Bad Concealed Carry Choices

[John Kloehr]

2 minutes ago, Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 said:

We are limited to .32 rounds or larger.  However, a .22 LR handgun is great for practice - something many permit holders neglect.

Tennessee allows .2LR (more clearly stated, there is no minimum caliber). There is at least one state which requires qualification at the maximum intended carry caliber. I can not remember which.

[John Kloehr]

29 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

When I got to the last ten rounds, I put two shots in the head for eyes and a pair for nostrils and then cut a frown with the last six rounds.

I had a shooter like this in my class way back when (before I became an instructor). Well, he shot a smile rather than frown, the last shot made it a bit crooked but still impressive. Instructor marked him down for those but only because the rules required it. The student clearly still passed.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

1 hour ago, Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 said:

Twenty-five rounds at a 2-ft x4-ft target at about 3-yards.  No time limit shooting and perfect scores not required.  It's pretty easy.  No one flunked.

Was this draw and fire or gun in hand?

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

1 minute ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Was this draw and fire or gun in hand?

Gun in hand.  Holsters were not allowed.  I agree with that as some may have shot themselves in a foot.  The gun handling skills so common at a CAS match are largely lacking at a CCW qualification.

9 minutes ago, John Kloehr said:

Tennessee allows .2LR (more clearly stated, there is no minimum caliber). There is at least one state which requires qualification at the maximum intended carry caliber. I can not remember which.

NM is such a state.  One instructor I know makes .50 cal handguns and ammo available to his students so they can get .50 cal endorsements on their permits.  It's a macho thing.

[Rip Snorter]

When I took my first lengthy permit class in a Blue State, the instructor was a "Large"  police Sergeant.  One of the points he wars trying to make was that you couldn't draw and shoot a charging attacker at close range.  He asked for a volunteer and I stepped up - really not fair because I was into fast draw.  I drew and "shot" him 3 times before he touched me. He had to slam into me - active 4th Dan at the time, I let him get away with it to get my permit.  There was a stairway to my right, and I was sorely tempted. 

[Still hand Bill]

36 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said:

When I took my first lengthy permit class in a Blue State, the instructor was a "Large"  police Sergeant.  One of the points he wars trying to make was that you couldn't draw and shoot a charging attacker at close range.  He asked for a volunteer and I stepped up - really not fair because I was into fast draw.  I drew and "shot" him 3 times before he touched me. He had to slam into me - active 4th Dan at the time, I let him get away with it to get my permit.  There was a stairway to my right, and I was sorely tempted. 

A good friend who is a high level shooter was doing some training with blue guns.  At close range, he could not draw quickly enough, but if he took a step or two back, then he had enough time to draw and empty the magazine.  Take away was step back to gain time by converting distance to time. 

[watab kid]

never found the little 9mm makarov very friendly and i had three of them . i did like the EMP and my sig 938 a lot , light and easy compact and concealable . they have a place , as well as my colt 380 in the car most of the time if needed 

[Dapper Dave]

3 hours ago, WindyCity Red said:

My carry gun.  Only problem is always having to wear a duster......even in  the Arizona summers.

Being born and raised in Tucson...I wanna see that. 

[Kid Rich]

You talkin Windy in a duster? He only wears a belt under that duster to carry that thing on nothin else'

kR

[Dapper Dave]

OTOH, I HAVE seen someone wearing a leather trench coat in Tucson. 

Since this has to do with bad CCW choices, this falls right in there. See, about 30 years ago I was a supervisor for an armored trucking agency in Tucson, and everyone knew I was also the gun nut, since I was also the branch Armorer. We had four runs and ten employees, pretty small hill of beans. Also, this was the one company I worked for that would A), allow personal sidearms, B), allow back up guns if you had a CCW permit), and C), would allow a personal LONG gun in the cab, visible to the general public, during the Christmas Season, one week before Thanksgiving to one week after New Years. We never got robbed - I think seeing Mini-14s, AR15s, FALs, and AKs in the trucks got some WIDE eyes out there. 

One day, during WINTER, one of my jokers shows up with a black leather trench coat over his uniform. I instantly grew suspicions, and I was right. Under that he had...are you ready for this?

