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CONCEALEDCARRY
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PASSING
THROUGH
Realities of
the Road

CARRY
PAGE 34

ON WHERE
THE WILD
THINGS ARE
What’s a ‘Woods Gun’?
PAGE 16

WHEELS UP
Flying With Firearms
PAGE 56

www.USCCA.com
INTRODUCTION BORN TO PROTECT

WE’RE ALL
BORN TO PROTECT … BUT WE
NEED TO BE PROTECTED TOO
A
s a strong, self-reliant American, you know it’s up
to YOU to protect yourself and your family. But
carrying a gun without proper training and legal
protection can actually put you at MORE risk than
not carrying a firearm at all.
Arm yourself with USCCA Membership for benefits that
help protect law-abiding gun owners like you from being
hurt, arrested, jailed or sued. Join the USCCA, and for
about $1 a day, you’ll get everything you need to carry
with confidence:
• Training: Hundreds of videos and guides to help
improve your situational awareness and your
accuracy with a firearm.
• Education: The latest information on how and when
you can legally stop a threat — and what you should
and shouldn’t do after.
• Legal protection: Up to $2,250,000 in benefits that
help pay the attorney fees, defense expenses and
civil damages that follow a self-defense incident.
Make the choice to be prepared and armed for good
as a USCCA Member. You’ll become part of our family
that’s more than 300,000 strong and ready to take a stand
against evil, build stronger communities and save lives.
Visit USCCA.com/PBR to learn more.

2 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

CONTENTS BORN TO PROTECT
4 CARRY IN THE OUTDOORS
37 PRO TIPS
PRESIDENT & CEO
PLANNING STAYING SAFE Tim Schmidt

AHEAD ON THE ROAD

Uncle Ed’s Travel Guide, Part 2
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Kevin Michalowski
Armed Afield, Part 1 CREATIVE DIRECTOR
❚ TOM MCHALE ❚ ED COMBS Ken Wangler
MANAGING EDITOR
40 THE ‘GUARDED DRAW’
Jared Blohm
ART DIRECTOR
OPENING Dusty Reid

STATEMENT
Folding Knife Deployments
SENIOR EDITOR
Ed Combs
COPY CHIEF
❚ MICHAEL JANICH Carla Dickmann
PHOTOGRAPHERS
10 ON THE TRAIL 44 LEGAL MATTERS
Ken Wangler • Dusty Reid
Daniel Acker • Kurt Adams

WORST-CASE SILENCE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jared Blohm •John Caile • Ed Combs • K.L. Jamison

SCENARIOS
Armed Afield, Part 2
IS GOLDEN
Understanding the Criminal Justice System
Michael Janich • Brad Lewis • Tom McHale
Schuyler P. Robertson • Rick Sapp • Ashley West
Published for USCCA by:
❚ TOM MCHALE ❚ JOHN CAILE

16 HANDGUN SELECTION 48 LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERACTIONS

WHERE THE WILD ONCE UPON

THINGS ARE A TIME
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What’s a ‘Woods Gun’? Telling Your Story to the Police CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
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22 HOME DEFENSE 52 MENTAL HEALTH

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A BAD DECISION
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26 COMPETITION WHEELS UP Concealed Carry Magazine. Published 8 times a year,

monthly, except combined issues: Feb/Mar; May/June;

SHOOT TO WIN
An Overview of the Shooting Sports
Flying With Your Gun
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60 REAL LIFE
30 HISTORY THERE WHEN
JACK SLADE
Lessons From the Old West
HE NEEDED IT Signed articles in Concealed Carry Magazine reflect the views
of the author, and are not necessarily the views of the editors
A USCCA Member and His Family at Delta Defense, LLC. Concealed Carry Magazine and the
❚ K.L. JAMISON Survive a Harrowing Hold-Up U.S. Concealed Carry Association are registered trademarks
❚ JARED BLOHM of Delta Defense, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Copyright
2004-2020 by Delta Defense, LLC. Reproduction, copying,
34 or distribution of Concealed Carry Magazine is prohibited
UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY
64 without written permission.

JUST PASSING CAUTIONARY TALE

THROUGH IF IT BLEEDS...
The Kevin Shea Story
Uncle Ed’s Travel Guide, Part 1
❚ RICK SAPP
❚ ED COMBS

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 3

 tom Mchale

PLANNING
ARMED AFIELD, PART 1

AHEAD
4 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
 Outdoor pursuits
When you’re spending time in
the Great Outdoors, you could
run into predators — man
or beast. It’s best to have a
self-defense plan in place
before you really need one.

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 5

6 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
C
orey Chubon, accompanied by
Wyoming hunting guide Mark
Uptain, was field dressing an elk
when everything went wrong. Af-
ter taking the elk during archery
season, the two were attacked by not one
but two grizzly bears: a mature sow and a
150-pound cub. The bears broke through
scattered vegetation and went straight
for Uptain.
The men had placed their packs a
short distance uphill from where they
were working on the carcass, and Up-
tain’s 10mm Glock pistol was in a chest
rig set down in the same area. Chubon’s
bear spray was also stowed away in one
of the packs and well out of easy reach.
Chubon lunged for the pistol but could
not fire it. As it was Uptain’s pistol, he
was unfamiliar with its operation. Worse
yet, Uptain habitually carried without a
round chambered. Having no time to fig-
ure things out as one bear lunged for his
ankle and picked him up off the ground,
Chubon tossed the pistol in Uptain’s
direction. Somewhere in the struggle,
someone hit the release, and the maga-
zine dropped free. Tragically, Uptain died
of his wounds. Chubon eventually moved
to a location where he regained cell ser-
vice and called for help.
I relay this story to illustrate the impor-
tance of preparedness. There are many
issues to consider before heading into
the field, so it’s important not to just latch
onto the issues related to gun condition
and accessibility.
For example, is it legal to carry a pistol
while hunting in your area? How about
during muzzleloader and archery sea-
sons? For what types of self-defense
scenarios might you need to plan? Are
you more concerned with human or an-
imal encounters? What type of firearm is
appropriate for the area? Is it capable of
protecting you from animals you’re likely
to encounter? Is your hunting firearm ap-
propriate for self-defense use?
There are myriad questions to consider
so you can plan properly and correctly —
before you venture into the field.
DO YOU NEED A DEFENSIVE FIREARM?
Let’s start with a scenario that’s slightly
counterintuitive. If you’re in the field hunt-
ing with a rifle, do you need a self-de-
fense handgun too? In my view, the an-
swer is yes, and here’s why.
By definition, hunting is an offensive
endeavor. You’re the one waiting, stalking
and planning to take game. Stated differ-
ently, you’re creating the plan of where
and when you’ll use a firearm. Are there
scenarios where your game will sur-
prise you and present a short window
of time for you to react? Yes, but you’re
still “ready” in the literal sense because
you’re the one initiating the activity.
Self-defense, by its very definition, is
a reaction. If you knew when you would
need to engage in self-defense, you’d
avoid the situation in the first place, right?
Again, by definition, you’re put in a posi-
tion of reacting to someone or something
else’s plan. To draw a comparison to
hunting, you become the game, and your
attacker is the hunter. You’re at a disad-
vantage from the start.
As to firearm suitability for self-defense,
a hunting rifle certainly has the techni-
cal capability to deliver fight-stopping
power into two-legged and four-legged
attackers, so that’s not the problem.
The drawback of traditional hunting fire-
arms is that few of them are suitable for
close-quarters, reactive use. It’s tough to
maneuver a bolt-action rifle or field shot-
gun and even tougher to use one with a
single hand. And you don’t get to decide
how much personal space you’ll have or
if you’ll have the use of both hands. That’s
up to your attacker. You may be in a po-
sition of fighting off an animal (as in our
opening story) with one hand while trying
to bring your firearm into action with the
other. You may be too closely engaged to
use a rifle or shotgun at all, not to mention
the limitations on rapidly firing multiple
shots if required. If you’re hunting during
muzzleloader or bow season, you don’t
even have the theoretical advantages of
a hunting rifle on your side, so the need
for a distinct self-defense firearm is clear.
BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 7
 “AS TO FIREARM SUITABILITY FOR SELF-DEFENSE, A HUNTING RIFLE
CERTAINLY HAS THE TECHNICAL CAPABILITY TO DELIVER FIGHT-STOPPING
POWER INTO TWO-LEGGED AND FOUR-LEGGED ATTACKERS, SO THAT’S NOT
THE PROBLEM. THE DRAWBACK OF TRADITIONAL HUNTING FIREARMS IS THAT
FEW OF THEM ARE SUITABLE FOR CLOSE-QUARTERS, REACTIVE USE.”

WHAT DOES THE LAW ALLOW IN TERMS OF
CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS WHILE HUNTING?
Most states have similar laws regard-
ing hunting while carrying a personal-de-
fense firearm. Keep in mind that laws can
change frequently, so it’s necessary for
you to research and verify the specific
laws in your state for every situation. We’ll
provide some examples for clarity on what
you’ll find, but don’t take these illustrations
as legal advice. Always check your local
laws and hunting regulations. It’s up to
you to know the laws in your jurisdiction.
As for carrying a self-defense handgun
while hunting, there are several variations
of law from state to state. Many states, in-
cluding Florida, Mississippi, Arizona, Vir-
ginia and Alaska, have provisions in the
law that allow one to carry a handgun in
the field while engaged in hunting activ-
ities. However, it’s important to note that
those statutes don’t permit the use of that
handgun for hunting — unless it’s used
in a specifically defined handgun hunting
season. If it’s deer season for shotguns,
rifles or muzzleloaders, know that you
cannot use your handgun instead of the
long gun. The self-defense provisions do
not change or alter standard hunting reg-
ulations. If you live in a state that follows
this model, be sure you’re clear on any
provisions related to open or concealed
carry and transporting a handgun to and
from the hunting grounds. It’s possible
that without a local concealed carry per-
mit, you may need to transport a “field”
handgun cased and unloaded until you
arrive at the hunting grounds.
A related scenario defines specific
provisions for those hunters who have
concealed carry permits. For exam-
ple, if you’re hunting in Oklahoma, you
must have a valid concealed carry per-
mit to have a handgun present in any
non-handgun hunting season.
Some states appear to place an out-
right ban on the presence of handguns
while hunting. For example, according
to Mass.gov, “Handguns are not allowed
for deer hunting and may not be in your
possession while deer hunting” in Massa-
chusetts. There’s no readily apparent pro-
vision that allows a state license to carry
(LTC) holder to carry said handgun while
hunting. Other states, such as Rhode Is-
land, address the issue indirectly. Accord-
ing to regulations, each hunter can only
have one firearm or bow appropriate for
the season at hand on his or her person.
It’s also important to note that location
matters. Regulations can differ depend-
ing on whether you’re hunting on public or
private land. For example, in Wisconsin, a
person needs a concealed carry permit to
carry a concealed handgun while hunting
on public land. However, if the hunt is on
private land, a person who is 18 years or
older and is the owner, lessee or legal oc-
cupant of that land can carry a concealed
handgun while on that property without a
state concealed carry permit.
WHAT ABOUT BOWHUNTING?
Bowhunting season often presents
new challenges, as many states strive
to discourage the use of a firearm at
all during bow season. For that reason,
states such as Georgia have seemingly
conflicting regulations. While bowhunt-
ing in that state, it’s unlawful to possess
a firearm of any kind unless the hunter
has a concealed weapons permit.
As with firearms hunting regula-
tions, some states prohibit carry of
a self-defense handgun in the field
during archery season. Connecticut
and Illinois present the best examples.
In those states, it’s illegal to possess a
firearm of any kind while bowhunting.
Not surprisingly, handguns and other
firearms aren’t allowed to be used on
game while bowhunting. However, there’s
a less obvious scenario to consider. Can

8 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

one’s self-defense handgun be used to HOW TO INTERACT WITH the NWTF offers some additional tips to
dispatch wounded game? In most cases, CONSERVATION OFFICERS help avoid a conflict:
the answer is no. For example, in Idaho, First and foremost, know the laws of • Know the rules of the state. Some
Iowa, Maine, Maryland and Washington, your state and the property on which states do not allow a hunter to recov-
handguns (or firearms of other types) you are hunting. In some states, the law er a bird shot on public property that
can’t be used to dispatch game already requires you to immediately communi- crosses onto private land before dy-
wounded via bow. cate to a peace officer that you’re car- ing UNLESS specific permission has
If you bowhunt in California, check rying a concealed firearm. Obviously, been granted.
your regulations daily. As of this writ- how you do that is important. • Leave a trail that proves you harvest-
ing, it’s not legal to carry a handgun at With hands clearly visible, calmly ed a bird on public land.
all while deer hunting during archery tell the responding officer that you are • Tip: Use video to capture the shot or
season. The NRA and CPRA are work- legally carrying a defensive firearm document evidence that led you to
ing with the California Fish and Game and then ask for further instructions. the private land. If you are an archery
Commission on solutions for personal The officer may choose to control your hunter, leave your arrow where it came
protection while archery hunting, but firearm during your encounter, or he or to rest or turn on tracking on your GPS.
overlapping regulations outside of the she may simply thank you for the notice • Punch your tag, even on an animal
Commission’s control currently prohibit and continue the conversation. Howev- that you might not recover, to demon-
the practice. er things play out, it’s imperative that strate to a landowner or warden that
you follow all instructions. If you and an you’re an ethical, law-abiding hunter.
ENCOUNTERING OTHERS officer disagree on a finer point of fire-
Running across others while in the arms law, move on. The field encounter ■ As a last resort, it’s up to you to han-
field is usually — and should be — a is not the time or place to resolve such dle a conflict situation as smoothly as
non-event. However, things can go di- a dispute. possible:
sastrously wrong in a heartbeat in re- • Stay calm. Don’t get into a heated ex-
mote areas with few, if any, witnesses. HOW TO INTERACT WITH OTHERS change.
Just ask Harold Fish. While hiking For purposes of this discussion, we’ll • Clarify that you don’t mean to be on
in Arizona, Fish encountered Grant assume that we’re talking about conten- private land.
Kuenzli and two dogs on loan from the tious interactions. Friendly ones are easy. • Suggest looking at a map to ensure
humane society. According to Fish’s Just like carrying a defensive firearm on everybody is on the same page.
testimony, he offered a wave as he ap- the city streets, dealing with others in the • Exchange contact information. You
proached Kuenzli, at which point the field requires patience, composure and should have nothing to hide.
two dogs ran toward Fish snarling and a willingness to swallow pride and walk • Offer to contact local officials.
baring teeth. Fish fired two warning away. • Leave the property if you are unable
shots into the brush to distract the dogs. to convince the person that you are
Then, again according to Fish, Kuenzli ■ One common source of conflict can lawfully there.
charged, waving his fists and yelling, be a simple dispute over whether you’re
“I’m going to hurt you!” and “I’m going on public or private property. The first These pointers are good for any confron-
to kill you!” Fish shot Kuenzli three times and most important step is prevention tation. A calm and polite demeanor is nev-
in the chest and then ran for the road to (at least to the degree possible). The er more important than when you’re armed.
get help. National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)
Initially, responding officers called the offers these tips: PREPARATION MATTERS
event a clear-cut case of self-defense. • Do your research to know where prop- The single most important thing you
Later, a district attorney pressed charges erty boundaries are located. can do is plan ahead. Step No. 1 is to
against Fish for Second Degree Murder. • Obtain the contact information for and make sure you’re on the right side of the
After a circus of bad jury instructions and know the owner of all private land to law. It’s tedious work to research, digest
disallowed evidence, the court found be encountered. and follow what can be confusing regula-
Fish guilty and sentenced him to 10 • Use technological tools that can help tions, but it’s your responsibility. Laws and
years in prison. A couple of years lat- you stay on top of ownership of spe- regulations change frequently and vary
er, after losing everything and incurring cific tracts. widely from state to state — even within
$500,000 in legal fees, Fish’s verdict • Tip: Try onXmaps, a hunting app that state boundaries — so you must stay atop
was overturned. offers several products for various de- the research. Find the relevant websites,
The moral of the story is that even vices to help identify boundaries and bookmark them and refer back before ev-
mundane encounters can turn tragic land-ownership information. The app ery field outing.
in the blink of an eye. While you can’t is free, but maps require membership.
prevent the behavior of others, you can
control how you respond to different ■ If you are forced to retrieve game
types of situations. that has ended up on private property,

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 9

 WORST-CASE
SCENARIOS
ARMED AFIELD, PART 2
tom Mchale

10 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

Vital StrATEGIES
When encountering
pugnacious humans,
a hunter should avoid
conflict if possible and
be prepared for the
worst-case scenario.

P
reviously, we investigated the circum-
stances surrounding a hunter and guide
who experienced the worst-case sce-
nario when attacked by grizzly bears.
Encountering an ornery beast is only
one possibly life-threatening situation in the
field though. There are others that can escalate
quickly if not handled properly, and they can
often involve interactions with radical anti-hunt-
ers and other unstable environmentalist types.

THE LAW IS ON YOUR SIDE

Those opposed to your hunting activities
will come after you not only from the safety of
an anonymous computer but also perhaps in
the field or even at home. Fortunately, most
anti-hunter run-ins transpire online. But that
doesn’t mean that they are “safe.” Just ask
Jana Waller, who shared some of her experi-
ences with the Rocky Mountain Elk Founda-
tion. After posting photos of a successful hunt
on Facebook and Twitter, she began to get
the normal and, sadly, expected online vitriol.
What she didn’t anticipate were the credible
death threats. One man posted that he was
traveling to Montana for the sole purpose of
killing her. Jana immediately took screen cap-
tures of the threats and contacted Facebook
and law enforcement. Jana makes an import-
ant point about your power to defend yourself
from such threats:
“Many people don’t understand that it’s not
very hard to track down a person hiding behind
a computer. The FBI and other state agencies
have the power to climb through cyberspace
and get a lot of information about cyberbullies.
In many cases, online harassment is a federal
offense and can be prosecuted if one wanted
to go to that level. There are also many hunt-
er harassment laws protecting us that can be
used if the ‘delete and ban’ button doesn’t stop
the behavior.”
When in the field, you may not have the luxu-
ry of time to contact law enforcement and start
the wheels of justice turning. Fortunately, the
laws are on your side in most states, and that’s
a solid beginning.

