hawkeye said. Perfect it and then apply it, add double and tripple taps. Life and death can be decided in fractions of a second.

I guess you could sum it up as holding long and shooting quick.

I also agree with all the above. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Would add to keep your trigger finger alongside and not on the trigger untill the millesecond before you are going to shoot.

Not much to add to the above. Ken, I believe, said something in another thread about getting your technique right, then practice, practice, practice. And practice some more. Steve

On the lighter side.....have fun with it. Especially when introducing new shooters. Make it fun and they'll come back for more. Seen too many "experts" turn off new shooters.

I may have missed it in all the good tips here.

Lock your wrist, firm your grip.

I grew up in the old one handed pistol shooting days so this doesn't apply as much as it did when everybody shot one handed. It was taught me by an old Texas Ranger.

When you draw train yourself to bring your sight up from the bottom instead of down from the top. When you shoot in a hurry there is a natural tendency to shoot high. If you bring your sights up into point and fire too quick there is more down there to hit.

BCR

� When you swing the cylinder out of a double-action revolver, never slam it out or back in by its own weight. Push it out to the side and back into battery position. IOW, be nice to it if you want it to always line-up right -- and tight.

� When you seat a fresh clip into the butt of an auto, don't slap it into place after you've inserted it just far enough to be stopped by the clip release. Push the clip release to "release," push the clip past it, then let go of the clip release as you push the clip into locked position.

� Be aware that the magazine "safety" feature of some autos does not prevent the gun from firing if you've taken the initial slack out of the trigger pull before you drop the magazine out of the butt. If there's still a round in the chamber, it'll fire if you finish the trigger pull.

I am a Sheriffs Deputy and official gun enthusiast (GUN NUT) for the department but in line with the comments made about practice is the simple quote of "Smooth is Fast" If you move faster then your abilities allow you are twice as far behind as if you are smooth and fluid. Speed comes with practice and ability.

Another aspect that is important in tactics relates to the Combat Triad (Marksmanship, Gunhandling and Mindset) the most important is Mindset. I work with many an officer on my department that has an improper mindset. They are carrying because they have to, they will shoot to wound, feel it will never happen to them. The proper mindset is being able to assess the situation and stop the suspect without hesitation. That hesitation and that lack of thought placed on the why you are carrying a weapon and will/can you use it when needed, can kill you. Worse yet it could kill the guy next to you that you are supposed to be covering. Think about why it is you carry and what you are willing to do with it.

Last thing is when off duty, those that generally have the wrong mindset wont carry off duty. For me, I would rather have it and never need it, then need it and not have it. Being unprepared can kill. My long winded 2 Cents.

Bushwhacker, Amen and amen.
The best advice I ever got when I was a young hot rod and thought I wanted to carry a gun for a living was given to me by an old time Texas Ranger, G W Burkes. He said, " Son, don't ever carry a pistol unless you have the guts to pull it. Don't ever pull it unless you mean to shoot it. Don't ever shoot it unless you intend to kill the s.o.b. you are shooting at."

BCR

This really is not a handgun tip, but is so closely related that I think it should be mentioned.



First as has been pointed out, any handgunner has to be WILLING to shoot RIGHT NOW if the situation calls for it. He must develop the correct mindset for this. Some men and many women want to talk the assailant out of his bad ideas. That is fine given a proper safe distance, but if he's close, the time for talking is over.



Second, and this was my tip, be tactically aware, all the time. Think ahead.....where would bad guys hide? How could they approach me/my vehicle/home without being observed. Use your car keys with your weak hand if the area is "hot". Going to the mall late? Don't park in an isolated corner of the parking lot, just because it is a little closer to where you want to shop. Going to the convenience store? Don't park around the side even if that is the direction you're coming from. Walking down the street in a big city. Walk toward the street side of the sidewalk, away from doorways, alleys, etc. See some suspicious types down the block or on the next block....don't be brave or stupid, get on the other side of the street, change your route, turn around,. ETC. ETC. Be Aware of your surrounding at all times.



Carjacking have become very common, keep you windows rolled up, doors locked. These are usually kids/gangbangers who have absolutely no compunction about shooting you. Don't make yourself an easy target.



