So you’ve finally got your license or you’ve decided that your trusty blaster isn’t doing much to protect you locked up in the safe. Either way you find yourself making the wise decision to carry the most effective self defence tool available to you, hopefully on an EDC (Every Day Carry) basis. Unfortunately most of us then realise that carrying this thing around can be uncomfortable and annoying, sometimes this leads to the gun going back to its old job of protecting the inside of your safe which is obviously sub optimal.

Like with many things, if you dress the part it makes the whole experience substantially more user friendly. Dropping a mousegun into your pocket may be quick and easy, but in my opinion you are giving up too much ability in your gear in the interest of expedience. My experience is in carrying a full size service pistol all day every day, so that is where this article is going to come from. These procedures will work for you if you go with a compact or sub compact pistol and they will even be ever so slightly easier to carry and conceal.

Personally I always carry on my right side hip (I’m right handed), this means that all the repetition I gain drawing in practise , training and competition translate to my EDC set up. I almost always carry in an IWB (Inside the Waistband) holster as I find it offers me the best concealment over the widest selection of wardrobe. Which particular holster you choose is another article all of its own. For now let me recommend that you don’t skimp on your choice as with most things if you buy quality you only cry once. My current choice and recommendation is the Comp Tac MTAC which is available from hailstormza.com. For me this gives the best compromise between speed and concealment, and because it’s tuckable it will work in almost any dress code.

Your belt is one of the most important, and at the same time, one of the most ignored portions of the EDC wardrobe. A stiff well build belt makes a substantial difference to your comfort while carrying a pistol especially at the end of a long day and concealment is considerably easier with a proper belt. Try it and you will be surprised.

When buying trousers keep a few things in mind. First off make sure that they have belt loops, sorry but your shell suit bottoms ain’t going to work properly if you want to be armed. That solid belt we discussed besides being an aid to comfort and concealment is also your third hand in the event of you needing to manipulate your pistol should one of your hands be wounded and out of the fight.

If you’re carrying IWB you will most likely find that getting your pants one size bigger makes things a whole lot more comfortable. Many gun owners try an IWB holster in a pair of pants that they can just barely fit into as it is, and then complain that IWB is too uncomfortable, if you normally wear a 36” get your next pair as a 38”. All of a sudden that hunk of steel will feel a lot less like it’s trying to become one with your pelvis.

The heavier the material your trousers are constructed from the less noticeable the holster itself will be to a keen observer. Once again hoping you can wedge that pistol into your rugby shorts isn’t going to offer the best of ,or even an average amount of speed ,concealment or security. Darker colours will also make things less noticeable to any observers, either bad guys or work colleagues, who we would rather weren’t aware that we are armed.

Your shirt choice will, like your trousers, be dependent on the environment you find yourself in. In a more formal environment that tuckable function on the holster allows far more versatility as you will be able to take your jacket or other concealing garment off. The baggier the shirt the easier concealment will be, this doesn’t mean you have to dress like a slob but that your shirt does need to be a little looser. This allows you to blouse it out a bit when you tuck it around your pistol, no point having the gun covered but the shirt so tightly over it that anyone standing near you can read the serial number through the shirt. Have a look in the mirror make sure you can’t see the silhouette of the pistol you’re trying to conceal. Move around when you check.

If you can, try choose your shirts in darker colours and/or with stripes or some sort of pattern, these will combine to make the pistol less likely to be noticed if you move in such a way that the shirt is pulled more tightly against it. I have found myself in employment where I had to wear a white dress shirt every day, if this applies to you, try picking slightly thicker shirts preferably with a textured material. Unfortunately as with so much gear the better the quality of the shirts you buy the better they will be at hiding that gun.

In a less formal environment the same rules will apply and being able to leave your shirt untucked will make access a little easier. As I sit here typing this I am wearing a 5.11 short sleeve button up shirt, these work like a bomb if they match the environment. When looking at a button up shirt try to find something that is cut in a similar fashion, it hangs slightly lower than many shirts lessening the chances of the pistols butt hooking on the hem and exposing itself. Also, as with formal shirts, the looser cut helps reduce the chances of the butt of the pistol printing. With Polo shirts and T shirts the same rules apply. A little looser and longer cut combines with a good quality material in a dark colour or with a pattern is going to make life a whole lot easier. Those super tight jobs designed to show off your six pack are also going to ensure that the whole world can see that you’re armed. Unfortunately you will need to decide whether being the height of fashion or being prepared to defend your life against the forces of darkness, is more important to you.

A concealment garment like a jacket or photojournalist style vest can make concealment a bit easier but we need to keep some things in mind. If they have any draw strings or similar at the bottom hem cut them off straight away, a piece of string and a plastic bobble hooked in your trigger guard while trying to reholster can lead to all sorts of unpleasant BANG noises. Be careful that, on a cold day, you can reach the pistol under a jersey, a hoodie and a zipped up jacket. Winter makes concealment easier but access much more difficult. ALWAYS try some test draws from under today’s concealment.
Be aware that a hoodie or sweatshirt with an elasticised bottom hem my ride up during the day and if that is your only layer of concealment for the day you will need to keep a very close eye to ensure your pistol isn’t hanging out for the world to see.

Many users like an open front concealment garment. This can work very well especially if you prefer an Outside the Waistband Holster. Ensure though that it hangs low enough to conceal the pistol and holster when you lean over or lift your arms. The photojournalist style vest is very popular as a concealment garment, they conceal the pistol very well, are more lightweight than a jacket, so many find them usable all year round and they normally have lots of pockets to stow all sorts of gear in. I don’t really find them comfortable and find I get better concealment from a closed front garment but if they work for you they have some distinct advantages. Bear in mind some do worry that like the big black moonbag they do shout “gun” to many. Whenever I see someone wearing one I assume that there is very likely a pistol under there somewhere.

Something to bear in mind is that a surprising number of people will know exactly what the word GLOCK printed on your cap or T shirt means. People will read your “I’d rather be shooting t shirt” so bear in mind that true concealment is more than just having the gun covered.

Far too many people make excuses that they can’t carry a reasonable size fighting pistols because they need to dress well for work. By properly combining your pistol and support gear (holster, mag pouches and belts) and dressing to conceal it is possible to be prepared without compromising on pistol choice or making it obvious that you are armed. For a good few years I worked in an environment where I was not allowed by company policy to carry a firearm. The above assisted me in being armed everyday while being concealed sufficiently to stay employed and not offend the customers.

Obviously I would never recommend that you flout company policy with regards to firearms or signage in any environment you visit. Big boy rules, as always, apply. You make the decision to be armed or not and you live with the consequences either way.

This article was written by BigT, a GunSite SA Forum Member.
Many thanks.

The object of this article is not so much to solicit agreement as to which items you should pack in your bag, but rather to make you start thinking more seriously about the possibility that you may, in fact, need such a bag or backpack, etc. and what you think it should contain for best results for your situation.

In SA today it seems like there are almost daily incidents of service delivery protests, taxi strikes and protests, xenophobic riots, etc. Usually, the Police show up, shoot some rubber, thump some heads, contain the situation and except for those in the immediate area, life proceeds as usual with maybe some inconvenience here and there.

Mob mentality is an ugly thing. People will sometimes commit the most unspeakable acts when caught up in a mob, some because they feel anonymous, others because they get caught up in the frenzy or feel like they, too, will be singled out by the mob if they refuse to participate. Whatever the reason or motivation, to doubt the homicidal potential of a mob is foolish thinking, indeed. With the Cup here, there is also the potential for things like bomb threats, hooliganism, and mass demonstrations…not to mention maybe much worse.

At the stage when you can confirm to your satisfaction that there is, or almost certainly will be soon, trouble on your route, you have two basic choices…stay where you are, or leave and head for your destination, be it work, home, or elsewhere. The natural tendency is to believe that “it won’t be that bad”…and maybe it won’t…or it just might be every bit ‘that bad’ or worse. The point is that you will have to make a judgment call based on what you know at the moment and not on all the information you may have later.

If you make enough judgment calls, sooner or later you will be wrong, but that’s the way of the world and no one has a crystal ball. I don’t know about you, but if my safety and that of my loved ones may be at stake, I prefer to err on the side of caution. Better to use up a sick leave day or just not open the shop, or maybe keep the kids home from school, etc. than to find yourself right in the middle of a huge mess wishing you had.

But as always, there will be those who really do have to go in…emergency workers, farmers with fresh produce loaded and ready for market, some who own their own businesses and will have employees coming in, court personnel, etc. There will also be situations where incidents start and spread into an area that will effect you while you are AT work or away from home or a place of (relative) safety. While it is certainly possible that your home may not be the best place of safety for you and a different choice (‘Bug Out’ location) would be a good idea, that is a subject for another time. For brevity’s sake we will confine this discussion to getting home. Thus the ‘Get Home Bag’ concept.

Don’t allow yourself to be too insulated from what is happening around your area. Check the news now and then, and certainly check before you leave for work or head home. The very last thing you want to do is to drive right up in the middle of a mob intent on taking out its’ frustrations on whoever happens to show up! Stay as up-to-the-hour on what may be happening as you possibly can.

So let us say that you are at work or several miles away from home and a bad situation develops on your route back…what to do? Obviously it is a good thing if you know several ways to get back and forth, so if you don’t, start scouting out alternate routes now, before you need one for real. Find out which side streets you can take, back roads, parallel routes, etc. Maps and / or GPS are good, but verify either before you trust them. Construction zones may have roads blocked or detours, etc. that don’t show up, and we all know someone who has been led astray by their GPS!

Best case scenario is you are able to drive around the trouble area and you get home safely with only minor inconvenience…worst case is that you have to ditch your vehicle for whatever reason (car crash, blocked streets, tyres cut, too much unwanted attention, etc.) and set off on foot. Now is when that Get Home bag will come in handy.

There are all sorts of bags, backpacks and such available at prices from very low to some that will take your breath away. My preference is for a good quality backpack that does not scream ‘tactical’ or ‘well to do yuppie’ etc. Something dark and in a neutral colour (gray, green, brown, etc) with maybe just a little decoration…stripes or such…like you see normal people and school kids carry every day. ‘Low key’ is the word here, and while it needs to be sturdy, it does not need to be so well made that you could drag it through 7 kilometers of thorn bush with no damage. If a friend sees it in the boot of your car and says something like ‘Wow! Cool bag dude!’ it will probably attract the kind of attention you are trying to avoid.

I prefer a backpack simply because you can sling it one armed or you can wear it, and it carries high enough that it won’t be banging your thighs when you walk. Whatever your choice, it is what you pack in it that will help get you home with the least amount of inconvenience. Note that there are some items that simply will not keep well if stored in a hot car boot or inside your SUV, and others that will.

First, you should make a realistic appraisal of how long it would take you to walk all the way from your workplace back home if you had to detour around what you would consider the most likely potential area for trouble. Not how long it would have taken you back when you were in great shape and didn’t smoke…I mean today…now. Add to that another 20% for unforeseen issues and you will have an idea of what items you should be packing.

I like to start with any medications you must have, such as blood pressure meds, etc. and make certain you have enough for a full day away from home. Find out from your doc or research on the web if the meds will stand being stored in your vehicle…many will but not all. I also like to include an extra pair of glasses if you need them to see well…store them in a hard case so they are intact should you need them. I use an older pair that are slightly wrong for my eyes now, but still work lots better than none at all.

