Reality in Everyday Carry

Reality in Everyday Carry

by Bret Gould

 

For all of those reading survival blogs, we obviously have our eyes on the upcoming problems on the horizon.  The astute have been forecasting for years that a currency collapse, a false flag EMP, an Iranian EMP or something we cannot even imagine may happen in the next year.  The result is that we, as Americans, need to have gear available to protect ourselves, thus everyday carry.  But what do we really mean with EDC?

Everyday carry has many facets to it.  There is the equipment.  One must first adjust ones lifestyle to suit the needed equipment.  If all that were needed was to buy a Beretta .25 and put it in a pocket all would be over. I have a good friend who had an epiphany over this.  He carried a Ruger LCP in his pocket.  He did this for quite some time until I challenged him to draw it and shoot it under time on the range.  He hesitated. I reminded him that I was an experienced  instructor and one should draw and fire in 1.5 seconds from concealment or give it up. He now carries in a faster method.  He also learned that the belt holster combination are critical. No cheap holster made of nylon or sagging belt.  be prepared to spend a little money. After all, how much is your butt worth?  Also invest in some baggy shirts to cover the concealed gun.  Yes it looks cool to tuck the shirt in and wear the penny loafers but can you fight like that?

Carry enough gun. folks a pistol is not a death ray.  Yet people always carry underpowered guns.  Carry enough gun. Yes I know, you can’t conceal one.  I carry a full size Glock 20, 10 mm and 2 extra mags and unless I tell someone, they are never seen.  Other considerations, knives anyone.  One should always carry at least a rapid deploying folding knife. I carry a waist belt sheath knife and a Spyderco blade.   They are to compliment my Glock.  It is only in recent times have men stopped carrying knives. The knife is man’s oldest tool and needs to be used. 

Now the topic of alternative force.  Being in law enforcement for 26 years, I have gotten used to carrying  a less lethal method of force ie. an asp baton or black jack.   People will ask but you have a Glock what do you need that for?  Simply put, you can’t shoot everyone.  You can’t eve draw your pistol without committing a crime unless in fear of your life unless you are commissioned officer. But, you can draw a black jack or asp baton and be ready to engage an attacker or multiple attackers until , or if you need to transition to you pistol.  

Training. One must engage in realistic training. I’m going to pick on a couple areas due to the popularity and availability of these methods and the false sense of competence they bring. Please bear in mind I have rank in several COMBAT  arts and have been a working cop for 26 yrs so I use these skills.  If you want to do MMA or Tae Kwon Do, be my guest. But be aware, there are no referees to stop the fight after an eye gouge or groin kick as in MMA, and you don’t fight in a gi and get to stretch before you are attacked as in Tae Kwon Do.  Take boxing, Filipino Martial arts, Krav Maga or thai boxing, arts that emphasize combat.  

In short, change your lifestyle to match your combat mindset. Dress and prepare for combat.


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8 thoughts on “Reality in Everyday Carry”

  1. For an EDC knife I carry an Emerson with the wave deployment. There is no knife on the market that will deploy faster. Additional, always carry the biggest knife you can ( look up legal size in your state). The advantage to a knife is in many states ( I’m from Texas) unlike a gun, which you can not carry in you hand, you can walk with a knife open in you hand. That said I also agree with carrying the biggest pistol you are comfortable with. And practice with both. Learn when and how to use both. Unfortunately here in Texas carrying a baton is not legal so that option is out for us. Great article.

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  2. Not being a fan of Tupperware, I carry a Kimber Custom TLEII (.45ACP) with 2 spare mags. First round in each mag is standard ball, then 6 rounds of Black Talon, then a tracer. When the glowing ball comes out of the end of the barrel I know to reload. It’s very embarrassing in a combat situation to pull one’s trigger and only hear a click.
    Knives – they vary, but generally an auto such as a Benchmade Auto-Ruckus or an Auto-Presidio on my off side, a Benchmade Mini Nimravus or Emerson PUK in the small of my back, and a fully serrated Spyderco Endura (all steel, not plastic handles) for general cutting, wire stripping, and light hammering.
    I carry either a Mil-Tac or Tuff Writer pen when I fly.
    I have a few batons, kubotans, and other striking weapons, but don’t usually carry one on a daily basis.

    Good comment about realistic training. When I was still teaching I would randomly call my students and tell them to show up for class in whatever they were wearing right then – high heels, business suits, I even had one show up in a bathrobe and boxers. We trained with school backpacks and lunch kits, brief cases, purses, and even grocery bags as weapons.