Remember, if you've got to shoot, shoot, but the best result is not to get into that position to start with.

I haven't seen this mentioned and it actually happened to me this morning.

I went snowshoeing this morning and carried my S&W 696 w/me. Now the problem. The gloves I was wearing got caught in the trigger slot in the frame, the trigger wouldn't reset fully and when I tried to fire the next shot the cylinder half turned but obviously no shot fired. Luckily, my first shot did in that nasty stump so a second shot wasn't required <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> but lesson learned. Try that handgun with gloves on if you live in the cold, make sure it works. Sean

It's already been said. Front sight and mind set. Thanks Boggy and welcome Bushwacker. E

What are gloves? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />



Oh wait, I remember, those are the things we use to handle bobware, and tin for the new outhouse roof when it is too hot to handle in the summertime. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> LOL

LoneEagle,

15 years ago my brother, an Indianapolis Police Department Patrolman, was shot at point-blank. The barrel was nearly touching his chest - straight on so as to penetrate center mass.

Wayne who always wore his 2nd Chance vest, had been running late and skipped putting his vest on.

The gun, a fully functional S&W .38 Special revolver, was loaded with perfectly good ammo.

It didn't fire. A small piece of leather from the perp's glove was found between the frame and the hammer. The leather, sheared off as the hammer fell, retarded the hammer fall so that the firing pin barely dented the primer and the gun did not fire.

My brother returned fire before the perp could squeeze off a second round and terminated the confrontation in an approved manner.

What is the lesson here. I guess it is that wearing gloves while trying to shoot can result in problems--or, in this case, extreme good fortune.

All - In the same shooting incident I related in the previous post there was another valuable lesson to be learned.



Wayne, retreating all the time, fired 6 .357's at and into the perp. While crouching behind his patrol car he dumped the empties and went to his drop pouch for 6 more rounds. He could see the perp getting to his feet and starting to advance.



Being somewhat excited Wayne only got 2 of the 6 rounds into the gun after dropping the other 4. The perp was actually dead on his feet. The right arm had been nearly completely severed when a 158 grain JHP round hit the elbow and the gun was thrown some 15 feet away. Also 3 rounds in the chest had taken their toll.



The perp finally went down after - click, click, BANG, click, click, BANG.



The Indianapolis Police Department went to speed loaders shortly after this incident.



Lesson: Being skilled in reloading is important.

Norm,

Holy crap...

I was gonna post a tip but now I hafta have a drink. God bless Wayne and the .357 Mag.

Anyone who carries a handgun for self protection, should ALWAYS carry additional ammo. If carrying a pistol, ALWAYS have one (more, if you so choose) spare loaded magazine. If carrying a revolver, ALWAYS carry a speedloader with ammo in it.

It's amazing what can go wrong with a gun, or ammo, or magazines, or _________ (fill in the blank), in a life threatening situation. Mr. Murphy rules, don't forget.

FWIW. L.W.

Leanwolf - You are right there. Hopefully I'll survive my habitual failure to carry extra ammo. Hopefully the 13 rounds of Rem +p Golden Saber in the Tanfoglio will be sufficient.

I'm afraid I am going to have to make do with 8 rounds of JHP 230 grain .45 ACP. Never have been able to find a comfortable and practical way to carry an extra mag.

LoneEagle,

You and Massad Ayoob are the only two whom I have ever seen bring up this little point (shooting with gloves). I once shot a Colt 1991A1 Compact .45 ACP while wearing light wool gloves, and I found 1) that I could not release the safety one-handed, and 2) that my glove-enlaged hands bound up the slide and caused stovepipe jams. Now I shoot a Ruger GP-100 double-action .357 sixgun. I don't think that it's the perfect answer, but at least I don't need both hands just to get my gun ready to fire.

We get 350-360 sunny days a year in Flagstaff, but we're 7000 feet above sea level, I have poor circulation in my extremities, and gloves are a fact of life here.

Please excuse my digression from the topic. In another five or ten years maybe I will have learned enough about this handgun business to contribute a useful tip.

