Every once in a while, a member of the retired Real Guns site will write and ask why I stopped working with firearms, or had my politics changed. Firearms are as much a part of my life as they always have been. I still own my personal rifles and handguns. I still find time every week for proficiency shooting. I still have my concealed carry permit and I do carry. I still have my lifetime hunting/fishing license, and I still have my FFL I ignore the debate. I don’t see firearms within a political context.
What I don’t do is have a steady stream of new firearms and ammunition in from manufacturers for review. I don’t have multiple concurrent gunsmithing projects on the bench, and I do not handload beyond my personal use. So the occupational component is gone, but that has nothing to do with my personal applications for firearms.
As far as handguns are concerned, they are a defensive proposition. With eighty acres of hilly woodland to wander around and get lost in, I still carry my slicked up GP100 357 Mag loaded with 158 grain hollow points. With travel and appointments to keep, a Ruger LCP II with an LC9 top end and mag conversion installed works just fine with 124 grain hollow points.
The GP100 is carried in an old synthetic Fobus paddle holster. The LC II gets an inexpensive inside the waistband synthetic by Amberide. I believe the Fobus model is out of production. Why not something new, exciting and expensive? The holster material is near indestructible, they secure the respective firearm, and they are slick on the draw. They are both comfortable to wear; standing, bending, driving, walking. Additionally, these are what I drill with, use to build muscle memory, and are the most familiar to me.
Why do I carry?
The answer, in all honesty, is a lot more narrow than not so long ago. Last resort self defense. It seems the fringe of society, has been nudged by perceived leaders into action. Now that fringe is motivating a portion of the general population to ignore the rules of civility and to act out with the slightest provocation. I live alone, stay to myself, and live by the same rules I’ve lived by.
I know how to interact with familiar people. I have no idea what to expect from strangers public settings. If some emerging group of people think it is OK to murder someone over philosophical differences, that is a new and very real threat. The nicest people have come to say the most horrible things, and commit the most heinous crimes. That is fact, not paranoia.
I don’t have to watch for what passes as twenty four hour cable news. I can experience the changes in people just driving; cut off in traffic or brake checked by someone having a bad day. A driver in an SUV who stares at you when they attempt to share the lane with your motorcycle. A customer who blows up at a fast food drive through lane, and throws their food at the service window. A lot of frustration and too little restraint. Experience the joys of flying lately?
I will dodge, duck and ignore until I can’t. I will avoid and run for as long as I can. But when I run out of all options, and a threat to my life is eminent, I choose not to be a victim. The reality is that I will probably never find myself in that position, but I have lived this long by anticipating and planning for all contingencies.