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 11

 gets the benefit of the doubt. Also, if ev-
erything turns sour, you’ll want backup
on the way.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance sug-
gests the following guidelines:
• Report the incident to authorities as
soon as possible.
• Have an accurate description of the
protesters, a license plate number
and vehicle information, if possible.
• Be prepared to file harassment
charges against the perpetrators.
Those are great high-level tips, but
you’ll want to consider additional steps:
Keep your head. Remain calm and
polite. A favorite strategy of this type of
A common example is that of disruptor is to film the encounter. If you
authorized placement of real
Alabama’s simple and straight- sTAY LEGAL lose your cool, he or she will document
or personal property intended
As in every other area
forward provisions against of self-defense, it is it and share it broadly. If he or she loses
for use in the lawful taking of
hunter harassment: your responsibility to wildlife. his or her cool, the video will never see
“No person shall willfully and ensure that you are the light of day, as it’s a setup from the
following all pertinent
7. Making or attempting to
knowingly prevent, obstruct, laws and regulations at make loud noises or gestures, start.
impede, disturb or interfere all times. If appropriate and possible with a
set out or attempt to set out
with, or attempt to prevent, obstruct, animal baits, scents or lures or human calm demeanor, discuss the law. State
impede, disturb or interfere with, any scent, use any other natural or artificial that you are following all applicable laws
person in legally hunting or fishing pur- visual, aural, olfactory or physical stim- and that interference may be a serious
suant to the rules and regulations of the uli, or engage in or attempt to engage violation. If he or she is recording, that
Department of Conservation and Natu- in any other similar action or activity, in just might become evidence. This is an-
ral Resources and the law of the State order to disturb, alarm, drive, attract or other reason to make sure you know all
of Alabama.” the details of applicable regulations.
affect the behavior of wildlife or disturb,
Other states, such as Arizona, take alarm, disrupt or annoy a person lawful- Be prepared to leave. A confronta-
the concept a step further by defining a ly taking wildlife. tion like this will rarely end on a positive
host of activities that constitute harass- note. If you’re lucky, and the offender
8. Interjecting oneself into the line of
ment. For example: realizes that he or she might be in seri-
fire of a person lawfully taking wildlife.”
“It is a class 2 misdemeanor for a per- ous legal trouble, perhaps he or she will
Victims of such harassment are en-
son while in a hunting area to intention- titled to file for restraining orders and back down and leave. If not, you don’t
ally interfere with, prevent or disrupt the even recover damages from perpe- want to risk escalation to violent conflict
lawful taking of wildlife by: trators of hunting harassment. Even over a single hunting outing. No matter
1. Harassing, driving or disturbing California offers strong support to the how much planning and effort went into
any wildlife. your trip in the field, it’s not worth risking
point of prohibiting baiting intended to
2. Blocking, obstructing or impeding, relocate game to other areas away from a violent encounter. No one wins in a sit-
or attempting to block, obstruct or im- lawful hunting activity. uation like that.
pede, a person lawfully taking wildlife. Remember that these types of en-
The point is important, as it strength-
3. Erecting a barrier without the con- ens a bedrock principle of self-defense: counters are for law enforcement to re-
sent of the landowner or lessee with the If you’re ever involved in a violent con- solve. It’s not your job to enforce hunting
intent to deny ingress to or egress from frontation, it must be crystal clear that laws; if you try to do so, the courts won’t
areas where wildlife may be lawfully tak- you were following the law while the oth- be on your side. If there is no peaceful
en. er party was violating it. resolution, note the details of the en-
4. Making or attempting to make counter — including people and vehicle
physical contact, without permission, WHAT TO DO IF CONFRONTED IN THE FIELD descriptions — so you can file an accu-
with a person lawfully taking wildlife. First, if you sense that a disagreement
rate complaint as soon as possible.
5. Engaging in or attempting to en- is not going to be solved by polite con-
gage in theft, vandalism or destruction versation, call law enforcement if pos- DRUG OPERATIONS
of real or personal property. sible. Just as with an “in-town” self-de- A story shared by the United States
6. Disturbing or altering, or attempt- fense encounter, the first one to call for Department of Agriculture tells of two
ing to disturb or alter, the condition or assistance and file a complaint usually bowhunters who ran across a marijuana

12 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

BEARLY ACCURATE
ARE GUNS REALLY INEFFECTIVE AGAINST BEAR ATTACKS?
T
he topic of using handguns to defend against
bear attacks can get tricky. Perhaps not surpris-
ingly, a decent number of people who don’t like
guns in the first place are also opposed to any-
one shooting a bear for any reason. As such, a lot of
the people who will tell you that “bear spray is more
effective than guns” are either entirely misinformed or
actively lying to you. The reason is likely the former, but
it can also be the latter. These are the same types who
like to cook statistics to tell you that owning and carry-
ing a gun will make you “less safe,” which is a patently
insane statement.
The numbers they use to be able to say that “bear spray
is more effective than guns” count the individuals who
had firearms somewhere within eyeshot but not immedi-
ately accessible. They tally individuals who were carrying
a firearm that wasn’t properly loaded and at the ready in
a holster on their bodies. In blunt terms, they’re including
the people who had firearms (or had firearms nearby) but
who weren’t carrying them the way they would have been
had they undergone appropriate training.
People who are properly carrying firearms and use
them against dangerous bears almost always succeed
in stopping attacks, as is evident in this set of data col-
lected by Dean Weingarten:
• www.Ammoland.com/2019/08/handgun-or-pistol-
defense-against-bear-attack-73-cases-96-effective/
• www.Ammoland.com/2018/11/wyoming-bear-at-
tack-glock-had-no-round-in-chamber-magazine-pistol-
separated/
• www.Ammoland.com/2019/10/government-view-
of-bear-spray-vs-firearms-for-defense-against-bears/
You don’t want to have to shoot a bear, and I don’t
want you to have to shoot a bear. But understand that,
like with all other things firearms-related, the “facts”
some folks dish out may well be selectively assembled
and intentionally misleading. Like news of other defen-
sive gun uses, stories of persons defending themselves
against bear attacks with handguns rarely get publi-
cized because a lot of the people who report the news
in this country don’t like guns, they don’t like bears get-
ting shot, and they don’t like people getting any ideas
about carrying guns for self-defense.
Most people deal with bears by never even being
near them, especially when it comes to grizzlies, but
predatory attacks by black bears are very real and ab-
solutely do happen. That said, carry your guns, but put
most of your research and training into techniques for
stopping bad men and vicious dogs. You’re far more
likely to be forced to stop one of them than a bear of any
kind, and what you’ll learn about stopping humans and
canines will work on bruins.
Ed Combs
Senior Editor, Concealed Carry Magazine
BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 13
grow site in the White River National
Forest in northwest Colorado. This
illegal “farm” was home to nearly 4,000
plants, with an estimated street value
of nearly $10 million. Now consider
what the “owners” would do to protect
that type of cash flow. If you don’t think
people would kill over a drug-planting
operation on public land, just watch an
episode or two of Dateline.
The first step to planning for this type
of surprise encounter is to understand
that it can easily happen to you. Hunting
grounds that are only an hour or so from
where you live are still convenient to
city dwellers looking to make some ille-
gal cash in the drug trade. What better
place to run an illegal operation than on
land that’s off the beaten track and can’t
be traced back to the growers?
According to the Department of Agri-
culture, the following types of clues may
indicate the presence of a nearby grow
site:
• The “skunky” smell of marijuana,
especially on hot days
• Hoses or drip lines located in
unusual or unexpected places
• A well-used trail where there
shouldn’t be one
• Voices coming from an unusual
place
• People standing along roads
without vehicles present or in areas
where loitering appears unusual
• Camps containing cooking and
sleeping areas with food, fertilizer,
weapons, garbage, rat poison and/
or dead animals
• Small propane bottles (so that the
grower avoids attention-drawing
wood smoke)
• Individuals armed with rifles out of
hunting season
Grow sites are usually found in iso-
lated locations in rough, steep terrain
(typically between 500 to 5,500 feet el-
evation). If you run across a suspicious
site, follow this advice offered by David
Ferrel, director of law enforcement and
investigations for the Forest Service:
“If you encounter a drug operation,
back out immediately. Never engage the
growers, as these are extremely danger-
ous people. Leave the way you came in
and make as little noise as possible.”
That’s good advice for a number of
14 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
reasons. You absolutely do not want to
explore your find and risk running across
the operators. It’s not your job to stop or
even document such an operation.
It’s also important to back away (liter-
ally) using the same path because it’s
not uncommon for these types of oper-
ations to be surrounded by booby traps
or alarms. Be quiet, and get the heck out
of Dodge. You can report your find to law
enforcement after you’re safely away.
ANIMAL ATTACKS
Registered professional geologist
Alexander Burton is no stranger to
wild-animal attacks. Based on his time
in the field in British Columbia and the
Yukon, he’s documented a half-dozen
encounters with bears.
In one instance near Dawson City, Yu-
kon, Burton was setting up poles inside
his tent when he saw a bear stalking
him from about 20 feet away. As the
bear approached, Burton quickly drew
his handgun and fired once at the bear
from 5 or 6 feet away. The bear dropped,
then recovered, then ran away. After
climbing a nearby tree, it died.
Most bear attacks don’t end so de-
cisively. Burton credits his survival of
multiple similar encounters over time
with not just his choice of handgun (a
.44 Magnum) but also his emphasis on
placing shots toward the aortic arch
on top of the heart. Most violent bear
attacks involve a lot more gunfire and,
in many cases, severe injury to the per-
sons involved.
According to close-encounter statistics,
bear spray has been remarkably effective
over time. According to a report by The
Journal of Wildlife Management, of the in-
dividuals involved in 83 different close-in
bear encounters between 1985 and 2006,
98 percent of those carrying spray were
uninjured by bears.
Clearly, bear spray is only a deterrent
and doesn’t offer the finality of a firearm
for defense. However, a firearm may not
always be the least risky way to defend
against a bear attack. According to a re-
port from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
based on its investigations “of human-bear
encounters since 1992, persons encoun-
tering grizzlies and defending themselves
with firearms suffer injury about 50 per-
cent of the time. During the same period,
persons defending themselves with pep-
per spray escaped injury most of the time,
and those [who] were injured experienced
shorter-duration attacks and less-severe
injuries. Canadian bear biologist Dr. Ste-
phen Herrero reached similar conclusions
based on his own research — a person’s
chance of incurring serious injury from a
charging grizzly doubles when bullets are
fired versus when bear spray is used.”
While this may seem counterintuitive,
researchers believe that a gunshot may
escalate the severity of an attack. That,
combined with the reality that most gun
wounds on a large bear won’t instantly
stop its attack, points to similar scenari-
os of defense against determined human
attackers. Your firearm may kill an attack-
ing animal, but it may not do that quickly
enough to prevent injury to you.
On the other hand, different research
has shown handguns are terrific deter-
rents to deadly bear attacks — something
in the range of 97 percent. It would appear
that when handguns are properly carried
loaded and ready for use, their efficacy in
stopping attacks skyrockets. When guns
are carried without rounds in their cham-
bers by persons who aren’t trained in their
proper use, their effectiveness drops pre-
cipitously.
As in all other areas of self-defense,
know your gear and train on it. Doing so
may make the difference between life and
death.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Just like in town, effective self-defense
in the field boils down to a handful of
vital strategies. Above all, remain calm
and avoid escalation. While people in
general and protesters in particular can
be antagonistic and frustrating, trying to
“win” a disagreement in the wilderness
when firearms are present will never
end well. Our job is not to “win” con-
frontations in the field unless we face
risk of imminent, unavoidable death or
great bodily harm. Our responsibility is
to avoid conflict if at all possible and to
remain prepared for the worst.
IF YOU OWN A GUN FOR
SPORT OR SELF-DEFENSE,
THE USCCA IS FOR YOU

Be prepared to protect what matters, at home and in the

field, with USCCA Membership. Our training goes far beyond
basic hunters’ safety because the unexpected can happen
anytime, anywhere. When it does, you’ll have trusted legal
protection benefits on your side.

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BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 15
 WHAT’S A ‘WOODS GUN’?

WHERE
THE WILD
THINGS
ARE
ED COMBS

16 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

 GET OUT THERE
There is no shortage of options for
firearms that are ideal for use in
the outdoors, and revolvers like this
Magnum Research .44 Magnum
BFR have a rich history — and
future — in that department.

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 17

T
hough I’ll admit we’ve used it
more than once here in CCM, the
term “woods gun” is somewhat
nebulous and possibly even for-
eign to new shooters.
To a lot of folks, a woods gun is a
handgun that’s specifically designed
for defense against dangerous North
American animals, such as bears and
mountain lions. (Before we go any fur-
ther, let’s all remember that the most
common dangerous North American
animals are vicious dogs and bad men,
and by a wide margin.) To others —
myself included — a woods gun is just
that: a gun that you carry when you’re
out in the woods. No one’s necessarily
wrong on either count, but there’s a lot
of daylight between the two definitions.
I’ll be profiling four different woods
guns and running down the pros and
cons of each. I’ll also be offering a few
pointers on optimizing guns you may
already have on hand for woods duty,
and why I do and do not make certain
changes to the guns that I intend to car-
ry off-pavement.
THE LITTLE BUDDY
By far, the most common woods gun
of the 20th century was a
revolver chambered in .22
LR. It afforded the carrier
the ability to dispatch
THE LITTLE BUDDy
PROS: Very low cost, lightweight,
easy to shoot, many holster options
CONS: Limited utility against
attackers or dangerous animals
COST: $150 to $300 (used)
18 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
pests or harvest small game,
and it provided a sense of
security while that carrier
was alone, on foot, that only
a sidearm can easily de-
liver. Lest we forget, un-
til about the end of the
Second World War, get-
ting shot in the chest or abdomen was
likely a long, grueling death sentence
for anyone more than a few minutes’
walk from a hospital. Back then, crim-
inals looking to ambush a hiker, birder
or fisherman thought twice as soon as
they faced a firearm of any kind.
The barrels were usually around 6
inches, as a 2- to 4-inch barrel made the
firearm in question more of a “tackle-box
gun” instead. While revolvers like this
one remain trusty companions on the
trail, they lack in the one area most often
associated with the modern woods gun:
defense against dangerous animals.
In 1938, Ernest Hemingway stated that
“to shoot a grizzly with a .22-caliber pistol
would simply be one way of committing
suicide,” and it’s hard to argue with him.
Though even exceptionally large grizzlies
have been killed with .22-cal rimfire rifles,
a reasonable woman
or man would nev-
er carry a .22-cal
sidearm as a hedge
against a bear at-
tack. Such a gun
under such a cir-
cumstance would
certainly strain
the adage that
“any gun is
better than
no gun.”
THE RETIREE
PROS: Low cost, easy to load and
shoot, wide array of holster and
ammunition options
CONS: Lower capacity than
a double-stack semi-auto
COST: $225 (as shown)
The nine-round .22 LR Iver Johnson
Supershot pictured below was manu-
factured sometime between the World
Wars and still shoots quite well with the
right rounds. The only modification I
made was to fashion a set of oversized
grip scales from a set of standard Char-
ter Arms Combat Full Rubber grips.
With a little fitting on the inside of the
panels, it’s almost as if they were made
for each other. If you’re looking to spend
a little more for a slightly longer grip, a
set of Pachmayr Grippers (pictured) for
the square-butt J-frame required even
less work with an X-Acto knife. When-
ever you’re trying to source grips for an
out-of-production revolver, before you
do anything else, see how close any
similar current-production grips come
to fitting. You might be surprised.
As an added bonus, this is the kind
of gun that you can easily carry in addi-
tion to your usual EDC piece. It doesn’t
weigh much and fits into plenty of the
inexpensive leather holsters available
at garage sales and flea markets na-
tionwide. So threading one onto your
belt the next time you’re off for a day or
three in the scrub is simple and easy on
the wallet. Moreover, let’s all be hon-
est: If you don’t already own
a revolver at least
roughly simi-
lar to this one,
your grandfa-
ther would have
wanted you to.
 cocking of hammers, nor is there any
long double-action revolver press. The
THE TROOPER soft “tick” of a Glock trigger is simple
In 2016, Alaskan outfitter
and easy for even the newest of shoot-
and guide Phil Shoemak- ers to master. That said, one substan-
er used a steel-frame Smith &tial drawback of an auto-loader is that,
Wesson 3953 loaded with 147-grain if you press the muzzle into an attack-
9mm+P Outdoorsmans to defend a ing beast, it can come out of battery
pair of his fishing clients against an an- and not fire. By my estimate, that’s far
gry grizzly. (You can readoutweighed by the fact that this pistol
THE TROOPER the letter he sent to Buffalo
also has a total payload of 16 rounds
PROS: Relatively low cost, high Bore CEO Tim Sundles on when carried properly and fits into the
capacity, lightweight, easy to shoot, wide the company’s homepage.) thousands of used retention holsters
array of holster options, wide array of
ammunition options If he can use a 9mm to turn
that’ll change hands this year. And did
THE RETIREE CONS: Sharp recoil, limited and kill a charging griz, don’t
I mention it’s extremely easy to use?
options for grip modification
The most important I don’t recommend a lot of modifica-
tell me that .40’s “not enough
COST: $350 to $450 (used)
modification you can tions to Glocks for use in the backcoun-
cartridge” for a woods gun,
make to your woods try, specifically when it comes to mag-
especially when the vast ma-
gun is to install a set of grips that are jority of Americans deal with the North azine releases. You’re far more likely to
optimized for a sure draw and a surer American brown bear by not living within have to fumble for the gun than reload it
hold. My preferred revolver stocks for 500 miles of him. during a woods emergency, so increas-
outdoor use are the Hogue Monogrips, With many law enforcement agencies ing your chances of accidentally drop-
single-piece units that are impervious to transitioning back to the 9mm from the ping your mag is going to be one of the
the elements and allow me to complete- .40 S&W, the used market is flush with last mistakes you’ll want to make.
ly control firing and recoil even with truly .40-cal Glocks, SIGs and S&Ws. The
frightful Magnum loads.
A gorgeous old Smith & Wesson Mod- “ THIS IS THE KIND OF GUN THAT YOU CAN EASILY CARRY IN ADDITION TO YOUR
el 19-3 .357 was my first woods gun for
the same reason lots of sidearms end
USUAL EDC ... IF YOU DON’T ALREADY OWN A REVOLVER AT LEAST ROUGHLY SIMILAR
up in that role: It was the only handgun I TO THIS ONE, YOUR GRANDFATHER WOULD HAVE WANTED YOU TO.”
owned at the time.
If you’re not looking to spend vintage, SAPD-marked specimen here is one of THE HAMMER
pinned-and-recessed Model 19 money, those pistols, and I paid well south of And we finally arrive at what a lot of
you can mock up a reasonable facsim- $400 for it before the transition even be- people have in mind when they picture
ile with a beater 4-inch-barreled Model gan. They’re even more affordable now. a woods gun. This is a truly gnarly piece
10 loaded with Buffalo Bore’s Outdoors- An interesting aspect of the G22 is of equipment: Magnum Research’s
man .38 Special +Ps. This will get you a that I can swap out the .40-cal pipe for 5-inch-barreled, Bisley-gripped, stain-
hard-cast, flat-nosed bullet traveling at a .357 SIG barrel, and with that and a less-steel .44 Magnum. The BFR (“Big-
more than 1,100 feet per second, which .357 SIG magazine, I can be carrying gest, Finest Revolver”) is available in
is more than enough for human or ca- an extremely potent round in an ex- other chamberings, including .454
nine attackers and not all that much tremely reliable platform. Or, if I feel like Casull, .500 S&W Magnum and even
slower than some common defensive being a little more responsible with my several centerfire rifle cartridges, but
.357s. gun-buying dollar, I can simply load it in the interest of keeping this report
You won’t have a hard time sourcing up as intended with powerful jacketed as economically minded as possible, I
training ammo, and the options for used hollow-points, such as the 180-grainers thought I’d go for the most orthodox of
outside-the-waistband holsters are al- from Black Hills Ammo, or heavy jacket- the chamberings.
most as limitless as those for long-bar- ed flat-noses from Buffalo Bore. While plenty of you may be thinking
reled .22 revolvers. The S&W Model 10 The greatest advantage a pistol like that .44 Magnum isn’t all that econom-
was, after all, the most common law this one provides is how easy it is to ical a choice, believe me, when you
enforcement sidearm on the planet 35 use: Draw it from wherever you’re price out what .500 Linebaugh and its
years ago, so the secondary market is carrying it, get your sight picture and ilk go for per cartridge, the 75 to 95
still basically flooded. press the trigger. There’s no manual cents per round for decent .44 Mag