� Shoot a lot of practice rounds from every magazine that you own for any self-defense auto and throw away any that don't work properly.



I "rolled" one night with an LEO friend on a call about a biker gang that was raising a ruckus that threatened to get out of hand. Things got hairy, but my pal got thorough control of the situation right off the bat and held it, despite some complicating problems with one of his officers who responded in a separate unit and got mouthy with an equally foolish biker. At one point, the situation got tight enough that I drew my 9mm and dropped the slide -- just in case. Luckily, I didn't have any need to discover then what I discovered later -- that magazine wouldn't feed, so I'd dropped the slide on an empty chamber. Better to learn it earlier, long before what an apt old expression called "the moment of truth."



After a thirty-few-year love affair with autos, I've gone back to my older "true" love -- revolvers.

The glove discussion and Ken's comment about racking a slide and finding the chamber empty. Not too long ago I was shooting on a sub-freezing day. I inserted a magazine and dropped the slide. Upon squeezing off the round I got the Glock "staple gun" click.

Upon examination I found the magazine was not properly seated. When I reseated the magazine I found with the way I was holding the gun and inserting the mag the bottom of my leather glove got between the base plate of the mag and the butt of the gun.

I've had no problems with the gun or that particular magazine (or any other magazine for that matter) since.

I might add that there are no circumstances under which I would holster a self-defense firearm with an empty chamber.
A lapse of memory here could be your last. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I'll throw another tid bit in here. I recently went to the new M-3 tactical rail light for my Duty Glock. I have had the weapon for several years and unlike some other officers I run alot of rounds through it in a year. I also test anything I am going to use on the street to make sure everything functions. The rail light suddenly made the Glock fail to feed. Recoil spring was good, ammo was fine, the weapon functioned 100% of the time without the light. After contacting Glock they said they were also having the same problem and would contact our dept instructors when they found the solution. A week later they explained that the problem only occured with older mags. The problem was that the flexable frame of the Glock was now exeptionally rigid once the light was installed. The slide was moving at a higher cyclic rate and the older mags lacked enough tension to get the rounds in line with the moving slide all the time and especially as the mag got down to the last few rounds. Solution was either their new springs in my mags or new mags altogether. I use the old ones for speed reload practice and a set of new ones for duty and I have now had no problems with the light installed.

From reading Massad Ayoobs work I know that he works in Law Enforcement about 1 to 1 1/2 hours south of me. I can get to the Canadian Border in under 45 min. from here. Today we are expecting high temps to reach all the way to -5 degrees. Gloves are a fact of life here for 3-4 months. Sean

There are two "secrets" to shooting with gloves -- (a) thin gloves and (b) custom-fitted gloves.

Silk gloves are thin, and surprisingly warm for being so thin and light. But the ones I have are generic, with extra loose flaps and empty tabs here and there. They're good for general cold-weather wear, especially as liners in heavier gloves, when the weather is so cold that you need something left on your hand when you have to take a heavier glove off for a short time -- to sort keys or write with a pen, for example. They're better than most for trouble-free shooting, but not the best choice that I've found.

Custom-made leather gloves -- made to fit your hands like second skin -- are unmatched for shooting -- and well worth their extra price (about fifty bucks a pair, IIRC). The best source that I know of is Berti's Glove Company; P O Box 136; Harrison, ID 83833; 1-208-689-3111. (This address and number may have changed. I'll check, and if they have, and if I can get the current ones, I'll post 'em.)

Jim Arnzen -- Berti's husband -- is an active shooter. Berti makes the finest leather gloves that I've ever seen, and despite their expense, I have several pairs that fit my hands like second skin. She also makes the best sap gloves that I've ever seen, with heavier shot and more of it than there usually is in the others that I've seen.

Two of my pairs are goat skin -- black and brown, to match my leather coats and jackets -- but for shooting, my favorites are Berti's kangaroo-hide gloves, which are thin enough that a number of LEOs in this part of the country wear 'em even when they're writing tickets on the highway. A surgeon who wears 'em compares 'em to surgical gloves for deftness. The kangaroo is especially good for its combination of thinness, warmth, and sensitivity to feel.

