Class Gear:
Basic & In Class Renewals: We provide everything; including the weapon & ammo
Enhanced & Combined:
• Pistol & Magazines (3 recommended)
• Ammunition – You will shoot at least 55 rounds & up to 155 rounds
(** We can rent you a 22lr pistol & ammo for $20 **)
• Eye and ear protection
• Range appropriate clothing
• Closed toe shoes, Our range is primarily dirt and rocks.
Recommended:
• Holster (belt mounted, strong side only)
• Extra magazines (the qualification is 50 rounds)
• Magazine pouches
• Sunscreen (seasonal)
• Bug spray (seasonal)
• Cold/Wet weather clothing (seasonal)
We have many of the items below that you are welcome to try out. Give us a heads up before the class or schedule private training with us to try before you buy.
Mindset
Principles of Personal Defense by Jeff Cooper Great read and gift to improve your mindset
The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker Free Online Classes: https://giftoffear.com
Self Defense Law
The Law of Self Defense by Andrew Branca https://lawofselfdefense.com
You can get a free copy here:
lawofselfdefense.com/checkouts/freebook
Equipment
My daily carry pepper spray. It would not recommend doing any smaller than this. They are cheap, easy, and extra spicy.
Lights
- There are MANY options when it comes to lights. Every month a newer and brighter light is released. We will be releasing a video soon about lights.
Streamlight ProTac 1L-1AA
350-Lumen Dual Fuel Professional Tactical Light.
This was my daily for years. It is brighter than the 350 lumen implies, due to it having a much higher (6,400) candela. It has a combination beam that has a hot spot for distance and peripheral light thrown to the sides. The huge draw to this light is its ability to run on CR123, AA, and with some tinkering a AAA. I have a couple of them. It is my go to emergency, in the car, & traveling flashlight. It is programable and has Streetlights TEN-TAP® Programming which allows for selection of three different operating programs: 1) high/strobe/low 2) high only 3) low/high. With this light I can store it with long shelf life CR123 batteries and have multiple options to power it with other common batteries. When I travel this is always with me.
250-Lumen / 1,150 Candela EDC Flashlight. One of the best AAA sized pocket lights that is rechargeable. I would not call this a “Tactical” light due to the interface, but it’s an excellent EDC light.
Streamlight MacroStream USB 500-Lumen / 2,000 Candela EDC Rechargeable Compact Flashlight
Good AA Sized light with a flood style beam pattern. Again, not a “Tactical” light due to the interface, but it’s an excellent EDC light.
Streamlight TLR-1 HL
1000-Lumen / 20,000 Candela Weapon Light
This is the light that I use on my multiple firearms, my duty pistol and shotgun. This light, or the standard TLR are a great choice to mount on almost any firearm. This runs on non-rechargeable CR123, so it has a great shelf life and perfect of the gun sitting in the safe waiting to be put into use. SureFire lights are also a great option, I have good experiences with almost all of their products. They are typically more expensive, but very good. Streamlight has been the go to for a more affordable option for Law Enforcement in this area for years and they have performed very well for less expense.
OLIGHT PL-3R Valkyrie Weapon light
1500 Lumens / 10,000 Candela Rechargeable
This is the light I use in class on my training gun. When not in class it is on my varmint and plinking 22 rifle I keep handy at the house. I use this light due to it getting used a lot and is easily recharged with the magnetic charging cable. Olight has a very handy magnetic charging system. I use their lights for non-tactical purposes (head lamps and around the house light) Remember, rechargeable batteries typically do not have a long shelf life. So if you put this on a bed side gun and never touch it for a year, it might be dead.
Firearms
This is not the guns you have to have, just some guidance for folks.
Smith & Wesson Shield
This is the 9mm I recommend most. The Smith & Wesson Shield really shook up the micro 9mm concealed carry market. It is small but still very shootable for most people. There are now many models and options. The original models that use 7 round magazines can often be found for under $400 and the new Plus model with a 10 round magazine for mid-$400.
Ruger LCR 22 – The “Toyota Camry” we should all own.
If you want a light, no recoil, highly reliable pistol, this is hard to beat. Yes, it’s a 22, but this isn’t a firearm to storm the beaches of Normandy. It is a faithful companion that can ride in your pocket or on your ankle everyday to be ready at a moment’s notice. The LCR is smooth and has no sharp edges. These is no slide to be obstructed and can be shot almost anyway and in/though clothing. Rhett with Demonstrated Concepts has put in lots of time on this platform showing what is can do in trained hands.
| Ruger LCR 8 shot 22lr Federal Punch Banta Boot Grip Price Range: ~ $579 |
Empty 14.4 oz |
Loaded 15.15 oz |
Ruger LCP – The Smallest, wallet sized gun
If you want the smallest gun, this is it. There are other pistols this small, I have not had good luck with most of them. This is still a very hard pistol to master, but it works. If you have to be absolutely concealed or need a tiny ankle pistol, this is it.