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 19

starts to look like a steal.
Equally importantly, the .44
Magnum is not dissimilar to the .357
Magnum in that a revolver chambered
for it is capable of also running the big-
ger round’s lighter parent cartridge (in
this case, the .44 Special).
Single-action revolvers are the ste-
reotypical woods guns, and for decent
reasons. As much as I love my Smith &
Wesson Model 29-2 (otherwise known
as “the Dirty Harry gun”), it was de-
signed as a fine hunting arm. It han-
dles standard-pressure .44 Magnum
cartridges with grace and aplomb and,
were I of such a mind, I’m certain I could
get a guide to put me on a black bear
and I’d be able to make an ethical har-
vest. All of this is a polite way of saying
that, as beautiful and culturally interest-
ing as my 8.375-inch-barreled Model
29 is, it wasn’t designed to handle the
heaviest .44 Mags I can buy in 2019.
Were I facing a dangerous animal
that I had to stop as soon as possible, I
wouldn’t be looking to employ anything
but the heaviest cartridge I could buy
that would still safely and accurately
function in my sidearm. This is where
single-actions really shine, as the inher-
ent strength of the design when com-
pared to a swing-out-cylinder revolver
is substantial. In simple terms, you can
drive a heavier bullet at a higher speed
with less risk of damaging your gun.
The BFR’s combination of a man-
ageably short barrel and a Bisley grip
makes it just about the ideal woods gun
if you operate in an area containing any
kind of bears. Some purists consider .44
Magnum entry-level for grizzly country
(though I guess they shouldn’t tell that
to Mr. Shoemaker), but opinions aside,
.44 Magnum is a fine chambering for
a woods gun. Like the .38 Special, the
variety of differing bullets and powder
charges is truly diverse, and compara-
tively inexpensive training loads in .44
Special are easy to source or reload.
MAKE ’EM MATTER
In a broad sense, the most import-
ant task you’ll have to complete for
your woods gun is finding the load
20 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
THE HAMMER
PROS: Lots of attack-stopping
power, versatile cartridge
selection, legal for hunting
in some jurisdictions, extremely
aesthetically pleasing
CONS: More expensive than
other alternatives, difficult
for some to shoot, five-round
capacity, slower to shoot and reload
than a double-action revolver
COST: $1,302 (MSRP)
that pairs best with it. Especially with
revolver cartridges and anything that
says “OUTDOOR” on the box, bullet
weights and powder charges will differ
widely, which will lead to stark varia-
tions in performance when fired from
your specific sidearm. Even though I’ll
be the first to admit that I want as much
devastating, attack-stopping power as
I can pack into a cartridge for defen-
sive use, it’s still more important that I
be able to put my shots exactly where
I want them to go. Only hits count.
As for bullet style, this is a circum-
stance under which I deviate from
the usual “nothing but jacketed hol-
low-points” doctrine we so often
preach here at the USCCA. Remem-
ber, this is a firearm you’ll carry in de-
fense against dangerous humans and
dangerous animals. As such, you’ll
want to be carrying rounds capable
of punching through extremely tough
hide that’d make a motorcycle jack-
et seem like chicken skin and even
tougher muscle that’d make a pris-
on-hardened super-felon seem like a
sock puppet.
A good compromise for revolvers
is the hardened-lead “Keith-style”
semi-wadcutter bullet, the namesake
of 20th century handgunning pioneer
Elmer Keith (shown above in the .38
cartridge). These were common in rural
law enforcement in the post-WWII, pre-
Glock era, and they’ll serve you well in
the out-of-doors against mammalian
attackers of any kind. Autos do well
with jacketed flat-points, such as those
from Buffalo Bore, or any other car-
tridges commercially
loaded with non-ex-
panding, non-frag-
menting, flat-nosed bullets charged as
powerfully as possible while still safely
and accurately exiting your gun’s bar-
rel. If jacketed or hard-cast flat-noses
aren’t printing well, hunting-oriented
jacketed soft-points can be a good
next option. They’re often loaded with
charges somewhere between low-re-
coiling self-defense loads and the
mightiest of bear-extinguishers.
TIME TO HIT THE TRAIL
Woods guns run the gamut from rec-
reational tools to self-defense arms to
everything in between and often oper-
ate quite admirably in multiple areas.
However you’re looking to recreate in
this great nation’s outdoors, if you’re
willing to honestly assess your situa-
tion and requirements, you’ll almost
certainly be able to track down the
right sidearm for your needs.
SOURCES
Charter Arms: CharterArms.com
Pachmayr: LymanProducts.com
Smith & Wesson:
Smith-Wesson.com
Buffalo Bore: BuffaloBore.com
Glock: Glock.com
Black Hills Ammo:
Black-Hills.com
Magnum Research:
MagnumResearch.com
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 RECOVERING FAMILY MEMBERS IN A HOME INVASION

GOOD TIME
FOR A BAD
DECISION
Schuyler P. Robertson

22 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

 HEAD COUNT
Moving about your residence
when you know it contains an
intruder or intruders is ill-
advised, but sometimes it’s
the best bad option you’ve got.

I
f their residences are in-
vaded, some gun owners
plan to arm themselves
and conduct a move-
ment to contact and con-
front the attackers. That is a
bad idea. A more survivable
plan is to retreat to a safe
room and shelter in place.
I can already hear the
grumbling.
“Hiding in my bedroom
sounds cowardly.”
“I’m going to go get the
S.O.B. who’s breaking in.”
I get it. There is a visceral
revulsion to someone intrud-
ing on your sanctuary, and
you want to put an end to
it. In some states, you might
even have the legal right to
do so. But I am here to tell
you that, brother, it is not
worth the risk. Macho pride
isn’t worth snot if you end up
on the floor, unable to help
your family avoid assault.
Most importantly, if you
shelter in place, you have
the tactical advantage. I
don’t care how good you
think you are: Leaving the
safe room is giving up that
advantage. You may be a
special operations veteran
with 20 years of experience
in close-quarters battle, but
you know what you don’t
have at 2 in the morning in
your residence? The rest of
your team. You are by your-
self. Venturing out of your
safe room to make contact
is a bad idea, and nothing is
going to change that.
But sometimes, you don’t
have a choice.

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 23

 “WHEN YOU GET TO WHERE
THE ATTACK IS HAPPENING,
DON’T JUST GO CHARGING
IN; SLICE THE PIE UNTIL YOU
CAN SEE THE THREAT. ASSESS
THE SITUATION BASED ON
WHAT YOU SEE, WHAT YOU
ARE ARMED WITH AND
YOUR SKILL LEVEL. IF YOU
HAVE A SHOTGUN, YOU’D
BETTER KNOW HOW IT WILL
PATTERN. ONE STRAY PELLET
CAN BE CATASTROPHIC. YOU
ABSOLUTELY NEED TO KNOW
WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS
BETWEEN YOUR POINT OF AIM
AND POINT OF IMPACT AT
CLOSE RANGE.”

‘WAIT, DIDN’T YOU JUST SAY…’
Yes, I did, but consider this scenar-
io: Your alarm goes off in the middle of
the night, and you enact your shelter-
in-place plan just like you’ve rehearsed.
You conduct your headcount and realize
your 10-year-old daughter is missing.
You hear her scream at the far end of the
house.
At this point, there are no good de-
cisions. You can either leave your safe
room to try to rescue her or you can stay
where you are, protect your other family
members and hope she survives. Neither
decision is good, but you have to choose
one of them. Most of us couldn’t live with
ourselves if we left one of our kids to his
or her fate, but a movement to contact
doesn’t suddenly become a AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT If you have a dog, send
good idea just because the Circumstances like these it ahead of you. A dog is a
other option is worse. drive home the need for force multiplier. It can alert
weapon-mounted lights on
home-defense firearms.
you to hidden intruders and
FIRST THINGS FIRST divert an attacker’s attention
Before you leave your safe room, get away from you, if only for a split second.
help underway. If you haven’t already If it comes down to it, your dog’s job is to
done so, activate your alarm and call get shot instead of you.
911. Expect to be engaged by another
attacker and lose the ability to call later. NOW, LET’S MOVE
Get the cops responding now. When it comes down to actual move-
If you have body armor, put it on. Some ment, you’ll need a balance of speed and
people think it’s too extreme to have ar- security. Opting for maximum speed will
mor at home, but it can prevent you from sacrifice security, making you an easy
becoming a casualty and making the sit- target for an intruder you don’t see. If you
uation worse. Wearing body armor can choose maximum security, you’ll never
also minimize wounding by responding reach the other end of the house in time
cops if they mistake you for an invader. and should probably just stay in your safe

24 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

room. You need to split the difference.
Under a circumstance like the one
we’re discussing here, you don’t have
time to clear your house. You are not
opening doors, clearing dead space
and checking in closets. You are simply
moving in the most direct route possible
from your safe room to the family mem-
ber in trouble, which gives up security for
speed.
Keep your gun at high ready, with the
center of your field of vision just over
the sights. Where your eyes go, your
muzzle follows. Your adrenaline will be
jacked, so the safety on your firearm
should be on. Keep your trigger finger
fully extended and outside of the trigger
guard and, when you see something,
make sure you have positive identifica-
tion of a threat before you go off safe
and pull the trigger. Be ready in case
your family member breaks free from
the attack and comes running toward
you. There really isn’t anything that is
higher stakes than a situation like this; a
reflex pull of the trigger could cause you
to kill the person you are trying to save.
Your trigger finger should stay indexed
on the frame of the firearm, outside of
the trigger guard, until you’ve made the
measured decision to fire.
The light on your gun is there to help
you find the wall switch, so activate lights
while moving through the house. Turning
lights on is good for you and bad for an
intruder — if for no other reason than
you will be able to move faster and more
safely with the lights on than with them
off.
Stay in the center of the hallway as
you move, checking that each door is
fully closed as you move. If it is, move
to the opposite side of the hall, cover
the door as you approach and watch for
movement of the door or doorknob. Re-
member that where your eyes go, your
muzzle follows, so your muzzle should be
pointed at the door. Do not neglect to still
pay attention down the hall; no one said
this would be easy. Do not stop at doors,
but continue in a fluid movement, slow-
ing down only as much as is necessary
to detect movement inside the hallway to
your front or rear.
If you think an intruder is on the other
side of a closed door, you have another
bad decision to make: You can either
keep going, leaving a threat behind
you, or you can expend time countering
the threat. I would probably keep mov-
ing and put distance between us.
If a door is even partially open, your
risk just went way up, and you need to
keep your eyes and muzzle on the open-
ing as you move. Go past the opening
slowly so that as you move a little more,
you’ll see a little more without exposing
yourself. This is known as “slicing the
pie,” a foundational skill that is just as
important to learn as drawing from con-
cealment.
With a team, you can have one person
covering front while you clear the open-
ing, but by yourself, you need to drop
coverage to the front. Depending on
the setup of walls and hallways in your
home, you may have to turn your back on
whatever is to your front to avoid being
shot by someone in a room that you are
moving past.
Starting to see why movement to con-
tact is a bad idea?
COUNTERING THE THREATS
When you get to where the attack is
happening, don’t just go charging in;
slice the pie until you can see the threat.
Assess the situation based on what you
see, what you are armed with and your
skill level. If you have a shotgun, you’d
better know how it will pattern. One stray
pellet can be catastrophic. You absolute-
ly need to know what the difference is
between your point of aim and point of
impact at close range. You may need to
enter the room to change the angle be-
tween you, the attacker and your family
member. If you enter the room, slice it be-
fore you enter. There may be more than
one attacker in there.
If you have to shoot, send one round at
a time, then re-evaluate. This is a dynam-
ic situation, and the attacker or your fam-
ily member may move, which may leave
you not clear to take another shot.
NEXT STEPS
Once all known threats are neutralized,
either by incapacitation or surrender, you
have yet more bad decisions to make. Do
you stay where you are, expecting the
attack to start again? Keep the attacker
covered, and have the family member
move behind you if he or she is able. If
the attacker is conscious, have him or her
face away from you, keeping hands in
plain sight.
Or do you head back to the safe room?
You haven’t been able to maintain securi-
ty, so you need to assume more attackers
can move or already have moved in be-
hind you. The intruder would also be free
to attack you as you move back toward
the safe room. You may also run into re-
sponding police. Your least bad option is
probably to remain in place.
Eventually, the police are going to arrive.
If they see you pointing a gun at someone
or, God help you, at them, they will have a
split second to decide if you are a threat
or an innocent. If they choose wrong, you
are going to get shot (and maybe more
than once). If your hands are empty and
in plain sight, the police can take more
time sorting out the particulars. You can
expect to get handcuffed until everything
is sorted out; be compliant. Tell the police
you are the victim, but don’t argue with
them when given commands. They need
to clear the scene before paramedics can
enter. If you or your family member needs
medical help, arguing with the cops can
delay lifesaving treatment.
Tell the police the basics of what hap-
pened and that you will cooperate with
their investigation after you have spoken
with your attorney. Then, stop talking.
Don’t discuss it with your family in front of
the police. Don’t post on social media. If
you are a USCCA Member, call the USC-
CA’s Critical Response Team if you don’t
already have an attorney on retainer.
PLAN Z
Make no mistake: This article is not ev-
erything you need to know about moving
to contact with home invaders. Hopefully
though, it will help you anticipate what
problems you may face if you’re attacked
in your home. Training and preparation
can help you overcome those problems,
but never forget that moving to contact is
beyond a last resort.
BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 25
 SHOOT
TO WIN
AN OVERVIEW OF THE SHOOTING SPORTS
ASHLEY WEST

26 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

 The Big Three
The IDPA, USPSA and SCSA
are the three most popular
pistol shooting sports in the
United States. Each has its
own unique set of rules
and challenges.

