As I mentioned previously, I signed up to take a Back Up Gun class. I spent four hours at KR Training on Saturday at Karl's first ever class offering on this subject.
The back up gun is a small gun that you carry either as your primary gun when you can't carry something longer, OR it's carried in addition to your primary gun. Since the back up gun is usually smaller, it
- has a shorter barrel, meaning it's not going to be as accurate as a full size gun;and
- has a smaller capacity magazine, meaning there's not a lot of ability to get into a protracted gunfight; and
- has a lighter weight, meaning the recoil will be more noticeable.
I chose a Glock 26 as a back up gun for the fact my magazines for my Glock 34 work in them (and yes, I've tested it to make sure).
The class gave me an opportunity to try my pocket holster, my appendix carry MIC holster, and my brand new Galco ankle holster. To sum up:
- The MIC holster was the fastest out of the holster, but unless you have a very flat stomach, having the grip of the gun constantly poking you in your portable food storage plan (aka your gut) isn't a lot of fun.
- The ankle holster disappointed. It was much slower than I anticipated, and it wasn't as comfortable on my leg as I would have liked (to be fair, I just got it in the mail on Thursday, so I need to experiment with it and practice drawing from it with an empty gun before I make a final decision).
- The DeSantis pocket holster was clearly the holster of choice. It's slower in the draw, but with practice it gets better. Plus it's the most practical of the three holsters.
So how did I do? I'd practiced a lot with the Glock 26, and not as much recently with the Glock 34. As a result, I surprisingly shot the 26 a bit better than the 34. I will confess my accuracy deteriorated rapidly once Karl put us on the clock, especially with one handed shooting which I never practice enough. I have some work to do.
Overall, I will say I am very happy with the Glock 26 purchase. It's very accurate, and the recoil is quite manageable.
Various News Links For Your Weekend Reading
Clifford from Houston provided two good pieces of info regarding how best to survive an active shooter situation. First up is this PSA entitled "Run, Hide and Fight." Produced with DHS grant money by the City of Houston (Houstonian and Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons must be proud), it provides sound, concrete suggestions on what to do if you're caught in an active shooter situation. What I've noticed in the last few years is that experts have shifted from a "comply with the bad guy" approach to "fight him if you have to" attitude. This piece seems to back that up.
The best part of the video? Notice the bad guy comes in, armed with a hidden shotgun, and walks right past the statutory notice sign on the front door prohibiting concealed handgun license holders from carrying a gun into the building. You read that right - the City of Houston purposefully chose a gun free zone to depict a mass shooting. Hmm.
His second contribution is humorous but still provocative. What's your plan when jihad is on?
Austin Steve shared this link which should give us all food for thought. Sometime it's not always about our gear. It's about what we have between our ears and what condition our bodies are in that makes the difference.
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