This is why krav maga has a defined stance called "passive tactical". It basically means you're just standing there, but you don't have your thumb up your ass.
Out of a 2 inch barrel, a .380 or a .32 isn't exactly the Hammer of Thor, mind you. A .25 that I can get good hits with beats a .380 that I don't shoot well. To call the trigger on those Kel-Tec guns "wretched" is an insult to wretched triggers the world over.
The .25 auto did it's job just as well as a 1911 would have. If you work in an office sometimes a .25 auto is all you can carry. If your office dress code requires a jacket and tie, a tactical vest to conceal your 1911 is not going to cut it and since most tactical vests look like a 1980's Banana Republic safari jacket with the sleeves cut off I wouldn't even try wearing one on casual Friday.
Business Casual is almost the ne plus ultra of CCW challenges (yes, bathing suits are worse...maybe), as having something concealed enough to not risk getting fired and yet accessible enough to be worthwhile is a tough thing to pull off.
I really think I need to just figure if there's any special tailoring that should be done...and then find a good tailor willing to do it. I've found too often that willingness and technical ability don't always intersect very well.
I gotta agree with Caleb on the .25 v. .32 or .380 for pocket carry: I took my P3AT to the range last week for a little trigger time and I'd forgotten about the brisk recoil on that lil' bugger.
Sure, it's "only" a .380ACP, but it's only a few ounces of very small gun absorbing all that energy on my end of the equation. Then there's the trigger pull on the Kel-Tec, which is more suited to archery than pistol-shooting. I like my P3AT (and have it in my pocket as I type this) but it does have it's problems as well.
"Business Casual is almost the ne plus ultra of CCW challenges"
I guess it depends on the definition of bidness causal, but I like the Woolrich line of shirts. A t-shirt underneath and a Woolrich (Territory Ahead, inter alia) shortsleeve untucked carries a 1911 just fine and is comfortable even in July or August. Dockers hide the .38 on the ankle all year around.
For cooler weather an EOTAC half-zip pull over looks and conceals great. For Deep Winter I prefer sweaters, Sahalie and Beretta offer solid choices.
Bisiness casual, at least in the fall through early spring, for me almost always means a sweater. And if I'm wearing a sweater, I can hide the small Sigs. Usually the P232, since it's much lighter.
Though with a heavy enough non-white shirt, I've been known to conceal at 3:30 with a tucked in shirt slightly bloused on both sides (must look equally frumpy from both sides). Mind you, this way wouldn't have worked very well in Caleb's particular situation.
If your job requires a jacket you can carry a full size auto all day discreetly.
Suits and sport coats, being tailorable, are the cats-meow for carry. Pick a decent fabric that drapes well and printing is a thing of the past. Good sweaters are a godsend too.
I love fall and winter, all carry problems disappear.
Territory Ahead is a great catalog for carry clothes, but bad on the wallet.
Good job Caleb! Whatever gun works to keep you uninjured is the right gun for the situation.
I'm not so sure about carry problems disappearing in the winter. The problems change, but don't go away. Ordinary belt carry becomes inaccessible when a heavy winter coat needs to be zipped up. And just try operating any firearm while wearing heavy mittens. Coat pocket carry and fingerless gloves are an option as long as temps aren't too far below zero, but I'm not sure what to do when it gets really cold.
Agreed. You brain makes a good weapon. ( mine works well as a club ... gotta put it on a stick and freeze it first, though ).
Oh, and I added a .22 NAA revolver to my carry load ... my answer to question one now is to draw the .38, have the .22 in my left pocket, and wear the "I'm with stupid" t-shirt.
Business casual and the carrying of a handgun in a real caliber just requires some dedication.
I've done it for over 5 years at a few different jobs, never in compliance with company policy, and I've never been "made".
The tucked in shirt not being tucked in tightly is the key. I use a belly band, worn between an undershirt and my tucked in button up or polo. Tuck the shirt in, then pull out about 2 inches of slack. No printing, no funny bulges, no problem.
A .45 ACP in the same position as any other IWB over a small caliber pocket pistol makes me a happy camper.
The big problem with the "business casual" tucked-in-shirt-and-khakis look is that, while there are ways to carry a full-size pistol in a tuckable holster, a belly band, or even a shoulder rig under a thick oxford shirt, none of them are as fast as a pocket holster (which is no bolt of lightning in its own right.)
Which is better: The .25/.32/.380 in your hand... now? Or the 9mm/.40/.45 in your hand......... now?
(HINT: There is no one right answer to this question.)
Personally, that is why I carry a decent spring operated folder in my strong hand front pocket. ' It isn't a pistol, but it is FAST...and more socially acceptable even at a workplace.(some folks freak when you pull a knife out, but fuck'em)
I still carry a P3AT as a "social" firearm.