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 27

A
t the age of 25, I decided to ad-
vance my self-defense skills by
obtaining a concealed handgun
license in my great state of Tex-
as. I soon realized that I need-
ed more than a licensing course to feel
comfortable carrying a firearm; I wanted
to have 100 percent confidence in my
skills to use a firearm under stress.
I had shot since I was a young kid —
soda cans with .22s, bowling pins with
Grandpa’s .357 and paper plates with
Dad’s .45 Colt — but I soon discovered
that competitive shooting is a whole new
level of fun. Since I started this journey,
I have shot six top-tier International De-
fensive Pistol Association (IDPA) match-
es, three sanctioned United States
Practical Shooting Association (USPSA)
matches, fundraising matches, local
matches … and pretty much any match
available on a weekend.
With all the fun of shooting and com-
peting, I also had to learn the important
rules for each sport. I decided to seri-
ously devote myself by earning certi-
fications as an NRA Range Officer, an
IDPA Safety Officer (SO) and a USPSA
Range Officer (RO). In the course of
competing in matches and becoming a
certified SO/RO, I learned the similari-
ties and differences between the differ-
ent disciplines.
Three of the most popular pistol shoot-
ing sports in the United States are IDPA,
USPSA and Steel Challenge Shooting
Association (SCSA). Regardless of the
sport(s) you choose, you will need a re-
volver or semi-automatic pistol in a 9mm
caliber or larger with at least three mag-
azines (pistol) or loading devices (re-
volver). You will need a holster for your
handgun, holsters for two or more mag-
azines or loading devices, and a good
sturdy belt. You will also need comfort-
able eye protection and ear protection,
and I also highly recommend a comfort-
able hat with a sturdy brim.
IDPA
IDPA’s website states, “IDPA is the
use of practical equipment, including
full-charge service ammunition, to solve
simulated ‘real-world’ self-defense sce-
narios using practical handguns and
holsters that are suitable for self-defense
28 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
use. The main goal is to test the skill and
ability of an individual.” What does this
mean? Let’s break it down.
Practical Equipment: In IDPA, all
equipment must be connected to a belt
that is run through your belt loops. Your
firearm must be a “practical handgun”
— something a person might use as an
everyday carry firearm. When choosing
a firearm, remember to choose one that
you can comfortably shoot for 200 or
more rounds. For example, your every-
day carry firearm could be a small, light-
weight .357 Magnum, but after shooting
200 or more rounds in a match, you
might be fatigued by the recoil of such
a heavy cartridge in such a light gun.
The firearm and magazines on your
belt must be covered by a “conceal-
ment garment.” Most competitors meet
this requirement with a long vest, similar
to those seen on fishermen.
Real-World Self-Defense Scenari-
os: To me, this is what makes IDPA fun.
I have shot IDPA stages sitting in a car,
riding a bicycle, on “horseback” (a barrel
with a saddle, not a live horse) and carry-
ing a baby (again, not real, but a bowling
pin “baby” in a dress that I had to keep
behind cover walls while shooting the
stage). It was challenging and fun.
Stages: At the beginning of every
stage, the SO reads the stage brief-
ing. It is very important to listen to ev-
ery piece of information and ask any
questions you have after the SO finish-
es briefing. Next, your entire squad will
walk through the stage; personal walk-
throughs are not allowed in IDPA. You
can analyze each point of cover behind
walls or barrels, decide when/where will
be best to change your magazine and,
most importantly, study everything you
will need to shoot or not shoot. Do not
“air gun” — point your finger at the tar-
gets. Air gunning is illegal in IDPA and
could add time to your score.
In addition to walls for points of cover,
fault lines were added to the 2017 rules.
These lines extend from the side of the
wall to help shooters and SOs clearly
see the cover position locations for the
stage. Cover positions are important in
IDPA, as they are meant to simulate saf-
er places from which to shoot if you are
in a self-defense scenario.
After the squad walkthrough is com-
plete, the shooting can begin. The SO
will hold the timer, and the Squad SO
will call out the shooting order. The
shooter is the “shooter,” the next shoot-
er is the “on-deck shooter,” and the third
shooter is “in the hole.” If you are not
one of these people or the person who
just shot, you should be waiting behind
the boundaries to tape targets when the
SO calls, “Range is clear.” (Taping in-
volves covering bullet holes with pieces
of target tape in preparation for the next
shooter.) Taping promptly after the SO
scores the target is very important, as it
keeps the match running smoothly.
Basics of Scoring: IDPA scoring
is based on time plus “points down”
(points deducted), with the lowest time
winning. Your time starts when the SO
presses the timer button and ends with
your last shot. You will be assessed one
second per point down. Points will be
added if you do not shoot the required
number of shots in the 8-inch cen-
ter-body circle or 4-inch center-head
circle of the target. Try not to let the tim-
er rush you; take the time you need to
make clean shots on each target. Like
any other sport, the more you practice,
the better you will do.
All in all, IDPA is probably the least
expensive competitive sport to get into,
as most of the gear you will use is con-
sidered EDC.
USPSA
For USPSA, you carry the gear re-
quired for IDPA, but more magazines
are allowed. I recommend two more
than you use for IDPA matches, as USP-
SA matches can require a maximum of
32 rounds per stage (IDPA requires only
18 rounds per stage). Concealment
garments are not required in USPSA.
Stages: At the beginning of a USPSA
stage, the RO will read the stage brief-
ing, which is a description of the targets
in a stage, not how to shoot the stage.
Targets in USPSA can be steel, paper
“metric” (humanoid) or paper “classic”
(“turtle,” or similar to the humanoid sil-
houette but without a head). As with
IDPA, the squad will walk through after
the stage briefing. Air gunning is al-
lowed in the USPSA.
 After the squad walkthrough is com-
plete, the scorekeeper will call the shoot-
ing order (same as IDPA). Unlike IDPA,
the on-deck shooter will be allowed to
complete a personal walkthrough after
the RO calls, “Range is clear.” USPSA
stages might have walls to obstruct the
view of targets, but walls are not used
as cover. Most will have fault lines, and
the stage description will indicate how
you must move within them. While USP-
SA stages are usually not as technical
as IDPA stages, they are often longer,
with more targets to neutralize.
Basics of Scoring: USPSA scoring
is a bit more complicated than IDPA,
as the score is based on accuracy,
time and the score of other shooters
at the match. The target’s center is the
“A-zone” and is worth 5 points. Zones
outside “A” are worth 2 to 4 points. All
stages will have a set maximum score
based on the number of A-zones avail-
able. The shooter’s score will be based
on his or her ability to hit each target, his
or her individual time to complete the
stage and the score of other shooters
for that stage. For example, the fastest
and most accurate shooter will receive
100 percent for the stage, while all other
shooters’ times and accuracy combina-
tions will fall below the top shooter. This
might sound like a lot to mentally track,
but electronic scoring systems handle
the math.
USPSA is a fun, fast and challenging
sport with many divisions and classifi-
cations for any firearm or shooting level.
SCSA
SCSA was created by Mike Dalton
and Mike Fichman. According to Fich-
man, SCSA is meant to be “challenging
and fun” but also “easily understood
by non-shooters who would see the
competition and find within themselves
a greater desire to join the shooting
sports.” Only a pistol and one magazine
are required for this match, but more
magazines do make string setup easier.
A shooter can participate in SCSA
with a .22-caliber pistol. If the shooter is
using a .22, he or she will be allowed to
bring the unloaded firearm to the shoot-
ing line in a bag and start the stage from
a low-ready position.
Stages: SCSA is a set of eight estab-
lished stages that consist of five steel
targets each. You must shoot the four
standard plates before shooting the
final “stop plate.” A shooter will have
five attempts to shoot the stage from a
single shooting position, except for the
“Showdown” stage, which is only shot
four times and requires the shooter to
move from one shooting box to another.
These attempts are called “strings.”
Basics of Scoring: Time starts when
the RO beeps the timer and stops when
the shooter hits the stop plate. All plates
not hit before the stop plate will be
counted as misses, adding time to the
shooter’s score. The shooter’s slowest
string time is not recorded.
RANGE COMMANDS
During orientation, most ranges will
review the following range commands:
• “Load and make ready” (IDPA) or
“Make ready” (USPSA). — Shooter will
prepare as described in the stage briefing.
• “Are you ready?” — Shooter will in-
dicate ready, normally verbally or with a
nod of the head.
• “Stand by.” — Shooter waits pa-
tiently for the audible start sound (beep)
indicating he or she can commence
shooting the stage.
• “If you are finished, unload and
show clear.” — This is announced after
the shooter appears to have complet-
ed the stage. The shooter will comply
by removing the magazine and pulling
back the slide or opening the cylinder
to empty the rounds.
• “If clear, slide forward/cylinder
closed. Pull the trigger. Holster” (IDPA)
or “If clear, hammer down and holster”
(USPSA). — The onus is on the shooter
to show clear. If the firearm discharges
when the trigger is pulled, the shooter
will be disqualified from the match.
Safety-related range commands in-
clude:
• “Finger.” — This means the shoot-
er is moving or changing a magazine
with his or her finger inside the trigger
guard. If this is called on a shooter twice
in IDPA or just once in USPSA, he or she
will be disqualified from the match.
• “Muzzle.” — This means the shoot-
er’s firearm is close to passing “the 180”
(an imaginary line that moves with the
shooter and is always parallel to the rear
berm) or is pointing at any body part
(known as “sweeping”).
• “Stop!” — If called, the shooter
should stop immediately. Do not move.
A “Stop” command could be called
because the shooter passed the 180,
swept a body part ot had a gun mal-
function … or for any other safety rea-
son.
Every shooting sport has a rulebook
established to keep the sport fair, safe
and challenging for all competitors. It’s
important to review the book thoroughly
before matches.
GETTING INVOLVED
Now you know most of the big differ-
ences between the disciplines. So, what
should you do with this knowledge? If
you are anxious to dive right in, search
the sports’ websites listed at the end of
this article to find local and non-sanc-
tioned matches in your area. I highly en-
courage you to attend the new shooter
orientation if available. If it’s not avail-
able, message the match director to let
him or her know you are a new shooter.
In my experience, match directors wel-
come new shooters and will assist when
asked. At our local matches, we have a
“welcome squad,” where experienced
shooters are paired with new shooters
to guide them through the sport.
Regardless of the sport you choose,
shoot often! The more you shoot a sport,
the more comfortable and self-assured
you will be during matches and while
carrying for self-defense.
SOURCES
International Defensive
Pistol Association:
IDPA.com
United States Practical
Shooting Association:
USPSA.com
Steel Challenge
Shooting Association:
SteelChallenge.com
BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 29
 JACK
SLADE
LESSONS FROM THE OLD WEST
k.L. Jamison

30 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

J
ack Slade was in the best Beni ambushed an unarmed
position of his life and fac-
Slade, emptying two .36-caliber
ing death. He was marriedrevolvers and two shotgun barrels
to a beautiful woman who into him, but Slade lived to take
loved him, he was famous,the lesson to keep his weapons
he was rich, he was admired, and readily at hand. Many speculated
he was feared. That last part was that Slade did not die because Be-
where things went bad. ni’s gunpowder was damp, which
Slade ran freighting and stage could have been the case, but he
companies west of the Missouri still managed to deposit a sub-
River before the Civil War. In thisstantial quantity of lead into Slade’s
era, finding a place to build a body. The fact that Slade survived
road came before the first wagon such damage put many contem-
was loaded. With a loaded wag- poraries in awe and some in fear.
on, Slade faced prairie fire, flood, A recovered Slade sent a mes-
drought and snow, though through sage to Beni that if he left the ter-
it all, he kept a close schedule. ritory, he would not be pursued.
One of Slade’s drivers brought aBeni saw the advantage in this ad-
coach in six hours late. As the driv-
vice and moved away but not ter-
er tried to explain that the snow was
ribly far away. Slade was famous
belly-deep on the horses and six for being a tough guy, and anyone
hours late was the best that could who could put him at death’s door
be done, he was interrupted by was also a tough guy. Tough or
Slade knocking him flat in the street
not, Beni confused his right to free
with a warning that further late arriv-
speech with his right to remain si-
als would be punished. Slade was a lent and could not stop bragging.
serious person. Beni’s bragging made other
Slade killed one man for cer- hard cases believe that they could
tain, but he was known for killing get away with stealing from Slade’s
many men by reputation. He rode business. Slade’s business part-
against outlaws and Indians in ner, safely elsewhere, sent Slade
order to protect his interests, andspecific instructions to kill Beni.
men who died at the hands of his Slade had a low melting point to
employees were often credited to begin with, and stories of Beni’s
Slade. At one time, he was taken bragging triggered an order for the
by outlaws himself, but his wife braggart to be brought to him.
buckled on revolvers and took him Two of his employees exceeded
back. This did not diminish his rep-
their instructions and killed their
utation; moreover, it indicates that
intended hostage. They then re-
he held some value as a husband. alized that they had denied their
Slade’s staff was composed of employer a certain closure, not to
rough men of limited sobriety and mention the satisfaction — or even
even more limited tolerance for dif-
pleasure — of killing Beni.
fering political views. Many were alsoWhen Slade arrived, they tried to
of limited honesty. By force of will, he
convince him that Beni was alive
kept them together and on time. and ready to be killed, but this was
an era in which death was a close
A GENTLEMEN’S DISAGREEMENT acquaintance, and Slade could
Slade had a business disagree- recognize death without the assis-
ment with a man named Jules tance of a medical examiner. He did
Beni, who thought he could steal not take out his disappointment on
from Slade. Slade disagreed and his over-enthusiastic employees,
ordered him exiled from the terri- though he did take both of the dead
tory — an order other wiser men man’s ears. He kept them in his vest
would have obeyed. pocket and displayed them as the

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 31

alcoholic impulse moved him, which be-
came increasingly often. The distinction
over who actually killed Beni began to
blur, and a legend grew that Slade had
tortured him to death. The legend of bru-
tal revenge stuck to Slade; the ears made
it so.
For reasons known only to alcoholics,
Slade began drinking more and more.
He might have drank to drown his de-
mons, but whiskey only served to set
them free. Saloonkeepers were accus-
tomed to a boisterous clientele, such
as men riding horses onto the premises
and giving six-gun salutes to celebrate
no more than the fact it was a Saturday
night. Slade graduated to threatening
friends, shooting at inoffensive parties
and destroying property. When sober,
he would return to the offended parties
full of apologies and restitution, and a
certain amount of this conduct was ex-
cused in light of this restitution, his rep-
utation and contributions to the com-
munity. However, Slade got worse, and
eventually the law became involved.
VIGILANCE COMMITTEES
In 1864, any law’s hand was light on
Nevada. The federal government was
preoccupied with enforcing its law in the
southern states, and vigilante law kept a
certain level of order. Vigilantes were not
always a result of a lack of law but rather
often a reaction to corrupted law. Where
the sheriff was found to be the leader of
the outlaws or ballot boxes were found
to have false bottoms, vigilante societies
qualified as an insurgency.1
In Nevada, the local “Vigilance Com-
mittee” had replaced local law enforce-
ment and, after one of Slade’s most ex-
treme alcoholic bouts, it organized 600
members to subdue him. The number
was considered adequate, though other
precautions were taken to prevent Slade’s
friends from appealing the Vigilance ver-
dict, which might have turned out to be
problematic. Vigilantes are famous for
speedy hangings but relied more on ban-
ishment to keep the peace. Slade was ar-
rested for disturbing the peace.
Men had been banished for worse
crimes, but Slade presented an unusu-
al problem: They were afraid of him. He
was known to take revenge and mete
32 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
out disproportionate punishment to per-
sons who offended him. He was famous
as a killer even when sober, and they all
remembered the human ears he kept in
his vest pocket.
The Vigilantes did not sentence de-
fendants without some semblance of a
trial. Defendants were allowed to speak
on their own behalf, something formal
courts did not allow until the 1890s.
Some Vigilante defendants were acquit-
ted, but the Vigilantes normally did not
become involved unless the crime was
flagrant, public and obvious. Slade’s
crimes were all three.
Slade did not argue his case well. He
might have suffered from a hangover. He
might have suffered from an alcoholic
thirst. He did complain that men had been
banished from the area for more serious
crimes, but the Vigilantes knew that Beni,
who had been banished on Slade’s order,
complied with the banishment and was
killed anyway. They were afraid that Slade
might return some lonely, vengeful night.
Slade might have argued his remorse
and restitution, but he did not. Rather he
begged, pleaded and crawled. The man
who had bullied and intimidated rough
men was reduced to a weeping mess.
He asked that his wife be summoned,
though the message had already been
sent to his wife, who threw on a revolver
and rode hard. The Vigilantes knew his
wife and hurried things along.
Slade was dead minutes before her
arrival. and the Vigilantes safely dis-
persed. The lady rode through town
denouncing the Vigilantes, and no one
dared dispute her opinion.
THE TAKEAWAYS
There are several important lessons
from Jack Slade’s life and trial:
• People shot to pieces can survive
to seek revenge.
• A great reputation can be destroyed
by bad behavior.
• Lurid rumors become facts. In the
spirit of the Old West, “When the legend
becomes fact, print the legend.”2
• It is very good to have a strong
woman who is inclined to back you, but
timing is everything.
• Don’t put people in a position where
they are afraid to back down.
• If demons from old battles gnaw on
the brain, alcohol might dull the pain,
but it also surrenders control.
• Don’t put yourself or group in a posi-
tion in which you can’t back down.
• Tolerance of bad behavior can snap
in a moment; don’t push your luck.
• If you can’t control your alcohol,
have a friend control your guns.3
• Bad ammunition gives bad results.
• Groveling before the finder of facts
creates contempt, not mercy.
• If threatened, keep an eye out and
a gun handy.
• A master gunfighter cannot stare
down an army.
• It is good to have someone avail-
able to speak on your behalf.
• If you’ve shot someone, shut up.
• If persons safely away from the
scene demand violence, ignore them.
• Don’t confuse your right to remain
silent with your right to free speech.
• If forced to kill, leave the ears alone.
Kevin L. Jamison is an attorney in the
Kansas City, Missouri, area concentrat-
ing in the area of weapons and self-de-
fense.
Please send questions to Kevin L.
Jamison, 2614 NE 56th Ter, Gladstone,
MO 64119-2311 or KLJamisonLaw@
earthlink.net. Individual answers are
not usually possible but might be ad-
dressed in future columns.
This information is for legal informa-
tion purposes and does not constitute
legal advice. For specific questions,
you should consult a qualified attorney.
ENDNOTES
(1) At one time, the warden of San
Quentin prison was not able to visit
San Francisco by order of the Vigilance
Committee. (2) From The Man Who Shot
Liberty Valance. (3) The Temperance
Societies of the time were more inter-
ested in condemning alcoholics than
curing them. Period photos of sancti-
monious women bearing signs that read
“The lips that touch liquor shall never
touch mine” might have driven young
men to drink as a prophylactic measure.
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 JUST
PASSING
THROUGH
UNCLE ED’S TRAVEL GUIDE, PART 1
ED COMBS

