Innholdsfortegnelse for 223 CCH i Personal Defense World

It’s funny how some politicians these days say that we are awash in gun violence, and mass shootings are occurring more frequently. If you actually dig a little deeper into a few unbiased reports, you will find some interesting numbers. Violent crime has steadily decreased over the past decade, according to the FBI Crime Report. As for mass shootings, they have been occurring at a steady rate, about two-dozen per year, since 2006, according to a Northeastern University study. Another number to consider when thinking about the reduction in violent crimes is the increasing number of people getting their concealed-carry permits. A buried study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that a legally owned firearm prevents a violent crime from occurring as much as 6,000 times per…

THE WORLD IS CHANGING. Whether it’s autonomous cars, quantum computers or global connectivity at our fingertips, everything around us is evolving. You can see that trend in industry as well. A new concept or technology emerges that improves an aspect of a product and can result in a sweeping change in how things are built in a marketplace. One example is the wave of polymer-framed pistols that have swamped gun store shelves over the last decade or so. On one hand, manufacturers can rightly point to lighter weight and reduced costs as benefits for the consumer. However, those benefits can come at the cost of elegance and the individual character that some users prefer. When it comes to non-1911 pistols, you’d be hard pressed to find new offerings with steel…

A carry gun needs to be small, reliable, lightweight and, most of all, easy to conceal. Many of the pistols on the market that fit that bill today have polymer frames and components to reduce weight as well as costs for manufacturers and consumers. Most of these are very reliable, but there is just something about handguns with metal frames that makes them more appealing to me. Which brings me to Remington, which decided to stand out from the pack with the RM380 Executive. Its tough, all-metal construction is designed for the ultimate durability and longevity. Right off the bat, the RM380 Executive comes with a 2.75-inch barrel—the same length as the Ruger LCP’s. It also weighs just 12.2 ounces unloaded while measuring 5.27 inches long, 3.86 inches tall and…

My relationship with small pistols has been tenuous at best. Most don’t fit my large hands, making them literally a pain to shoot. The slide tears a groove in the web of my hand, and I’m lucky to get a couple of fingers on the grip. Admittedly, as age creeps up, and after three decades carrying a pistol, it’d be nice to have something lighter, but I don’t want to lose any of my fighting capabilities. That said, I was intrigued when the 9mm Glock 48 was introduced, as it seemed to check off all the boxes. Essentially a single-stack, 10-round G19 slimmed down for concealed carry, it was what many of us had been clamoring for since the G19 was introduced. And being able to install a G43 slide,…

North American Arms (NAA) makes some of the smallest revolvers available. The company’s tiny designs allow for some creative concealed-carry options, from hat holsters to belt-buckle rigs. But are these guns simply curiosities, or do they fulfill a purpose? Well, they make for excellent deep-cover concealment, and they'll excel at being a backup to your primary CCW. One of the company’s larger—yet still miniscule—revolver series is the Black Widow. Available in .22 WMR or .22 LR, or with two cylinders to fire both calibers, these five-shooters are made from stainless steel with bright finishes and relatively tall three-dot Marble Arms sights. You can even order a version of the gun with adjustable sights, too. They also sport 2-inch, vent-rib barrels, non-fluted cylinders and rubber grips with finger grooves and a…

When it comes to concealed carry, it’s all about keeping your gun hidden. This is why the pistol market has seen such an increase in smaller, more concealable handguns in the past few years. Trailblazer Firearms joined the fray back in 2014 with the idea of designing the smallest, most innovative pistol anyone had ever seen. Now, a few years later, we have the LifeCard pistol, which started life in .22 LR but is now available in .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR) as well. To put it simply, the LifeCard is a single-barrel, single-shot handgun that folds up to about the dimensions of a credit card and is just about half an inch thick while weighing 7 ounces. The entire gun is made of metal. The barrel, bolt and trigger…

MY team partner, Brad, and I had just sat down at the diner and ordered a couple glasses of iced tea to cool off after a long day at the range when a large man kicked in the front door. He didn’t look happy. The man in the open doorway paused, his eyes sweeping the small room before landing on the employee behind the host's table. He walked over, kicked the table and started yelling. I stood, and so did Brad, who backed toward the wall. The room had three exits: one to a patio on our right, one across the room to the kitchen and the front door to our left. We watched as he became more agitated, and the host was leaning back in his chair, looking scared…

I’VE comforted the victims of violent crimes as they sobbed and tried to make sense of the attacks against them. Victims come in all shapes and sizes, but the sad reality is that the weakest people too often become the targets of an attack. Common sense suggests that a mugger or rapist looks for the easiest target, not the fit Marine who’s just returned from a deployment. Sadly, for the most vulnerable, the typical defensive handgun may be too hard to operate efficiently due to heavy slides, tough to-load magazines and substantial recoil. But Smith & Wesson developed a pistol that is a superb option for people with diminished strength. Called the M&P380 Shield EZ, the gun offers an easy-to-rack slide, a light trigger and magazines designed for easy loading.…