| LCP 6 shot 380 Hornady Price Range: ~ $300 |
Empty
9.6 oz |
Loaded
oz |
Ruger LCP Max – 10% bigger & 40% more bullets
This is a slightly larger version of the LCP, better sights, better trigger, 10 rounds in the magazine, and about 4-5 oz heavyier. This is an easy gun to carry about anywhere and is a much more capable 380 over the original LCP. To get a better idea, below is a picture of the old and new magazines:
| LCP Max (75th ed) 10 shot 380 Hornady Price Range: ~ $300 |
Empty 10.8 oz |
Loaded (10+1) 14.3 oz |
S&W Bodyguard 2.0 – The M&P Mini
The new bodyguard is defiantly much improved from the original. This gun shoots well for its size. They run well and have the option for a manual safety. Much like the S&W Shield the safety is small, does not get in the way, and can be used or ignored. The only issues I have had: the gun from the factory shoots noticeably left of the sights, the low bore axis will bite you if you get aggressive with your grip, and the magazines are very hard to load to capacity. This and the LCP Max are neck and neck on best pocket 10 round 380s. I would have to say that the I lean towards the LCP for someone with large hands or the Bodyguard for folks that have issues
| SW Bodyguard 2.0 10 shot 380 Speer Lawman Price Range: ~ $400 |
Empty11.45 oz |
Loaded14.45 oz |
Smith & Wesson 43C – J Frame – The Underwear Gun
My snubbie revolver journey continued after the LCR to J Frames. This is one of the lightest J Frames at 11.8 ounces, loaded. The trigger is very heavy and I had to return it to S&W due to the action binding up. However, after they made some adjustments it has ran perfectly. I miss the LCR’s trigger, but the XS sights are much better than the LCR. You do have to pay a premium to get a 3.35 oz lighter gun (lighter than the LCR) but if you are going for the lightest underwear gun this might be it. Also, crimson trace still offers their compact laser grip for this snubbie, while they have discontinued it for the LCR. So if you need a compact laser grip, your decision is already made.
| S&W J Frame 43C 8 shot 22lr Federal Punch Crimson Trace Grip Price Range: ~ $739 |
Empty 11.5 oz |
Loaded 11.8 oz |
SIG SAUER P365
The next pistol that shook things up after the Shield was the P365. Other than a couple issues on the first run, these have proven to be very good pistols and are currently the #1 selling handgun in the US (according to SIG). This is a gun I carry regularly. For its size, I don’t think there is anything else that can carry 10-12 rounds of 9mm in these dimensions. It still has some weight to it, but it is very carriable. The smaller versions are a little snappy for some people, but completely manageable. The Wilson Combat grip modules are a great upgrade, BUT beware, the texture is serious and can be hard on the muffin tops.
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/ultimate-guide-every-9mm-glock/
At this point I am sure someone is yelling at their phone, he didn’t mention GLOCK ? I own them and have carried them. They are certainly a good choice. However, depending on the purpose there might be better (smaller, cheaper, more capacity) options. I think that other companies have innovated beyond GLOCK in many different areas. All that being said, if I was going to pick a full sized pistol to carry I would have no issues with it being a GLOCK. You will also find a lot of support with GLOCK, as far as parts, holsters, accessories.
| Pistol Details | Empty | Loaded |
| Glock 42 (380) Taren Tactical +1 Federal HST .380 Price Range: ~ $419 |
 14.15 oz |
 16.65 oz |
Ammunition
I had a discussion with Chuck Haggard in a recent class that ended with us testing ammo in ballistic gel. He gave a good brief on ammo selection.
Here are the priorities with ammo selections, in order of importance:
-
- It has to work in your gun. It it doesn’t go bang or causes malfunctions, nothing else matters.
- It should shoot consistently to your sights (if the are not adjustable) – If you cannot hit anything with it or shoot is accurate, ballistics don’t matter.
- It should meet FBI standards – After that, we prefer a bullet that meets FBI’s standards for penetration, expansion, and weight retention.An important note here, Penetration is first and foremost. There are many hollow points that expand in gel and make a pretty picture, we have to be sure it can get in there deep enough to have an effect first and foremost. A very good example of this is Speer FMJ 380. A well known police agency issues this for all its 380 pistols. It does not expand, but it runs reliably in all the 380’s they approve and meets penetrations standards. That is very telling. Many 380 rounds do not preform well out of tiny pistols.
9mm – Many rounds that preform well, I like Federal HST, Punch, Speer Gold Dot, to mention a few.
380 – There are many 380 round that do not perform well. I would recommend Federal Hydrashock Deep, Federal Punch, and the Hornady Critical Defense and XTP loads. Also the LAPD tested many 380 rounds and decided to issue Speer Lawman FMJ for both training and carry in .380.
Holsters
This is a difficult one to cover. It is very individually specific. It is a Dodge vs Ford vs Chevy kind of topic. Ask anyone who has carried a gun for more than 2 years, they will have a box somewhere full of holsters they have tried. I will attempt to give you some good options, but my recommendation is to find a friend that has a box full of holsters and ask to try before you buy. Another recommendation. Often you can find cheap holsters that might give you a way to try a type of carry, but it also might not work like a quality holster would. Especially true with IWB (inside the waist band) appendix carry holsters.
OWB (Outside Waistband)
IWB (Inside Waistband)
Appendix
Pocket Carry
Ankle Carry
I think there are many folks that, for various reason, find it hard to carry a pistol on their belt or pocket due to work or how they dress. Ankle holsters are a great option.
The Galco Ankle Guard Lite is my choice and is on my ankle as I compose this. They are a wear item, the elastic will degrade over time and need to be replaced. If you are using it daily, expect to replace it every 12-36 months depending on the weight of your gun and your activity. The heavier the gun &/or more active will wear is out faster. There are other holster options, I think this is the best middle ground that will securely hold the gun.
The biggest issue with ankle carry is weight. I would recommend not carrying anything over 16 oz (I pound). They make Glock 19 ankle holsters… I guess Sasquatch could pull it off, but I carried a Glock 26 and it wore a hole in my ankle. I typically carry a J frame or 380 on my ankle, both are less than 15 oz loaded.
Deep Carry
The PHLster Enigma is the current top dog of deep carry. You put this holster system on after your underwear and then put whatever clothing you want over it. I would recommend this before any of the other belly bands, waist bands, or other holsters. Many of the cheap ones are not weapons specific and have a nylon pouch to hold the gun.
Off Body Carry
More to come….