bullseye feature
My Problem with Concealed Appendix Carry
wound to this area is extremely dangerous and a very real threat to life. A contact wound to this area, where not only the bullet but the muzzle blast and gases enter into the wound, will likely blow this area apart (at least internally), creating an even greater survival challenge. If an unintentional discharge occurs when holstering or drawing,
it could result in a fatal wound. If that round happened to miss the vital femoral triangle, it still will likely hit and destroy some or all of the shooter’s reproductive organs. In either case, taking a self-infl icted round to the femoral region or to one’s package is not a good way to begin a gunfi ght—or end a day at the range or home or station.
Many Dismiss the Possibility of Their Having a UD Dismissing the possibility of an unintentional discharge (UD) when pointing a fi rearm’s muzzle at your package or femoral triangle is disin- genuous and arrogant. Every time a handgun is handled, there is a pos- sibility of a UD especially when drawing and holstering. Discounting that, saying, “Just keep your fi nger off the trigger and it won’t go off ,” is absolutely, 100 percent correct. It’s also prideful. And wishful thinking gets people killed. Arrogance, like alcohol and fi rearms, gets folks hurt.
T inking that one is immune to UDs presupposes you will be per- fect each and every time you handle a weapon. Perfection: that quality of being free from all fl aws or imperfections; completely faultless. T at means perfect awareness; perfect action; perfect control. No mistake. Ever. T ere’s a real hitch in that get-along thought: We aren’t perfect, we’re human beings. And that goes with our weapon handling. “It’ll never happen to me. I always keep my fi nger off the trigger,” is betting your life you are just that good—every time, no matter what is about to, is currently, or has just happened. T at’s why the fi rst rule is about keeping the muzzle in a safer direction and is the most important failsafe. If the weapon goes off unexpectedly/unintentionally, no one is injured. I’ve watched experienced guys to include “operators” on the range— where everyone is supposed to be super safe—dig at their holsters with the muzzle of their weapons. And not just once, but repeatedly poke and prod around with the weapon angled into the gut until they can fi nally get the handgun holstered. One mistake and the contact shot would functionally eviscerate them. A contact shot to the femoral would likely be non-survivable. A contact shot to one’s package might make one hope it was non-survivable.
Fundamentally, the IWB Appendix Carry automatically points at parts when holstering (and while drawing). With guys I’ve brought this up to, they swear they never do that, that they actually suck in their gut and point the weapon forward as they holster. T ey even demo their belly-dancing moves accompanying their holstering. Yeah, that’s all good until they don’t, which is all the time except when they’re lying to themselves and explaining how they never do what I just saw them repeatedly do. Video can be a great learning tool and irrefutable proof.
Conclusion
I’ll continue to carry on the waistband at 4 to 5 o’clock (or carry a snubbie .357 in my pocket holster), knowing full well that I will be slower to draw, that it is more diffi cult to conceal, that it is harder to retain (which is why I always carry my Benchmade Model 810 on my non-gun hand side), and all of the other reasons given as to why the Appendix Carry is superior.
And while I’d like to believe that I am conscious and on top of my game each and every time I handle a weapon, I refuse to assume that I will be perfect and absolutely focused each time I handle a hand- gun, especially in those times when I am under threat and have other things to do. One of the very few benefi ts of being in my dotage is that my arrogance has taken a suffi cient number of hits over the years. I’ve acted unthinkingly enough times that I understand there can be fi erce consequences to being intentionally blind through pride. In- stead of thinking, “It’ll never happen to me,” I think, “If things go wrong, what’s likely to happen?” After all, Murphy is a loyal friend who I’ve always tried to ditch, but he’s stuck by my side my whole life. Since I’ve adopted this less arrogant thinking, I believe I’ve been safer with my weapons. Now if only I could work on the other areas of my life where arrogance is blinding me to the fi erce consequences of my unthinking actions. PM
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32 The Police Marksman Mar-Apr 2015
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