You have to pull 'em on with some effort (reminds you of OJ, but they fit), so there's nothing extra sticking out and practically no added bulk to the size of your hand.

For warmth (and a little bulk) with that second-skin fit, I like the thicker elk- or moose-hide gloves that Berti made for me.

Lots of good stuff here. Even a beginner like me has heard most of this stuff before but it helps to see it again and to hear experienced handgunners talk it. Thanks for all the tips.

Okay, here's a tip which also relates to my advice to carry an extra load of ammo, which of course, some do, some don't. Personal choice. (You'll never catch me carrying a pistol, or revolver, without a spare reload.)

Anyone who carries a semi-auto for self defense, should PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, clearing that pistol of a malfunction. Now, there are all kinds of "malfunctions" which can tie up a pistol, and there are many different suggested methods for "getting back into the fight."

Here's the only really fast and efficient one clearing pistol malfunctions.

First, make 100% certain your primary magazine, and secondary magazine, function FLAWLESSLY. (But remember Murphy's Law.)

Secondly, forget all those various suggested methods for various "jams." In a gunfight, you do not have time to yell "King's X!! I gotta clear my weapon's jam, whatever kind of jam it is!!" Huh uh.

So, when you have a pistol malfunction, you IMMEDIATELY remove your finger from the trigger guard, IMMEDIATELY drop the magazine TO THE GROUND, then IMMEDIATELY rack that slide TWICE. Then IMMEDIATELY remove your SPARE, LOADED magazine from your pouch, pocket, whatever and push it firmly into the magazine well and seat it, WITHOUT slamming it in ala dumbass movie crap.

Then rack the slide one more time and aim, FIRE!

This method will clear any malfunction you can think of with a pistol... other than a broken extractor, and if you have that, you're just S.O.L., unless you are carrying a backup piece.

For those who refuse to carry an additional magazine, if something goes wrong with your primary magazine, or the ammo in it, partner, you're up to your anus in alligators. At that point, you better say, "Feets, don't fail me now," and get the Hell outta there.

FWIW. L.W.

P.S. Make up some "dummy" rounds to practice clearing malfunctions. Don't learn the clearing drill while using live rounds. Then, later at the range, have your buddy load your magazine with interspersed live and dummy rounds, so you don't know when that pistol is gonna malfucntion. You'd be surprised at how many people just stare at their guns and say, "Duhhhh, waz a' matter with this thing??"

L.W

I know its the current orthodoxy to spend lots of hours drilling with jam clearing techniques, but I've always been skeptical of the practicality of it in 99.99% of cases. Most civilian gunfights are going to be within a few feet. If the bad guy goes for his gun and you go for yours, and bullets are flying, you either win it right then and there, or you lose it right then and there. Of course there are exceptions, but 99.99% of the time, if your gun jams on you during an exchange, you're history. Now, my jam clearing procedure is to merely turn the gun over, rack the slide (hopefully the stove pipe falls out here) and chamber another. If that doesn't do it for you, you're not going to have time to do anything else 99.99% of the time. Might as well throw the piece at the guy's face and run for it.



This is the way I figure it; 99.99% of the time, when I go out, I am not going to be in a gun fight. If I am in one, 99.99% of the time I am going to have to win it fast or lose it fast. Not going to be any time to be fooling with a jam. I recommend, therefore, you have extreme confidence in the reliabilty of your chosen weapon, keep it clean and lubed, know which ammo feeds reliably, and spend your practice hours learning how to hit your target fast, starting from a holstered weapon, instead of on jam clearing drills. Just one man's opinion.

Well T.R. Hawkeye, as you said, you have your opinion, and I have mine. They're both worth about as much as was paid for them.

I will say that if all you know how to do, or practiced to do, is just "rack the slide", I wonder what you'll do if you have a double feed? Or a stovepipe? Or perhaps a faulty lip on a magazine, or a round that has somehow inadvertently turned upside down in your magazine, or perhaps a magazine that is not properly seated because somehow, the magazine release button was depressed and the slide either can't grab the round, or jams it, or ...??