Since most will only be looking at a day or less to get home, even on foot, I think that something like a couple of good energy bars (not the candy that masquerades as energy bars in many grocery stores) and 2 liters or so of water should be enough. Those bars go down better with water, and if it is hot weather staying hydrated is good to do. Still, water is heavy, so if you can make do with 1 liter it will lighten your load.

Use a container for your water that won’t break or split easily. Those flimsy plastic bottles you buy bottled water in, in the store, are almost worthless…get something like a few nalgene bottles or similar from a camping store…with these you can also distribute the weight more evenly…you can thank me later.

If you can, wear clothing at work that will blend in and be useful for a hike. You mainly want to be certain you have some decent socks and boots in case you have to negotiate rough ground or glass, etc. on streets. If you wear a suit and tie, pack a change of clothes or you will stand out like a sore thumb. Ditto for women who must dress in office clothes or who usually wear heels, sandals, etc.

While takkies are good for walking on some surfaces, they give you no ankle support and will shred quickly if you have to go through rocks, glass, etc…even worse if they get wet. Your boots should be broken in and not new when the are packed…getting home is not the time to break in new ones.

Some sort of rain gear can be nice to have, and in winter you will probably need a jacket of some sort. Fleece is light but bulky, and does not stop wind or water. Nylon does stop wind and will suffice in a pinch during a light mist or sprinkle, etc. but it does not breathe well.Some of the newer wonder fabrics do very well but the jackets are expensive. I like wool simply because it will still keep you warm when wet, but good wool is both expensive and heavy. If all else fails, a large, heavy duty lawn trash bag can become a makeshift rain jacket with some slits for the head and arms. It will also help you ‘blend’ in some not so nice locations.

I am a ‘550 cord’ fan. It is light, takes up very little space and can be used for all sorts of things, so I always have some in my bag. 50ft should be enough but 100ft is what I carry…use OD or black, etc…not light colours.

Since there is no guarantee that you will only need the bag in day time, I always keep a small, bright LED torch with a set of spare batteries in my bag. I use the Olight 20 I got from Khumba here on the forum but there are several others that are also good for such use. What I really like about the little Olight is that I can select one of several levels of brightness quickly in case I do not need enough light to land a large airplane.

I like to have a couple of spare magazines for my CCW along and a good, sturdy fixed blade knife. If I had to wear dress clothes I would also include a sturdy belt…either a good thick leather trouser belt made to carry a gun with or something like the Wilderness Instructor belt. (Make certain the belt will fit your belt loops) I also like some sort of waterproof container for my cell phone in case it rains…water will kill one quickly. If nothing else, a clear, zip lock bag will work fairly well. On that note, be sure and keep your cell phone charged up as much as possible. SHTF is no time for a dead battery!

Duct Tape (also known as ‘100 mile an hour tape’ or GI tape, etc.) is available at Home Centers and also in OD green / brown at surplus stores. I usually have a meter or two of it wrapped around a writing pen.

Same for toilet paper…take it off the roll and wrap around something flat…drop in zip lock. It takes up much less space that way, stays dry, and it is an essential if you are out for a while. (ask anyone who knows what stress does to your system)

Last but not least I add my IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit) which includes a military style ‘blow out’ kit (Israeli Battle Dressing; Quick Clot; Some varied bandages; a tourniquet; adhesive tape; a triangle bandage; a pair of EMT shears and some Nitrile gloves. To that I add a small ‘boo boo’ kit consisting of Ibuprofen, various size plasters, some triple antibiotic ointment, eyewash, hand sanitizer, a cold pack, some moleskin (for shoes / boots) and some burn ointment.

Nothing in this bag is what I would call a ‘large’ item, but weight adds up fast. The lighter you can travel the better, so if you really feel like you can skip something then do so. To recap…after we put on our get home clothes and boots, we will be carrying…

Water (1 to 2 liters)
2 to 4 Energy Bars
Poncho and / or jacket
1 or 2 large yard trash bags
550 cord
Toilet paper
Duct Tape
Spare magazines
Syurdy Fixed blade knife
Blow Out Kit
Boo boo kit

The water is the big item but water is absolutely essential, so I feel it is worth the weight. There are other items you might want to add, such as a small transistor radio, a pair of small binoculars, other food items, etc. but the list above will get you back home if you are not too far away and can manage to skirt trouble.

Variations of this bag can also be made up for spouses and children should they be with you and need to bail out as well. Even a 6 or 7 year old can carry a small pack, although you will obviously have to adjust walking speed for them.

No one wants to think that such a bag will be needed, and I certainly hope I never need mine, but better to have and not need in my opinion than to need and not have.

Good Luck

This article was written by Ikor, a GunSite SA Forum Member.
Many thanks.

For the last six months I have been testing a pair of Revision Hellfly glasses, to say I’m impressed wouldn’t cover it. These glasses are outstanding, I have been wearing them almost every minute I am outside. Driving, shooting or just walking around I have used them constantly. Normally I hate wearing glasses of any sort. I normally wear them on the range because they are a necessary but other than that I haven’t worn them much at all. The Hellflys on the other hand are a pleasure to wear. At under an ounce they weigh almost nothing and their design makes them very comfortable, even for me, for extended periods.
Visual clarity through them is very impressive and on first donning them most users have commented on how clear everything appears. The frames also don’t interrupt my field of vision in any way that I can notice, so from a tactical point of view I’m not running around with permanent blind spots. They look pretty damn good too. The Hellflys are available in a selection of frame and lens colours so you can select the look that most appeals to you.

I also tested a Sawfly system. The Sawflys are wrap around lens eye protection which come packaged with three lenses. Clear ones ideal for indoor ranges and night shoots. Yellow lenses which give great clarity when it’s not too bright outside and smoked lenses which work fantastically when you’re outdoors on a sunny day. The lenses are quick and easy to change so if conditions change just open the carry case and stick in the lenses that best suit the current conditions.
The Sawflys would be the best choice if you are in the market for pure shooting glasses. The wrap around lenses offer maximum visibility and the set kept in your range bag would ensure that you were prepared for any shooting conditions.

Looking cool and having nice sunglasses is one thing but ,if we are going to wear these things for shooting and eye protection on the street , These things need to be tough. Revision claim that their lenses will withstand a blast of 12ga number 6 shot at five metres. That should offer ample protection against ricochets and flying fragments. In fact on their website Revision show a set of their goggles that saved a US Soldiers sight when they stopped a fragment from an IED.
In order to see how they hold up the guys from Rescomp (the local agents) kindly supplied me some Sawfly lenses to break, sorry I mean test. I decided I wasn’t just going to try what Revision advertised; I decided to try destroying them. First off I hit them with a 24 gram 12 Gauge load of number seven shot from five metres. Just as expected they stopped this with no issue even with the centre of the pattern striking the narrowest part of the glasses where they would sit above the bridge of your nose. This successfully completed I then took the same lenses and from five metres hit them again. This time I used a 3 Inch Magnum load of number four birdshot. The centre of the pattern once again struck in the same place. Impressively ,though a much tougher load than advertised and on a set of already shot lenses no pellets penetrated. That rights not one. The lenses themselves were distorted but nothing got through to injure the eyes of the wearers.

Not one to give up at breaking things my next trick was to shoot them with AAA’s. Yup buckshot! After digging around in the backstop for a while trying to find them we discovered that unfortunately the centre of the still tight 5 m pattern had hit in the exact same place again. This did manage to shear the lenses down the middle. It was incredibly impressive though, as none of the AAA pellets had penetrated the lens I recovered. That’s right it took me three close range rounds of 12 ga to break these things. And the lenses managed to stop buckshot pellets after already being shot twice.
I am very confident that short of actually getting shot in the face my Revision Hellflys will protect my eyes against anything that I am likely to catch in the face. 100% UV A-B-C protection is also a big plus when spending time under the African sun. I suggest that anyone in the market for eye wear either for shooting or for general purpose looking cool has a chat to the guys at Rescomp on 012 333 4768 or by emailing info@rescomp.co.za . You won’t regret choosing Revision!
Thanks to Rescomp for supplying the glasses I tested and got to break.

Article by BigT, GunSite SA Forum Member.

Many thanks to Rescomp and BigT from the GunSite SA Team for this continbution.

Whether you carry a pistol on a daily basis or whether you just keep one in the safe you need to load it with something, and a bullet is not just a bullet. If you are picking a load for self defence purposes, hunting or sport you want it to be able to perform in a manner which will give you the best possible performance. Many people choose their carry load based on the velocity printed on the box or what the person in the gun shop recommended and have no idea what their choice of carry load will actually do. Hopefully this will give you some ideas regarding how you want a bullet to perform in a self defence scenario.

First off let me make it clear that I am not an expert in this field and the ideas here do not claim to be original. They are an amalgamation of ideas printed by people far more knowledgeable than I. There is a lot of misinformation and rubbish around about what loads one should use and what these bullets will and won’t do. People like Dr. Gary Roberts and Dr. Martin Fackler are considered by most people in the know to be the foremost experts in this field and it is worthwhile reading as much of their writings as possible to give you an idea of what performance you want.

We also need to understand what a self defence bullet is required to do and how they work. There is no black art or shock wave energy dump magic happening. People stop for three main reasons.

Firstly, psychological, where they decide oh no I have been shot I must stop. This can happen with any caliber with any shot placement and cannot be relied on.

Secondly, by causing dramatic damage to the Central Nervous System i.e. the lower brain and upper spine. This would be the most reliable means of stopping but obviously from a marksmanship point of view presents the most difficult option. It requires hitting a small area on a potentially moving target under extreme stress. Remember a head shot is not necessarily a brain shot. There are numerous cases of bullets failing to penetrate the skull, especially on angled shots. It is preferable to hit the brainstem which is quite well protected.

Thirdly, by causing a dramatic decrease in blood pressure. This is what we are attempting to do with most common points of aim, namely centre of mass or upper chest etc. Ideally we want to cause as much damage to vital organs as possible, thereby reducing blood pressure to a point where the assailant is no longer able to continue action. The bullet does this by contact; the permanent cavity is the hole the bullet leaves in its wake and what it damages on this path. At handgun velocities the temporary cavity, which is the wounding outside the bullets path, cannot be relied upon as most tissue is elastic enough to resist any permanent damage from this. Organs like the liver or kidneys are less elastic and are more likely to suffer permanent damage. Once again this is not something to be relied upon. At rifle velocities temporary cavity is more destructive due to far higher velocities.

So to my mind the following are the most important factors in choosing what to load in your self defence pistol.

1. Reliability

Your first priority is that the load you choose works reliably in your gun. It doesn’t matter how fantastically it performs on target, if it hangs up on your feed ramp and you have a stoppage. Whether you are using a semi-auto pistol, a revolver or even a derringer, shoot as much of the load you are going to carry as you can afford to. It doesn’t matter what brand of pistol you are using or whether your preferred load works in all your friends pistols you must check it in yours. If your gun will only feed ball reliably, either modify it to work reliably with something else, or carry ball in it or learn to work around its shortcomings.

You need to test fire whatever you are going to carry in the gun and not just hand cycle it. I have owned a couple of pistols that would reliably hand cycle some loads but would have stoppages on firing. The number of rounds you test fire is a difficult one. Most US experts recommend at least 200 rounds and some up to 1000 of whatever you plan on using. Unfortunately, financially, that would be ridiculously expensive for most of us here and at times you may not even be able to purchase 200 of any particular load. Try to shoot off at least a full box out of a full magazine in your pistol.

