Carrying full size handguns
Comfort is very important for those that are carrying 8-10hrs or more a day. I’ve carried various firearms over my life and sometimes it’s fine carrying something Monday-Friday, but if I’m still carrying it on Day 6, I can really feel it. I’ve found that driving in a car for long periods of time can really make IWB and paddle holsters feel annoying after a couple hours. I can use an ankle holster is some situations, but I’ve found that the most comfortable way to carry a full size auto for long periods of time is in a should rig. Leg holsters are probable a 2nd favorite, but that’s not going to work for concealed carry purposes. One thing to always be aware of is not sweeping body parts when pulling a firearm in the seated position while wearing a should rig.
There are so many methods of carrying a gun, but no firearm or holster is going to do it all. Nobody carries a airweight 38 special in a leg holsters and it’s not a very good idea to carry a Beretta 92FS in your pocket, even if you can. I’ve changed my thinking when it comes to CCW and the caliber debate. Some of the best self defense instructors I know carry the smallest caliber firearms because they know that situational awareness is the best defense and if they have to deal with a threat, a good shot in the right spot is all that counts. One method of carry that seems to be bashed a little too much is the shoulder holster rig. These gun holsters may not work very well for some body types and for warm weather because I admit it is easy to pick out the should straps if the appropriate clothing is not worn.
Optics have multiple purposes. They can be used for Astronomy, Scouting, birdwatching, target shooting, hunting and military purposes. With the emergency of combat optics for close quarter combat, scopes used on rifles have gotten smaller, more compact and sometimes have zero magnification. The point is to give you a good sight pictures and a reticle that is easy to follow.
Cleaning more than one rifle at a time can be a really pain in the neck. Depending on the number of calibers you are using, you’ll have to change each brush you use, each punch, and each cleaning patch to properly clean your rifle or pistols. I never really felt the need to change from a traditonal rifle rod to any fancy gun cleaning kits for a long time. Some of these gun cleaning kits look very nice, but the reality is there are several cleaning kits out there that have made traditional gun cleaning obsolete. Granted, I will have to say that I do have a few friends that sweat that they still need to use their cleaning rods to clean bolt action sub-moa rifles, because Otis gun cleaning kits and bore snakes aren’t 100%. I’ll have to leave that up to personal choice, but I don’t see it.
I realize there is still a place for using cleaning rods to clean out the barrels of a rifle or pistol, and that running a white cleaning patch through a firearms and having it come out just as white is something that tells us our job is done. Gun cleaning has gotten easier over the years. If you are cleaning your firearms after each use, there is no need to be sitting there for hours and soaking your rifles in this cleaner and that cleaner and they running through the routine 2x’s. Gun lubrication has taken long strides in practically eliminating the need for having to use more than 2 gun cleaning liquids. The really issue I see is in having a lubrication that also has preservatives to help protect metal from rust. I have some friends that use Mobil 1 for all of there AR15 lubrication, but Mobil 1 doesn’t protect a firearm as well as BreakFree CLP does.
There is a point where people have to learn to realize that there are a great many firearms manufacturers out there that are making suberb firearms. I’ve heard people claim that a certain firearm was superior in reliability over another. Well, that is true to some degree, but I’d have to say there are some firearms that are in the top tier category and the durability and reliablity differences may vary in extreme circumstances. Take a Glock 17 and put it up against a Sig 226 and you’ll see what I mean. I’m sure the Glock will reguire less lubrication, but there won’t be much difference in 98% of circumstances.
Most of us alreayd know that when we buy a new gun we usually get some sort of factory gun case. These gun cases are nice for transporting the gun it is intended for and possible can hold a few magazines. I’ve got a pile of them in my storage room, but I never use them for range trips. I own a few range bags since I tend to actually use them for more than just packing up guns. After having several experiences with forgeting to bring ammo, magazines, targets or staplers, I’ve learned to pack up my stuff and leave it in a bag that always comes to the range with me.
I remember the days when I was learning how to shoot and always tried to put each round in the same hole at 100yds regardless of which type of rifle I was shooting. My novice approach to shooting exposed my nieve goals of trying to make an SKS rifle a tack driver. Instead of compensating my aiming for eveyr hit, I should have just aimed the center X and tried to get withing 4 inches and then call it a day. Each rifle is capable of shooting a certain group, but sometimes we do exceed a rifles potential and it’s time to move on to something better.
Not everyone needs to think about long deployments in Afghanistan when getting their shooting gear together, but knowing where your guns and gear are can prevent you from making silly mistakes. I’ve heard plenty of stories that sound funny at first, but I know it wasn’t funny when it occurred. The stories are about people getting a day off from the family and driving an hour or more to a gun range and finding out they didn’t pack any rifle magazines, forgot the ammo, forgot to put a gun in a bag ect.
For CQB some may prefer zero power optics and just a dot, but for people looking for something that doesn’t rely on batteries and can be used for fast target engagements out to 600yds+. I’m starting to see a lot of M1A and FAL owners swapping out the standard 3-9×40 optics and slapping on the Trjicon Accupoints.ll models in the AccuPoint Series operate battery free—eliminating the potential for failure during critical moments in the field. They also feature Trijicon’s Manual Brightness Adjustment Override, which allows you to control the light output of the fiber-optics during daylight. AccuPoint® riflescopes include other advanced elements like multi-layer coated lenses for superior light transmission with no distortion, quick-focus eyepiece, long-eye relief, and precise windage and elevation adjustments.
I would have to put the fanny pack in the same category as a CCW Vest. People think wearing a vest is a dead giveaway that you are carrying a gun, and the same goes for a fanny pack. One question I’d have to ask you, though, is do you think wearing camoflauge pants means you are also carrying a gun? I did a mental tally of how many times I saw a leftist liberal College student wearing camo, and I thought, naw, there’s no chance he’s got a CCW. There seems to be an age group that wear vests and just because you see an old guy wearing a vest, doesn’t mean he’s got a 1911 under it. There are also plenty of people that can get away with wearing a fanny pack is the situation and environment will allow it.