Terry - ABCs of Concealed Carry : A Cops Guide to the Real World of Going Armed

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Introduction
Popping Balloons

CHAPTER 1
A: Avoiding Trouble

CHAPTER 2
B: Brandishing and Verbal Commands

CHAPTER 3
C: Concealed Carry Laws

CHAPTER 4
D: Dual force

CHAPTER 5
E: Everyday Carry or High Risk?

CHAPTER 6
F: Firearms that Fit

CHAPTER 7
G: Good Ready

CHAPTER 8
H: Holsters and Carry Options

CHAPTER 9
I: Index That Trigger Finger!

CHAPTER 10
J: Juries and Other Legal Considerations

CHAPTER 11
K: Kill or End the Threat

CHAPTER 12
L: Law Enforcement Relations

CHAPTER 13
M: Movement Tactical

CHAPTER 14
N: Never Out of the Fight

CHAPTER 15
O: Out of Bounds Areas

CHAPTER 16
P: Practice Makes Permanent, Not Always Perfect

CHAPTER 17
Q: (The) Quiet Life

CHAPTER 18
R: Revolvers

CHAPTER 19
S: Semi Auto Pistols

CHAPTER 20
T: Three and See

CHAPTER 21
U: Understanding Fear

CHAPTER 22
V: Violence and the Threat Test

CHAPTER 23
W: Women and Guns

CHAPTER 24
X: Xtra Gear and Training Aids

CHAPTER 25
Y: Yellow One of Five Awareness Conditions

CHAPTER 26
Z: Zebra Theory Why They Want To Take Our Guns

AFTERWORD
Parting Shots

APPENDIX
Handgun Recommendation For New Shooters

Choosing to concealed carry a weapon is a weighty decision. It should be done thoughtfully with full understanding of the law and potential consequences.

Ive carried a concealed handgun for more than thirty years, but if you think this book is about me trying to persuade you to carry one to, you would be mistaken.

For 27 of those years I was a cop. I learned very quickly that the police cant protect individual citizens from violence. We would like to. We are willing to risk our lives to try. But to assume cops can be everywhere the thugs are, is not college-level thinking. Many good people understand this, and wonder whether carrying a concealed firearm on the streets would make them safer. Like most beat cops and working deputies I know, I support the right of responsible civilians to arm themselves. You see, we know better than most that, When seconds count, the cops are only minutes away.

Some of us in law enforcement do have concerns however, about the many misconceptions (I call them balloons) that seem to inflate with the number of carry permits. The biggest one of all is that a loaded gun will automatically make you safer on the streets. A gun by itself wont make you any safer than a chainsaw would make Madonna a lumberjack. In fact, it could actually make you less safe if you pull it prematurely or choke under stress and its taken away from you.

Ive seen what gunfire does to the human body. Its always horrible, even when the good guy shoots the bad guy. In some geographic areas and social/familial circles, disclosing that you even own a gun can subject you to ostracism for uncivilized behavior in these so-called enlightened times. If you are assaulted, you will probably have less than three seconds in the dark to make a life or death decision. The DAs investigators will take three weeks in a sunny, air-conditioned office sipping Starbucks, to evaluate every minute aspect of your behavior.

In the aftermath of that shooting, even if it is found to justified, or righteous in cop speak, there is the chance the assailant or his grieving family will be cleaned up and eagerly represented in civil proceedings by free legal counsel. On the other hand, your defense will cost more than your first house. So if you want to say no thanks to concealed carry after prudent reflection, I have nothing but respect for your decision.

If however, after knowing what you need to know about the real world of concealed carry, you are still serious about it, I have respect for that too. I tried to pack enough practical information in this book, in easily digestible bites, to get you started on a path that is clear and reality based, especially if you dont have a lot of experience with firearms.

I believe many of people will be sold the wrong gun for concealed carry. Were going to break with publishing tradition and not show you pictures of the hundreds of different guns you might buy. Instead, I am going to recommend one specific handgun by manufacturer and model number that in my opinion, represents the best starting point for the most people with a low personal risk profile.

But before we get to that point, lets try to make you safer with some simple risk-management tools. Lets make you more street smart with or without a gun.

The effective carry of a legally concealed handgun for self-defense must rest on a sincere intention to avoid danger whenever practical. The good news is that you can be a lot safer just by practicing proven risk-management techniques whether you decide to carry a gun for protection or not.

Understanding your risk profile and how to avoid trouble can help ensure you never have to use your gun.

First, you need to know the threat. In my experience as a police officer, you are most likely to be victimized by young, unemployed, unmarried men. They can be divided into two sub-classes: bullies and predators. Bullies use posturing and physical brutality to impress their attending toadies. Wherever bullies are at the time, is their turf and your mere presence there forces them to demonstrate their dominance over you. They learn this doing stretches in county jail. Predators are more dangerous than bullies because they use a stealthy approach and the shock of ambush assault to startle you into not resisting their robbery or sexual attack. Predators pick their victims carefully, focusing on those who appear to be weak, meek and/or alone. They are cunning as well as vicious. If you look like a hard target predators will likely wait for an easier mark.

Bullies hang out in bars and clubs, convenience stores, fast food joints in crummy parts of town and the cheap seats at sporting events and concerts. Watch for pre-assault behavioral cues like odd stares, blustering posture or gestures that are out-of-context. If you observe these, create distance. To avoid predators, walk in groups, stay in well-lighted places and dont look like a victim.

Rookie cops are taught that when they belt on their gun their ego stays in the locker. If you carry concealed, you have to be ready and willing to let your macho go and submit to the societal insults that are common in todays anything-goes culture. For example, you and your family are enjoying a quiet dinner out when a group is seated next to you that thinks loud profanity is a perfect seasoning for their meal. Can you get everybody up and quietly leave the restaurant? Or, somebody barely misses crunching your car as the recklessly careen around the road and you find yourself next to them at the stoplight. Can you look straight ahead and let it slide? Or, even worse, you see a big guy pushing his girlfriend or wife or kid around with shouts and a slap. Can you be satisfied with backing off and making a 911 call?