Read the story here: http://www.dailypress.com/news/crime/dp-man-open-carry-gun-hip-robbed-newport-news-story.html
My guess is that the 'victim' had zero training in weapons retention, that he used a holster that begged for someone to grab his gun (in other words one that held the pistol in place with friction only and no retention devices such as thumb break snap) and that he had absolutely no clue about situational awareness or at least was not exercising it at the time he was robbed. Of course, I could be dead wrong on all of that. He might have had a holster with a retention device, been well versed in weapon retention and been totally aware of his situation at all times but I doubt it very much and regardless of all that - he was advertising that he had a handgun to be stolen by open carrying.
I think the victim's biggest problem was that he advertised that he was carrying. Even though I tend to exercise situational awareness (as opposed to what my wife would tell you) and even though I have been trained in firearms retention and have successfully utilized it more than once, and even though I was a firearms instructor (and still am so certified) and defensive training officer, and even though I carry in a holster with at least one retention device over and above mere friction - I rarely carry openly. For the record, rarely meaning usually only when at a range, hunting or walking around in my house. It makes no sense to me to open carry except when hunting or shooting at a range or in my home.
I live in NY, where open carry is mostly forbidden. Yet, even if I lived in Arizona, Alaska, New Hampshire or other places where it is legal to carry openly, I probably would not do so. I prefer that pistol be my ace in the hole and a big surprise that gives me the winning hand when I show it and if need be shoot it. I don't need to advertise to the world that I have it, at any given time, nor do I want to show it off and tempt others to take it away from me or to act like arsehats because I am carrying. That's because anyone can be jumped at any time and caught unaware, especially in urban situations where you are used to a lot of people around you. Even those of us with weapons retention training, who have a holster with a retention device or two, sometimes could have a weapon taken away from us if accosted by surprise, and or by someone stronger, and or by multiple assailants. Why give them an advantage or the temptation by letting them know you have a gun with you. I seriously doubt that you walk around with hundreds of dollars in plain view just begging to be robbed so why do likewise with a pistol.
Keeping your handgun concealed when legal, as opposed to open carrying and letting the world see it, is not always going to keep it from being taken away from you but it goes a long way toward them not trying to take it simply because they don't know you have it. Concealment is not the only thing that will help assure you retain your firearm but it is a good one. While there is no perfect solution, no end all be all method of perfect weapon retention, there are some other things that will help assure you keep retention of it. They are: carrying it in a high quality belt (not a clip on) holster with at least one or more retention devices, securing the holster to your person with a strong high quality belt, getting trained in (and practicing) weapon retention, and learning about and trying to maintain situational awareness so you can either avoid potential dangerous situations or at least be ready for them if you cannot avoid them. Having the right mindset, one that will actually lead you to accomplish all of the things I just mentioned is a good place to start.
Now, if you want to have a different mindset and whine, bitch and moan that all this is not for you but is just bullshit being spouted off by me - well, that's okay by me. If you wind up like Joe Knowitall Arsehat and have your gun stolen, or worse yet have it taken away and are then killed with it, I may shed a tear. Then again, you could have saved me that tear and you might have survived if only you hadn't known better.
Believe me when I say this, I do not give advice like this lightly, nor as a know-it-all gun guru or as a smugly superior former LEO nor as an elitist firearms instructor. I am none of those but I do give advice like this as someone in the know who has been there and done that - more than once. In other words, I have been lucky enough to have been in fights for my life, multiple times, where gun retention was the key to my survival because the bad guys were trying to take my gun away from me and kill me with it. I know that for a fact in one instance because that is what the defendant told the judge when he went to trial and then received time served and was deported by a leftist federal judge out in CA. I know for a fact in the other case because they kept telling me they were going to kill me and they tried their best to get that done.
I have the bite scar on my arm where the one tonk bit me after he failed to get my revolver away from me in my Border Patrol days. Another time I had at least five assailants kicking the crap out of me (they fractured my sternum and probably snapped my zyphoid process) as they took a handcuffed prisoner away from me and almost dragged me into Mexico because my arm somehow got tangled in the cuffs. That I am still here to write about it should tell you something and I am telling you it is because I held onto my gun.
Why is it I was able to hold onto my revolver in each of those instances? Well, because I was wearing a retention holster, was trained in firearms retention and practiced it, and had the mindset to fight like a mule and come out as the winner. Had my attackers not known where my gun was located because it had been concealed, I probably would have been even better off to begin with but I was obligated to open carry for my job. Man that was way back when and I am here today because they couldn't get it away from me. I've had other encounters where criminals and arsehats tried to take it from me even though it was concealed and in each of those cases they never came really close to getting it because it had been concealed.
So, as far as you taking my advice goes, don't take it as perfect. Anything I can say on the subject is not a failsafe and bad shit can still happen to you even if you do everything I recommended. The thing about it is though - that advice can also give you the winning edge. Take it or leave it, it is up to you. If you don't take though, and are ever accosted where a bad guy gets the drop on you, you may wish you had taken it; by then though, it likely will be to late to do you any good.
A hat tip to Wisco Dave for this post, over at Knuckledraggin My Life Away, where I first read about the guy losing his gun to the robbers.