Reliability also means picking the best quality ammunition you can find. The cheap practice ammo you pick up at the local range or gun shop is not going to be manufactured to the same quality standard as the admittedly far more expensive premium ammunition that is available. If you elect to reload your self defence ammunition, ensure that you pay very careful attention to quality control and pay attention to nothing else when assembling the ammunition you are planning to carry.

Lastly, on this point, check every round that you load in your magazine for any nicks and damage around the case mouth, or anything else that could cause a potential stoppage. Ammo that is cycled regularly will start to show signs of wear and tear such as bullet set back and should be replaced immediately. Bullet setback can be extremely dangerous, potentially leading to a case rupturing and possibly a catastrophic malfunction.

2. Penetration

Select a bullet that will reliably penetrate a minimum of 12 inches of properly calibrated ordinance gelatin. Twelve inches of penetration should ensure that the bullet can reach the vitals on an angled shot, or on a shot that must first penetrate an intermediate barrier, which could be something as simple as an arm. There is no point in having a bullet that expands to a huge diameter, but doesn’t penetrate deeply enough to engage the vitals. This causes, for all intents and purposes, a nasty flesh wound.

Not all shootings are directly frontal. You and your assailant could be moving and introducing various degrees of angling into the scenario. Also, as an exercise, adopt your favoured shooting stance in front of a mirror. You will notice that even on a direct frontal shot, there is a good chance any bullet fired would need to penetrate the arms (maybe including bone) first before trying to penetrate through to the vitals. This could have a very negative effect on the performance of many low penetration and/or fragmenting loads. To reliably achieve this level of penetration with most small caliber pistols (9mm short and below), it would require a non expanding round as most of these cartridges will not be able to push an expanded bullet deeply enough.

Photo courtesy of www.brassfetcher.com

When the topic ofpenetration comes, up many people will then comment on over penetration. This can be a concern, especially with ball ammunition in service calibers, but is far less of a concern with most expanding rounds. The argument is that on a direct frontal shot, a bullet that will penetrate 12 inches is capable of exiting the body and posing a danger to bystanders down range. Tests have shown that for an expanded bullet to exit the skin of your back, it has to penetrate the equivalent of 4 inches of gelatin because of the very elastic nature of skin. This will obviously dramatically reduce the down range hazard. Further to that, bullet expansion is not necessarily a given and even the most advanced low penetration hollow point can plug up and fail to expand. Therefore, we as the shooter should be taking other steps to minimize downrange hazard. Don’t just rely on your ammo to do it for you. A shot that misses poses far more down range hazard than one that over penetrates. A shot that under penetrates, and allows the attacker to continue his attack, is far more of a concern. The most famous example of this is the FBI’s famous April 1986 Miami shootout. Early in the fight one of the gunmen took a non survivable shot that did not reach deeply enough into the vitals. After being shot, he was able to kill two FBI agents and wound others before he was eventually shot dead. (As an aside while the Miami shootout was not just an ammunition failure there are many lessons to be learnt from it. It is definitely worth studying)

3. Expansion

The bigger the hole the faster the blood loss or the more likely something vital will be hit. That is the basic idea behind most modern defensive pistol ammunition. An expanding bullet enables a bullet to reach a larger diameter than when it was fired, and the larger the final diameter, the larger the permanent cavity. With modern bullet design, manufacturers have been able to balance reliable expansion with reliable penetration. Some older designs would expand fantastically but then fail to penetrate deeply enough (the silvertip in most calibers was an example of a bullet that did this). Others would fail to expand or expand very little.

Modern designs are also able to expand far more reliably after encountering barriers than previously. Many barriers, such as wood or even heavy clothing, can plug up the hollow point of the bullet and therefore make it unable to expand. Manufacturers have found various ingenious ways to try to reduce the likelihood of this happening. Your car’s windscreen on the other hand does the opposite, flattening, or even fragmenting the bullet and dramatically reducing its ability to penetrate. This is part of the reason that bonded bullets are very popular with many people, me included, as the bullet is more likely to hold together and penetrate sufficiently.

The bullets used in the picture below of the bare gelatin shows the temporary wound cavitation of various calibers. The bullets were all Federal HST's. Photo by Doug Carr www.tacticalforums.com

The bullets used in the picture below of the bare gelatin  shows the temporary wound cavitation of various calibers. The bullets were all Federal HST’s. Photo by Doug Carr www.tacticalforums.com

In Conclusion.

This to my mind is a summary of the important performances one should be looking for in a carry load. This is the hardware side, and while I feel it is important, it is definitely less important than the software side.  The software side is your ability to make the hit and get decent shot placement, your use of tactics, your mindset and your WILL TO WIN. Proper equipment can give you an advantage, and any advantage is worth having.

Remember that handgun bullets don’t do a great job of immediately stopping people, so it’s important to make sure your shot placement is as effective as possible. Be ready to fire as many rounds as it takes to stop them pressing forward with their attack and always have a plan B.

Article by BigT, GunSite SA Forum Member.

Many thanks from the GunSite SA Team for this continbution.

Pictures courtesy of:

www.speer-ammo.com
www.tacticalforums.com
www.brassfetcher.com

Note from the author

As most of you know by now I am the owner of a company called SWATG, specializing in the supply of tactical equipment and training, unfortunately I am one of those people who always skip through the technical parts in articles as I am much more if you can fight with it opposed to what it is based on and what type of rifling twist a gun has, so please if I made some technical mistakes, deal with it!

I have to state that sales generated directly from my side comes with a small commission from Dave Sheer Guns, but I am in no way officially connected to Dave Sheer Guns or it’s products, and attempted to be fair on my assessment of the weapon. If you do decide to purchase this weapon, please have the professional courtesy of informing them of this article.

I am definitely not a professional writer nor is there any financial gain for me in this article, so if you spot an occasional error, stop being so pedantic!

Introduction

With the shutting down of the factories that manufactured the LM range of rifles and Vektor type pistols a huge void was created in the firearms market especially the Law Enforcement, Military, and Security company facets. This is where brands like the Glock pistol quickly moved in and cornered the market especially the Metro Police markets.

I was amazed to note a very slow response from dealers and importers to recognize the opportunities for new Assault Rifle’s.

It will be only a matter of time before the venerable LM and R’s would need to be replaced, and spares would become scarcer by the day. I know a couple of brands who came in with some Patrol Carbines like the Beretta, and various other esteemed manufacturers with their Rifle’s, the one big problem with most of the manufacturers excluding possibly the Beretta carbine, was pricing.

Although many of these rifles are well worth the investment, one has to look at it from the perspective of the current market which is the government and private security companies, where budgets and tenders play a major role. This is not always a good thing as past experiences have taught us that cheap is most probably the most expensive way to go in the long run.

Forward came Dave Sheer with the Dashprod (Dave Sheer product) otherwise known as the SAR M14. With all the respect to Dave Sheer for naming it after himself, but not the greatest name for marketing purposes, yes we all know a name should not play any role, but in the marketing world it does.

The question now is can the SAR M14 Rifle take over from the LM and R series of rifles. These rifles (although not everybody’s first pick) have served the country very well, through warfare and various other encounters and have quite the reputation, and are both battle tested and proven.

To make a comparison such as this is not totally fair towards the SAR M14, Tactical applications and requirement for assault rifles have after all changed dramatically over the past 15-20 years, and therefore I will attempt to steer clear from direct comparisons, bearing in mind that the SAR M14 is the new kid on the block, and therefore we will have to work with what we have on the rifle, also note that the first demonstration model fired almost 40 000 rounds with no problems and is also one of the rifles that we are using for this article.

Technical specifications as per Dave Sheer Guns

• Caliber 5.56 mm (.223 Rem)
• Length Overall 730mm
• Height 210mm
• Length with butt stowed 504mm
• Barrel length 215mm
• Rifling 1 in 7 ; 1 in 9 (they currently only do the 1 in 9)
• Warranty 4 years
• Gas operated
• Rotating bolt
• Sight radius 345mm
• Weight 3,2kg
• Magazine 5,10,20,30
• Magazine weight with 30 rounds 480g
• Trigger pull 3,5kg
• Muzzle energy 1100 J
• Cycling rate approx. 720 rounds per minute
• Weight unloaded 3.2kg

General descriptions

According to sources from all my friends at Gunsite Forum the weapon is manufactured in Bulgaria (not confirmed by Dave Sheer Guns) There is a bit of cloak and dagger stuff going on and to acquire all the information on what exactly comes from where etc was somewhat challenging. maybe understandable in such a highly competitive industry.

The concept seems to be based in the AKSU system, some quick research thanks to KHUMBA shows these little rifles started popping up in the early 80′s, I know currently especially in the US you can also purchase similar weapons in Kit form. In some descriptions they even call it an AK pistol; if you run some wide searches on the Net you will find various different models available. The flash hider looks very similar to the Krinkov design that was also manufactured in Bulgaria; apparently the Krinks or Krinkov has never been officially registered.

The Flash hider is especially designed for the high velocity 5.56 round from a short barrel (according to catalogue) and is hard Chromed, whereby the flash is contained, reducing both flash and sound. If research and sources are to correct the system originated from Bulgaria and was manufactured for the AK 47 originally. According to manufacturers you should be able to place your bare hand next to the flash hider and receive no burns, the author was a bit of a wimp and tried this with a Kevlar glove, no traces of powder burns could be found.

The flash hider apparently directs all energy and blast away from shooter towards the target, in theory this should also make it more comfortable for other shooters next to you, although it has to be said that when firing in the confinements of a building it creates quite a stir!.

Felt recoil is less than the LM series rifle if memory serves me correctly, the flash hider claims to contain the flash, especially with night shooting, unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to shoot the rifle at night, but in my opinion should work well, as it performs during day time as stated.

Generally speaking with a Rifling of 1 in 7 it is better to shoot 5.56 NATO pressure rounds and not the SAAMI .223 rounds for 0-550 meters, which is further than what the SAR M14 was made for. According to quick research it would be possible to fire the 75gr and 77gr very accurate. Bearing in mind for normal LE shooting less than 170 meters then .223 SAAMI pressure loads should be fine.

A 1 in 9 generally is not that accurate with 70gr+ the lighter loads from 55-69gr should work well, but once again this is generally speaking, one can only assume that this is the reason they opted for this and not the 1 in 7 models, although available on special request.

A quick release dust cover gives you quick access to gas cylinder for easy maintenance and field stripping, but is non detachable. Most people who are accustomed to the stripping of the LM rifles had no problems in disassembly.

The fore end hand guard has a four rail Picatinny system which allows you to mount various accessories like lights, optical sights, vertical fore-grip etc.

Rear sights are of the flip-up design, preset for military ball ammunition at 100 and 200 meters, front sight is screw adjustable for windage and elevation.

All rifles comes with standard 4 X 30 round magazines, the pistol grip comes with replaceable inserts to fit various hand sizes, and consist of a sealed compartment where one can store batteries etc.

Magazine release is standard type with optional ambidextrous release, and the trigger is preset at the factory with a wide trigger guard to accommodate gloves.

Safety is stated as ambidextrous and selector switch for three modes: Safety, Single shot, or Automatic by special consent. Standard models have all three selectors working but will only perform safety, single and single shot.

Folding stock is quite robust and constructed of high pressure steel tubing with strengthening grooves in the tubing. The locking mechanism is constructed from ordinance steel whereby ensuring the stock stays in the right position, when folded the butt is kept by a catch witch is easily de-activated to rotate the but. One note to make here is that new rifles are very stiff and a bit difficult to collapse the stock in the beginning. An optional telescopic stock is also available.

