Shooting from the Hip

Gun advocacy groups have been meeting at Starbucks across the Sunshine state with unconcealed weapons in tow. As you can imagine, gun control groups are fuming. So much so, they’ve started petitioning Starbucks to ban guns inside shops altogether.

Yesterday, Starbucks released an official statement about the mess that basically said they will allow open carry if the state allows it. “The political, policy and legal debates around these issues belong in the legislatures and courts, not in our stores,” it said.

Considering that 43 out of 50 states are open carry states, that means only a handful of Starbucks will be open-carry free.

“Starbucks is a special target because it’s from the hippie West Coast, and a lot of dedicated consumers who pay $4 for coffee have expectations that Starbucks would ban guns. And here they aren’t,” John Bruce, a political science professor and gun policy expert, told The Associated Press.

In this KTVU report (below) from late last year, it shows an open carry rights group meeting at a Starbucks, and its other patrons didn’t seem to notice or care. The news reporter even films a police officer sitting at a stoplight next to the group, and the officer doesn’t seem to see the weapons (maybe because he’s in a car sitting who-knows-how-many feet away!).

So, why do people care now?

Most likely it’s because the mainstream media decided to pick up on the story. The aforementioned AP article ran in The New York Times earlier this week with the headline “Taking the 2nd Amendment Out for a Soy Latte.”

The Christian Science Monitor also published an article and a photo essay about the gun rights debate chronicling the Starbucks situation. Even more interesting, The Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog quotes a police memo that shows law enforcement officers aren’t exactly thrilled by the open carry movement.

Would you openly display your firearm at Starbucks or any other coffee shop for that matter (obviously if your state allowed for it)? Or do you think gun right activists have taken this too far?

Enter gun holster shopping with the mindset that what you buy not only impacts your draw time, it could also be a factor in your safety. While many professionals use gun belts for holsters, civilians prefer other concealable options for carrying firearms.

Once you have a concealed carry weapon selected, really think about what you want out of a holster. Are you looking for something with all-day comfort? Is keeping your weapon hidden most important to you? Or is competing with the likes of Howard Darby at the top of your list?

Sure, it’d be nice to find a combination of all three. However, figuring out what quality you need the most will help.

Once you decide, figure out where that holster should go. Do you want something to clip on to a gun belt or to a jeans pocket? Would you like to rock a Miami Vice-style shoulder holster? There are also ankle holsters, though many don’t prefer this type of holster because it greatly reduces your draw time.

In the video below, pd4cary shows off his personal collection of concealed carry holsters. With belt holsters, two- and three-slot holsters and outside-the-waistband holsters, he explains the good, bad and ugly of each. His favorite? The inside-the-waistband holster even though “it’s not as comfortable as other kinds.”

Appropriate response to a snowball fight?

If you’re thinking about busting out a concealed gun during a Twitter-organized event and not have the world talking about it moments later, think again. That is, unless you’re going to a NRA Tweetup.

At a Saturday snowball fight in Washington D.C., a handful of adults met via Twitter for some midday fun. They pelt an undercover cop’s Hummer with a few powdery white spheres … and bam! He whips out a concealed weapon right out of the holster.

The high-tech crowd immediately snapped photos, shot videos and tweeted all about the subsequent seconds. And because of the excellent footage and social media connection, the story was picked up by The Washington Post, Mashable and many other news outlets.

“This dude has a gun in his hand, he’s driving a Hummer, and people are throwing snowballs at him,” one stunned bystander reports in a video that was picked up by the Associated Press. “That does not seem like a good idea in any way, dude. They are still doing it … we’re about to get shot.”

The cop’s actions have now been publicly criticized by the D.C. police chief, and he has been placed on desk duty until further notice.

(Image via CityPaper)

Need a quick refresher session on concealed carry techniques? Soldier Systems has got you covered.

The military/tactical industry blog is giving away five DVDs to its readers that show the basics of concealed carry techniques. Currently only offered to EOTAC dealers, the 12-minute DVD features Clint Smith, Thunder Ranch director.

The best part: To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is send an e-mail with “EOTAC Giveaway” in the subject line by Dec. 1. It’s that easy!

Watch Mr. Smith below as he displays the three best places for a handgun.

iBearArms iPhone Application

With a clever name and a repository of government information about concealed carry laws, iBearArms has its sights set on becoming the mobile resource for gun owners on the go.

Updated last week, iBearArms offers information on state laws for concealed weapons and other helpful tidbits such as forbidden areas, permit costs as well as government maps, phone numbers and a FAQs section.

At a cost of $2.99, the app has been extraordinarily helpful to those whose states are covered, but has garnered some criticism for not covering all 50 states.

“I would easily pay 10 times the asking price if this application included all the states,” Zion8343 wrote on AppStoreHQ.com. “This app has the potential to be the definitive CCW firearms guide — especially since it takes the information directly from the state resources.”

Despite coverage setbacks, iBearArms appears to be gaining a lot of momentum. The application appeared in the top 100 paid apps this week — two months after its release!