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  3. I walk with a stick. Sometimes I need it to walk but most times I just need it to get to my feet. It’s a pain in the ass to carry all time but the day I don’t have it will be the day I need it. It also makes me a mark, but that, is a subterfuge. It’s a very effective ‘less than lethal’. I prefer it over a knife because it has a longer reach and a greater impact (yes, pun intended). I also carry at least one knife if not two. If taken to the ground I’m dead. One is deployable from my off side – JIC! I also wear loose clothing, but that’s just normal for me. I started years ago when I realized I couldn’t wear a hakama in public w/out drawing very strange looks, and I don’t like being bound in tight jeans and t-shirts. What t-shirts I do wear have the sleeves cut off for the same reason. Besides, you’re more graceful when your clothes flow around you (they ‘hide’ subtle movements) I don’t care for guns. Make no mistake: I can still shoot a rat at 300yrds if not take out his eyes, or eight .45 rds in a saucer at pistol distances, but we haven’t arrived at the complete collapse yet. Though I prepare for a future that may not be; I still must live the present. If I haven’t been shot by the time “he’s” close enough to ‘take my wallet’, I’m well capable of making his, mine. To paraphrase Musashi, “To survive, accept your own death, then proceed. It is the only way”. If I die, I die. Though I’m not going out without a fight, the chance to fight may be all but moot.

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  4. Finally. Somebody who’s been there and done that. My own set up is a Springield 1911A1 wide body that with one in the chamber and 14 in three magazines. FBI (approved for agent use) PDX1 230 grain HP and/or Remington 230 grain Golden Sabres. Uncle Sam has spent untold fortunes working out what is going to give the best result during stringent and exhaustive testing. Why should I re-plow the same ground? I’m too damned lazy to do that. If it’s good enough for the FBi and the armed forces units that carry .45’s, it’s good enough for me.

    Nothing wrong with the 10, and it does deliver more ft.lbs. of energy, but the ammo is sooo expensive off the shelf. I’d like to have one myself, but Colt has priced itself out of reach for the average schmoe. If they’d get the hell out of New York and move here to Iowa like Les Baer did from Illinois, the tax savings could be translated to lower product prices and increased sales.

    I’ve had 2 6″ Pythons and 2 Gold Cups and they all shot like a house on fire. I’ve still got my Cylinder & Slide re-worked Combat Elite with the Spegel grips, but it’s mostly a safe queeen now. C&S put a Bar-Sto barrel in it made it shoot groups like–well, I’ve had Master level Bullseye shooters tell me if I ever wanted to sell it, to give them 1st call. It’ll go to a nephew when the time comes. Right after I’ve been dead 3 weeks and really start to stink. Then I’ll be “too old”.

    Respectfully

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  5. Evening,rourke. I just commented yesterday on rmactsc on a similar topic. I too carry a small asp, a spyderco mil.and a s&w 340 m&p ti .357 w/ 1 speed loader. With this loadout I am prepared to escalate to meet the level of threat(within reason).A person could go broke defending your decision to shoot a agressive panhandler.As a full time fireman/EMT I, I too work the mean streets.It tends to make you very aware of people (drunks,drug addicts,psyche……) and bring on a much higher awareness to possible dangerous situations, and positions .

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  6. Great article! I liked the last section about recommended fighting styles. It’s good to hear the opinion of someone who’s been there and done it.

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  7. This is a great post, informative, educational and presented by someone who knows something on the subject. I currently don’t carry anything typical, though I want to get permitted for concealed carry, currently I occasionally carry unconcealed, my weapon of choice is a 55 year old women, she has a bad attitude, a short fuse, cat like reflexes and a hair trigger. Oh she seems so mild manured and passive, but she’s a wildcat carried half cocked. Normally she’s carrying an assortment of weapons such as: fingernail files, Pepper spray, throwing stars, credit cards (those things can be lethal) and an assortment of other objects that may not seem dangerous at first site, but trust me, you’ll think differently when there hurtling at you at 25 yards a second. She’s not foolproof or bullet proof but when trouble shows, she usually draws enough attention that I can slip away unnoticed…. and then watch the fun from a safe distance. All kidding aside, there is no better time than now to get permitted to carry. I often travel with a weapon concealed in my F-350…. better judged by 12 than carried by 6.

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