According to the literature spare parts are easily available, conforms to international standards and is one of the most affordable 3rd generation rifle’s on the market, it also states that it is historically proven and tested, I am assuming they are talking about the system that the rifle is built on or similar systems that has been available on the market.

Shooting impressions

Firstly let me state that I am by no measure a sniper of sorts, and my belief is that the rifle was meant for urban environments, they state accuracy up to 300 meters.
Conditions on the range was less than perfect, but fights rarely occur in perfect conditions, it was overcast cold and windy with a lot of dust flying around, luckily I had my new pair of Bobster Prowler glasses with me which prevented any debris ending up in my eyes. Time and ammunition was not on our side, and I could honestly not say for sure what type of ammunition we used, let us just say that it was not of high grade, which might be a good thing when considering factors like reliability and accuracy.

Before we move along I have to admit that in my impatience I do not have the ability to fire slow aimed shots, I just can not seem to slow down, so average times for three shots was in the region of 1, 5 to 2, 5 seconds, the shooting platform was questionable to say the least and no real bench was used, ok that is it for excuses.

First, three shots was done at 75 meters, with dust flying around and target moving heavily it was very difficult to provide the rifle’s ability on accuracy, three shots was placed with the palm of my hand covering all holes, not match accuracy but under conditions and moving target plus reasonable rapid fire not to bad. The shots did however print slightly to the right, and was shot through the peep sight, too many factors to consider and too little time to really play around more on this distance and improve grouping. Maybe if I had the time I could have made some adjustments to the front sights, or most probably just shooter error.

Next three shots was done from 50 meters using the table and wobbly seat and notch sight, the results were much better and I soon realized that far better results could be achieved in better conditions, and more play time. The last accuracy testing was done at 25 meters rapid head shots, and here is where I felt the rifle performing much better and realized that I am now coming close to its real playground.

Personally I am a big fan of optical sights on a fighting rifle like this, unfortunately the EOTech sight that they had did not work due to a flat battery, I believe this is like cheating in an honest way, but you still require some training to get use to these optical sights. I have shot the rifle with the EOTech sight system on previous occasions and found that it worked superbly and shots was acquired more rapidly and that accuracy was greatly improved.

PSD and security market Ready?

Given the compact dimensions and weight of the rifle it is almost a given that it should work well for those in a PSD team, it is almost so compact that you can literally hide it under a concealment vest, throw in a good sling and it should not be much of a burden to carry this puppy for extended periods of time. One note on the slings, the sling that they supply with the rifle currently you should use for something else, but not to carry. It is greatly my fault that the new slings for the rifle are not available and the first models should arrive within the next week, we will kick off with a single point sling but other models will be available shortly.

I have seen on many occasions when the PPU (presidential protection unit) battle with their LM’s from the vehicles, and this is where I believe the nimble SAR M14 has a huge advantage, especially with the telescopic stock, I am personally not a big fan of shooting a rifle without the stock and using the sling as a support unit, in my opinion you just loose to much stability. With the telescopic butt in the forward position one can quickly and easily em-buss and de-buss from a vehicle without any difficulty, and shooting from within the vehicle is a much easier and more efficient task, the combination is compact yet stable enough to engage hostiles.

As stated before we did not have a proper sling on hand and transition work had to be performed in the stone age way, here is also where the SAR M14 came into its own, once again and, thanks to its dimensions and weight, was very easy to transition to the secondary weapon by merely tucking the rifle into the body. Transition times could be kept well below the 2 second mark, with more training this should easily be achieved at under 1,5 seconds, with the right sling transitioning should be an absolute breeze, just merely drop and draw. Please note that author is not a huge fan of thigh rigs but had to be done for testing purposes. I used the excellent REAC READY RIG.

According to statements these rifles have been chosen by the top 4 Cash-In-Transit companies in South Africa, we can only assume that they thoroughly put it through their paces and were happy with the outcome. Once again it makes a lot of sense as they work primarily in an urban environment and confined spaces.
The compactness and weight combined with accuracy and reliability should suit this environment to a T, I know one of the companies has placed an order for good slings, let us just hope that they will put in the effort to train the personnel properly, and you will have a winning combination.
Although they have come under the spotlight of late I personally know some of these companies and they have very good instructors trying their utmost in difficult environments.

Law Enforcement Ready?

Once again the SAR M14 has a lot going for it in this department as stated before, size and weight counts here, and when looking at average distances of most contacts it should work very well. Law Enforcement officers requires a lot of mobility and confined spaces are the order of the day, once again this rifle makes a lot of sense.

I personally attended one of the impromptu testing sessions that they performed on the rifle. There were a couple of officers to assist with the loading the magazines while the others fired the rifle almost continuously, this went on for just over seven hundred rounds, no malfunctions at all.

In all fairness the rifle did get extremely hot and the front hand guard did start melting, this was reported and immediately a better hand guard was manufactured, made out of stainless steel, unfortunately I have not had the pleasure of trying them out.

The Israeli mini Galil which looks a lot like the SAR M14 had the same problems in the beginning with their hand guards, but quickly made a correction on this.

Here is a photo of hand guards that we have sourced, I will try and order one to see if it will fit. Whilst writing this article I received a call from my shipping agents informing me that some of our rails had arrived I am not sure about the fitment but will keep you posted.

I have to say that I was curious how a rifle like the LM would do under this type of torture, so I went to some of my friends at Mobile and Operations and asked that they should do the same with the LM. Let us just say that I was very surprised with the outcome, let us just say the LM’s did slightly worse and malfunctions were more numerous.

Bottom-line, would you ever have to shoot so many rounds in one go? I seriously doubt it, but the SAR M14 can do it. Currently whilst writing this I know the rifle is in for testing at Police logistics and it will be interesting to see what the outcome will be.

I have been personally involved in other specialized units that individually tested the Rifle and no negative feedback was received, funny thing is the moment you supply them with a 3rd generation rifle how personal preferences comes into play as to who wants what mounted where on the gun, but in general it received a big thumbs up.

On one test they did however field stripped the rifle and rolled it on the ground, not particularly a good thing, but they reassembled it and fired away, not a single problem, this was the same rifle with which they fired the 700 rounds.

Some new very affordable SWAT G exclusive torches heading towards our shores, hand held models will also be available!

Private and competition use.

The one great aspect of this rifle is most probably the price, in today’s terms it is very affordable, and I seriously doubt if most will ever shoot the 40 000 rounds which the one rifle did.

I have to keep tabs on what I am about to say, but let us for argument sake leave the whole legal aspect of rifles and self defense out of it for know. This rifle will perform very well within confined spaces of your house, as it is lightweight and compact and very well balanced, with the right attachments it can be almost ‘PERFECT’ for defensive scenario’s, if however the law allows for it. I think this rifle would also fulfill the requirement of a farm environment, especially when considering the escalation of crime in these areas. If used in urban terrain just make pretty sure of where the bullet is travelling as it obviously has much more reach than your trusted handgun.

I am not an expert on the 3 gun shoots that both IDPA and IPSC host, however with the limited knowledge that I have I can see no reason why this rifle cannot become a serious contender and kick some serious dust in the more expensive rifles.
I know that Roger Stockbridge was very exited about the rifle the last time I popped in there, there was just some concerns about the flash hider I think, apparently something to do with the multiple rules of the game.

I have shot the rifle on several different occasions, and did everything from moving, multiple targets, awkward shooting positions, one handed operations etc. and have to state that this was one of the easiest and most comfortable rifles that I have shot in a long time!

Conclusion

Is the SAR M14 the perfect little assault rifle? In all honesty not a fair question to ask of any weapon in existence. It has a lot going for it, accuracy, reliability and its robust nature not to mention its dimensions and weight.

Would I like changes, yes? I would like to see the new hand guard, or replace it with another, the original ones was a bit loose and can provide inconsistent accuracy when mounting optical sights. I would definitely take the telescopic butt and fix a vertical front grip, maybe source another type than the one they have on offer, pop on a Pentagonlight and new SWAT G sling and I would be in heaven.

I would also like to see more communications and information flow from the agents and some more assistance to Carina who is in charge of sales, but this said it should be a fairly safe bet as Dave Sheer Guns has been around for a long time and one of the few in the industry who is actually expanding, which should make after sales service and warranties a safe bet.

My verdict would be that if you are in the market for an affordable reliable rifle, then you should not be wasting your time in reading this article, you should be working on your motivational letter for the SAR M14.

Want to discuss the Dashprod, or read further in our Forums

Please feel free to send me an email arnoswatg@gmail.com

**Note, this article was written in 2008, specs and products mentioned here may no longer be the same or available, please enquire with the relevant parties.

By Tony Walker.

As one of the few people left in the civilized (?) world who doesn’t own a cell phone, I read the newspaper reports about the possibility that cell phones cause brain cancer with equanimity. However, there is a real threat to life and limb that’s caused by cell phone users.

We’ve all seen reports of accidents being caused by drivers who were so involved in their phone conversations that they missed seeing the eighteen-wheeler that had suddenly stopped in front of them, or have almost been hit in a parking lot by someone who was trying to steer with one hand, while carrying on a conversation on the phone.

I’m not talking about occurrences like these, however. What  I am talking about is how having a cell phone conversation can drop you straight into Condition White, and into possibly life-threatening situations. Most of you will know about the Color Codes of Consciousness, devised by the late Jeff Cooper. These run through White, a state of total unawareness, Yellow, a state of relaxed alertness – and you should always be in that particular condition. You move into Orange is when a possible threat is perceived, and Red is the state achieved when you realize that it’s time for flight, or a fight.

When you own a cell phone and it rings, chimes, vibrates, or even plays a short extract from a Beethoven symphony, you answer it. Then, because there’s a voice at the other end talking to you, you do what all humans do; you listen. While you are listening, the caller generally has your full attention, which immediately takes you out of your normal (I hope) Condition Yellow, and drops you into Condition White, a state that should only be reached when you are safe somewhere, asleep, in a hypnotic trance, under anesthesia, or, in more extreme cases, dead.

While you are happily chattering mindless inanities into the phone – “Yeah, it’s me. Are you OK? I’m fine. I’m just going to meet my wife/husband/lover/friend/ at the mall/bar/golf course/restaurant.” You’ve all overheard conversations like these, and maybe participated in them. Have you ever realized how vulnerable you are when one hand is holding the phone, and you are concentrating hard on trying to hear what the caller is saying?

I tried an experiment with a friend of mine recently. My wife Vannessa (the Amazon Queen) and I met a friend of ours for lunch, and I had asked my wife before meeting him to go to the ladies room and call him while we were eating. She excused herself, and I carried on the conversation until his phone rang. He immediately grabbed it and listened intently as my wife spoke in a garbled German accent. While he was talking, I stood up and made a vague gesture towards the men’s room, but instead, I looped round behind him and stood there as he listened.

It took him at least thirty seconds to realize that I was standing behind him, and I finally tapped him on the shoulder and said quietly, “bang, bang, you’re dead.” As he turned round to see me, I could see the “Duh, you got me,” expression on his face. When my wife returned, we discussed what we’d done, and our friend admitted that while he was trying to comprehend what Vannessa was saying, he was totally focused on her voice, to the exclusion of everything else.

I’m not saying you should stop using your phone, but if you do get a call when you’re out of the house and out of your vehicle, keep scanning the area for possible threats. Keep your back to a wall if possible, and don’t do what many people seem to do: look at the ground while you’re on the phone. The ground isn’t a threat to you: the people you don’t see are the threats.