Left side, Glock 19 belt holster, Glock 19 drop holster, Smith Model 10 shoulder holster. Right side, EAA Witness 9mm belt holster, Glock something drop holster, and slung under his right arm was a folding stock AKM with 75 round drum and 37mm underbarrel flare launcher. 
Wanna know the wildest thing? All perfectly legal. And I made him leave 90% of the hardware in the vault that day. 

Oh, yeah, back pocket right side was a Remington pattern 38Spl derringer...there's a WHOLE 'nother story about THAT gun.

[John Kloehr]

47 minutes ago, Dapper Dave said:

OTOH, I HAVE seen someone wearing a leather trench coat in Tucson. 

... one of my jokers shows up with a black leather trench coat over his uniform. I instantly grew suspicions, and I was right. Under that he had...

... I made him leave 90% of the hardware in the vault that day. 

 

 

[WindyCity Red]

10 hours ago, Dapper Dave said:

Being born and raised in Tucson...I wanna see that. 

Meet me at the bank

 

[WindyCity Red]

3 hours ago, Kid Rich said:

You talkin Windy in a duster? He only wears a belt under that duster to carry that thing on nothin else'

kR

No,  if you look close I'm also wearing my chaps....

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

20 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

 

Sweet, aren't they!

I had one of those and a 4" version.   I wish I still did.  I do have one of the only other DA wheel guns I ever liked, a 1947 Colt Detective Special snubby that is a near perfect gun to carry in my car.  Six Hornady Critical Defense loads in the gun, eighteen more in speed loaders.   WHEEEEEE!

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

Brett Maverick disarmed:

Old John Bianchi poster:

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

13 hours ago, watab kid said:

never found the little 9mm makarov very friendly and i had three of them . i did like the EMP and my sig 938 a lot , light and easy compact and concealable . they have a place , as well as my colt 380 in the car most of the time if needed 

Them there little Colt .38s are great guns.  Mine is a Government Model (and I also have his big brother, a 1911A1 with a 1911 back strap).  .380 rides in the dash of my Impala behind the info screen with a mag in the gun and five more in the same compartment.

 

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

In California you have to qualify with each handgun on your permit. We have always shot from low ready. If they required you to shoot from the holster with each gun it would be a real pain for me.

 

I don't use paddle holsters. All leather holsters with belt slots. The holsters do not slide on and off easily, very tight fit. I position the holster on my belt on my pants before putting my pants on. To switch holsters on the line would be difficult. The solution could be to wear a smaller width thinner belt just for the qualification so I could more easily change holsters. I also pocket carry some.

[Dapper Dave]

I read about the Bianchi photo - he said there were options left, but he had to stop because the weight was really getting to him. 

[watab kid]

10 hours ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

Them there little Colt .38s are great guns.  Mine is a Government Model (and I also have his big brother, a 1911A1 with a 1911 back strap).  .380 rides in the dash of my Impala behind the info screen with a mag in the gun and five more in the same compartment.

 

yup , my colt 380 is a govmnt as well , rides in same place as yours in my suburban , with a clip on holster if needed and xtra mags all loaded , 

i also have a colt M-1911 , 1918 black army govmnt marked 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

16 minutes ago, watab kid said:

yup , my colt 380 is a govmnt as well , rides in same place as yours in my suburban , with a clip on holster if needed and xtra mags all loaded , 

i also have a colt M-1911 , 1918 black army govmnt marked 

On 8/30/2026 at 5:40 PM, WindyCity Red said:

My carry gun.  Only problem is always having to wear a duster......even in  the Arizona summers.

 

17 minutes ago, watab kid said:

yup , my colt 380 is a govmnt as well , rides in same place as yours in my suburban , with a clip on holster if needed and xtra mags all loaded , 

i also have a colt M-1911 , 1918 black army govmnt marked 

Pair of bookends, down to the clip-on holster.  I also had a shoulder rig made but  the guy listened to very carefully to what I wanted and then did every single thing wrong.  I'm looking for another rig but no one wants to make one to my specs.