34 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

W
e here at the US-
CCA emphasize
conflict avoidance
and situation-
al awareness as
the cornerstones of effective
self-defense. Without them, all
a person can hope to do is react
quickly when it might already be
too late. That said, difficulties
arise when good people — hon-
est, law-abiding people — trav-
el outside of their usual areas of
operation into areas where they
might be unfamiliar with the so-
cial norms and communication
styles. Never forget that, on a
large enough scale, almost no-
where is like where you’re from.
DOWN HOME
Personally, my people are
from a little bit of all over the
place. As such, visits to differ-
ent relatives take on distinctly
different flavors when out on
the road. Though I’ve far from
visited every last corner of this
great nation, over the decades,
I’ve noticed that there are defi-
nite commonalities across the
board, whether you find your-
self stopping for gas in a North
Chicago war zone or a lone
Ozark crossroads.
In this and my next column,
I will be detailing exactly what
the alert traveler needs to un-
derstand to effectively avoid
trouble while away from home.
I’ll be skipping over the basics
— be polite, smile, don’t make
insulting jokes, etc. — but I’ve
noticed that there are a few
pointers from which a surprising
number of people could learn.
BE REAL
Everyone already knows
you’re from out of town, and
this is true everywhere: from the
hyper-urban to the hyper-rural.
Whether you find yourself in
Philly or Festus, chances are
everyone you see working in
a bar, store or gas station will
have their regulars. Don’t adver-
tise the fact that you’re not from
those parts, but understand
that it’s patently useless to try to
“act local.” Blending in is about
the best you might be able to
manage, but if you think you’re
good enough to fool natives into
thinking you’re just one of their
neighbors they’ve never seen,
you’re making a big mistake.
BE READY TO TALK
Some people will be waiting
for you; this might be good or
it might be bad. Some people,
specifically senior citizens who
meet for coffee and breakfast
sandwiches at 5 in the morning,
will be sitting at the local gas sta-
tion waiting for whatever comes
down the pike. If you walk into
that gas station — their realm
— they might pepper you with
questions ranging everywhere
from who you are to what you’re
doing there to where you’re from
to whether you’re related to any-
one in the area. This isn’t out-of-
the-gate predatory behavior. In
my experience, the locals want
to know who you are and what
you’re doing there in order to
protect themselves and theirs,
not in an attempt to somehow
victimize or rob you.
Moreover — and this will be
a no-brainer for many readers
— just because you can hard-
ly understand them and they’re
dressed as you imagine cartoon
“hillbillies” or “ghetto grand-
mas” doesn’t mean they intend
to rob or murder you. I’m going
to leave it at that, as I’ve got
friends and relations that mil-
lions in this country would never
guess would happily siphon the
fuel out of their own vehicles to
get a stranger back on the road,
be it out of Hindman, Kentucky,
or Ventura Beach, California.
As mentioned, this might also
be bad.
BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 35
 Attorney and USCCA contributor An- front as he was moving toward her and “exploring” or your whatever as light-
drew Branca calls gas stations “mod- then once in the back as he was moving hearted ramblings and nothing but
ern-day watering holes” in that preda- away from her. life-expanding fun, but you need to
tors will gather there understanding that Now, in that part of the world at that internalize, right now, that you likely live
prey will have to stop sooner or later. time, that was a reasonable reaction. with a different reality than a lot of other
Your vehicle needs fuel, and your desire She didn’t know him from the man in folks in this country. We’re extremely
to not become a registered sex offender the damned moon. He was walking up pro-law-enforcement here at the
mandates that you find somewhere with toward her house that, at the moment, USCCA, but you need to understand
a restroom. Keep your eyes open, stay contained only a teenage girl. Her fami- that a lot of other people aren’t.
in well-lit areas and spend no more time ly was involved in law enforcement, and If you feel like you shouldn’t be there,
operating in the dark than is absolutely she didn’t see a badge on the stranger, you shouldn’t. If someone tells you that
necessary. nor did he identify himself in any way. you need to go, leave. When it comes
He hadn’t even acknowledged her re- to a circumstance that could turn violent
LISTEN TO REASON peated demands that he leave, so she at the drop of a hammer, pride tastes
Wherever you are, you need to un- shot him. Twice. delicious.
derstand that you simply must follow all She understood exactly what that
lawful orders — and not just from cops. man might have been up to, and more IN THIS TOGETHER
One of my great-aunts once shot a man importantly, she understood what hon- Let’s all bear in mind that most peo-
in the stomach and backside with a est, law-abiding persons did in her ple in this country are anywhere from all

“KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN, STAY IN WELL-LIT AREAS AND SPEND

NO MORE TIME OPERATING IN THE DARK THAN IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.”

shotgun that, fortunately for the recip-
ient, was loaded with rock salt rather
than buckshot. She told him twice to go
away and he didn’t, so she lit him up.
Before I go any farther, I want to cat-
egorically condemn the use of old-style
“rock salt loads” under any circum-
stances. There just isn’t any place for
them in the current use-of-force envi-
ronment. Moreover, shooting someone
simply because he or she does not fol-
low your orders to “get off your proper-
ty” is also unacceptable. Never forget
that deadly force is not justifiable unless
you or someone else is faced with an
imminent, unavoidable threat of death
or great bodily harm, and what follows
would not meet those standards in most
any court in this country.
Now that that’s out of the way, here’s
the story:
Sometime before World War II, she
was at home alone when a man began
walking up the hill toward the house. My
great-aunt — a teenager at the time —
hollered out the door that the man need-
ed to immediately get off of the prop-
erty. The man did not but rather kept
approaching the house, so she shot him
with the shotgun that her father had left
loaded for her. She shot him once in the
neck of the woods: Identify themselves
from a ways off, wave and always heed
warnings to get the heck off of someone
else’s land when instructed to do so.
I’ve heard versions of this story in which
the stranger was wearing a gunbelt and
versions in which he wasn’t, but — ei-
ther way — she warned him that she
didn’t want anything to do with him, and
he didn’t identify himself as anyone who
had any business on her family’s prop-
erty — official or otherwise.
Now picture yourself walking up to
her granddaughter’s house in that same
holler 80 years later looking to use a
phone.
You have no evil intent, nor have you
ever. You weren’t even speeding when
your car broke down. All you need to do
is find a phone because your car’s bat-
tery is dead and so is your cellphone,
and this was the first driveway to which
you came.
Let me tell you something: Wheth-
er you’re in Knott County, Kentucky, or
Cook County, Illinois, if someone tells
you to scram, you’d better slowly raise
both hands and back away.
Never forget that you are a visitor
to the area. You’re not from there. You
might see your “adventures” or your
right to wonderful. (If most of the people
in this country were rotten, you’d have
noticed it by now.) Wherever you find
yourself, understand that almost every-
one there is as tired of the local criminal
element as you are, and almost every
last one of them wants to either help you
or just be left alone. If you comport your-
self as a gentleman or lady — if you pay
your tabs and tip well and say “please”
and “thank you” — your chances of
causing trouble for yourself drop to al-
most zero.
The best fight is the one you’re nev-
er in, and the best attack is the one
that never takes place; as responsibly
armed Americans, we repeat this to
anyone who will listen. Certain behav-
iors and circumstances, however, can
help trouble find you. Next, I’ll detail
the exact steps you need to take while
on the road to keep yourself as safe as
possible. You might be surprised what
the hyenas around the watering hole are
watching for.

36 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

STAYING
SAFE ON
THE ROAD
UNCLE ED’S TRAVEL GUIDE, PART 2
ED COMBS

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 37


M
any readers of this magazine
have one thing in common:
They travel a lot. Whether it’s
for work or leisure, we spend
a good amount of time away
from the address on our tax forms, and
with that kind of lifestyle can come
unique challenges in the arena of per-
sonal safety and self-defense.
Previously, I discussed the general
guidelines for smart, safe travel. In this
column, I will be focusing on smaller,
almost bullet-point-like tips that I wasn’t
able to include in Part 1. This isn’t a
piece on how to legally travel with your
firearm or how to make sure your family
knows your itinerary. This is about ex-
actly what violent criminals are looking
for when they assess potential victims
and the steps you can take to ensure
you don’t fit that description any better
than necessary.
I closed the last column by asking that
we all remember pretty much everyone
in this country is pleasant and helpful.
38 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
That is accurate, but “pretty much” isn’t
“all.” While traveling for either pleasure
or business, there are several bedrock
steps everyone must take to minimize
chances of falling victim to violent as-
sault.
Before anything else though, I want
to remind everyone why this is so im-
portant.
Starting about 25 years ago, violent
criminals began focusing on new tar-
gets. The old days of the archetypal
“punk snatching a little old lady’s purse in
Central Park” never went away, but cer-
tain predators realized there was only so
much money in it. They began to target
individuals who looked like they had a lot
of money on them and would be easiest
to assault and rob. Business travelers are
an easy mark for this and even more eas-
ily spotted; their vehicles, clothing and
behaviors stand out to the kind of individ-
ual who pays for his drugs by victimizing
strangers. You can call violent predators
a lot of things and be right, but “unob-
Conscious Traveler
While traveling for business
or pleasure, there are several
bedrock steps everyone must
take to minimize chances of
falling victim to violent assault.
servant” often isn’t one of them.
As I detailed in the previous issue,
you can’t really pass yourself off as a
local if someone begins talking to you,
but there are select behaviors that are
completely within your control that can
mean the difference between security
and victimhood.
KEY CONCEPT
Rental vehicle keys have a very partic-
ular look about them. If, like me, you pre-
fer to have your keys pre-staged before
you get to the door, you would be wise to
palm that weird plastic thing to which ev-
ery rental key I’ve ever held is affixed. Like
a bank deposit bag, it has a tendency to
glow in the dark to criminals, and in-town-
ers very rarely drive rentals.
As you approach your vehicle, scan
your surroundings and limit distractions.
Watch your windows for anyone inside the
vehicle and, light permitting, don’t forget
that car windows can also function as mir-
rors. Beware of anyone approaching you
as you are entering or exiting your vehicle. ROAD RULES BOTTLE BATTLE
If someone who is not a law enforcement The next time you’re driving somewhere For most of us, the more we drink,
officer approaches you while you are sit- and you don’t know where you’re going, the louder we get. Remembering that
ting in your vehicle, keep the doors locked pay attention to how you drive. You’re certain violent criminals are actively out
and leave the area if possible. slowing down at intersections, you’re looking to hit a lick on travelers — who
creeping along in the right lane of a bou- usually have a good amount of cash on
BUTT OUT levard, and you’re squinting out of all of them — is essential.
Violent predators understand that the windows. If you’re staggering back to your hotel
there are two kinds of people who smoke Just as the inexperienced driver can be with vomit on the inside of your glass-
next to a vehicle rather than in it: teen- spotted from 100 yards off, so can the driver es and a half-full bottle of beer in your
agers in cars that don’t belong to them who clearly doesn’t know where he or she hand, no matter what else you are and
and adults who are driving rentals. Even is. Driving like that will mark you as some- no matter how else you look, you are
worse, many rental cars now boast a “NO one who doesn’t know what he or she is do- now a prime target of opportunity for vi-
SMOKING” sticker on the driver’s side of ing, which brings us to the next step… olent criminals and even criminals who
the windshield. (Some even have com- usually don’t physically attack their vic-
pany-specific “LEARN MORE ABOUT DRIVER’S ED tims. At that point, the money’s just too
ME” smartphone-scannable placards on If you’re confusedly trying to get the gas easy to pass up.
the windows, and they’re about as good door open or the gas cap off, it’s probably This might sound like more-than-com-
as a sign that reads, “I DON’T KNOW a rental. Remember what Andrew Branca, mon sense, but you’d be surprised how
WHICH ZIP CODE I’M IN RIGHT NOW.”) the author of The Law of Self Defense, tells often I see borderline-incapacitated
Florida might have gotten rid of the “rental us: The gas station is the watering hole in adults who should know better in and
plate” years ago, but predators looking for the crime jungle, and most human prey around hotel bars. I enjoy a nightcap
marks know to keep an eye out for signs has to stop there sooner or later. as much as anyone, but when you’re
that someone’s not local when walking Criminals are always on the lookout for on the road is not the time to press your
through a parking lot. the best combination of a high-yield and luck with alcohol and strangers.
Designated smoking areas are usual- low-challenge target. When you pick up If you’re traveling for business, as I
ly well-lit for several very good reasons. your rental vehicle, take a few moments to often do, skip the drinking altogether. If
If you smoke, avail yourself of them and really familiarize yourself with it. Scheme you’re on vacation, restrict your drinking
keep your nose to the breeze. out exactly how to fuel it, get comfortable (or at least your heaviest drinking) to
with the lights and mirror adjustments, and inside your hotel or resort, and do not
SHOOTER MAKE READY get all the lock and window switches down find yourself consuming alcohol while
So you double-checked and your per- pat. You’ll likely revert to where everything carrying a firearm. Though not outright
mit is valid in the state and city to which is in your own car during an emergency, illegal in all jurisdictions, it’s a surefire
you have to travel. You followed all of the but at least give yourself a chance. way to change an otherwise clear-cut
rules as stated on the TSA website and defensive gun use into a very unpleas-
you even managed to land without any- LOW-KEY ant swamp of gray areas.
one confiscating your ammunition. What If you travel with any frequency, hotels
now? The problem with airports is that can all begin to melt together. Are you in STAY SMART, STAY SAFE
they’re kind of out of the way, and holster- room 426, 351 or was it 440? It can be Traveling the U.S. is one of the finest
ing in the parking garage might not actu- tempting to write your room number on pleasures in life. Doing so is extremely re-
ally be legal. your key card or on a piece of paper in warding, and with the most basic of safety
While you’re still in the airport, get your- your pocket. precautions, you can limit the likelihood of
self to a restroom and install your carry The issue there is that if someone else falling victim to a violent predator and still
system, be it IWB, pocket or whatever. As gets hold of that card, he or she has basi- experience the pleasure of everything this
soon as it is legal for you to do so, charge cally just stolen your wallet and your house great nation has to offer. Whenever you
and holster your gun in as private an area keys: Now he or she knows where you are, travel — armed or not — please maintain
as possible, which might be the front seat and he or she knows how to get in. that personal-protection plan. An ounce of
of your vehicle. Don’t worry too much A far wiser course of action is to write prevention … well … you know the rest.
about being seen, as most people aren’t your hotel room number on a piece of
nearly observant enough to have to wor- paper or book of matches as part of a
ry about. Just keep your muzzle pointed phone number. Some people write it as
in a safe direction, keep your finger off of the last three or four digits, some write it
the trigger and take your time. Someone as the area code and some others write it
seeing you isn’t necessarily a huge deal; as a different innocuous-looking piece of
negligently putting a bullet into the con- a note, but just scrawling “409” on your
sole (or, worse, your thigh) is. key card with a Sharpie is inviting disaster.

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 39

 OPENING
STATEMENT
FOLDING KNIFE DEPLOYMENT
michael janich

40 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

 drawing Priorities
Your priorities when drawing
your knife should not only be to
get your weapon out and ready
but also to protect yourself and
the mechanics of your draw
during the process.

C
arrying a folding knife as a defensive weapon is a
calculated compromise. In addition to the fact that no
mechanical locking mechanism will ever be as strong
and reliable as a fixed-blade knife, a folder also re-
quires two actions to actually get it into the fight: It
must be drawn from the pocket (or other carry position) and
then the blade must be opened. You must also be able to
perform those actions in response to — and under the pres-
sure of — an imminent lethal-force threat. That’s a tall task.
Before we examine the mechanics of defensive folding knife
deployment, let’s clearly define the context. If you choose to
draw a knife with the intent of using it as a weapon, you must
be in fear for your life or in fear of suffering grievous bodily inju-
ry — the same requirements as drawing a firearm or any other
lethal weapon. Since the knife is a contact-distance weapon,
you should only be drawing it to defend against an appropri-
ate close-range threat. Typically, this means your attacker is
also armed with a contact-distance weapon (e.g., a stick, a
brick, a bottle, a pipe or possibly an edged weapon) and has
the ability and opportunity to attack you.

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 41

 So, your priorities THE GUARDED DRAW
when drawing your While the mechanics of the
knife should not basic draw will get your knife
only be to get your out and open, in the defensive
weapon out and context we described earlier,
ready for action as they’re not enough. You also
quickly and reliably need to protect yourself
as possible but also to and your weapon hand
protect yourself and during the process. To
the mechanics of do that, I recommend
your draw during the what I call the “Guard-
process. ed Draw.”
As you initiate the
CLIP CARRY OPTIONS draw process, raise your
Most modern folding non-weapon (support) arm,
knives that are suitable for de- elbow pre-bent, and anchor
fensive use have a clip that allows your palm to your forehead
them to be attached to the just above your eyebrow. If you
top of a pocket for quick, The ‘Guarded Draw’ have a cover garment, this mo-
easy access. Pioneered The Guarded Draw is one of tion occurs at the same time your
by Spyderco founder Sal the most important techniques weapon hand sweeps or lifts that
in defensive knife use — and
Glesser back in 1981, this something you need to practice. garment to expose the top of the
simple feature revolution- pocket. By indexing your palm sol-
ized knife carry. Although it is largely knife so the blade’s point faces down- idly against your forehead, that arm cre-
taken for granted these days, the de- ward and the back of the blade faces ates a strong, triangular structure that
tails of clip style, mounting and carry the cavity of the pocket … and your offers excellent protection for your head
position actually have a huge effect on genitals. and neck. At extreme close range, the
the ability to draw a knife effectively. action of raising your arm to the guard
Like drawing a handgun, the goal DRAWING MECHANICS position also creates a powerful vertical
of drawing a folding knife should From the preferred tip-up carry po- elbow strike. If an attacker tries to foul
be to achieve a solid “master grip” sition, start your draw by inserting your draw process, a quick pivot of your
on the weapon while it is still in the your thumb into your pocket and dig- upper body allows you to deflect his
pocket. When you draw the knife, you ging down to place the entire length of arm(s) with your elbow while simulta-
should then be able to open the blade your thumb along the inside surface neously pulling your weapon side away
one-handed — without having to sig- of the handle. Hook your index finger from him.
nificantly change your grip on the knife. under the tip of the pocket clip and, Although the Guarded Draw is spe-
After the knife is open, you should be with your remaining fingers, apply cifically recommended for folding-knife
able to transition smoothly to a fighting pressure through the pocket toward deployment, it is actually an excellent
grip, again with minimal adjustment. the outside surface of the handle. platform for all weapon draws, includ-
Based on this logic, I prefer carrying Raise the elbow of that arm to lift the ing handguns. The strong guard struc-
a folding knife tip-up, which means that knife straight up out of your pocket ture of the support arm keeps the elbow
the clip is attached to the butt-end of while keeping your wrist straight. As from being pushed downward, provid-
the handle and the point of the closed the knife clears your pocket, your fin- ing safe clearance for shots from a
knife faces upward when clipped in the gers should naturally wrap around the weapon-retention position. As with the
pocket. By positioning the closed knife handle so that the fingertips of your knife draw, a quick rotation of the torso
all the way to the back of the pock- middle, ring and little fingers wrap will also counter most weapon grabs or
et (adjacent to the outer seam of your around the clip to hold the handle se- attempts at fouling your draw. Best of
pants), the knife is always in a consis- curely. From this position, index your all, with very little practice, the Guarded
tent, predictable location, and the rest thumb on the blade’s hole, thumb Draw can springboard off the instinc-
of the pocket is easily accessible. In this stud or disk and drive it forward to tive flinch of the natural human “startle
position, the back of the closed blade open the blade fully. With the blade response” to create a more functional
also contacts the back of the pocket, open, adjust the knife in your hand to trained alternative.
making it impossible for the blade to achieve a solid fighting grip. Learn to get your knife out, but keep
accidentally open in your pocket. This same drawstroke also sup- your guard up as you do.
This is in contrast to the other ba- ports other blade-opening methods,
sic option: tip-down carry. Logical- including high-speed inertial open-
ly, this option positions the closed ings and “flipper” variants.