So, if you own a cell phone, be warned. Using it can get you killed.

Tony Walker is the author of the critically-acclaimed book How to Win a Gunfight, and he also wrote Snides, the action thriller that introduced ex-SAS trooper John Pilgrim and his slick-shooting wife, Sally. The sequel, Pilgrim’s Banner, is now available. Find out more at his website: www.tonywalkerbooks.com

Introduction

More and more people consider buying a pistol to carry for self defence or changing what they have already. South Africa’s licensing laws make this a particularly difficult decision because if you make the wrong one it isn’t easy to fix. The question is: what to buy? Some people will recommend the handguns they have, or what they have read or been told. Often very experienced shooters will give you contradictory answers depending on what works for them. Sometimes the guy in the gunshop will recommend what he has in stock. We can’t always blame him as he does have a business to run. What follows are my thoughts and what I consider the most important points. These thoughts are based on what I have observed teaching people of various skill levels, watching shooters while running a public range, as well as observing shooters competing in various sporting events.

Reliability

If it doesn’t work everything else is irrelevant. A self defence pistol needs to work no matter what the conditions. If it’s dirty or if your grip isn’t perfect, it should still function. Far too many people accept a high stoppage rate, thinking that somehow the pistol that doesn’t work on the range will all of a sudden work when they need it most. Do your research and get opinions from as many people who actually shoot their guns as possible. A gun that is fired once a year with fifty rounds does not necessarily constitute a reliable firearm.

Buy quality! You generally get what you pay for (not always) and it is going to be difficult to change if you make a mistake. So choose carefully. I can’t remember how many times I have seen people choose the cheapest handgun they can because it is “just for self defence”. They then tell me that if they were buying to compete then they would spend a little more. Seeing as though it will “just” be used in a life threatening situation they think they don’t need anything better. If my pistol has a stoppage in a match it will only cost me a couple of seconds or a couple of points. In reality, a stoppage could cost me my life.

Once you have bought a quality pistol make sure your example works. Test it thoroughly as every manufacturer makes the occasional lemon. No matter what the brand and how good their reputation is, you need to ensure that your particular pistol works and that it works with the ammunition you will be shooting in it. I have seen problems with numerous brands, even those with the best reputations, and while they are generally relatively easily repairable, you need to find this out on the range.

Preventative maintenance is important. Keep your pistol clean and properly lubricated and replace parts as required. Springs, for example, wear out and need to be replaced periodically for best function. When you clean your pistol, take the time to inspect it and ensure that extractors and firing pins aren’t chipped, etc.

Ergonomics

Does the pistol fit you and your hands? Can you reach the safety, slide stop, magazine release and any other controls, or do you have to shift your grip? Ideally you want the pistol to fit your hand in such a way that there is a straight line from your forearm down the length of the barrel. If you have to take an off centre hold, recoil will be magnified and you will have a more difficult time getting a consistent grip from the holster. Both extremes of grip size can have an effect. Some shooters choose a grip that is too big for them and struggle to reach the controls. Others have a pistol that is too small for them and have a similar problem.

Size and Weight

This is a compromise and you need to decide which is more important to you and work around what you have lost. A service pistol (e.g. Glock 17, Colt 1911, etc) will generally be easier to shoot quickly and accurately than a sub compact (e.g. Glock 26) but the subcompact will be easier to conceal. This accounts for the popularity with many experienced shooters of the compact pistols such as the Glock 19, H&K USP compact, and similar size pistols. These give you a pistol that allows a full three finger grip with a reasonable sight radius and decent capacity, while still being a little easier to conceal than a full size service pistol.

Remember though that concealing any pistol is part of a system which includes gun, holster, belt and dressing around your choice. I personally prefer to go no smaller than the compact size pistol and adjust my concealment system accordingly. If you feel that you can’t hide anything bigger than a sub compact, then it’s better to buy that and carry it than to choose something full size and leave it at home.

Personally if you are buying a pistol I would not buy any of the pocket size pistols / revolvers (e.g. Walther PPK or .38 snub size or smaller), simply because they are generally far more difficult to shoot than even a subcompact pistol.

Caliber and Capacity

Any of the service calibers (i.e. 9x19mm, 40 S&W, 45ACP, etc) will perform about as well as a service pistol can be expected to perform. They are all capable of pushing an expanding bullet with sufficient penetration. They will also perform acceptably through common barriers. The smaller calibers (9mm short and below) will have to be severely compromised either on penetration or expansion.

I would recommend 9×19 (9mm Parabellum) especially for the first time buyer. This caliber offers acceptable terminal performance as well as greater capacity, lower recoil and generally lower costs of ammunition than the others. If you only feel comfortable with a bigger caliber, then get one. However, don’t fall for the gunshop commando BS that ‘a 9×19 is just a 45ACP set on stun’; it is capable of performing as required. I would recommend staying away from calibers such as 357 SIG, 10mm Auto, etc. simply due to the lack of availability and high cost of ammunition. If you have other guns and want one of these for sport, then enjoy. If it is your only gun, you may regret it when struggling to find ammo. I have very rarely been in a gunshop that didn’t have at least some sort of 9×19, .40, or .45 on the shelves. It may not have been the ideal ammunition, but at least it was something.

With regards to capacity, the more the merrier. Yes, you may never need it, but like the old cliché goes: rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. In this country, bad guys normally attack in groups. Couple that with the fact that they may all require multiple rounds to stop their attack and five or six rounds definitely doesn’t seem to be enough. People argue that once the shooting starts their attackers will try to escape. We need to be prepared for the ones who don’t or for the case where you and your family are inadvertently cutting off their escape route.

Spare Parts Availability and Ease of Service

This is probably more of a concern for those of us in SA than our friends in the US. If a part breaks in your gun (and if you shoot it enough, eventually a part will break no matter what brand of wonder pistol you have) will you be able to replace it quickly and easily? Try to have a pistol that is currently in production and that you will be able to find a gunsmith or armourer for. Before you buy, check with gunshops to see if they carry parts for your preferred pistol. You may be able to find spares on the internet, but if you need magazines for your VP70, you are not going to be able to bring them in even if you find any.

Accuracy

For the purposes of this discussion there are two types of accuracy. We will look at the intrinsic accuracy the pistol is capable of and the practical accuracy the shooter can get out of it.

Most quality pistols should be capable of shooting with sufficient accuracy for any self defence requirements. What is important is that the shooter is capable of taking advantage of this mechanical accuracy. If the pistol had sights that are very difficult to see or a trigger that the shooter struggles with, this can be problematic. A prime example of this is the famous .38 snub. Most of these, if locked into a machine rest, should be capable of head shot accuracy out to 25 meters if not beyond. Many shooters struggle to shoot these pistols accurately even as close as 7 meters. Many people find their tiny sights and triggers difficult to manage, so even though the handgun is capable, it is not easy to take advantage of its ability.

Miscellaneous

The gun’s finish shouldn’t be a deal breaker. However, Glock’s Tenifer, H&K’s H.E. or Smith & Wesson’s Melonite will make your life much easier when it comes to maintenance. A pistol that is carried every day will be exposed to sweat and these sort of finishes offer far greater protection than conventional blued steel or even many alloys of stainless steel.

I would also strongly recommend that a pistol chosen for self defence should have a secured firing pin. Most mainstream quality pistols will have a firing pin block designed to make the pistol drop safe. A pistol carried every day will possibly get dropped and knocked around. Many older designs may not contain this device and, if dropped, could potentially fire which is something we should avoid.

Conclusion

The above are just the key points which I believe should be looked at when considering a pistol for self defence. In this country guns are expensive and if you make a decision that you aren’t happy with, you will have a difficult time correcting it. If at all possible, try to shoot an example of the gun you intend buying and do as much research as possible. Gunsite.co.za is a wonderful resource for something like this and you should be able to get feedback from experienced people who can assist in this decision. If possible, try to find people who shoot large round counts through the pistol you are considering and if there aren’t any, there could be a reason for this.

Article by BigT, GunSite SA Forum Member.

Discuss this article in our forum here

Many thanks from GunSite SA Admin for this continbution.

Full disclosure

I would just like to publically state that SWATG are the agents for Front Line holsters and accessories, we have direct financial gains in the selling of Front Line products, and this article/ review could be seen as biased by some, so be it. We would also like to state that we are one of few, or any agents/distributers that will actually test our products and give you an honest opinion on the working and quality of our products that we represent, by saying this we are most probably one of very few that actually have the authority and expertise to do so!

Front Line introduction as per catalogue

Life in Israel is lived on the front line. This inescapable reality combined with ongoing operational experience inspired the FRONT LINE series Ever since it was established back in 1961, the company has manufactured a premier range of products, continually upgraded on the basis of combat experience, to meet the stringent requirements of Special Operations Units, The Secret Service and the Israeli Defense Forces.

These long years of commitment and experience are expressed in the wide and detailed selection of products, manufactured from a variety of materials like Kydex, Cordura, Nylon and Leather, and their combinations. Among our customers are the Israel national Police and the Israeli Defense Forces, the national Prison Service and other security and law enforcement agencies, as well as similar customers worldwide.

The equipment and accessories that are presented in this catalog include innovations and upgraded products as well as the well-established line of FRONT LINE products. We believe that you will find here what you have been looking for, whether you need a Tactical holster, Duty or concealment model – we offer them all – as an on-belt/BFL wearing, Low-Ride or on a Tactical Plate, while you control the location and angle to meet your needs.

Choose the new HDL™ system, the SR™, PDS™ lock or any other model from our line.This is the best home you can choose for your weapon. FRONT LINE, the name says it all! We are at the front line, the cutting edge of our industry. Our products were born in action, designed for users living on the FRONT LINE.

Background

The search for good quality holsters that we can actually supply has been a long and arduous one to say the least. Our initial search for good quality holsters was actually driven by Law Enforcement requirements, one of the craziest things that we have noticed is the new drive by Law Enforcement to purchase some top end Pistols, but in the same breath purchase the cheapest and sometimes crappiest holsters available on the market, I always use the following example “it is like going out and buying an expensive new vehicle, but insisting that they take of the new tires and fitting the cheapest retreads available” This makes no sense, but there are a couple of driving forces behind this, firstly you will find that a lack of knowledge especially form the top brass(pencil pushers) that has never been on the “beat” so to say, they will try and prescribe as what should be purchased, combine this effect of very little knowledge, the tender system and unscrupulous private institutions that just wants to make a quick sale, put all of this together and you end up with disaster.

On the other hand there has always been a shortage of good quality holsters available to the South African market, most of the current local manufacturers totally lost track or interest on what developments there has been over the last couple of decades, and still turn out the same old sub standard products year after year. We as South Africans love to be brand conscious but penny foolish, what we don’t realize is that you generally get what you pay for, if you are going to be paying R80-R250 a holster, then chances are pretty good that you will end up with an R80-R250 holster.

A holster can not just be seen as a holster, it has to be seen as possibly a part of your equipment that can save your life, luckily some local manufacturers have realized this and came up with some seriously good quality holsters, the name Geoff Carter comes to mind when looking for good quality local manufactured Kydex Holsters.

