Learned my lesson about "one in the pipe" today

[Box]

... IMHO, she is dead either way. According the the rules she can't draw until she senses a threat.
...
I carry a Glock the way a Glock was designed to be carried, but if my situational awareness does not give me more space and reaction time than exist in the video I might as well not be carrying anything.

Tueller was an optimist. If I am not challenging at 40 feet and drawing at 30, then I am already well behind the curve.

The 21 foot rule and all that. But video proves the general point.

Hell, one of these days we could film a better comparison. I have a camera and editing software.

[WaitingGame]

Which leads me to another question, am I carrying enough gun?
I can shoot the heck out of the p238, but I am limited by caliber and round count.
I have learned that if it is too large, I won't be able to carry it every day.

Suggestions? Or is this a topic for another post?

Do you carry and extra magazines?

[Jumping Frog]

I have learned that if it is too large, I won't be able to carry it every day.

That is what is know as a "rationalizing assumption".

Many people carry full size firearms everyday. Personally, I have either a full size M&P .40 or a government size 1911 .45 on my hip everyday, with two spare magazines.

It is always good to re-test and re-evaluate ones assumptions on a regular basis.

[Excaliber]

I have learned that if it is too large, I won't be able to carry it every day.

That is what is know as a "rationalizing assumption".

Many people carry full size firearms everyday. Personally, I have either a full size M&P .40 or a government size 1911 .45 on my hip everyday, with two spare magazines.

It is always good to re-test and re-evaluate ones assumptions on a regular basis.

How much gun you can carry and conceal is determined by your choice on an earlier decision:

Will you dress around the gun or gun around your dress?

[The Annoyed Man]

... IMHO, she is dead either way. According the the rules she can't draw until she senses a threat.
...
I carry a Glock the way a Glock was designed to be carried, but if my situational awareness does not give me more space and reaction time than exist in the video I might as well not be carrying anything.

Tueller was an optimist. If I am not challenging at 40 feet and drawing at 30, then I am already well behind the curve.

I agree with that distance assessment.

I once spent the better part a week at sea aboard a 40 ft sailboat. It sounds like a lot of boat.....and it is, if your primary concerns are stability and a fridge full of beer....but you soon come to realize that 40 ft isn't much distance. A person standing on the fantail with a holstered gun would probably have enough time to get off a quickly aimed snap shot at someone charging from the bow-cleats. But remove all that rigging, cabin superstructure, and mast that's in the way so that the attacker has a clear path, and...... the odds in your favor begin to decrease.

It can be a difficult pattern for someone new to concealed carry to figure out. How do we stay within the LAW, while also maintaining a sufficient bubble of space around ourselves into which we allow no intruder? Obviously, training and situational awareness give us some padding; but even the well-trained and situationally-aware CHL can be surprised into having to act. I would submit that if we are surprised into acting, we might have already lost the fight. The only way we can guarantee never being in this situation is to keep everyone at standoff distance with a rifle, and that's just nonsense.

So I just do the best I can, and trust in The Lord for the rest.

[skeathley]

Which leads me to another question, am I carrying enough gun?
I can shoot the heck out of the p238, but I am limited by caliber and round count.

I would love to carry my .357 Magnum (6 inch barrel), but no chance of that. But really, despite what you may hear, a .380 at 6 feet, with good shot placement, will cause someone to rethink their career choices. A .380 in hand trumps a .45 at home every time. Just make sure you are a good shot.

That said, there are small 9mm pistols, and it wouldn't hurt to go to a gun show and browse. And don't overlook the .38 Special, which is as reliable as they get.

[VMI77]

Which leads me to another question, am I carrying enough gun?
I can shoot the heck out of the p238, but I am limited by caliber and round count.

I would love to carry my .357 Magnum (6 inch barrel), but no chance of that. But really, despite what you may hear, a .380 at 6 feet, with good shot placement, will cause someone to rethink their career choices. A .380 in hand trumps a .45 at home every time. Just make sure you are a good shot.

That said, there are small 9mm pistols, and it wouldn't hurt to go to a gun show and browse. And don't overlook the .38 Special, which is as reliable as they get.

I've been carrying my S&W 327. 8 rounds of .357 mag from a 2" barrel. Rides high with the S&W OWB holster and even though it's large frame, conceals well.

[dihappy]

Thanks everyone for the support. I think I've finally calmed down.
I ended up making a trip to the shooting range to blow off some steam.

To answer the questions:

-No, I didn't call the police. I wasn't sure what they could have possibly done at that point since the perp was long gone. Also, I never took my gun out of the holster and it was never visible, so I didn't worry about getting called in myself. Should I have?

-My coworkers were shocked by what the situation. One of them actually said "Wow, I can't believe how well you handled that. I probably would have let the guy approach me instead of stopping him when I felt uncomfortable." They asked several questions about why I carry, the process to get a CHL, and we talked a little about training and situational awareness. I also talked to them about how important it is to not make it public knowledge that I carry, etc.
I was glad they were supportive. I then told them (firmly) they needed to read "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin de Becker, and then pass it to their wives.

And you better believe my little p238 is cocked and locked today.

Which leads me to another question, am I carrying enough gun?
I can shoot the heck out of the p238, but I am limited by caliber and round count.
I have learned that if it is too large, I won't be able to carry it every day.

Suggestions? Or is this a topic for another post?

Another good read: " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
:)

[Jumping Frog]

I would love to carry my .357 Magnum (6 inch barrel), but no chance of that.

Agreed, a 6 inch barrel is a little hard.

I first started carrying back in the '70's with a .357 Ruger Security Six with a 4 in barrel.

A .380 in hand trumps a .45 at home every time.

Yeah, but I think we'd both agree that we'd rather have the .45 in hand if trouble strikes.

See above comment on rationalization.

That said, there are small 9mm pistols, and it wouldn't hurt to go to a gun show and browse.

Actually, I've never owned a subcompact because I do not want to let myself start rationalizing. As noted above, I carry a full size every day.

However, lately I have been more and more tempted to the point that I have been shopping and comparing. Why now after all these years? Because I started hiking and running. Doing sprints at the local middle school track with a 1911 on my hip has certain "issues".

[miketx60]

What I did and this may help you is to carry in your house with the gun loaded for a while. You'll get used to it. IMO, there no reason to carry an unloaded gun.

[VMI77]

I would love to carry my .357 Magnum (6 inch barrel), but no chance of that.

Agreed, a 6 inch barrel is a little hard.

I first started carrying back in the '70's with a .357 Ruger Security Six with a 4 in barrel.

A .380 in hand trumps a .45 at home every time.

Yeah, but I think we'd both agree that we'd rather have the .45 in hand if trouble strikes.

See above comment on rationalization.

That said, there are small 9mm pistols, and it wouldn't hurt to go to a gun show and browse.

Actually, I've never owned a subcompact because I do not want to let myself start rationalizing. As noted above, I carry a full size every day.

However, lately I have been more and more tempted to the point that I have been shopping and comparing. Why now after all these years? Because I started hiking and running. Doing sprints at the local middle school track with a 1911 on my hip has certain "issues".

I can carry full size and mostly done so but lately I've found it's hard to resist just strapping on my P938. It's becoming my preferred carry.