42 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

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 SILENCE
IS GOLDEN
UNDERSTANDING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
john caile

44 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

 Right to remain silent
Always remember that
anything you say, even
though it seems innocent
to you, can and will be used
against you in a court of law.

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 45

 “NO MATTER WHAT,
KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT ...
EVEN IF IT’S HOURS BEFORE
YOUR ATTORNEY SHOWS UP.”
F
rom the moment you use your fire-
arm to defend yourself, you will
enter a world that few people have
ever encountered: the criminal jus-
tice system.
If no shots are fired and everything
aligns in your favor, your experience
could be brief and only mildly
annoying. But after you shoot, things
get complicated. If you have actually
killed someone, you should expect a
marathon of exhaustive interrogation.
Remember that the police responding
to the scene did not witness the event.
Neither did the detectives who will be
questioning you later. While they aren’t
your buddies, they aren’t your enemies
either. As one of my cop friends
explains, “It’s just that we have no idea
who you are or what really happened,
and it’s our job to try to find out.”
Meanwhile, it’s your job to assert your
right to wait for your attorney before
speaking with police. Upon doing so,
you will likely be subjected to a whole
series of psychological techniques,
all designed to get you to break your
silence.
In this article, I am going to concentrate
on a fatal shooting scenario, although
you might encounter some of the same
46 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
tactics even if you were involved in an your attorney present.
incident where you did not discharge Tell the officers only that an individual
your firearm. tried to kill you and that you don’t wish to
say anything more until your attorney is
FIRST THINGS FIRST present. Discuss with your attorney the
When you call 911 to report an inci- exact wording he or she recommends
dent — which you should do as soon as — and then memorize it. It will help
you are safely able — give your name keep you from blurting out something
and current location and say only that potentially incriminating.
you need the police and an ambulance
right away. Then hang up and immedi- ‘WE JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS’
ately call your attorney. Don’t wait. After After you’ve asserted your rights, po-
shots are fired, you will only have a few lice are no longer allowed to question
minutes before police arrive. you. But they can continue talking to
When you call your lawyer, make sure you, perhaps saying something like,
that you include the location of the in- “That’s fine, but we just have a couple
cident so that he or she knows which of questions — strictly routine.” Those
jurisdiction is likely holding you. A good specific words have been chosen care-
criminal defense attorney will not be sit- fully because experience has shown
ting by the phone; he or she will have that they lull people into a false sense
other clients — lots of them. It might be of security. If it’s “routine,” it must be OK
hours before he or she can get to you, to talk. Right?
and your attorney needs a way to track Wrong.
you down. Assuming you follow your lawyer’s
It’s important to know that police ar- advice and keep your mouth shut
riving on the scene are not required to (since this is now a homicide investiga-
give the Miranda warning until they for- tion), you will very likely be taken into
mally arrest you. But don’t wait. Recent custody. Note that “homicide” merely
court decisions have held that you must means death at the hands of another;
“immediately and unambiguously” as- whether what you did was a crime will
sert your right to remain silent and have be determined later.
THE ‘INTERVIEW’
Upon arrival at the police station,
you will be seated in an interrogation
room. (Interestingly, it’s now called an
“interview room,” which is less likely
to put people on the defensive.) Even
the décor will be designed to affect
you subconsciously. It will be painted
in stark colors: white, light gray, etc.
The furniture will be sparse: a table
and chairs — cheap and uncomfort-
able.
As stated, after you have asserted
your right to remain silent and are
awaiting your attorney, police can
no longer question you. But they can
make statements. They can also lie.
They can, in essence, employ any-
thing other than outright threats or co-
ercion in order to get you to effectively
rescind your right to remain silent.
Note that while you have to clearly
express your intention to invoke your
rights, to rescind them, you need only
engage in conversation with investi-
gators. The courts have reasoned that
if, after “lawyering up,” you then de-
cide to talk to police, it can be inferred
that you have changed your mind,
and police can once again question
you.
THE ‘TICKING CLOCK’
A common ploy, often seen on TV
dramas, is to suggest that “time is
running out” for some reason. After
you clam up, police might say some-
thing like, “Hey, that’s your right, but
after we get back to the station, it will
be too late to help you.”
Or the detectives interviewing you
at the precinct might try something
like, “We’re running out of time. We
have to file our report, and it won’t
look good if we have to tell the judge
that you refused to cooperate with the
police.” These words are specifically
chosen to heighten anxiety in the in-
terviewee.
If you have a family — especially
kids — the officers might try some-
thing like, “We just want to get this
cleared up so we can get you home
tonight.” Here again, the words “get
you home” sound SO good.
But the “ticking clock” is a lie. In
reality, it is the investigators who are
facing a deadline. They know that af-
ter your attorney arrives, their efforts
will grind to a halt. Your job is to stay
silent until then.
‘HEY, I’M ON YOUR SIDE’
This one is particularly effective
because you are expecting an adver-
sarial confrontation, but instead the
detective sitting across from you actu-
ally seems to agree with you. He’ll say
something like, “Frankly, buddy, I’d
have done the same thing you did.” In
your highly charged emotional state,
you really want to believe you have a
friend. You don’t.
Sometimes, the detective will go
even further. One veteran homicide
detective I knew back in Chicago told
me he sometimes used an old-fash-
ioned micro-cassette recorder, the
kind where you can see the reels
turning and a red light glowing when
it’s on. If he was getting nowhere,
he would conspiratorially shut off
the tape recorder, then lean forward
and whisper something like, “Look, I
shouldn’t tell you this, but most of us
here at the precinct think you should
get a medal. That guy you shot was
bad news.”
It’s all a lie, of course, but he con-
firmed that, nine times out of 10, the
defendant started talking. Big mis-
take.
As already noted, by voluntarily en-
gaging in conversation, a defendant
unwittingly agrees to waive his or her
rights. Besides, as you’ve probably
realized, the cassette recorder is just
a prop. The real audio and video re-
corders in almost every interrogation
room are hidden and always on.
No matter what, keep your mouth
shut … even if it’s hours before your
attorney shows up.
‘WE HAVE AN EYEWITNESS’
Another technique works like this:
You’re sitting silent in the interview
room while a detective tries unsuc-
cessfully to get you to talk. Suddenly,
there’s a knock at the door. Your in-
terrogator walks to the door, takes a
file folder, opens it, then shakes his or
her head. He or she sits down, seems
to read the file and says, “Looks like
you have a serious problem here. We
have an eyewitness willing to testify
that you gunned down the deceased
in cold blood.”
There is no eyewitness, of course,
but in your heightened state of stress
and emotion, you have an overwhelm-
ing urge to defend yourself. It will take
every ounce of self-control to keep
from reacting. At least if you know
about this technique in advance, you
might recognize it and be better pre-
pared to keep silent.
…BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!
Obviously, there are many other
methods investigators employ to get
you to talk. One student of mine, in-
volved in a fatal shoot, had five differ-
ent detectives take turns attempting
to break him while he waited many
hours for his attorney to show up.
Humorously, the last person to inter-
rogate him was an extremely attrac-
tive female vice detective, dressed,
as he tells it, “almost like a TV hooker.”
As she walked in carrying a file fold-
er, she flirted shamelessly with him,
saying, “Hmmm, they didn’t tell me
you were so good looking.” Apparent-
ly they thought she could get to him
where the male detectives had failed.
It didn’t work. I’m proud to say my
student never blinked. He kept his
mouth shut throughout. As a result,
when he appeared at a short pre-trial
hearing with his lawyer, the prosecu-
tors reluctantly agreed they had no
evidence to recommend any charges.
Case dismissed.
Police, detectives and prosecutors
do this for a living. And they’re very
good at it. But always remember
that anything you say, even though it
seems innocent to you, can and will
be used against you in a court of law.
Bottom line? Silence IS golden.
BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 47
 Communication is
Everything
How you tell your story can
be the difference between
being treated as a victim or a
criminal. Choose your words
carefully — each time.

48 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

 E
verything you say will
be misquoted and used
against you.1 The shooter’s
story will be told a minimum
of three times. It must be the
same each time, although each
telling is for different purposes to
different branches of the police.
A difference will be considered a
lie. After you are a liar, you must
be a murderer too.
A Missouri town marshal was
attacked at a traffic stop. He and
his revolver reacted accordingly.
He told the responding officer
that, at one point, he drew his
flashlight. In his full statement,
he said he went to his car and re-

ONCE
trieved his flashlight. This trivial
difference was said to be a lie.2
After he was a liar, he must be a
murderer too. It took seven years
to sift the wheat from the chaff.

THE FIRST STATEMENT

The first telling is to the 911 op-
erator (a civilian working for the

UPON
police). It is common for people
to blurt out incriminating state-
ments, which works against mak-
ing the call oneself. That said,
asking someone else to make
the call runs the risk of the party
inventing factoids that will be-
come part of the official record.
Calling an attorney and having

A TIME
him make the 911 call appears
to be privileged and legally
ideal. The call cannot be taken
into evidence, even if the lawyer
should try to reveal the confi-
dence, but there is a practical
problem: The legal consult will
be described as “cooking up a
story.” The prosecutor will rhetor-
ically ask, “Who knows what was
discussed?”3 This will provoke
TELLING YOUR STORY TO THE POLICE 12 imaginations to create a con-
versation much worse than any-
k.l. jamison
thing John Wilkes Booth might
have confided to his notebook.

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 49


“EVERYTHING YOU SAY WILL BE
MISQUOTED AND USED AGAINST YOU.”
50 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
The prosecutor will incredulously ask,
“With a man bleeding to death in front of
you, why was your first call to a lawyer
and not an ambulance?” The obvious
answer is that the shooter was more
afraid of what would happen to him than
what would happen to the wounded at-
tacker. The very short declarative sen-
tences to 911 must identify the location
and the caller as the victim.
THE SECOND STATEMENT
The second statement will be to the
responding officer or officers. In some
cases, every badge within three coun-
ties will appear, including game war-
dens, regardless of jurisdiction. This
is dangerous, as there is no obvious
person in charge. By policy, the first
officer on the scene is in charge, yet I
have seen a case in which none of the
responding officers had any idea who
was in charge.4
Everything is communication: dress,
bumper stickers and especially body
language. The citizen must greet the
officer with his gun pointed in a safe di-
rection if it is not pointed at a prisoner.
Ideally, it should be holstered but ready
for a second act to the gunfight. An ID
must be held above the head, which is
a gesture used by plainclothes officers
to introduce themselves to responding
officers. This will cause the officer to
talk to the citizen first, which means the
citizen will get to tell his story first. This
might define his role in this little drama.
The victim must again identify his
role and then point out evidence and
witnesses. Patrol officers are discour-
aged from questioning suspects, but
there are exceptions, and you can bet a
defensive shooting will be one of them.
The citizen will be asked the location of
weapons, if there are other parties and
“Which way did they go?” A Miranda
warning will not be given; courts have
ruled that such emergency questions
do not require the Miranda warning on
“public safety” grounds. If the officer
asks, “Where is the gun used to shoot
these innocent persons in the back?,”
the answer could be incriminating but
admissible.
Conversations with this officer must
be very short. The temptation will be to
ramble off a long stream of self-justifi-
cation; such temptation must always be
resisted.5
A Florida woman threw her boyfriend
out of her house after he smoked all of
her cigarettes and drank all of her beer
without being worthy of these pleasures.
He returned without cigarettes or beer but
with a pistol and threats; she killed him.
When asked what happened, she said,
“He smoked my cigarettes and drank my
beer,” but was struck dumb by the sight
of her boyfriend’s corpse being wheeled
past. Meanwhile, the officer wrote down
that she killed him because he smoked
her cigarettes and drank her beer, re-
joiced in the brevity of the paperwork and
moved on to his next case. The whole
truth and nothing but the truth did not
come out until a lengthy trial.
It is a peculiarity of our system that the
famous rights are not enforceable until
after arrest. Anything said before arrest
is voluntary, and refusal to make a state-
ment before arrest can be used against
the shooter in court.
When two police officers approached
a man sitting on his porch, the man said,
“I suppose you want to know about that
Buick I stole.” The officers were there to
promote a community event but were
willing to be flexible. The confession was
admissible.
The exact moment of arrest might not
be obvious, but the criterion is having a
reasonable belief that one cannot leave.
Nothing spells arrest like handcuffs. They
are often applied with the claim of being
“for your safety.” Fairy tales used to start
off, “Once upon a time...” There is nothing
safe about being handcuffed, but it’s an
almost universal policy, and resistance is
not only futile but also a separate crime.
Anything said, written or done after arrest
is another voluntary statement.
The shooter must break off the state-
ment after laying out the basics. Some
have advocated demanding medical
care. However, when the tests come back
empty, conclusions will be drawn. The
shooter will be thought so imaginative he
might have imagined the claimed threat.
It might be suspected to be an attempt at
escape. The shooter had lied to the po-
lice, and once he’s a liar, he must be a
murderer too.
Breaking off a conversation is legal but
must be specific. In order to invoke the
right to remain silent, one must speak
(for reasons obvious only to the Supreme
Court). Silence makes it difficult for law
enforcement officers to fill out their re-
ports, and you must explain your asser-
tion in terms the officers can understand.
Police get sued all the time, so something
like this would be a good place to start:
“I heard of a man who defended himself
and got sued. I’m afraid of being sued. I
want a lawyer.” The last four words must
be included exactly, and statements to
the effect of “I probably should have a
lawyer” might be taken as philosophical
statements and not demands.
THE THIRD STATEMENT
The third statement will be to the detec-
tive assigned to the case. The Miranda
warning will be given and a form contain-
ing the warning signed. By this time, a
lawyer must be contacted. Many people
have thought that if they just confessed
a little more or gave up a little more, then
the authority figures would like them and
believe them. This is the same philoso-
phy liberals display when negotiating
with international thugs, and the results
of such negotiations have been obvious.
People have confessed to crimes that
DNA proved they did not commit, and
survivors of such confessions have said
that they did so to stop the incessant
questions. “I want a lawyer” is a better
way to end questioning.
The shooter might be offered the
opportunity to take a polygraph, often
called a “lie detector.” The machine
does not detect lies; it detects changes
in heartbeat, blood pressure, respiration
and electrical conductivity of the skin
due to sweat. These factors are related
to lying but also to stress, medication
and other factors. Despite books prom-
ising secret techniques, the polygraph is
difficult to beat.
The voice stress analyzer is a recent
rival to the polygraph. It is supposed to
detect micro-tremors in the voice relat-
ed to lying, but it is widely considered a
whiz-bang machine of no value. Like the
polygraph, much depends on the skill of
the operator.
After speaking into the machine, one
lady was told that she was a liar. How-
ever, the operator forced her to scream
into the machine in order to get a result,
which would seem to create micro-trem-
ors where none existed before.
Neither machine is admissible in court.
Their value is that if one passes the tests,
the prosecutor will decline to prosecute
on the testimony of government ma-
chines. Failure will cause attention to be
focused on the subject but cannot sup-
port a charge or lawsuit.
BUILDING CREDIBILITY
One might make a fourth statement to
the media, but only if one is a raving id-
iot. There is a reason lawyers are called
“mouthpieces.” Some lawyers have sent
clients to interviews, but this is a danger-
ous and desperate move.6
Each statement is an attempt to build
credibility with justice system intake per-
sons. Under no circumstances should the
statement start out, “Once upon a time...”
Kevin L. Jamison is an attorney in the
Kansas City, Missouri, area concentrating
in the area of weapons and self-defense.
Please send questions to Kevin L.
Jamison, 2614 NE 56th Ter, Gladstone,
MO 64119-2311 or KLJamisonLaw@
earthlink.net. Individual answers are not
usually possible but might be addressed
in future columns.
This information is for legal informa-
tion purposes and does not constitute
legal advice. For specific questions, you
should consult a qualified attorney.
ENDNOTES
(1) Cynical legal maxim. (2) The flash-
light had nothing to do with the shooting.
(3) I would object to such speculation
as intruding into a privileged conversa-
tion. However, prosecutors have tricks
to draw attention to matters they cannot
argue. Even if the objection is sustained,
the damage has been done. (4) We won.
(5) Buddha advised moderation in all
things. This is very true in statements to
the police. (6) Rubin & Matera, “Get Me
Ellis Rubin!” St. Martin’s Press, NY, 1989
at 135 et seq.
BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 51
W
e carry concealed because
we don’t know. We don’t
know when a street punk
might walk through the door
of a convenience store and
begin waving a handgun. We don’t know
when some disaffected parishioner might
sneak into the church and begin shooting
worshipers. We don’t know when some ji-
hadist might open fire in a public gathering.
We just don’t know. And hence we carry.
But aren’t there times when we do know
or should know? Times when we have
a reasonable expectation that violence
might occur? Violence is not, after all,
something that only happens “out there”
in a foreign country or a distant big city.
Any woman who has experienced domes-
tic abuse knows that violence takes place
in the most intimate of settings. Many
children instinctively understand that the
greatest threat to their happiness might be
their mothers’ strings of loser boyfriends.
Rusty swears his boy Joe was a genius
when he was on his meds. But it’s a hard
thing to prescribe the correct balance of
benzodiazepine medications against the
flux of insanities that can surge through
a young man’s brain. And the very drugs
that stabilize the nerve centers, that give
families and friends a few hours of relief
from the constant wariness that comes
with loved ones’ illnesses, often have ran-
dom downsides: sleepiness, insomnia,
weight gain and slurred speech.
No parent wants to see his or her children
suffer. No parent wants to call the police
because a kid is acting out, screaming and
smashing furniture, shouting about the CIA
or government brain implants. No parent

‘THE DAY’
wants to see his or her child institutionalized.
All loving parents could, on some level,
be called dysfunctional when it comes to
the children they cherish. The children they
buckle securely into car seats. The children
they rock to sleep and comfort when they
skin their knees and excuse when their
teachers have misgivings. Yet, what seems
like the cruelest course of treatment might
sometimes, in the long run, be precisely
what gives everyone peace. Letting go and
practicing “tough love” might eventually TRAGEDY STRIKES MISSISSIPPI FAMILY
allow sanity to sweep away the toxins and
rick sapp
lock the demons in the closet — at least for
a while. Unfortunately, letting go is hard.

52 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

 this ain’t hollywood
Defensive shootings aren’t like
the movies make them out to
be. Sometimes, the “hardest
decision you’ll ever have to make”
is simply unthinkable.