Now as stated we have very brand conscious shooters in this country, we always hear brand names like, Safariland, Bianchi etc. when it comes to holsters, and I receive many requests for especially the Safariland, now hear me well, why should we even bother with certain brands that has no interest in supplying our markets. Many Brands including the above-mentioned where owned by Armor Holdings a couple of years ago, now they had no problems in supplying products to us, needless to say we spend a lot of time and money on acquiring and marketing some of these products, when we finally got to the point that we could start generating some serious sales, the door got shut in our faces, BAE systems basically took over or bought out Armor Holdings, they sent me a very unfriendly letter stating that we have to stop selling and marketing certain products, and if we want to proceed in selling these products, I will have to fly to them and go see their lawyers. Now in no uncertain terms I notified them that they could shove it firmly up their a..s..e.s, to have such an audacity is absolutely ridiculous, they even have offices based in South Africa, but we are not allowed to sell their overpriced holster, with no compensation offered for all the money lost on marketing their products.

At this stage it looked like the future of new quality holsters in our country was doomed, the only other brand that was available around every corner was the Fobus brand, and this in all honesty should bring a smile to your face, although they make some good products, the bottom-line is that they are fairly cheap holsters that sits on the bottom part of the list when it comes to serious holsters, you don’t have to take my word for it, you can contact many a well known instructors around the world and ask their opinion about it, hell we have a very well known and much respected forum member with great international standing that will tell you he thinks that “Fobus are crap” not my words. It is very funny how our local market works, if you tell them a product comes from Israel they automatically think that it is a great product (Front Line by the way also comes from Israel) and I have no idea where this notion comes from.

As a small shooting industry we also try and make ourselves feel better about our products, purely because there no other alternative products available, we try and make it as one of the best, I can just imagine the description a gun shop owner must have given his first “Fobus” client, “now these holsters are used by the Israeli Special Forces” and I could just see the jaws dropping and the sales going through the roof. For the record, I own and have owned various Fobus holsters, some of it I found reasonable, and some not so good, but have to be honest I have “posed” with some of them recently, but haven’t carried one for years. But once again our local market might want to argue that you should look at their popularity in the States, yes well they did the same type of thing that Glock did in the States, you now have Glock inc. that is the leg for Glock in the States, and then you get Fobus USA that is their leg in the States. Bottom-line we have, they work but we need “new blood” in the market, I mean come on, really how do you make the jump from a Fobus all the way up to a Safariland, Bianchi, Comp Tac, or even a CKSC holster(yes Geoff I still think your holsters are cool and may you sell tons of them)

The Findings

Needless to say the search for a new holster took us more years than what I care to remember, to be honest we all but gave up on the idea, until I saw the Glock safety holsters being purchased my some units, now this to me personally was just wrong, and in my personal opinion just another fast money making exercise by some scrupulous people, I just felt compelled to do something about this issue.

After running one search after the other on the internet, my eye caught something, on something like page 20 of 2 million, and I saw the name Front Line Holsters and the country Israel, and I thought to myself what the heck, let me contact them. What I immediately liked about them, and this had nothing to with the holster itself, was that they did not seem to be to big into this whole website thingy, same like me, we are always trying to upgrade but never really getting there. I started looking at the pictures and immediately felt that there is some serious potential on what I am seeing. I was kind of disappointed when I looked at their world wide distributers and saw that they have someone in South Africa, but this puzzled me as I have never seen them around.
I phoned the then local agents and spoke to a very friendly gentleman, that from the beginning started praising these holsters, I also immediately realized that this gentleman does not really seem “to be in” the trade, he had only one negative point, and that was according to him the price, I asked him about the price, but to me it sounded very reasonable, he then told me to contact the factory and speak to them as apparently they are very friendly and will assist in any way they can.

To keep a long story short, I contacted the factory, and was immediately taken back by the good service and assistance that I received from them, not even once did they try and indicate that our small market is a problem for them, and repeating themselves many times that if a customer has a specific request that I should not hesitate to contact them. I felt like I was in a twilight zone, here I am speaking to an international manufacturer whose only goal was to assist me in any way possible, now this was a huge change from some of the counterparts that I have dealt with. Right a couple of more phone calls and emails and we where all set to receive our first samples, one funny story about one of the gentleman that I dealt with over there, does not like the idea of sending emails as this according to him takes to much time, and we can finish and confirm deals quicker on the phone, I have actually lost count on how many times they phoned me, now let me tell you this, in the world of international dealers you do not get many calls from them directly, only problem is for us here in SA it is a bit expensive to call overseas.

Open-Top Kydex Holster (BFL) system

The Open-Top BFL holster is a belt slide version ideal for carrying your sidearm in conjunction with a concealment vest, the open top allows for a very smooth and fast draw stroke, and allows for a safer action when re-holstering your pistol. There are two adjustable tension screws to keep your pistol firmly in place, the BFL belt system offers a security strap system, which allows you to attach the holster to the belt via either normal fashion, or you can undo the security strap and be able to attach the holster to your belt without taking of the belt, almost in the similar way that you will attach a paddle holster, with the added strength advantage that only a belt slide system can provide you with, these holsters also come with two different inserts to accommodate for different belt widths!

The holster conceals well especially when wearing a concealment vest, on belt system holsters I have found to gain extra stability is imperative to have a proper belt, once you have a good belt, the holster and pistol will ride firmly on you hip without any swaying or movement, the other plus point on this holster is that it rides high on the body, which makes the task of retention much easier when required, depending on what guard stance you use, you will fid it very easy to be able to make contact with your elbow on the pistol, for added retention!

Performance

As time was a bit of a factor on the testing side, we really had to push it as quickly as possible, and luckily I had a good Samaritan that came out the range with me to take the pictures and record the times.

Testing was conducted in the following manner, I allowed myself five “dry runs” five unconcealed live fire and five concealed live fire runs, no there is no ways that you should think that a mere 15 draws will be enough to be proficient with any new holster, but as stated we where pushed for time and I always say that something must work from the word go, the times that I achieved was in no ways world record times, but will give you a good indication on what you can achieve with these holsters, target was placed at about 5 meters and only “A” hits counted: Shots where only fired when pistol was at eye level and sight picture could be attained, no speed cheating drills where allowed.

Five timed draws with open top BFL holster unconcealed :

1. 0.84

2. 0.82

3. O.80

4. 1.03  (yes I know)

5. 0.79

Average time of five unconcealed draws: 0.85 seconds

Concealed Drills with Concealment Vest:

1. 0.96

2. 0.89

3. 0.95

4. 0.95

5. 0.92

Average time of five concealed draws: 0.93 seconds

All considered, I have to be honest on this one, this is by far the quickest off the shelf, no time to get used to , non competition holster that I have ever tested or owned in my life, I can honestly not wait to go out and really push the times a bit on this holster to see where we can get, I honestly believe with a bit of training and hard work you can easily shave off another 10% on the times, but all consider a mighty good performance by an “unknown” holster, is this holster worth it, well I think it is obvious, but you be the judge!

The Tri Layer Holster, Leather,Kydex, and Suede lining

SR – Holsters (Safety)

Now this was a holster that immediately caught our attention, considering that we set out to find good quality “safety” holsters for Law Enforcement personnel. Gun grabs is a fact of life, whether you like it or not, a lot of Law Enforcement firearms gets stolen while the pistol is on the hip of the officer, and by carrying in an open fashion increase the risk of this occurrence, and in some worst cases some officers gets shot and killed with their duty firearms. Now if heard this statement thrown around that these weapons get “snatched” due to bad training etc. bad or insufficient training will definitely have an influence on the number of pistols taken in this fashion, but let us be honest and stop kidding ourselves, even if you have the best training, no officer or person can be on top of his game and totally aware of his surroundings during his or her shift, it is just ridiculous to think that anybody for that matter can achieve this.

One has to be careful not to substitute a lack of training with technology, and think that any type of holster or retention device can stop “snatching” from ever occurring, a balance has to be struck between proper training and a well made retention/safety holster. Hence we decided to get one of these SR holsters, coincidently Front Line will be bringing out another very well made and designed safety holster within the next month or so, they also have available the Push Draw system holsters.

Obviously I was a bit hesitant on performing test with a safety holster, as I have never had to deal with these type of holsters, and really thought that I will be struggling to get to the releasing mechanism, which I though will reduce my drawing speed dramatically, boy was I wrong.

The system works very easy and very effective, you merely go for your normal deep grip on the pistol, you will then find the bump in the holster will kind of force or remind you to use your middle finger to push the paddle to release your pistol, I was amazed to see how many “gun” people failed to figure out initially how to perform this correctly, which is a good thing, because then the bad guys will also struggle to figure it out.

Performance

Needless to point out at this moment, that this is still a very new concept to me and I will have to work on this system a little longer to get the times further under one second, but I am glad to say that from the word go, I had no fumbles on the fifteen draws that I performed with this holster, and things can only get much better from here, but look at the results and judge for yourself!

Unconcealed Draws:

1. 1.03

2. 0.91

3. 0.90

4. 0.88

5. 1.12

Average times for five unconcealed draws: 0.97 seconds

Concealed draws

1. 1.11

2. 1.15

3. 1.14

4. 0.93

5. 0.99

Average times for concealed Draws: 1.06 seconds

All considered I think you will be very hard pressed to argue with these types of results, on average these times are most probably better than the average IDPA shooter with his favorite rig and holster, as you might have noted the last two draws the times did start coming down considering that was draw fourteen and fifteen, I could only Imagine what the times would be from about draw fifty plus. I do not believe that there really exists something like a total snatch proof holster that will still provide smooth and fast draws, but have to admit that this is definitely one of the better models I have seen on the market, especially if you want to compare this to some other branded holsters that has the release mechanism placed at your trigger finger, now without being funny what where they thinking, that just screams “accident waiting to happen” o well what do we know, as long as it is branded then it must be good, yeah right!

Inside the waistband (hidden tuckable) Kydex or Leather

This is one of the holsters that we where very exited about, in South Africa we have long and hot summers, where the average dress code consists normally of trousers and un tucked shirt, or sometimes for formal office workers a tucked in shirt, now the idea of a tuck able holster is nothing new, only problem was in finding one, well problem is now solved.

We have received numerous requests from many clients for ankle type holsters, as this is seen many times as the only good way that you can carry your weapon in a formal office environment, we all can agree that the ankle holster has its place. Albeit very, very limited and not to mention almost impossible in certain scenarios to draw your weapon.

One of the better solutions in my view would be one of these “hidden” holsters as they are called in the catalog, firstly you can easily carry your pistol with a lose shirt concealing the pistol, or you can tuck in your shirt and the pistol almost disappears, with only the smallest of black hooks that are visible, for extra concealment you can actually undo your shirt slightly and the hooks will not be noticeable. It is almost a given that your draw speed will be slightly slower than when your shirt is not tucked in, but will beet any ankle holster by literally miles.
One of the things that I enjoyed about this holster, is that it rides pretty high, which helps dramatically for retention, and also that is sits at a slight forward angle, that prevents the pistols grip to ride to close to the body hence preventing a proper grip on the gun when going for the draw.

Performance

Ok old SWATTIE has to admit that at this stage I was getting slightly confused on what holster I am carrying, and what requires the gun to come out smoothly, I must be getting old. I decided not to give myself a couple of dry runs, as I was already carrying this holsters for the last couple of days, but to be honest with way to little practice. I mixed up the draws from shirt tucked and un tucked, sorry I forgot to take note of which one was which, now in all honesty I did get slightly confused here as each draw required a bit of a different skill set, but the times was surprisingly good:

Draws from concealment:

1. 1.14

2. 1.09

3. 1.17

4. 1.18

5. 1.07

6. 2 body 1 head 1.65 seconds

Average times of Draws: 1.13 seconds

All considered still a brilliant performance, now I am pretty sure with another 50-100 draws I should be nailing them all under a second very comfortably. At this time I would like to point out that this has immediately become my carry holster for when I am dressed in this manner, in my mind this is the best IWB holster I have ever owned. Comfort is very good, but with any other new IWB holster it will take you a couple of days to get used to, but if you don’t like kydex against your skin then you can go for the Leather version.

