Have the right tools
Shortly after we moved into our second home, I started working on a project where I needed a circular saw. As my wife and I were looking at the local Sears tool department, she asked me a question. “Why are you looking over here? You know that you will buy from over there.” She was pointing to the more expensive saws.
A lesson I learned over the years, is that the old saying “you get what you pay for” is more often true than not. When you are working on projects around the home, not only having the right tools for the job, but also having quality tools is extremely helpful. This will save you both time and effort, and the job is done right. I recently had to cut some chair molding in 6 locations because we were putting in some shutters. I was going to use my hand saw, but I decided to get a special cutting tool. The job took literally 2 minutes to make the cuts and they were nice and straight. Yes, I could have used the hand saw, but it would have taken much longer to complete, and the quality of the cut would not have been as sharp.
This simple truth is even more critical when you are talking about tools and equipment that may save your life in a defensive encounter. I had a student a few years ago who brought a new pistol to the range. He was so proud that it only cost him a little over $200. It was a small 9mm (brand not to be mentioned here). When he showed me the gun, it was easy to see that it was not the best quality, but it was something that this individual could afford. He started to use it during our range exercises, and every 5-10 rounds he would get a stove pipe or the next round would jam and not feed. We worked on grip, changed magazines, but the issues continued. It was even becoming more frequent. The very last shot he took at the range, the slide from the pistol came right off the frame of the gun. The takedown lever basically sheared off, allowing the slide to release. So I asked the rhetorical question, “do you want to carry that pistol if it may be required to save your life one day?” Of course the answer is no. At least until it gets fixed and proven that it will be reliable. This is not to say that more expensive pistols may not experience similar failures. I had a pistol on order a while back, and as I researched it more, I learned that it used some metal injection molded (MIM) parts that were prone to porosity. When I talked to the gunsmith, he assured me that it would be fine because he would just replace the parts for me with Ed Brown parts. What? Yes, I changed my order. When it comes to pistols, do your homework, and also prove them out with a lot of rounds through the barrel at the range. Remember, that a gun needs to work when called upon.
Holsters are another critical piece of equipment that you need to get right. Not all holster types are best with all guns. I’ll give you an example of a great IWB holster I purchased for my 1911. My 1911 is something like 33 ounces without ammo. Very hefty. The leather holster from Milt Sparks worked perfectly. It was easy to holster and quick to draw. I liked it so much that I ordered one for my Glock 27. That holster just did not work well for me and my G27 because the gun had a much smaller mass, and it would not come out of the holster smoothly. It took a little longer on the draw, and those seconds matter.
Before I started to teach classes, I tried several holster brands and styles for a variety of guns. Some I sold because they did not work well for me. I wish that I would have held onto them as examples of lesser quality holsters. I originally purchased them because they fit my budget. Over time, I have honed in on one holster brand and style that I use for all of my own personal carry guns. I use a Crossbreed Super-Tuck or Mini-Tuck holster for my IWB carry. Each person should find what works best for them, but it comes down to this – will it work when you need it most.
A tragic example is the church shooting a couple years ago in Texas. I have watched the video replay over 100 times as I have analyzed it. One thing that jumps out to me is that one of the security guys went to draw his weapon, and he was unable to get his gun out of the holster quick enough. He ended up getting shot. I am not certain, but it looks as if his gun was sticking in the holster. I wonder if things would have turned out better for him if he had other equipment and/or practiced more.
If you have to draw, do it quickly, and this requires practice. When I was sharing some information with a security team one time, I talked about this very thing. Practice. Practice. Practice. Every person who carries a gun for self-defense needs to practice drawing that pistol in a dry fire setting. I encouraged the team to do that. I asked them to practice until they cannot get it wrong. This builds in the muscle memory gained through repetition. Then practice some more. The following week, one of the guys came up to me and thanked me for encouraging him to work through those practice exercises. He told me that when he was practicing to draw in front of a mirror, he drew his weapon and the holster came right off his belt and stayed attached to the gun. Without practicing, he would have only discovered that when he needed it most.
The moral to this blog is simply to say this. Carrying a gun for personal self defense should not be considered lightly. Don’t simply buy products because they fit your budget. Make sure they are reliable and that they will work as intended when called upon. This does not mean you have to break the bank, but typically with higher quality stuff comes a higher price tag. Do your research, and make sure you never stop training!
If you would like to talk on this topic further, please reach out.