Believe me, having been shooting SWPL/IPSC and IDPA for more years than I like to remember, and having spent 5 1/2 years as a Weapons Training Instructor in the Advanced Training Bureau with a very large non-Federal police agency, in which we used Beretta 92FS pistols, plus training cadets from other smaller agencies who had training contracts with our Department, and were issued other semi-autos rather than Berettas, I've seen every kind of "jam" imaginable from every "standard" semi-auto out there. Beretta, Colt (and clones), H&K, S&W, Ruger, SIG, Glock ... need I go on?

That is why we trained the officers to clear malfunctions.

From experience, I can assure you that every bad guy out there who takes a crack at you, is NOT the greatest shot in the world, notwithstanding what we see in the flicks. So, to my mind, if I have a malfunction while some bad guy is shooting at me, hopefully missing me, I'll clear that malfunction and get back in the fight... unless he's killed me. We also taught our cadets and officers, "Just because you're shot, it doesn't mean you're gonna die! Keep on fighting and kill the SOB who shot you!" And I know officers who were shot, lived to talk about it, and killed the SOB who shot them.

So, in addition to shooting practice, I practice (no, not hours at a time), to clear malfunctions.

Life is nothing more than a series of choices: you've made your's and I've made mine. And others here can make whatever choice they wish. FWIW.

L.W.

TRH - You got me to thinkin'. I shoot some every week. Mostly I load and shoot but don't come from leather. What you say makes sense. My drill will be to practice from the holster from now on.

Secondly the topic of clearing jams got my attention. Out of about 10 bezillion rounds from quality semiautomatics over the years I've had less than a handfull of jams. And these came while firing untried loads in untried firearms.

The firearm that I carry has been tested and retested with carry ammo to that I am 99.99% or higher likely to finish the magazine without a problem.

Your opinion that the thing will be settled quickly with no time for jam clearing is probably dead on.

I'm not sure about drilling to clear a jam. During a recent shooting session with an untried gun I had a failure to go to battery. I hit the back of the slide with my palm to close the breach and continued to fire. I can't remember my last "real jam" - stovepipe or some such.

Thanks,

Shoot from cover. In 1970 a friend died after bravely exchaning fire toe to toe with two grocery store robbers.
Unless it is absolutely impossible go to cover before engaging a foe, get to cover. Secondly once in cover never, NEVER give it up until the situation has been terminated.

Leanwolf, your skills at jam clearing may well save your life one day. I might also be struck by lightning or win Mega Millions. I don't spend a lot of time preparing for either though. I hope you take that in the lighthearted sense it was intended.



If you are in the biz, it might be prudent to drill for jam clearing. I don't know. I think the odds are extremely slim, however, that those skills are going to save your life. Again, just my opinion.



Norm, thanks for the kind words. I think you made some very valid obsrvations there.

Wise words indeed. I agree with them.

We practice to preclude, prevent, correct, and recover from problems that can occur, not only those that are most likely to occur.

Murphy's Law says that whatever can go wrong will go wrong at the most inconvenient moment.

Howell's Law says that whatever can't possibly go wrong will go wrong sooner or later.

You can probably guess which "law" determines my attitude toward practicing recovery from even "impossible" malfunctions. There's dang little comfort in either "uh, oh!" or "oops!" (not even in "oh, s**t!") when Howell's Law squirts itself into the wrong side of the equation in that very brief and unavoidable moment of truth.

Great info here. My tip is one learned the hard way. If the gun kicks so hard it hurts, limit the number of shots and shoot a .22 handgun in between. You can't fool your nerves into gutting it out. You will only learn to flinch.
The story about the vest made me think. For LEOs it's put your vest on and get your mind on the job before going out. Mine is use a meter before grabbing a wire. (Mr. electron is not your friend when you are bare handed and you are grounded) There are simple rules that will save you on any job!