Paddle Version

Unfortunately I had a customer insisting to buy my only Paddle version that I had available at the AIM show, but I did at least have the time to put it on a couple of times before it was sold. There has been a lot said about Paddle holsters, but bottom line is that most of  us own and carry one from time to time with great success. The Padlle version was very well made like all their other holsters, and sat nice and tight to the body as expected, one of the nicer features that they have on the Paddle is that the paddle has six different cant angles, which mean that you can adjust it up or down, or adjust your cant, especially when getting in and out of a vehicle frequently, otherwise the holster is exactly the same as the belt version with two retention screws, performance should be exactly the same, and I am definitely ordering myself one.

Other holsters, attachments and accessories

In almost all of their Kydex holsters you can have different methods of carry, although not totally modular and you will have to order holsters with specific attachment separately, firstly you have the choice of Paddle, BFL, Low Ride Device

You can also order your Kydex Holster with an extra Suede lining on the inside of your holster for extra protection, at about R150 extra!

Front Line also offers a wide variety of thigh rig systems as well as holsters for torch mounted pistols:

They also offer the KNG material holster for weapon with flashlight without the thumb strap!

Other accessories

And many more!

Conclusion

Yes you might come out and say that this article was purely written to market our products, and yes you will be right, why else would we do it? But by this time you should know me well enough, that we are very critical when it comes to issues like training and gear, and if say I carry or will carry something, then I do it, and I take my life very, very serious. Will any products ever be 100%, I doubt it, but from what I have seen, Front Line manufactures a great line of products that are designed to work.

In any case how many other suppliers locally have you seen that will actually first test their products before they go to the market, this just doesn’t happen, you walk in, see a product, they tell you it is good and you buy it, with us we test it first, before we sell it, notice the difference.

Currently these holster are only available per order, we are looking to place an order within the next two weeks, so contact us and get your order in as soon as possible. Please note that on all orders we will require full payment of all products, before we place your order, we have been through the song and dance to many times where people will order, and not pay. Also good news for left hander’s, we can get you what you require!

Currently these holsters will only be available through us, we would be looking at avenues to supply to various retailers, but unfortunately our buy in currency is in Euros, and then suggested retail price will be from about R550 for the Kydex Holsters(which is still a good price). We will be negotiating and looking at different shipping options to see what we can do.

Currently our opening order special will be on Kydex holsters starting at R450 each for the normal holsters, please supply us with full detail on what type of holster you require and we can get a price for you, currently we do not have pricing on the Leather and KNG material products but will have it early next week.

So call or email us with your enquiry as soon as possible. Delivery times will be in the region of 4-6 weeks.

Contact: Arno Barlow at arnoswatg@gmail.com

Discuss this article in our forum here

Availability

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Article by SWATG, a GunSite SA Forum Member.

Many thanks from GunSite SA Admin for this continbution.

Contact: Arno Barlow at arnoswatg@gmail.com

Elzetta Design is known for innovative design and manufacture of tactical flash light mounts for standard AR15 front sight and Picatinny Rail and Weaver Rail mountable flash light mounts and has most recently entered into the tactical flash light arena.

THE ZFH1500 TACTICAL FLASHLIGHT HOLDER

Elzetta’s successful ZFH1500 Tactical Flashlight Holder for AR15 rifles is shown above.

While many AR15 enthusiasts prefer rail systems for mounting accessories on their rifles, Elzetta Design believes that there is a population out there of AR15 owners who need a cost effective option to mount their flashlight without purchasing these expensive rails.  The ZFH1500,  which mounts at the standard A-frame front sight base, is just perfect for this application.  The Elzetta ZFH1500 is made of a durable yet lightweight glass-filled polymer that has proven resistant to heat exposure over 490 degrees.   Also, the ZFH1500 has a slim profile which works well with most cases and law enforcement car/trunk racks.

With each flashlight holder, Elzetta includes a spacer system which allows accommodation of any flashlight or cylindrical device measuring from 0.7 to 1.1″ in diameter.  This includes many popular flashlights such as Surefire, Inova, Streamlight, Pelican, Wolf Eyes, Fenix etc. This is an innovative design feature not found in many mounts , if any.

The flashlight is easily activated by sliding the left hand forward and nudging the sling swivel, which presses the activation switch.  This keeps both hands in place on the weapon and eliminates the need for pressure switches, though they can easily be used in conjunction with the ZFH1500 if so desired.   See link below.  http://www.elzetta.com/Webpages/pushbutton_activation.htm

Customers also have the option of mounting the light in a forward position, protecting the tailcap for an “over the shoulder” carry situation.  With this installation, the customer turns the tailcap through a convenient access window built into the design.  See link.   http://www.elzetta.com/Webpages/tailcap_rotation.htm

The Elzetta ZFH1500 is available in both Standard and Quick-Release Thumbscrew Models, the latter of which allows the fast and easy, “no-tools- required” removal of the flashlight.   Three solid colors are available including matte black, dark earth, and olive drab.    There is also a desert digital camo pattern.  Optional Picatinny Rail Kits (ZPR1500) are available in matte black if a customer wishes to attach a sub-compact laser or other small tactical device to the side of the light mount.

THE ZORM AND ZROC TACTICAL FLASHLIGHT HOLDERS

Elzetta  debuted the ZORM and ZROC  Tactical Flashlight Holders in November, 2008.  These two products feature all metal construction with a main body of Mil-Spec Type III Hard Anodized 6061-T6 Aluminum.  They attach to any Mil-Std 1913 Picatinny Rail in an ergonomic low profile offset position.  Elzetta’s signature spacer system is included as well to accommodate flashlight bodies measuring from 0.7 to 1.1″ in diameter.  This includes many popular flashlights such as Surefire, Inova, Streamlight, and Pelican, Wolf Eyes, Fenix etc.

Both ZORM and ZROC are secured with coin-tightened Thumb Nut(s) that may be locked into place using either a safety wire or included cotter pin(s).

The ZROC offers just a few more features than the ZORM, including dual Thumb Nuts, a Quick-Release Thumbscrew for rapid installation of the flashlight, and an integrated Picatinny Rail for attaching a laser, navigational light, or other accessory.

THE ZFL-M60 TACTICAL WEAPON LIGHT

In May 2009, Elzetta released the exciting new ZFL-M60 LED Tactical Weapon Light featuring illumination by Malkoff Devices.  Elzetta’s ZFL-M60 LED Tactical Weapon Light is rated at 235 honest lumens out the front (not rated at the emitter like competitive units).  That is more than twice the output of the Surefire Scout Light M600A. Benefits include optical beam projection for uniform lighting, electronic current management circuitry for optimized battery life, fully potted electrical components for ruggedized performance that eliminates the need for shock protected light bezels, and a patent pending heat sink mechanism for efficient thermal management.  Run time is 1.5 hours at full output on a fresh set of 123A lithium batteries.  The ZFL-M60 body, constructed of Mil-Spec Type III Hard Anodized 6061-T6 Aluminum, features circumferential grooves which may be fitted with O-rings (included) for an enhanced fit in Elzetta Tactical Flashlight Holders, providing a complete Elzetta Illumination System.

www.Elzetta.com

AVAILABLE IN SOUTH AFRICA EXCLUSIVELY FROM DEON STORM deonstorm@mweb.co.za .

Reviews

Check out the following links for reviews on the ZFL-M60 LED Tactical Weapon Light:

http://www.laymanslights.venturous.org/blog/

and

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=234511

and this review by Jim Schecter

While the review referenced above is from a self-described “Layman”, the review described below is from Jim Schecter (owner of Jim’s Preferred Precision Products, www.JimsFlashlights.com ). Mr. Schecter is a true authority on LED Tactical Flashlights. Although Mr. Schecter is an Elzetta Dealer, as a former employee of a major U.S. Tactical Flashlight Manufacturer, he was initially skeptical of the new Elzetta ZFL-M60 so we sent him a unit for Test & Evaluation. Below is the email that he sent us after testing the ZFL-M60. The text below, shared with Mr. Schecter’s permission, is unedited except for removing the specific brand and model name of the competitive flashlight that was tested along side the Elzetta ZFL-M60.

This flashlight is as tough as any I’ve experienced! I don’t think that more abuse is required to establish its’ toughness.

My abuse was simple once I found a nice concrete slab at a local gas station.

I spun the light about 15 Feet in the air 20 times while on. All 20 times it landed on its’ ends and middle and all 20 times it came crashing to the concrete it was still on!

Between you and me the [Popular Imported Light] died on its’ 2nd hit. Dead. Caput. No mas. That was quick.

I took the light home to the concrete slab of my garage and proceeded to slam the light 25 times to the ground as hard as I could from my 5’8″ frame.

After about 3 hits it turned off. Don’t worry, the light was fine. The problem was the front battery positive post got squished which destroyed the battery. A new battery and all was well again. The same thing happened again at about hit #21. This damage was from obvious frontal crash which deformed the battery. The deformation is the result of the transition of the potting material where the spring enters. There is a high spot which seems to mirror the damage. This could be dealt with in the manufacturing process by Malkoff if deemed important. I doubt that many people will abuse the light like I did. In any case, a new battery fixed the problem. The positive spring became a bit deformed also but still functions fine.

I took some damage pics which are included.

Conclusion:
This is a very tough light. In my opinion the value just increased substantially.

Citizens who take their personal security seriously have come to realize that it might well take more than a pair of flip flops, a cheap hardware store torch and the trusty old handgun to stop a determined and quite possibly very well armed (exactly where did all those missing SAPS R5’s go again?) group of violent home invaders who make entry knowing full well people are at home.

Gear such as vests, plate carriers or magazine pouches / holsters, etc. will naturally follow your personal plan for home defense as well as the weapons you may have at your quick disposal. If all you have is your handgun, then that is what you need to support. Ditto for better weapons such as shotguns or rifles. It really does not matter what you may have in the safe, since you are not likely to be able to get it open and the gun(s) loaded, and ‘gear up’ in time to be a serious player in this ‘game’.

Much may also depend upon your location. If you are on a relatively isolated farm out in the boonies or even a small holding closer to civilization, you may need more or different gear from the guy who lives in an upscale area of homes and flats, etc. In the end, you must make your own choices as to your tools, gear and plans, but hopefully this article will be of some use in that selection process. If nothing else, perhaps it will make you think a bit more deeply about your situation and plans.

Possibly the nearest thing to a gear set up for home use in the professional world would be some of the various ‘Active Shooter’ rigs used by US law officers, although some of these will be used to carry more and / or different items than a home owner would normally need.

Active Shooter is the term used to generally describe a critical incident where there are one or more goblins moving through a structure or area (Mumbai) gunning down pretty much everyone they can shoot. They are mobile but almost always on foot, and they are not really trying to escape or hide from responding officers. The catalyst for this program was, of course, the school shootings at Columbine High School in 1996.

At that time, the prevailing policy for LEOs was to respond to the incident, set up a perimeter and command post and wait for SWAT to make entry. This policy is still followed when the situation is a barricaded gunman or a hostage incident, etc. and for those situations it works as designed. At Columbine it allowed two shooters to continue killing and wounding innocent kids and teachers while officers waited outside. Thus was ‘Rapid Response to Critical Incidents’, or Active Shooter for short, born.