For the rest of my daily life, I use the good old fashioned 1911 in one form or another.
But, as "they" say, the .22 in your pocket is better than the 1911 at home or in the car.
They're fairly expensive, but Scott eVests are multipocket (ginormously so) vests/jackets without the tactical/photog look. The one I have can swallow a G17L without visible evidence. When I'm not putzing around practicing that which I cannot do legally in public; I have at various times kept a liter bottle or an umbrella in the same place. They at one point advertised a "tactical" jacket that was still low profile, though they no longer do. Target audience is gadget geeks.
Note, I didn't bother trying to draw from the pocket - nor would I likely often carry off-body like that were the PRNJ to get some sanity. OTOH, I do wear it 3-seasons, and in winter I'm usually layering anyway. (Sleeves are detachable).
"Which is better: The .25/.32/.380 in your hand... now? Or the 9mm/.40/.45 in your hand......... now?"
Both. Or something else. I'm a believer in a multiplicity of options. A decision to carry is a deeply personal one, what works for me won't necessarily work for thee. I just encourage folks to expand their options: For God's Sake, don't rely on just one tool!
More important than what or where you carry is your mindset, and an ability to improvise, given what you have at the moment. As I've been quoted many times about training with a young soldier - hell, at my age, they're all young - "If I'm carrying a knife, what makes you think that I'm only carrying ONE knife?" If I could only tattoo Jeff Cooper's "Principles of Personal Defense," on the interior of a person's eyelids!
I'm a believer in urban camouflage. People see what they expect to see.
A drop-dead gorgeous woman will be watched constantly by both men and women. Few expect her to put an exquisitely manicured finger through someone's eyeball, much less pull a gun. The "damsel in distress syndrome." It's just finding a place to carry on her body, with the extra scrutiny she gets constantly. And the kind of clothes she's expected to wear.
A chunky, average looking over 50 woman can be invisible. A man of similar characteristics has a different kind of invisibility.
People expect a grand-fatherly man to act, well, grandfatherly. A grandmotherly woman has terrific advantages.
Heck you can probably carry triplicate or quadlicate in formal business clothes and not be made. Tucked IWB(slow draw, but full size gun), shoulder rig under the shirt(who cares if you rip buttons when you need to draw), pocket gun and ankle gun.
So potentially you could carry two 1911s(IWB+shoulder), a snubbie from hell in the pocket and another one(or perhaps a derringer to make sure you don't print, available in .45 long colt) in an ankle holster.
Put the gun in the same position as your IWB holster, and it's faster than a pocket holster. You rip the shirt up and draw like normal, all that is changed is that the cover garment is tucked in instead of hanging down.
James E. Griffin's point about urban camouflage is well-taken, and I'll go further and say that active misdirection can even be used.
At my grad school I can legally have a firearm, but I can be administratively expelled if found with one. Wearing a small pistol IWB covered by a moderate-sized OWB empty holster (plus an untucked shirt) not only gives concealment but is potentially a silent protest. Absolutely no one is going think that your empty holster is concealing a full one.
This is where PDAs can also come in handy. One way is to simply clip it to your belt in such a way as to obscure your IWB carry. The other, if in the sort of job where "business casual" means slacks that will print like Gutenberg, is to be known to carry your PDA in your pocket. There's a risk that you'll get called on it, but a defense of "I forgot to charge it and the battery's dead" can help here.
Just trying to think outside the box. Caleb did good; it's a shame that it was only a Jetfire that made it out.
Flush all this tiny gun, minor caliber stuff! I'm from Phoenix, where the high is 85 TODAY, and sometimes 115 in the summer. IF I can wear an overshirt/jacket, full size service pistol. (1911, .357, 44 Special). If not, 38 snub/5 shot, in the front pants pocket. Of course, I'm 6', 220#. My ex-girlfriend ALWAYS CARRIES a Nighthawk, in a Galco shoulder rig, under a jacket, or, in a large appropriately designed purse. And, we always have extra ammo and large folding knives. Make Col. Cooper proud!
Best use of Starbucks coffee I've ever heard of. Much better than trying to drink it.
ReplyDeleteThat was a nice tongue-in-cheek reminder that situational awareness is a 24/7 thing, not just when you're in the "bad" part of town.
ReplyDelete"That's not a knife. This is a - " *sploosh*
ReplyDeleteThis is why krav maga has a defined stance called "passive tactical". It basically means you're just standing there, but you don't have your thumb up your ass.
The coffee was probably a more "deadly" weapon than the .25. Jeebus, get a Keltec 380 or something.