The states covered by the app includes:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Florida
• Georgia
• Michigan
• North Carolina
• Oregon
• South Carolina
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington

(Via ITS Tactcal)

A new payment processor tailored specifically for firearms and accessories is aiming to blow away the competition.

Launched in 2009, GUNPAL Inc. is targeting a $3 billion firearms industry where licensed weapons dealers are unable to use PayPal to buy and sell firearms. In its Acceptable Use Policy, PayPal prohibits the use of its services for “sales of … (h) certain firearms, firearm parts or accessories, ammunition, weapons or knives.”

While GUNPAL requires the merchandise you are selling or buying to be legal, it “does not discriminate based on the nature of your transaction.”

“GUNPAL, Inc. is a transaction-neutral online payment platform with a philanthropic spirit,” said company founder Ben Cannon in a prepared statement. “It is also the first serious competitor for PayPal Inc.”

The company, which was founded in 2004, does not shy away from its affiliation with the second amendment rights. The site’s “About” page features Mr. Cannon, owner of Calguns.net, along with 17 members on its advisory board including the owner of CaliforniaRifles.com and a litany of legal advisers.

“GUNPAL is more convenient than other forms of payment as its comprehensive transaction tracking system is secure and reliable for our audits,” said Mitchel Capman, a licensed firearms dealer, in a prepared statement.

In addition to giving gun merchants a way to sell online, GUNPALS also touts a philanthropic aspect. On its homepage, the processor says a portion of every transaction will go to a non-profit organization. Currently The NRA and The Calguns Foundation are listed as the latest additions to GUNPAL’s charity program.

(Via ITS Tactical)

While visiting your favorite haunted house this season, what’s the best way to make yourself look über-cool when a terrifying monster is coming at you with a fake (but equally terrifying) chainsaw?

The answer is definitely not what Sgt. Eric Michael Janik, 37, of Baltimore did.

A man who helps run “The House of Screams” said that the officer, who apparently also had alcohol on his breath, pulled a loaded .40 caliber Glock out of its holster and pointed it at him.

“He pulled a gun out on me and aimed it at my chest,” Michael Brian, the haunted house worker, told WJZ Channel 13. “It was about three feet away from me.”

According to the Associated Press, Mr. Janik has since been charged with assault and reckless endangerment. He has also been suspended from the Baltimore city police.

Now Mr. Janik’s unbelievably poor judgment is bringing on comparisons of that other infamous gun fail.

“So we’re to assume a fellow officer knew he was armed and had been drinking, yet did nothing about it,” asks David Codrea for Examiner.com. “And we’re to further assume that not collecting actual evidence of intoxication by investigating officers is standard department procedure?”

Perhaps there is something scarier than bogus chainsaw-wielding monsters.

Safariland Holster

It’s something we unfortunately see all too often: A police officer just doing his job, protecting the community, and a criminal goes after his weapon, attempting to disarm him.

That was the case most recently in Ontario, Canada. An emotionally disturbed man went after an officer’s holster, and actually managed to tear it away from him, The Hamilton Spectator reported last week.

Fortunately the gun was locked safely inside a holster. The man was unable release it from the holster because of three safety clips, therefore not allowing him to shoot anyone.

According to the paper, the officers were equipped with Level Three Safariland holsters and have been for nearly two decades. However, it was the first time these holsters were put to a real-world test.

Read the full story here, and watch a review of the Safariland ALS holster below.

Barack Obama—who most recently shocked everyone (even himself) with a Nobel Peace Prize win—is making some gun owners in Washington a little nervous.

Why? According to The Forest Grove News-Times, sales of firearms have spiked in the area because they are simply unsure on how the administration will handle gun control. The paper says that the Tri-County Gun Club has seen a surge of 70 new members per month through most of 2009.

“People are doing two things: One, they’re personally stockpiling. The other is, a little hoarding – thinking they can make a buck,” the club owner told the newspaper.

And this isn’t something unique to the Northwest. Reports of the new president’s influence on firearm purchases began to surface at the start of the new year. One outdoor news service even went as far as declaring Obama the “Gun Salesman of the Year”.

Pocket holsters are a simple way to secure and hold your weapon. They are stiff leather pouches that hold the gun upright in a pocket of one’s pants or coat. They’re often the most inexpensive type of holster to buy, so they are not just practical, but also affordable. These holsters are good for carrying a concealed weapon if your profession calls for such discreet procedure. Many pocket holsters can be seen through tight clothing, and some are built to prevent this by having larger fabric portions that touch the body, making the surface appear uniformly smooth. Many also have a nap on the fabric to provide better grip when drawing the weapon. Most pocket holsters are made from leather. If the leather is thicker, it can add to the overall bulk of the device. Nylon pocket holsters are lower-priced and often wear much faster than pricier holsters.

If you are on a budget, a pocket holster is a good option, though if you can afford a holster made of a thicker material, it might be a better long-term investment. One of the newest options in pocket holsters is a material called kydex, which is a rigid, plastic-like material that is stronger than both leather or nylon, though it is also very thin.