Other incidents since Columbine have shown that even waiting for a ‘scratch team’ of officers to form up and go in can take too long…the most obvious one being the Virginia Tech shootings in April of 2007, where the shooter chained doors shut and locked a large classroom before he started killing. Today, officers are generally taught to make immediate entry, even if alone, since statistics show that as soon as an active shooter is confronted at close range by armed resistance most either flee or shoot themselves, since it is usually a suicide mission for them anyway.

This, in turn, has lead to many officers putting together an ‘active shooter rig’ that can quickly be slipped on over the uniform and that holds the gear most likely to be needed to survive a relatively short, fast fight inside a building…very similar to the armed home invasion scenario with the exception that there will seldom be more than two shooters involved. (Mumbai, while definitely an active shooter scenario, was much different)

Most cops in the states have to buy their own active shooter gear although there are a few agencies that do issue some basic items. Cops salaries are not famous for being extremely high, no matter what the country, and raising a family is expensive no matter where you live, so these setups run the gamut from high line, top dollar gear to very simple and as effective as possible given what spare funds the officer has available. So let us look at what is available for civilian use and hopefully discuss later at length what some of you are using or perhaps planning on using.

The most expensive item is probably body armor, especially if purchasing new. You must decide what level of protection you want as well as what level(s) you can afford. Remember, however, that a ‘home invasion rig’ is not cast in stone, and you can certainly add to or take away from it as time passes and / or in response to changing threats. You might begin with something like level II or IIIA soft armor and later add rifle plates to increase the protection level.

While concealable soft body armor must fit fairly well in order to be worn comfortably for long periods, (and so you don’t look like a soft shelled turtle!) soft armor in an external carrier meant for emergency use does not need to fit perfectly, and you may be able to pick up a used BP pretty cheaply in comparison to new armor. Kevlar does not degrade significantly unless exposed to bleach (such as a bleach spill) or long periods of ultraviolet light (direct sunlight) and tests by the US National Institute of Justice have demonstrated that some 10+ year old vests are fully capable of stopping any threat they would stop when new.

Manufacturers in the US rarely warranty soft armor beyond 5 years for several reasons. First, they have no control over how it is used or stored; second, people change…they grow and they shrink, so a vest that fit fine several years ago may be too small for a good fit today…and no, Kevlar does not shrink, hah! Third, concealable body armor is, in effect, underwear, and it will also sometimes begin to hold odors in spite of being cleaned regularly.

I personally do not want to wear someone else’s’ underwear next to my body, but I would use it if in good condition inside a vest or carrier for short time periods. Many officers will wear issue BPs concealed and use their old vest inside a carrier so they have two layers of soft armor once the vest is on. Not nearly as good as rifle plates, but it certainly is better than nothing.

Rifle plates are sometimes called ‘hard’ armor and they bring the protective levels up significantly in the areas they protect. They are heavy and expensive, but the weight can be mitigated somewhat by a plate carrier that balances well and fits properly. Some will get a front plate first and later add a rear one, but that does create another issue since they balance best as a set, and you will already have the majority of your gear attached from 12 to 3 and 9 o’clock on your carrier…can you say front side sag?

Since this is not an article on armor, we will move on from this topic, but I will say that if at all possible, you should have some soft armor inside your carrier or underneath it, and a combination of hard and soft is even better.

Perhaps the most simple and least expensive setup will be a simple belt with magazine pouches and holster, if you are using a handgun, that can be fastened around the waist. The belt shown is by Tactical Tailor and is 2 inches (5cm) wide so it gives very good support. It will not, however, work with most standard CCW or belt holsters since they are designed for narrower trouser belts. You will need a holster for your handgun in the event you need to have both hands free or perhaps de-escalate when armed security or law officers arrive on scene without setting the gun down where it may be reached by the bad guys. The holster shown is also by TT and is designed for a pistol with tac light attached.

Speaking of attaching items, let’s look at the widely used ‘molle’ / ‘malice’ clip attachments and see how they work. Here is the best brief description of the whats and whys of the molle system I have seen, and it quickly makes sense of some acronyms you will see often in the gear world…

http://cheaperthandirt.com/blog/?tag=molle

Here is a short description on attaching gear via a malice clip courtesy of Tactical Tailor…

http://www.cgwgun.com/ZoomImage.aspx?productID=1936756c-3ee0-482a-abe8-38f48ed86213

Now that we have hopefully clarified that issue, you can see the attraction for molle setups and gear if you will be changing things around on a single military style belt, vest or carrier. I can tell you that it is not at all unusual for pouches, bags and other kit to end up costing more than a carrier if you prefer that system. If you do not need the flexibility of being able to switch and swap attachments easily, there are other options.

Magazine pouches are an obvious next choice and once again I will use TT as an example with a pic of their standard double pistol mag pouch. These three items are probably the very bare bones setup you should consider. Obviously, you can add one or more rifle mag pouches, a pouch to hold your hand held tactical torch and other items such as perhaps a small medical bag, etc. as you see fit (and as you have the belt space) but it will get heavy and bulky very quickly if you try to add too much.

Your gear should be stiffer than soft, and should hold the items securely enough that if you get into a struggle, or trip and fall, etc. your gun, mags and torch don’t all go in different directions! You should be able to holster and secure your pistol with one hand, and the soft, cheap nylon holsters seldom allow for that.

Once you determine how you want your gear placed and located on your belt, don’t change it without good cause, and if you do, make certain to practice with it after the change. In the middle of a home invasion with alarms screaming, voices shouting, dogs barking and bad guys shooting and moving dynamically is NOT the time to realize you have gone to the wrong place on the belt for a spare magazine!

I am partial to the ATS ‘Warbelt’, which is a padded cover used over a stiff, nylon duty type belt, but I use mine for carbine / pistol classes where the extra padding and support is appreciated after several hours on the range. This will not normally be an issue with a home emergency belt, holster and pouches, but it doesn’t hurt if you want to spend the extra money.

The padding is open on the bottom so holsters and pouches not molle compatible can be attached to the underbelt, or you can use molle clips to attach those that are onthe outside of the Warbelt padded cover if you prefer. Blackhawk also makes a similar padded patrol belt but I have never used one. Here is a pic of one set up for a carbine / pistol class by a guy in Maryland using two or three BlueForce Gear Fast Mag rifle pouches, a 5.11 large dump pouch (for discarded rifle and pistol mags), a 5.11 double pistol mag pouch and a left side drop leg nylon holster.

The next step beyond a stand alone belt would probably be something along the lines of what some call a split front chest harness or a GI LBV (load bearingvest) This is basically a set of pouches and suspenders attached to the duty belt, and generally familiar to anyone who has served in most organized military units around the globe. While you could do worse, I suppose, my only gripe with this setup is speed of deployment, especially with issued US LBVs. They are, however, easy to find and cheap and they will get the job done if you need the space. (yes, that pic is from an airsoft site)

Much better for our topic I think is something like the Blackhawk Omega Crossdraw vest. It is much quicker to get into and can hold your pistol if necessary. It also comes with both rifle and pistol mag pouches. The downside, of course, is that you cannot choose where to place your gear like you can with a molle type vest.
Belts, LBVs and items like the Omega Tac vest do not, of course, hold body armor. Plate carriers

are also found in a myriad of styles, quality and prices, from something like those used by the SAPS, but more cheaply made, to extreme high quality carriers that when set up with lots of extra stuff will cost far more than a good basic tactical rifle.

My personal favorite is the Eagle molle plate carrier without cummerbund, although it may be a bit of overkill for a home rig. This will take soft armor AND plates, and is designed

to ride well balanced once loaded. Here is a pic of one set up for active shooter use by a Deputy in Washington State. With something like this, you just leave one side unfastened, grab and throw it over your head and then fasten. I am also very partial to the HSGI Woosatch. I had a Wasach (the larger version) but it was too big for me so I passed it on to a cop who could use it.

For those who are wondering what the fascination is with ‘coyote’ or ‘flat earth’ colors, I was first of all unable to get the contrast I wanted using pics of OD, Ranger Green or black items. A dark blob on a dark background shows up as pretty much nothing. It is also tactically a great all around color choice as there are very few places where it will not blend in very well with foliage, dirt, rocks or other background, and in a home it really does not matter a lot. Black sticks out like a sore thumb in the bush unless it is the very darkest jungle shade, but many Police agencies mandate it, so most such gear is available in black if you prefer.

Camo patterns are also available with certain models, and ‘MultiCam’…trademarked by Crye Precision…is among the very best. It is unfortunately being ripped off left and right by others, but Crye is fighting back in court and has won several cases against counterfeiters. The pattern and how it blends is absolutely amazing.

At the bottom of this page is a list of authorized users, and it reads like a who’s who of the top line tactical gear world.

http://www.multicampattern.com/gear.html

Last, but not least, I would be remiss if we did not mention the old SADF gear as well as some of the various Chicom or other similar stuff floating around on the SA market. I own a SADF Pattern 83 vest in the Nutria coloring. (not the chest harness) Although it is not set up specifically for pistol mags, there are more than enough pockets to hold a couple of them along with rifle mags, torch, medical items and a bunch more. But…and it is a big ‘but’…I could not get into this vest without making tons of noise nor in the dark without almost strangling myself. (I know some of you have a great deal more practice than I do with these) It shares with the LBE / LBV systems, which are more like the older SA Pattern 70 LBE, the issue of being loose and floppy until it is on. For me, this is the kiss of death for a quick reaction home emergency rig. It would certainly not be a bad second line setup to have for other uses, however, and mine is not for sale.

So called ‘Chicom’ chest pouches are an issue item for many armies around the world and I have no doubt they are available in SA as well, although I have never seen one there. They follow a general pattern and usually will hold six or so AK mags and some gear inside the utility pockets on the sides. If you need them to only carry rifle mags and a few other items they are not all that bad unless you have to wear one all day (the thin straps will cut into you after a while)

The one I have will not carry my G19 securely in the utility pocket but it will work for a torch and a battle dressing, etc. The straps must be tied behind the back in the real Chicom pouch, but if you like it, it is a simple matter to change that to a snap in buckle ala the SADF Pattern 83 buckles. They do, however, share a certain amount of the ‘loose and floppy’ nature of the previous items until they are on and fastened.

So…we have looked at a wide range of belts, vests and plate carriers from the ridiculously expensive (but very nice to have) to the cheapest surplus you are likely to find. We have briefly touched on body armor and rifle plates, and we have hopefully made you think and generated some in-depth discussion in the forums, in particularly from those experienced members who have BTDT and / or who have gear set up for this sort of thing already. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I do know that ‘gear’ is less important than awareness and mind set, training and ability with the gear you DO have, and tactics and strategy once the fight starts. (as my friend KK20 says ‘There is much more to self preservation than a gun and electric fences’)

What do I recommend? Why, in the spirit of GunSite I say smoke the CC and get the very best! Eagle plate carrier, level IIIA soft armor, Level IV rifle plates, vest holster, TT pouches and an in depth course from some pros who can teach you how to use it well. 

But if you can’t, don’t worry too much about it, and if you can only afford a little at a time, invest in training first! The fact that you have thought through a home security plan and made serious provisions to put it into action if needed, puts you way ahead of the guy with a fat wallet who can buy all the toys but has no idea how to use them correctly when the wolves come busting through the door.

This article was written by Ikor, a GunSite SA Forum Member.
Many thanks.