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 53

IN MISSISSIPPI
Rusty and Sonja have two children, a
boy and a girl. And they work, taking tem-
porary jobs around the country and night
shifts to be with the kids. Doing what is
necessary, what is right. The best they
can. Rusty was often on the road driving
a truck or repairing big machinery, leav-
ing his wife and children at home so he
could provide for them. With few natural
resources other than its hard-working and
resilient people, rural Mississippi is not the
easiest place to make a living.
When one of your children is unstable,
in pain or hurting others, the pain of par-
enting can be breathtaking. It is especially
so in rural Mississippi, where public re-
sources are few.
“We tried to get help,” Rusty said. “[Par-
ents are] going to do whatever they can to
help their children.” So they reached out
to the state, and Mississippi “put Joe on
disability.”
With an adequate but modest house-
hold income, private resources were
catch-as-catch-can. Because Sonja
worked at a local college, she had coun-
seling available. Rusty, an independent
contractor, did not.
“I was raised that it was against God to
hurt your kids,” Rusty said, “and that kids
are supposed to honor their parents.”
When Joe threatened to become physi-
cal, Rusty would quote from the Bible and
make sure his guns were unloaded and
hidden — ammo in one place and fire-
arms in another.
Sonja’s counseling, Rusty’s prayers
and an occasional court-ordered stint
in a Mississippi jail or hospital followed
by a course of drug therapy just weren’t
enough though.
Part of the problem might have been
Joe’s size. He loomed over his 5-foot-5-
inch father and towered over his mother.
Besides, the 29-year-old, 280-pound man
had learned karate and street fighting,
Rusty said. And his behavior had become
increasingly erratic.
Rusty and Sonja eventually realized Joe
could no longer live with them in their brick
home in the country. He had become too
volatile, too unpredictable, and anything,
it seemed, could set him off.
“We had to move him out of our house
because he kept attacking me every time
I’d come home,” Rusty said. “I’m talking
54 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
beat the sh#! out of me. We got him a
place, moved him into it, got him a car. He
could function if he took his meds.”
Rusty recalls the day that Joe decided he
was going to kill his dog for defecating on
the carpet. Rusty said something like, “Well,
son, you have to let it outside to do its busi-
ness,” so Joe opened the door and booted
the dog out. It wasn’t long before a car hit
the dog and Rusty’s phone rang again.
“You told me to put him out,” Joe shout-
ed. “Now he’s dead, and I’m going to
come over and whip your ass.”
And he did.
JUNE 21, 8:08 P.M.
Rusty sleeps with a gun under his pillow
and one beside the bed. He carries a pis-
tol tucked into his belt.
“I feel comfortable with guns,” he said,
having learned to shoot when he was 11
years old. “I sleep peacefully. I take a nap
with a little .22 in my back pocket, sort of
like a wallet. I bet I’m the only person you
know who ever got on a bus with a musket
loader to take to school for history class.
I’ve always carried, concealed or open.”
Nevertheless, unless he was hunting,
Rusty had never needed a gun. Not actu-
ally “needed it.”
The evening before “The Day,” Rusty
worked the night shift. Back home, he
showered and lit the grill. Joe was coming
over, and Mom and Dad, the long-suffer-
ing parents, were looking forward to ham-
burgers and bratwurst, maybe a good
day with their boy (though a good day
was never guaranteed). After Sonja was
up and about, Rusty went inside for a nap.
As Joe drove up, Rusty slept with his
.22 tucked contentedly beneath him.
When he woke from the nap, Rusty made
a cup of coffee, lit a cigarette and went
outside to check the grill, sit with his fam-
ily and play with their 80-pound bulldog.
What Rusty didn’t know, and what Sonja
didn’t reveal, was that Joe had already
been physical with her, shoving her head
against the wall of the house.
This was the family pattern. As a result,
Sonja has a plate in her right arm and has
had rotator cuff surgery and knee surgery.
The injuries weren’t caused by falling
in the kitchen, and she didn’t always tell
Rusty the whole truth. So, when Rusty went THE AFTERMATH
outside, Joe settled down. Sullen. Quiet.
Rusty probably knew the truth, un- sheriff’s deputy to arrive and, when he
comfortable as it was. After all, Joe had
attacked his father many times, often leav-
ing him with bruises and lacerations.
“I can only use the excuse of being
in a wreck so many times,” Rusty said,
“going to work with a black eye and limping.”
So Rusty took his coffee and cigarette,
went outside and sat down, but the mo-
ment he did, Joe’s demeanor changed.
Joe, it seemed, still carried a grudge
against his parents for putting him in pris-
on, which meant three court-ordered six-
week stints in hospitals.
Rusty finished his coffee and went back
inside to make another cup; when he re-
turned to the grill, Joe had spilled his drink
and was in the process of disrobing. Son-
ja begged him to change inside, and he
did, but when he returned, something else
had changed — not just his clothes.
“His eyes, his expression, just turned,”
Rusty said. “So I told him to go inside and
lay down, take a nap. ‘That, or you have to
go. We aren’t going to take this anymore.’”
Instead, Joe took the dog inside and,
when he came back out, his emotions
were roiling. Words flew. Rusty’s hand in-
stinctively felt for his .22.
“I’ll tell you what, you son of a bitch,”
Joe said to his father, “you aren’t going to
use that gun on me. I’m going to take you
both out, kill you both.”
And Joe jumped.
Despite his heavy build, Joe was quick.
He landed squarely on his father and be-
gan grabbing for the .22. Sonja jumped
too, shoving her son and prying his fin-
gers off the gun. Rusty backed away
and drew, but Joe came at him. At 4 feet,
Rusty pulled the trigger.
The bullet hit the young man in the up-
per-right chest. A non-lethal shot, it seemed
only to enrage the 29-year-old — and Joe
rushed forward. Rusty shot twice more, hit-
ting his son on the left side near the heart.
“Well, damn, Daddy,” Joe said, “you
shot me.”
“Yeah, I did, son,” Rusty replied. “You
wouldn’t listen. You wouldn’t quit. Nothing
I could do.”
Joe collapsed. Rusty threw the gun
aside and cradled his son’s head.
“Call 911!”
It took a while for a Webster County
‘we just hope this helps people’
Creative Director Ken Wangler and I spent a December morning
in Rusty’s and Sonja’s kitchen, getting photos for their story and
hearing, firsthand, the pain they live with every day. I can’t name
finer hosts, and I can’t remember hearing a sadder story.
“We just want people to know,” Sonja told me, “that we did every-
thing we could. There just weren’t any options.”
“Fault” is a terrible word to throw around under such a circum-
stance, but it would appear that if there’s anyone or anything at
fault for Joe’s death, it’s the fact that, before it all came to a head
for the last time, the options for dealing with him were “jail” or “not
jail.” Plenty of people have talked about that, but Ken and I sat at
a kitchen table with a mother and father who leafed us through a
photo album — from baby pictures to an autopsy report.
Before anyone feels like saying, “Well, that’s Mississippi,” he
or she had better make damn well sure his or her own state of
residence is doing a better job. I’d bet you a Coke that if it is, it’s
not by much.
“Everybody talks about mental health, mental health, mental
health, blah, blah, blah, but they never do anything about it,” Rusty
told me.
This is about families. This is about innocent life. This is about
how we as Americans do — or do not — manage illness, and how
when tragedy finally does explode, it always seems like someone
“saw it coming.” Rusty rattled off time after time how individuals
murdered family members and then left home to murder others.
He was very frank about why he had to do what he did: He had to
save his wife’s life, he had to save his own life, and he had to save
other lives in his community.
Both Rusty and Sonja expressed the same wish: “We just hope
this helps people.”
Visit your local firehouse and ask the firefighters and EMS work-
ers what they wish your community had to offer with regard to men-
tal health care. Ask your local police officers and sheriff’s deputies
the same question. These are the men and women who deal with
crises like these at the ground level, and they will be able to at least
point you in the right direction as to what we need.
After you have those answers, write to your representatives. Tell
them what you’ve collected. Share those answers with your friends
and family members and ask that they send letters as well. Not
emails. Letters. They can be printouts of letters written on a com-
puter, but physical mail carries a lot more weight than emails that
some Senate page can just delete. Demand that we begin to be
as adamant about mental health care as we are about our Second
Amendment rights.
Let us work to prevent any more parents from having to suffer like
Rusty and Sonja did — and do.
Sonja told me that after the three shots, Joe was briefly himself
again. He was back; his eyes and his face returned to normal.
Rusty hugged him and softly lowered him to the ground in the front
yard, and both he and Sonja got to pray with their son before law
enforcement arrived and Joe was taken to the hospital where he
died. I prayed pretty hard that night in the hotel myself: for them, for
Joe and for all the rest of us who might someday find ourselves in
such an unwinnable situation.
Ed Combs
Senior Editor, Concealed Carry Magazine

did, he treated Sonja (who had run out to
the road to flag him down) and Rusty as
armed murder suspects.
“Get on the ground! Get on the ground!
If you don’t get on the ground, I’m going to
release the [K9] dog!”
The deputy threatened to shoot until the
parents were both face down in the dirt
next to their dying son.
Rusty was slow to put Joe’s head down
until Sonja told him, “You have to let him
go, Rusty. You have to crawl over here
and lay down before they’ll help him.”
And, all the time, Rusty was confessing.
“I shot him,” Rusty said. “I’m the one
that done it.”
The police cuffed Rusty and bagged
his hands. Then they took him and Sonja
to the station. With little apparent haste,
they transported Joe to a hospital.
Not without irony, they tossed Rusty
into the very cell his son had occasional-
ly occupied. Then the real grilling began.
Hours went by, often with the same ques-
tions:
“How did that go again?”
“Show me what you mean.”
“Is this what Sonja did then?”
Sheriff’s deputies and the Mississippi
Bureau of Investigation interrogated the
parents separately. They did not tell them
Joe had passed. Eventually, the coun-
ty sheriff agreed that the shooting was
self-defense and sent Rusty and Sonja
home.
Although he is dead, their boy is still a
presence at the brick home his father and
mother own. Rusty and Sonja had Joe’s
body cremated. His ashes sit nearby in
the living room.
But Joe’s legacy isn’t only a physical
presence.
“After you pull the trigger,” Rusty said,
“you have to face your own reality. The
police will question you again and again.
They’ll separate you from your wife to take
stories independent, and if they can’t get
the facts straight from both of you, you’re
screwed.”
But Rusty and Sonja told the same
story, and the police realized the shoot-
ing was self-defense. Besides, they
knew Joe. The young man’s records
were on file.
Rusty lay down in his own bed that Sat-
urday night, June 21. But sleep would be
a long time coming.
“I stay to myself more,” Rusty said. “I
don’t go out much, not to bars or the bad
side of town. After a situation, the first
thing you’re going to be faced with is the
police grinding you into the ground. I was
ready to go to jail, but there are long-term
consequences too.”
Rusty is wary in public, maybe even
jumpy. He mentioned a friend bumping
him and accidentally pulling Rusty’s knife
from its sheath. Rusty had already drawn
his gun when the man apologized.
Even after the horrific tragedy of hav-
ing to shoot and kill his own child, Rusty
emphasizes the need to be prepared; to
practice not only hitting a target but also
deploying, aiming and pulling the trigger
of your gun.
His main concern, however, is prevent-
ing tragedies like the one from which his
family continues to suffer.
“If getting this [story] out saves
one life, then we’ll really have done
something.”

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 55

 FLYING WITH YOUR GUN

WHEELS UP brad lewis

I
carry my handgun everywhere I legally can, and I often travel by
air commercially for work. This piques people’s attention: “I thought
you’re not allowed to take a gun onto a plane?”
True, it is against TSA regulations to carry a weapon onto a plane.
However, with careful adherence to those regulations, you can
place an unloaded firearm in your checked luggage.
Right off the top, you can find complete TSA regulations at TSA.gov/
travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition. I encourage you to read
them thoroughly; no fair treating them like those “terms and conditions”
windows that most of us accept without reading a single word. Study
them and know what they say. I keep a printed copy in my gun case
for reference. Atop the TSA rules, you also need to review any specific
instructions provided by the airline you intend to fly.

BOX SOCIAL
Ah, the gun case: about as simple a part of the operation as you can
find, but people sometimes still manage to mess it up. You must use
a lockable, hard-sided case that cannot be pried open. Regardless
of which you choose, the operative terms here are “hard-sided” and
“lockable.” If it doesn’t fit those two criteria, it’s a no-go. I use the MTM
Single Gun Case. Because this is not a firearms-specific case, I am
able to carry different weapons without issue.
It is very important that the firearm be unloaded before it goes into
the case. Although not required, I often remove the slide from the
frame and place the two side-by-side along with two magazines. That
way, if TSA officials X-ray the case, they will see the firearm is not only
unloaded but also in a non-firing condition.

56 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

 high stakes
Traveling with a gun can be
tricky, so make sure you cross
your Ts and dot your Is.

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 57

 Choose a standard keyed or combi-
nation lock that only you can open. You
should not use a TSA “luggage lock”
because TSA officials have pass keys
for such units, and you therefore cannot
guarantee that only you have access
to the case. TSA might X-ray the case
during its screening process. If officials
have any concerns, they might ask you
to provide the key or combination. For
this reason, most airports will ask you
to remain near the check-in counter
while the screening takes place.
After the firearm is in the locked case,
place it in the luggage that you plan to
check. As an extra precaution, I take a
cable lock and secure the firearms case
to the inside of my luggage. To do this,
I unzip the liner and pass a laminated
steel cable through the bars that hold the
58 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
collapsible handle used to the not-so-friendly skies? or might not say, stick to
pull the luggage. I then zip Aggressive anti-gun policies factory loads in the origi-
the liner around the cable, and intentionally punitive nal packaging. Place the
restrictions instituted by several
leaving enough cable ex- major airlines have some gun ammo in the bottom of your
posed to reach the firearms owners wondering whether their luggage; there’s no need
case, run the cable through business is even welcome. to place it in your locked
the firearms case handle and then lock firearms case. On one extended trip, I
it. (The cable I use came from an old ski placed my locked firearm in one piece
tote that used to keep my downhill skis of luggage and a box of ammunition in
where I wanted them, but any bike lock another. The idea was to distribute the
will work.) Granted, the handles inside weight more evenly, and doing so is
the suitcase are not as strong and se- perfectly allowable.
cure as the cable, but it would take some With your firearm secured inside your
effort to separate the firearms case from checked luggage, it’s time to head to
the luggage. Effort draws attention, and the airport. Give yourself at least an ex-
thieves aren’t fond of either. tra 30 minutes to check in. After you’ve
TSA regulations allow you to travel done this a few times, you’ll get a feel
with up to 11 pounds of ammunition for how much time you really need, but
in your checked luggage. Regard- every airport is different; more on that
less of what the TSA homepage might in a moment.

‘NEXT, PLEASE’
When you arrive at the airport, pro-
ceed to your airline’s special services
check-in counter, usually located at
the end of the normal check-in count-
er. This special area is for passengers
who have unique circumstances, such
as wheelchairs or service animals, and
is often staffed with some of the most
experienced agents; this makes the
process easier and more comfortable.
When it is your turn to approach the
counter, state respectfully and in a
normal voice, “I would like to declare
an unloaded firearm.” Avoid phrases
like, “I have a gun,” and avoid speak-
ing louder than normal. Simply be re-
spectful and polite. The agent will ask
to see the locked case, so be prepared
to open your luggage. After seeing the
case, the agent will ask you
to sign a card declaring
the firearm is unloaded.
You will then be asked to
place that card on top of
the firearms case and
close your luggage.
I once had the card sep-
arated from the case as my luggage
moved around and, since then, I’ve
placed a vinyl holder on top of the
case that allows me to slide the dec-
laration card into the holder and keep
it securely attached. (The holder is a
simple badge holder — like you might
use at a conference for a name tag —
held in place with double-sided foam
tape.) With the declaration card on top
of your firearms case, close and lock
the luggage. (This would be the time
and place for a TSA-approved lock.)
THE HANDOFF(S)
The next step in the process is what
continues to surprise me. At my home
airport, the agent calls TSA officials to
communicate that checked luggage
that contains an unloaded firearm is
headed their way. The agent then takes
my luggage to a special conveyor belt
and sends it down, and I’m instructed
to wait in a special area for my bag to
be cleared. After about a 10-minute
wait, either the agent or a customer
service representative will tell me that
my bag is cleared. At this point, I can
go through the usual security check-
point and board the plane.
Remember that part about each air-
port being different? At other airports,
I’ve experienced different procedures.
Some ask you to carry the luggage to
a special room where you will watch a
TSA officer perform the screen, after
which he or she will send the bag to
the airplane.
At other airports, an agent will take
your luggage and send it down the same
conveyor used for all bags and will dis-
miss you to go through regular security.
In other words, be prepared for variation.
Your home airport and return airport are
likely to follow different procedures.
After you land, retrieve
your checked luggage and exit
the airport. I often find a quiet corner in
which to open my luggage to ensure the
locked case is still in place, but I never
remove the firearm at this point. I exe-
cute this quick check in case there is
an issue and I need to go to the airline’s
baggage office. To date, I have never
had a problem.
Some airlines will bind your suitcase
with large plastic ties for the flight, and
when you retrieve your luggage, it will
be basically inaccessible without a knife
or strong clippers. If you did not check a
knife in that bag, then you will either have
to ask an agent for assistance or walk
away with your luggage thus bound. Ei-
ther way, those giant zip-ties attract atten-
tion. Remove them as soon as you can.
FLY SMART
Always review the local laws and reg-
ulations for your destination before you
pack your firearm. If you plan carefully
and treat the airline and TSA agents
with respect, you’ll find that traveling
with your firearm on commercial flights
is remarkably easy.
SOURCES
TSA Firearms Regulations:
TSA.gov/travel/transporting-
firearms-and-ammunition
MTM Case-Gard:
MTMCase-Gard.com
BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 59
 THERE WHEN
HE NEEDED IT A USCCA MEMBER AND HIS FAMILY
SURVIVE A HARROWING HOLD-UP
jared blohm

60 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT

W
hen David Jackson III start-
ed carrying a handgun for
self-defense, his dad was
skeptical: “He was like,
‘You’ve been living 32 years,
son, and you haven’t needed a firearm this
long. You don’t need one now,’” Jackson
remembers.
So Jackson took a weekend to reflect.
Maybe his dad was right. Did he really
need to carry a gun? Jackson, though,
kept coming back to the reason he decid-
ed to carry in the first place: to protect him-
self and, even more importantly, his kids
— his “heartbeat.” After that weekend, he
started carrying his handgun again and
explained the decision to his father.
“You’ve got to be prepared for anything
at any time, anywhere,” Jackson said.
He had no idea how prophetic his words
would prove to be.