TRH,



I was looking through the Brownells Catalog today and came across a new item that might be useful to you in carrying a spare mag if you so chose. It was a clip of spring steel that attached someow to the base of a 1911 mag (Not sure but am assuming that is what you carry). The ad copy said that you could carry the mag clipped to your belt or in a pocket, maybe like I carry a SpyderCo knife. Anyway, it might be worth looking into. I'll see if I can find it at Brownells website. Sean



Here is the link. It says it fits 10rd 1911 mags (didn't see that before) but still may interest some http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/st...TICAL+MAGAZINE+CLIPS&s=9737#9737

Loneeagle, thanks. I will look into it.

I looked at the ad. Wonder how it can fit in the mag well with that on there.

I was wondering the same thing until I looked again and saw that it was for 10 rd mags. 10 rounders stick out the bottom so I guess the clip does too. As long as it doesn't interfere w/ the function of the gun it should be alright, for the reload anyway.

BIll Wilson has been making 10 rd mags since 1994 and I just got a Midway E-Blast and one of the items on sale was a Springfield Armory 10 rd 1911 mag. Sean

Well that makes perfect sense then. Wouldn't a mag that was kept in the pocket all day eventually get full of crud and lint? That would be my only concern with it.

TRH,
I guess it could. My pockets generally are pretty clean empty too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />. Maybe a little lint but I wouldn't think a mag would get that bad. I carry a SpyderCo Wegner in my right fron t pocket all day everyday and it stays clean and lint free so I can't see as a mag would get worse. Sean

I carry a little .32 ACP auto pistol in my pocket, and I have to blow dust out of it every day.

If you use a pocket holster it really helps keep the junk out of your firearm.

I use a pocket holster, and it helps, but some lint still gets in there.

TGH - My most constant companion is a S&W 642-1 with Cor-Bon 110 grain +p ammo (thanks to the info you gave me on the subject of .38 ammo some time back.) I carry it in a DeSantis pocket holster. I have to clean it for lint periodically.

The longer I carry it without cleaning the further up the barrel the lint migrates. Fortunately the Centennial being hammerless (internal hammer) there is one less place for lint to get into the works.

When I carry in the summer or where I'm just not able to wear in a belt holster I will carry in a fanny pack. But I refuse to carry in one of those "HEY LOOK AT MY HUGE FULLSIZE GOTTA BE A GUN IN HERE." fanny pack. If you have ever used one of these you know what I mean. They are enormous, uncomfortable and boy do they make your nether regions sweat. What I and now others are using is a standard fanny pack with a tab or piece of leather attached to the zipper of the main compartment and then the firearm lays upside down in it butt facing up on the weak side so that once open your hand grasps the upside down grip and you have your good firing grip. In the Glock I do carry it chamber empty as this is a bad place to have a negligent discharge should something grap that trigger on the way up. These are a lot smaller, look normal as they are a more contoured shape then the perfect rectangular cop fanny pack and my wallet and badge fit fine right in the front pouch which also takes away that gun contour. I have carried this way for years now and many people have yet to pick up on whats in there, because it also functions as a place for my wallet. Watch one of the other cops with those big packs, when they still have to reach in their back pocket for their wallet, HMMM. Hope this helps, Ryan

Fanny packs are nice if you can wear them. I tried one but couldn't get used to it. It was some commercial deal not the cop style as talked about. If I wore it in the back I couldn't reach it and if I wore it in the front I looked like a ruptured kangaroo. I look funny enough anyway with out looking totally ridiculous.

For hot weather here, and it do get hot, Guyabara or Hiwaiian shirts and a good iwb worn cross draw is my answer.

BCR

If you carry a belt holster on your hip and have occasion to sit on the ground (intentionally or unexpectedly), choose a holster with the toe sewn shut.

I used to get a lot of flak from vocal theorists that the holsters I make should have open toes "to let debris fall through and not collect inside the holster."

Wearing a sixgun daily in the high country for several years as a forester, wildlife biologist, and hunter, I found that (a) the gun was a pretty good plug that kept the spruce needles out, and (b) the sewn-shut toe kept a lot of mud, moss, snow, etc out, too.

After months of very active high-country field work and hunting, I never found more than a pinch of dust or lint in the toe of any of my holsters. So I still make 'em a tad longer and stitch 'em shut.