ReplyDeleteOut of a 2 inch barrel, a .380 or a .32 isn't exactly the Hammer of Thor, mind you. A .25 that I can get good hits with beats a .380 that I don't shoot well. To call the trigger on those Kel-Tec guns "wretched" is an insult to wretched triggers the world over.
ReplyDeleteThe .25 auto did it's job just as well as a 1911 would have.
ReplyDeleteIf you work in an office sometimes a .25 auto is all you can carry.
If your office dress code requires a jacket and tie, a tactical vest to conceal your 1911 is not going to cut it and since most tactical vests look like a 1980's Banana Republic safari jacket with the sleeves cut off I wouldn't even try wearing one on casual Friday.
Business Casual is almost the ne plus ultra of CCW challenges (yes, bathing suits are worse...maybe), as having something concealed enough to not risk getting fired and yet accessible enough to be worthwhile is a tough thing to pull off.
ReplyDeleteI really think I need to just figure if there's any special tailoring that should be done...and then find a good tailor willing to do it. I've found too often that willingness and technical ability don't always intersect very well.
I gotta agree with Caleb on the .25 v. .32 or .380 for pocket carry: I took my P3AT to the range last week for a little trigger time and I'd forgotten about the brisk recoil on that lil' bugger.
ReplyDeleteSure, it's "only" a .380ACP, but it's only a few ounces of very small gun absorbing all that energy on my end of the equation. Then there's the trigger pull on the Kel-Tec, which is more suited to archery than pistol-shooting. I like my P3AT (and have it in my pocket as I type this) but it does have it's problems as well.
"Business Casual is almost the ne plus ultra of CCW challenges"
ReplyDeleteI guess it depends on the definition of bidness causal, but I like the Woolrich line of shirts. A t-shirt underneath and a Woolrich (Territory Ahead, inter alia) shortsleeve untucked carries a 1911 just fine and is comfortable even in July or August. Dockers hide the .38 on the ankle all year around.
For cooler weather an EOTAC half-zip pull over looks and conceals great. For Deep Winter I prefer sweaters, Sahalie and Beretta offer solid choices.
HTH,
Shootin' Buddy
"Untucked" being the part where the similarities end though. My god, if I didn't have to tuck my shirts in...
ReplyDeleteBisiness casual, at least in the fall through early spring, for me almost always means a sweater. And if I'm wearing a sweater, I can hide the small Sigs. Usually the P232, since it's much lighter.
ReplyDeleteThough with a heavy enough non-white shirt, I've been known to conceal at 3:30 with a tucked in shirt slightly bloused on both sides (must look equally frumpy from both sides). Mind you, this way wouldn't have worked very well in Caleb's particular situation.
I can't believe I just mis-spelled business.
ReplyDeleteDoh!
If your job requires a jacket you can carry a full size auto all day discreetly.
ReplyDeleteSuits and sport coats, being tailorable, are the cats-meow for carry. Pick a decent fabric that drapes well and printing is a thing of the past. Good sweaters are a godsend too.
I love fall and winter, all carry problems disappear.
Territory Ahead is a great catalog for carry clothes, but bad on the wallet.
Good job Caleb! Whatever gun works to keep you uninjured is the right gun for the situation.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure about carry problems disappearing in the winter. The problems change, but don't go away. Ordinary belt carry becomes inaccessible when a heavy winter coat needs to be zipped up. And just try operating any firearm while wearing heavy mittens. Coat pocket carry and fingerless gloves are an option as long as temps aren't too far below zero, but I'm not sure what to do when it gets really cold.
Agreed. You brain makes a good weapon. ( mine works well as a club ... gotta put it on a stick and freeze it first, though ).
ReplyDeleteOh, and I added a .22 NAA revolver to my carry load ... my answer to question one now is to draw the .38, have the .22 in my left pocket, and wear the "I'm with stupid" t-shirt.
Business casual and the carrying of a handgun in a real caliber just requires some dedication.
ReplyDeleteI've done it for over 5 years at a few different jobs, never in compliance with company policy, and I've never been "made".
The tucked in shirt not being tucked in tightly is the key. I use a belly band, worn between an undershirt and my tucked in button up or polo. Tuck the shirt in, then pull out about 2 inches of slack. No printing, no funny bulges, no problem.
A .45 ACP in the same position as any other IWB over a small caliber pocket pistol makes me a happy camper.
The big problem with the "business casual" tucked-in-shirt-and-khakis look is that, while there are ways to carry a full-size pistol in a tuckable holster, a belly band, or even a shoulder rig under a thick oxford shirt, none of them are as fast as a pocket holster (which is no bolt of lightning in its own right.)
ReplyDeleteWhich is better: The .25/.32/.380 in your hand... now? Or the 9mm/.40/.45 in your hand......... now?