All the best,
Glenn B
My guess is that the 'victim' had zero training in weapons retention, that he used a holster that begged for someone to grab his gun (in other words one that held the pistol in place with friction only and no retention devices such as thumb break snap) and that he had absolutely no clue about situational awareness or at least was not exercising it at the time he was robbed. Of course, I could be dead wrong on all of that. He might have had a holster with a retention device, been well versed in weapon retention and been totally aware of his situation at all times but I doubt it very much and regardless of all that - he was advertising that he had a handgun to be stolen by open carrying.
 |
| Not only is this person tempting fate by open carrying in a holster, apparently without additional retention devices, but he is also advertising his wallet. |
I think the victim's biggest problem was that he advertised that he was carrying. Even though I tend to exercise situational awareness (as opposed to what my wife would tell you) and even though I have been trained in firearms retention and have successfully utilized it more than once, and even though I was a firearms instructor (and still am so certified) and defensive training officer, and even though I carry in a holster with at least one retention device over and above mere friction - I rarely carry openly. For the record, rarely meaning usually only when at a range, hunting or walking around in my house. It makes no sense to me to open carry except when hunting or shooting at a range or in my home.
I live in NY, where open carry is mostly forbidden. Yet, even if I lived in Arizona, Alaska, New Hampshire or other places where it is legal to carry openly, I probably would not do so. I prefer that pistol be my ace in the hole and a big surprise that gives me the winning hand when I show it and if need be shoot it. I don't need to advertise to the world that I have it, at any given time, nor do I want to show it off and tempt others to take it away from me or to act like arsehats because I am carrying. That's because anyone can be jumped at any time and caught unaware, especially in urban situations where you are used to a lot of people around you. Even those of us with weapons retention training, who have a holster with a retention device or two, sometimes could have a weapon taken away from us if accosted by surprise, and or by someone stronger, and or by multiple assailants. Why give them an advantage or the temptation by letting them know you have a gun with you. I seriously doubt that you walk around with hundreds of dollars in plain view just begging to be robbed so why do likewise with a pistol.
Keeping your handgun concealed when legal, as opposed to open carrying and letting the world see it, is not always going to keep it from being taken away from you but it goes a long way toward them not trying to take it simply because they don't know you have it. Concealment is not the only thing that will help assure you retain your firearm but it is a good one. While there is no perfect solution, no end all be all method of perfect weapon retention, there are some other things that will help assure you keep retention of it. They are: carrying it in a high quality belt (not a clip on) holster with at least one or more retention devices, securing the holster to your person with a strong high quality belt, getting trained in (and practicing) weapon retention, and learning about and trying to maintain situational awareness so you can either avoid potential dangerous situations or at least be ready for them if you cannot avoid them. Having the right mindset, one that will actually lead you to accomplish all of the things I just mentioned is a good place to start.
Now, if you want to have a different mindset and whine, bitch and moan that all this is not for you but is just bullshit being spouted off by me - well, that's okay by me. If you wind up like Joe Knowitall Arsehat and have your gun stolen, or worse yet have it taken away and are then killed with it, I may shed a tear. Then again, you could have saved me that tear and you might have survived if only you hadn't known better.
Believe me when I say this, I do not give advice like this lightly, nor as a know-it-all gun guru or as a smugly superior former LEO nor as an elitist firearms instructor. I am none of those but I do give advice like this as someone in the know who has been there and done that - more than once. In other words, I have been lucky enough to have been in fights for my life, multiple times, where gun retention was the key to my survival because the bad guys were trying to take my gun away from me and kill me with it. I know that for a fact in one instance because that is what the defendant told the judge when he went to trial and then received time served and was deported by a leftist federal judge out in CA. I know for a fact in the other case because they kept telling me they were going to kill me and they tried their best to get that done.
I have the bite scar on my arm where the one tonk bit me after he failed to get my revolver away from me in my Border Patrol days. Another time I had at least five assailants kicking the crap out of me (they fractured my sternum and probably snapped my zyphoid process) as they took a handcuffed prisoner away from me and almost dragged me into Mexico because my arm somehow got tangled in the cuffs. That I am still here to write about it should tell you something and I am telling you it is because I held onto my gun.
Why is it I was able to hold onto my revolver in each of those instances? Well, because I was wearing a retention holster, was trained in firearms retention and practiced it, and had the mindset to fight like a mule and come out as the winner. Had my attackers not known where my gun was located because it had been concealed, I probably would have been even better off to begin with but I was obligated to open carry for my job. Man that was way back when and I am here today because they couldn't get it away from me. I've had other encounters where criminals and arsehats tried to take it from me even though it was concealed and in each of those cases they never came really close to getting it because it had been concealed.
So, as far as you taking my advice goes, don't take it as perfect. Anything I can say on the subject is not a failsafe and bad shit can still happen to you even if you do everything I recommended. The thing about it is though - that advice can also give you the winning edge. Take it or leave it, it is up to you. If you don't take though, and are ever accosted where a bad guy gets the drop on you, you may wish you had taken it; by then though, it likely will be to late to do you any good.
A hat tip to Wisco Dave for this post, over at Knuckledraggin My Life Away, where I first read about the guy losing his gun to the robbers.
All the best,
Glenn B