 

[watab kid]

20 hours ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

 

never thought to have a shoulder holster made - i have a WWII and a VN era one but their not gonna get worn , never found a commercial i was totally happy with 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

That is exactly why I'm looking for someone to make a holster to my specs and who will shut the hell up and actually LISTEN to me.  If they can't won't do that, or don't want to do it, have the guts to say so up front.  Don't make some terrible POS and then want me to pay for their faulty product.  I took one and had two more made that I left with the maker and refused to pay for.  I probably have been black-balled all over Arizona by now because of that, but I won't accept something I don't want and I certainly won't pay for it.

 

I have a "vampire" shoulder holster (carries the gun upside down) that I am very happy with, but it's only made for revolvers (Colt Dick special).

[Cypress Sun]

On 8/30/2026 at 8:09 PM, Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 said:

Twenty-five rounds at a 2-ft x4-ft target at about 3-yards.  No time limit shooting and perfect scores not required.  It's pretty easy.  No one flunked.

 

Ah, a long range SASS match without the timer.

[Stump Water]

On 8/30/2026 at 3:56 PM, Blackwater 53393 said:

I qualified with a Taurus PT145 that belonged to Schoolmarm because I didn’t own a semiautomatic and didn’t want to use one of my Blackhawks!🤣

 

Camille used one of her original Birdshead Vaqueros in .45C.  

 

I used my Colt Ninteen-Lebben.

[Vail Vigilante]

Most people that do the CCW are not from the firearms world. 

You start talking about DA vs SA vs Striker and their eyes glaze over.

They just want their little helper for when things go south.

I try to talk them into at least some range time, but since they are not from this world, they look at the price of a box of ammo and pass.

 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

On 8/30/2026 at 5:40 PM, WindyCity Red said:

My carry gun.  Only problem is always having to wear a duster......even in  the Arizona summers.

You wouldn't have that problem if you had a real shooting iron instead of that Buck Rogers super-duper ray gun look-alike.

[WindyCity Red]

2 hours ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

You wouldn't have that problem if you had a real shooting iron instead of that Buck Rogers super-duper ray gun look-alike.

How many rounds in your shooting iron? I usually only need 1....😃🤠

[Three Foot Johnson]

Another Buck Rogers super duper ray gun look-alike.

Also a bad concealed carry choice because, even when new, the ammo wasn't all reliable, the stuff is over a half a century old now, and even when it worked as advertised, inside of a dozen feet it would probably just piss somebody off. Oh, and if you manage to find any ammo, it'll be over a hundred bucks a round.  

 

[Doc Shapiro]

Ohhhhhh, the rocket gun Gyrojet.  There's a bit of history.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

On 9/3/2026 at 7:05 PM, WindyCity Red said:

How many rounds in your shooting iron? I usually only need 1....😃🤠

And what happens if you run into several bad guys all shooting at once?  You gonna fire that one round and go home for one more?  Lotsa luck with seeing one more minute much less any longer good times.

Edited yesterday at 12:29 PM by Forty Rod SASS 3935

[Texas Joker]

44 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

And what happens if you run into several bad guys all shooting at once?  You gonna fire that one round and go home for one more?  Lotsa luck with seeing on more minute much less any longer good times.

You get them to stand in line. Only need one then.

[WindyCity Red]

1 hour ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

And what happens if you run into several bad guys all shooting at once?  You gonna fire that one round and go home for one more?  Lotsa luck with seeing on more minute much less any longer good times.

You probably didn't notice....that big stick under the  gun......holds more rounds than your pee shooter.  😁 kind of a stand n deliver stage.

  

.

 

 

....

 

 

 

 

 

[watab kid]

yup - im sure they will accommodate your request , in the heat of the moment 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

51 minutes ago, WindyCity Red said:

You probably didn't notice....that big stick under the  gun......holds more rounds than your pee shooter.  😁 kind of a stand n deliver stage.

  

.

 

 

....

 

 

 

 

 

But you said "rounds" not "magazines". One round ain't much.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

1 hour ago, Texas Joker said:

You get them to stand in line. Only need one then.

If I could do that I'd use my .50 Hawken just for fun.