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I like to think that I am still close to my prime; but I can certainly see how my parents are no longer near their peak. This is very evident with my mother’s arthritic hands. Roughly 10 years ago, she purchased a Ruger LCP (the original) as her every day carry (EDC) gun. Her hand strength was fine for recoil control, slide manipulation and her finger was certainly strong enough to manage the trigger. Over intervening time, those processes have become much more difficult, making her rethink her handgun choice.
Most of us who carry daily make a choice between comfort and ease of shooting with our choice in EDC pistols. I happen to carry a full size M&P 9mm. As an early concealed carry person, I was sure carrying such a gun would be noticed by everyone and be super uncomfortable. Over time, I gradually learned how to conceal better and more comfortably.
I am a belt and suspenders kind of guy when it comes to certain things. Home defense is one of them. Because of that, I like several options sitting by the bedside for dealing with social work, like evicting home invaders. There is a gear tree that sits 3 feet away from my nightstand that holds my 3-gun belt, my plate carrier and two long guns. One of those guns is an AR-15, and that is what we will focus on today.
There are three layers of preparedness outside of the home: Vehicle, Every Day Carry, and extended. This article touches on all three; however, the distinction between each is important. Vehicles have ample space and carrying capacity, so you can set and forget certain items in the trunk or under a seat. Everyday carry is the exact opposite of that. Each item needs to be judged versus space, weight, likelihood of use, and importance in an emergency.
About 18 months ago, I decided it was high time for me to try my hand at 3 Gun. Life was good; I carved out some range time and found a friend to attend with me. He had some experience running matches, so he helped me kit up and learn some practice drills. We had a great time, even if he consistently smoked my stage times.
The law may prevent you from carrying a defensive handgun, and in some places even from carrying a knife, but it does not prevent you from carrying a tourniquet, dressings, QuikClot, CPR masks, etc. The life that is saved may be your own.
I am not opposed to the 1911 platform. Most of us can agree there are some gorgeous 1911s. So, why do I own more than a dozen handguns and not a single 1911? One could start by saying I came of age at the same time as the Tupperware guns. Gaston Glock had really gotten his marketing ball rolling when I bought my first handgun in the dawn of the ’90s, but there is more to it than that.
I admit, I have been a prepper—to various degrees—for decades. In that regard, my plans have always been to bug out if things got rough. With that in mind, a seismic shift went through our prep plans when we came to the obvious conclusion that unless it was BAD, we needed to bug in.