KORTH is a German company that has been producing fine firearms since 1954. Its product line has mostly consisted of precisely made revolvers prized for their smooth actions, outstanding accuracy and unique appearance. Over the years, they have trickled into the United States, but in 2016, Korth partnered with Nighthawk Custom to bring certain models to American shooters. One of these revolvers is called the Sky Hawk. And while it’s no longer available directly from Nighthawk, it’s still worth a closer look. Because this distinctive wheelgun catches the eye immediately with its extremely short cylinder and overall length. It was built from the ground up to be a 9mm sixgun—not just a modification of an existing model—and it brings with it a high level of engineering and attention to detail.…

Those of us in the gun-writing profession are often criticized for reviewing guns that are far out of reach for the average subscriber. I have to admit that this is probably true, and my editors remind me of it every time I ask to write up a 1911 that costs $3,000. The simple fact is that there are some who find even a box-stock Glock to be beyond their budget. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and we often find a way to pay for our passions. Then there are those who care nothing about owning a custom firearm or installing refinements like a match trigger or night sights. These people need a gun that’ll go bang every time they pull the trigger. That’s what they’re willing to…

The Sig Sauer P365 was the most widely anticipated pistol in 2018, and it quickly took the concealed-carry world by storm. The thought of a micro pistol with an impressive 10+1 capacity—and 12+1 with an extended magazine—was unheard of. Many responsible citizens accustomed to carrying compact and full-sized pistols were quick to size down to the P365. Of course, while such a gun is highly capable and concealable, it requires increased discipline to work with its inherent characteristics. A micro pistol will be unforgiving in pointing out the habits you’ve developed shooting a larger pistol, but there are ways to overcome these. Recently, I traveled to the Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, New Hampshire, to attend the Covert Carry course using the P365, and I came away with several valuable…

The realm of personal defense encompasses many aspects of our lives, including when we are at home or work, in the car or out in a public place. The type of defensive handgun we choose typically depends on the requirements for the particular setting. When away from home, a lighter-weight pistol with a smaller footprint usually makes for better concealment, though this often means giving up the capacity and control you might have with a pistol used at home. Not every gun owner is a dedicated enthusiast that owns and shoots multiple firearms. Even if they are an enthusiast, not all can afford multiple gun purchases. Many will buy a single handgun for defense that will be employed in numerous situations. That’s why Glock has introduced a pistol that addresses…

IN 1994, I had been a gun writer for less than two years and had published less than a dozen articles. But I saw something at the SHOT Show in Dallas that would shape the future of concealed carry in a huge way. With the passage of the Brady Law and the Crime Bill looming (signed into law on September 13, 1994), the show was busy with dealers trying to get guns before they’d be outlawed. Sales for the moment were brisk, but no one knew what the future held. For the next 10 years or forever, as far as we knew, magazines would be limited to 10 rounds. My gloomy outlook brightened for a moment when I found a single booth in the basement of the Dallas Convention Center.…

In the movie True Romance , Clarence Worley observes that it’s better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it. When it comes to personal defense, no truer words have been spoken. The trick to living by this philosophy is choosing the right pistol that’s compact and light enough to carry on your person at all times. Further, that pistol must be 100-percent reliable so that, should the time come, you’ll be able to fight back when it matters most. CZ-USA just introduced a new pistol that’s more than qualified to fill that role. Based on the very popular P-10 platform, the P-10 S is the company’s latest striker-fired offering, and its subcompact form factor makes it an ideal concealed-carry companion.…

THE story of Ed Brown is one of determination, dedication and family. In 1968, Ed Brown opened Brown’s Gun Shop as a part-time gunsmithing operation. Ed went on to became an industry leader, a world-class gunsmith and a nationally ranked shooter. In 1991, he was named “Pistolsmith of the Year” by the American Pistolsmiths Guild. In 1992, he incorporated the company and formed Ed Brown Products. Over the years, Ed grew the business into a highly successful and multi-faceted enterprise. To many pistolsmiths, Ed Brown parts became the standard by which others were measured. The secret to this is that many of Ed Brown’s employees are machinists and engineers. They understand specifications and how to take a part from an engineer’s drawing to production. Attention to detail, maintaining tolerances and…

While holsters, guns and other gear for concealed carry are obviously vital, another important component is one’s clothing. Typical off-the-rack items might not always work, or may leave a bit to be desired. Granted, you’d be surprised how little the average person pays attention to these things. What we notice as people who carry—because we know what we’re looking at—is often a little more than what the layperson picks up on. What seems borderline obvious to us is often unnoticeable to others. That being said, you may not wish to resort to wearing a jacket every day of the year, or the cliché concealed-carry vest, as there are very few that actually look presentable, short of wearing a three-piece suit. There are, however, some concealed-carry clothing hacks that can aid…