THE HOLD-UP
Jackson, his girlfriend Sharon Powell
and their children were at Next Up! Barber
& Beauty in Columbia, South Carolina, on
the evening of Friday, Jan. 22, 2016.
“Nothing seemed different about that
day,” Jackson said. “It was a normal day,
and I was in a rush for some reason.”
So, rather than get his hair trimmed in
the first chair with Chauncey Harris, his
usual barber, Jackson sat in the second
chair.
“We were getting our hair cut and two
guys came in,” Jackson recalls. “One was
holding a long shotgun. The other was
holding a handgun. They had hoodies and
masks on.”
The first man, wearing a gray hood-
ed sweatshirt and khaki pants, quickly
walked toward the back of the store wav-
ing his handgun. The second man, wear-
ing a black sweatshirt and jeans, blocked
the entrance while pointing the shotgun at
the barbershop customers. He ordered
Harris and the man in his chair to get on
the ground, knocking Harris down as the
barber tried to comply.

BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 61

 “I thought he was going to shoot me
in my head or shoot me just to set an ex-
ample … to let everyone know he was
serious,” Harris said.
Powell, terrified and confused, hud-
dled with the children on the other side
of the aisle.
“All I knew to do at that time was take
my kids and just hold them and just keep
them safe,” she said.
Jackson, who was still seated in the
second chair, says time seemed to slow
and the room fell eerily quiet. Near the
back of the store, the man in the gray
sweatshirt demanded wallets and be-
longings from customers, working his
way toward Jackson. The other assailant
continued pointing his shotgun at the
customers, holding it directly over Harris’
head at one point.
“I kind of tensed up because I could
have sworn that he was just going to take
[Harris] out right there, man,” Jackson
said. “That’s when I asked him, I said,
‘My kids are here. Please don’t shoot.’”
As the man in the gray sweatshirt
continued down the line, quickly patting
people down and stealing their belong-
ings, he franticly swung his handgun.
Jackson, who had his own handgun
concealed on his hip, realized the robber
would find the gun during a pat down, so
he quickly came up with a diversion.
“I said, ‘Hey, my money is over there
in my jacket on the seat,’” Jackson re-
members.
When the robber went across the aisle
to look at the jacket, Jackson drew his
gun and shot. Jackson hit his mark, and
the wounded assailant ran toward the
back of the barbershop, stumbling and
falling before making his way outside.
Jackson quickly twisted toward the
man in the black sweatshirt, who was
now scrambling toward the front door.
Jackson shot but missed.
“I think that guy is pretty blessed be-
cause, if you look at the door, there’s a
bullet hole right in the door where he was
stumbling out and, I mean, it was very
close to him,” Jackson said.
The barber who was cutting Jackson’s
hair had a concealed carry permit as well
and was carrying a handgun. He drew
his gun and ran toward the back of the
store after the man in the gray sweatshirt.
Meanwhile, Harris tried to get everyone
62 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
in the store to lay on the ground and take
cover in case either of the robbers re-
turned gunfire.
THE AFTERMATH
Immediately after the shooting, Jack-
son called 911. Police quickly arrived on
the scene.
The man in the gray sweatshirt had
collapsed outside the barbershop and
was taken to the hospital, where he died.
The man in the black sweatshirt escaped
and is still at large. From the time the
men entered the barbershop to the mo-
ment they fled, just over one minute had
passed.
Jackson was taken to the police sta-
tion for questioning.
“The first thing that I did was I record-
ed a statement and then I sat down and
contacted the USCCA and … told them
what happened,” Jackson said.
Corrie Feavel, the director of the US-
CCA Law and Critical Response Team,
answered.
“I think what’s really genuinely import-
ant about our Critical Response Team is
that you’re going to reach someone 24
hours a day, seven days a week, [who]
knows what to do in this situation, [who’s]
immediately going to respond, [who] has
all the resources and all the information
with them,” Feavel said. “You’re not call-
ing a call center where they’re going
to have to take a message and find a
phone tree. You’re getting someone
[who] has all this information available at
their fingertips.
“When David called, I immediately
jumped into action and I became his ad-
vocate to get him the resources he need-
ed. I made sure he was safe, made sure
that 911 was called and just made sure
that, if he needed medical treatment, he
was receiving that as well.”
Less than 10 minutes after his initial
call to the USCCA, Jackson was getting
advice from a lawyer. Feavel followed
up throughout the process to make
sure Jackson was getting the help he
needed.
“It was great, easy, quick,” Jackson
said. “Without the USCCA, I probably
would have been nervous and afraid that
I might be going to jail for a little bit un-
til they clear this up. It’s just the comfort
of having a lawyer at your call when you
need them. The USCCA provided me
with one of the best lawyers in the state
of South Carolina. He actually special-
izes in police officers discharging their
firearms, so this is his specialty.”
Jackson was not charged with any
crime. He’s decided to share his story
with others who are considering carrying
a handgun for self-defense.
“If someone is carrying a firearm con-
cealed without any type of insurance, I
would tell them they’re playing Russian
Roulette,” Jackson said. “Even if they
shoot somebody legally, you have to
worry about the consequences of being
sued. The USCCA even covers that.”
Jackson also believes the education
and training materials the USCCA offers,
including Concealed Carry Magazine,
the email newsletter and the Into the Fray
YouTube series, is vital information for re-
sponsibly armed Americans.
“I felt like I was able to do the right
thing and be protected as a law-abiding
citizen,” Jackson said. “If you’re respon-
sible and you do the right thing and a
situation like that occurs, you should be
able to defend yourself and not have to
worry about going to jail or even spend-
ing a night in jail or, ‘What am I going to
do about a lawyer?’ and such. And the
USCCA provides that for you.”
CHANGED MIND
The days after the incident in the bar-
bershop were trying for Jackson.
“I stayed up all night, couldn’t sleep,”
Jackson said. “I mean, I kind of got
emotional, cried a little bit. Sometimes,
especially in the first part, when it first
happened, when I’d fall asleep and I’d
dream about it, you’d see him coming in
and, right before you take the shot, I’d
wake and jump out of my sleep.”
Jackson found support from his
friends and family, including his father,
who has a new perspective on the merits
of carrying handguns for self-defense.
“I just think I’m grateful to God that
[Jackson] had it at that time,” David
Jackson Jr. said. “It’s better to have it
and not need it than to need it and not
have it.”
TRAVEL CONFIDENTLY WITH THE USCCA’S FREE
CONCEALED CARRY
RECIPROCITY AND
GUN LAWS MAP
FIND YOUR UP-TO-DATE
INFORMATION NOW:
www.USCCA.com/laws
IF IT BLEEDS...
THE KEVIN SHEA STORY
rick sapp
A
t 61 years of age, Kevin Shea
became a television celebrity.
He became so famous in Den-
ver in March 2014, that he, his
wife Kathy and their home were
splashed relentlessly across regional
television screens. Of course, neither
Shea nor his wife were interested in be-
coming celebrities. But after Shea was
forced to use a firearm in defense and,
in doing so, killed the offender, his share
of so-called “15 minutes of fame” lasted
well beyond a single newscast. Shea’s
story exploded due to the electronic me-
dia’s lust for viewers and declining ad-
64 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
vertising revenues. He had killed some- Institute in Englewood, Colorado, to a brief
one, after all. His treatment emphasized stint with Wackenhut (now G4S Secure
the media adage, “If it bleeds, it leads,” Solutions). Returning home early from a
meaning that a homicide, fatal car crash client visit on Tuesday, March 18, he was
or public suicide will become the prima- surprised by an Xcel Energy truck parked
ry story of the day. on his street. On this cold, late-winter day,
Shea never sought publicity, but on someone had a heating or electrical prob-
March 18, 2014, it found him. lem. He hoped it wasn’t him.
Shea routinely backs into his driveway.
THE MAN IN THE YARD Thus, in his rear-view mirror, he noticed a
Shea is a medical case manager. Fluent man wearing denim walking through the
in English and Spanish, he has a back- backyard. He assumed it was the Xcel
ground in a variety of security roles, from representative checking connections.
teaching English as a second language at He assumed that … until he parked
the medium-security Federal Correctional and walked down the narrow space
 “OFFICERS HANDED HIM BUSINESS CARDS AND THEN DEPARTED,
BUT NOT BEFORE ONE OFFICER GAVE SHEA A WORRISOME WARNING:
between the fence and the house.
It was then that he noticed a pile of
his belongings beside the gas grill, a
shattered window and a heavy blanket
tossed over the sill, presumably to pro-
tect the burglar from broken glass.
Shea realized the man was burglar-
izing his home and drew his Springfield
XD Sub-Compact in .40 S&W.
“Get down!” he shouted as the thief
spotted him. “Get down now!”
“Are you OK?” a neighbor shouted
over the fence.
“I need help,” Shea replied. “Call 911!”
Although he had a gun pointed at
his chest, the thief rushed at Shea, who
backed away and again shouted, “Get
down!”
Less than a dozen yards apart in a
narrow space, Shea had no room to ma-
neuver and, when the man charged him
again, he fired … and fired again and
again, at first trying, he says, to shoot the
burglar in the leg.
“Some people imagine that just pulling
a gun will make a bad guy run away,”
Shea said, “but not so. You just don’t
want to believe that someone can be so
desperate and determined.”
Although he was hit, the burglar kept
coming. Shea raised his left arm to block
him and fired a final round, hitting the
man in the chest. The burglar collapsed.
From the moment Shea spotted the
burglar until the thief lay dying in the yard
was less than a minute.
THE POLICE ARRIVE
Shea covered the man lying at the
edge of his driveway, watched for ac-
complices and then called 911 from the
phone in his car. As it turned out, multiple
neighbors had also called.
“That was helpful,” he said, “that I had
neighbors looking out for me.”
The Denver 911 dispatcher instruct-
ed Shea to lock the gun in a safe place.
He put it in the car and locked the door.
(Later, when police impounded his car,
he understood his mistake.) He walked
‘HIRE A LAWYER.’”
to the street and immediately heard si-
rens. Patrol cars converged from every
direction, as many as a dozen. In min-
utes, they enclosed the area with yellow
crime-scene tape.
Shea expected the worst.
A cop searched him, tucked him into
a cruiser and covered his hands with
paper bags. He was in custody but not
under arrest. In fact, Shea was never
cuffed. Eventually — it felt like hours —
he was driven to the police department.
“We need to talk to you,” they said.
They confiscated his Springfield and
his Fobus holster.
Homicide Detective Louis Estrada
and Chief Deputy District Attorney Victo-
ria Sharp read Shea his Miranda rights,
which he initially waived.
“I’ve watched plenty of cop shows, but
when it happens to you, it’s pretty sober-
ing,” Shea said.
It was at about this point, in custody,
confronted with interrogation profession-
als, facing a one-way mirror in a bare
room in the police department, that Shea
realized the power of adrenaline; he be-
gan to shake. He lost track of the time;
everything seemed like a blur.
“It’s scary, but you don’t have a
choice,” Shea said. “Suddenly, your life
has changed, but I felt like I acted within
the boundaries of good judgment, good
sense and within the law. I thought it was
likely that the guy was armed.”
Detective Estrada mentioned that
neighbors were being interviewed also,
but Shea maintained good relations with
his neighbors — many, but not all, of
whom were Orthodox Jews who often
called on Shea’s help on the Sabbath,
between Friday and Saturday nights.
Orthodox Jews are forbidden to work
during those hours, so if a light switch
was accidentally turned on, they called
and asked him to turn it off.
“I’m Catholic, but I’m happy to help,”
he said.
This relationship formed the basis of
his neighborhood’s good will and support
in the aftermath of the shooting.
If there was a fly in the ointment, it was
the fact that the thief’s attack and Shea’s
response took place outside the house.
It was not necessarily covered by what
some call Colorado’s “Make My Day”
act. The shooting would be judged strict-
ly on the merits of his self-defense claim.
Nevertheless, Shea walked the detective
and the district attorney through the inci-
dent and even drew a sketch. There was
no room to run, everything happened
very quickly, and he never wanted to
shoot. He would not have shot if the man
had not attacked him and tried to wrestle
the gun away.
Eventually, the police released him.
They drove him to meet his wife and get
his dog, which was understandably con-
fused and howling.
“Go in the house and get the dog; just
don’t touch anything,” they said.
Outside, the media pounced, and
Kathy unexpectedly spoke to them.
Shea wished that she had not.
“You think you’re a reasonably intelli-
gent individual, but you never know what
kind of misstatement or misunderstand-
ing might send you to prison,” he said.
That evening, the family was allowed
to return home, only to find a pile of shat-
tered glass left behind where the burglar
broke windows. The police were still at
his home and, unexpectedly, several of
them shook his hand, patted him on the
back and wished him well.
“You did the right thing,” they said.
“We’re proud of your ability to keep your
head.”
The cops said they would have done
the same thing, and they called a crew to
board up the smashed windows.
It took Shea and his wife nearly four
hours to clean up the glass. It was only
when standing in the bathroom to ban-
dage Kathy’s bleeding hand that Shea
became angry. What struck him, how-
ever, was the police promise to patrol
the neighborhood in case the now-de-
ceased felon was a gang member and
BORN TO PROTECT www.USCCA.com 65

“NONE OF US ARE AS SAFE AS WE THINK WE ARE. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN
TO ANYONE AT ANY TIME. YOU DON’T WANT TO BE RUNNING AROUND PARANOID
WITH A GUN DRAWN, BUT YOU DO WANT TO BE AWARE.”
the gang — or even a family member —
was tempted to retaliate. Officers handed
him business cards and then departed,
but not before one officer gave Shea a
worrisome warning: “Hire a lawyer.”
Immediately, neighbors arrived with
food and, the next day, a friendly rabbi
called to suggest a lawyer. Unbeknownst
to Shea, a police commander had tele-
phoned the rabbi and inquired about
Shea’s character.
Thus, when the police asked for a fol-
low-up interview, Shea took professional
backup. The second interview was brief.
Shea was honest and forthright; his at-
torney was pleased. Within the week,
District Attorney Sharpe released a state-
ment that no charges would be filed.
The deceased burglar was a pro-
fessional thief who was known at every
pawn shop in Denver. Allegedly, he stole
and sold other people’s property to buy
liquid refreshments and drugs for friends
loafing at a local park near Shea’s home.
The family of the serial burglar could
now file for civil damages, which would
cost Shea’s family endless worry and
perhaps thousands of dollars, even if a
judge dismissed the case. Soon enough,
however, a friendly cop said that the only
thing the thief’s family was upset about
was that Shea had shot the burglar so
many times. Shea always maintained
that the last thing he wanted to do was
66 www.USCCA.com BORN TO PROTECT
shoot anyone. In backing up and fighting
off the thief, he fired five times, striking
his assailant above the left knee, in the
left hip, in the left arm and, finally, with the
close-range stopper in the chest.
AFTERTHOUGHTS
The morning after the shooting, a pa-
trol car stopped at the house. Shea’s
blood pressure soared, but it was just a
couple of cops making sure nobody was
harassing him.
Shea said the Denver police treated
him and his family not only professionally
but also with kindness — even compas-
sion — throughout the ordeal. He was
never bullied, threatened or abused.
The only irritation over police method-
ology was that they kept his property for
more than three months.
“What was the purpose in that?” Shea
asked.
And because, on the advice of the 911
dispatcher, he had initially locked his gun
in his car, the car was impounded for a
while.
And what about the handgun and hol-
ster? The police were almost apologetic.
Because of a recent Colorado gun-con-
trol measure signed into law by the
governor, they had to run another back-
ground check on Shea before they could
release his Springfield. Shea filled out the
forms while sitting in Detective Estrada’s
car. The police expedited the paperwork,
and he got his gun back a week later.
What about a civil suit by the dead
perp’s family?
“It has been more than two years now,
and I’ve heard that the man’s family in-
quired with a number of law firms, but
all of them turned down the case,” Shea
said. “So the family definitely thought
about capitalizing on the death of the
outlaw. My attorney says he can’t see
any smart lawyer willingly taking on a los-
er case though.”
“It was very upsetting for us all,” Shea
continued. “I finally went to a doctor for
help sleeping. I’d wake up at the least
noise and grab a flashlight in one hand
and my pistol in the other.”
Not long after they learned that the dis-
trict attorney was not pressing charges,
Kathy, her oldest daughter and a friend
took the required course for Colorado
concealed carry permits.
And Shea, who said he had been put-
ting it off for some time, joined the USCCA.
“It just made sense to join USCCA and
learn about self-defense … and the after-
math,” Shea said. “I got lucky. My dad, a
World War II veteran, taught me to shoot
when I was a kid. Plus, I’ve had training in
defensive use of firearms. And my lawyer
only charged me about $3,500 because,
I think, he was giving me a huge break on
the recommendation of the local rabbi. I
got lucky in the whole episode.”
In review, Shea reiterates that he nev-
er, ever wanted to shoot anyone, but he
felt that, in this situation, he did the right
thing. He can live with it, although he
thinks about it every day.
“None of us are as safe as we think
we are,” he said. “Anything can happen
to anyone at any time. You don’t want to
be running around paranoid with a gun
drawn, but you do want to be aware.”
The one real gripe Shea has is with the
news media. They broadcasted his name
and picture … and his wife’s name. They
broadcasted photos of his house with the
address. Anyone who wanted to retaliate
or create problems could easily have
found him. If it bleeds...
 YOUR JOURNEY TO
FIREARMS
CONFIDENCE
STARTS HERE
FIND A CLASS NEAR YOU | Text “CLASS” to 87222
www.USCCA.com/class
Message and data rates apply.
RESPECT &
PROTECT:
SHARED VALUES OF
SPORTSMEN AND
THE USCCA
Hunters and USCCA Members have a lot in
common — especially the desire to change
the way our country feels about those
who choose to protect their families, their
environments and their legacies. Join our
family of more than 300,000 responsible
gun owners and get the education, training
and legal protection you need to stay safe
at home and in the field.

To learn more and join today, visit:

www.USCCA.com/PBR