(HINT: There is no one right answer to this question.)
Personally, that is why I carry a decent spring operated folder in my strong hand front pocket.
ReplyDelete'
It isn't a pistol, but it is FAST...and more socially acceptable even at a workplace.(some folks freak when you pull a knife out, but fuck'em)
I still carry a P3AT as a "social" firearm.
For the rest of my daily life, I use the good old fashioned 1911 in one form or another.
But, as "they" say, the .22 in your pocket is better than the 1911 at home or in the car.
They're fairly expensive, but Scott eVests are multipocket (ginormously so) vests/jackets without the tactical/photog look. The one I have can swallow a G17L without visible evidence. When I'm not putzing around practicing that which I cannot do legally in public; I have at various times kept a liter bottle or an umbrella in the same place. They at one point advertised a "tactical" jacket that was still low profile, though they no longer do. Target audience is gadget geeks.
ReplyDeleteNote, I didn't bother trying to draw from the pocket - nor would I likely often carry off-body like that were the PRNJ to get some sanity. OTOH, I do wear it 3-seasons, and in winter I'm usually layering anyway. (Sleeves are detachable).
"Which is better: The .25/.32/.380 in your hand... now? Or the 9mm/.40/.45 in your hand......... now?"
ReplyDeleteBoth. Or something else. I'm a believer in a multiplicity of options. A decision to carry is a deeply personal one, what works for me won't necessarily work for thee. I just encourage folks to expand their options: For God's Sake, don't rely on just one tool!
More important than what or where you carry is your mindset, and an ability to improvise, given what you have at the moment. As I've been quoted many times about training with a young soldier - hell, at my age, they're all young - "If I'm carrying a knife, what makes you think that I'm only carrying ONE knife?" If I could only tattoo Jeff Cooper's "Principles of Personal Defense," on the interior of a person's eyelids!
I'm a believer in urban camouflage. People see what they expect to see.
A drop-dead gorgeous woman will be watched constantly by both men and women. Few expect her to put an exquisitely manicured finger through someone's eyeball, much less pull a gun. The "damsel in distress syndrome." It's just finding a place to carry on her body, with the extra scrutiny she gets constantly. And the kind of clothes she's expected to wear.
A chunky, average looking over 50 woman can be invisible. A man of similar characteristics has a different kind of invisibility.
People expect a grand-fatherly man to act, well, grandfatherly. A grandmotherly woman has terrific advantages.
He did well. I also agree with the comment about that being the best use for charbucks coffee. Paving driveways is second-best.
ReplyDeleteJim
Heck you can probably carry triplicate or quadlicate in formal business clothes and not be made. Tucked IWB(slow draw, but full size gun), shoulder rig under the shirt(who cares if you rip buttons when you need to draw), pocket gun and ankle gun.
ReplyDeleteSo potentially you could carry two 1911s(IWB+shoulder), a snubbie from hell in the pocket and another one(or perhaps a derringer to make sure you don't print, available in .45 long colt) in an ankle holster.
Case in point:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71Oo-BjKzCE
It depends how you wear the belly band.
ReplyDeletePut the gun in the same position as your IWB holster, and it's faster than a pocket holster. You rip the shirt up and draw like normal, all that is changed is that the cover garment is tucked in instead of hanging down.
James E. Griffin's point about urban camouflage is well-taken, and I'll go further and say that active misdirection can even be used.
ReplyDeleteAt my grad school I can legally have a firearm, but I can be administratively expelled if found with one. Wearing a small pistol IWB covered by a moderate-sized OWB empty holster (plus an untucked shirt) not only gives concealment but is potentially a silent protest. Absolutely no one is going think that your empty holster is concealing a full one.
This is where PDAs can also come in handy. One way is to simply clip it to your belt in such a way as to obscure your IWB carry. The other, if in the sort of job where "business casual" means slacks that will print like Gutenberg, is to be known to carry your PDA in your pocket. There's a risk that you'll get called on it, but a defense of "I forgot to charge it and the battery's dead" can help here.
Just trying to think outside the box. Caleb did good; it's a shame that it was only a Jetfire that made it out.
I just searched Google for Walther pk380. Guess who has the top result...
ReplyDeleteFlush all this tiny gun, minor caliber stuff! I'm from Phoenix, where the high is 85 TODAY, and sometimes 115 in the summer. IF I can wear an overshirt/jacket, full size service pistol. (1911, .357, 44 Special). If not, 38 snub/5 shot, in the front pants pocket.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I'm 6', 220#. My ex-girlfriend ALWAYS CARRIES a Nighthawk, in a Galco shoulder rig, under a jacket, or, in a large appropriately designed purse.
And, we always have extra ammo and large folding knives. Make Col. Cooper proud!