Do you carry protection when you go detecting?

[tabdog]

Hi Folks,

I started carrying a hand gun after being jumped by
a durggie in a park while metal detecting.

I already have a Davis Ind. derringer that shoots 32
auto,

Yesterday,,,, I saw a sign at the sporting goods store
down the road. It said;

* 5 day gun sale *
30 to 50 percent off

I just had to stop. Then I just had to have this,

Here is a closer look at both of them,

Size comparison on tha 32 auto,

The American Arms is a little less than 1/2 inch longer,
and a little slimmer and about the same height. It is
less bulky than the Davis Ind. 32 auto.

After I bought it, I went out and shot a box of shells out
of it. (50 rounds) I also took some 2 inch thick phone
books to compare the penetration of these two guns,

I got to shoot a lawyer and his car?.... lol

Here are a few bullets I recovered.

In the initial test was two shots from each pistol into
a fresh phone book that was backed by another phone
book.

The results were;

NAA 22 Mag <> 2.1 inches of penetration
NAA 22 Mag <> 1.9 inches of penetration
Average penetration <> 2.0 inches

This 22 Mag bullet was sticking into the second phone
book, so I called it 2.1 inches,

Davis 32Auto<> 1.4 inches of penetration
Davis 32Auto<> 1.2 inches of penetration
Average penetration <> 1.3 inches

According to my questionable Arkie test, The NAA 22
Mag may have about 35% more penetration.

I believe that both pistols may have about the same
amount of energy, but, the smaller 22 Mag makes a
smaller deeper hole.

I have shot another box now.

After shooting several types of targets with both pistols,
I believe the 22 Mag is more likely to penetrate clothing
and other obstacles.

Conclusion;

They are both very loud!!! (for little guns)

The American Arms 22 Mag is a 5 shot revolver. It can
carry five rounds without the firing pin resting on a shell.
That allows me to safely carry it fully loaded .

The American Arms 22 Mag with a 1 and 1/8 inch barrel
is very well made and is far more accurate than the Davis
Ind 32 Auto with a 2 and 1/4 inch barrel. I can shoot three
or four times as far with about the same accuracy as the
32 auto derringer. The action with the 22 is smooth, and
the trigger pull is nice and crisp. (no play) All five rounds
can be fired rapidly with reasonable accuracy for close up
use.

The Davis Industries 32 Auto is very cheaply made with a
terrible trigger pull and it almost takes both hands to cock
it. It gets pocket grit in it and will not rotate the firing into
the upper barrel sometimes!!! It just does not seem as
reliable as the 22 Mag. But it does what it is supposed to
do most of the time.

I am happier with my new little companion.

I saved myself about $25 in about 30
minutes.

I wanted a pocket holster for my new
NAA 22 Mag.

I could have got one like these for $20
plus shipping,

But, instead, I just made one out of an
old billfold that had thin soft leather. I
like it better..... It's soft leather and it
covers the hammer,

I know my sewing looks bad,,, but that
ain't no biggie for this old Arkie.

I know a fella that has been carrying an
American Arms 22 Mag for ten years and
loves it. I am starting to see why.

After leaving the shooting range, (down tha road), I took
a few photos out my car window.

Thought you all might like a little Arkie sight seeing,

Happy Huntin,

Tabdog

 

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[PAmike]

I'm intimidating enough I have never needed to carry any kind of protection ever. I don't live near any dangerous neighborhoods either.

 

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[bigmac58]

Ok, I guess I thought I was paranoid but I guess not. Last hunt I went on I was armed with my tactical 40 S&W. I was deep in the woods and wasn't carrying to protect myself from people, more any type of hostile creature I might encounter. (Few) bear, coyote, bobcats, etc. roam the woods here so I really didn't want to be surprised by one without something to fight back with. Of course, if I would have encountered any cracked-out druggies it would handle them, too. And being in the woods with a shovel, I could have handled the whole thing from start to finish.

 

[gleaner1]

The "little" .22 Mags are so loud because they are soooo hyper-sonic! Quite a bit of KE there. I usually consider my digger as protection. If the puke wants my goods, I just give 'em a good diggin'.

 

[rmptr]

Aw shucks, TD...

I'm real sorry to hear you had a problem.
Hope you never run across such a situation again.

We're having more problems like that all the time, and it doesn't make much difference which neighborhood.

They try to keep a cop on every corner here in Kalifornia, but it doesn't work.
It's real difficult to protect yourself here.
Can't even burn tobacco in the park anymore. The Law will get you !
Possession of a derringer might get you the guillotine !

Gosh TD, be more cautious !
rmptr

 

[Frank1960]

I just got a single shot shotgun for woods and ghost town detecting and it is just for those snakes and critters that won't leave me alone not going to shoot just to shoot. Have thought about getting a small 9mm and a concealed weapons permit for town but don't think I will really need it but still might get the 9mm because I liked it lol

 

[Bent-Twig]

You gotta carry something big enough that just the sight of the gun will deter them. Who wants to have to shoot someone anyway. All the crap you would have to go through. I dont carry , but I sure love to shoot my pistols. Here are a few of the BIG BOYS. I have deer hunted with a few of these and rest assured they all got some knock down power.

Twig.

 

[DigginThePast]

You gotta carry something big enough that just the sight of the gun will deter them. Who wants to have to shoot someone anyway. All the crap you would have to go through. I dont carry , but I sure love to shoot my pistols. Here are a few of the BIG BOYS. I have deer hunted with a few of these and rest assured they all got some knock down power.

Twig.

Ooo....a Wildey. What caliper caliber?

Some nice Colts in there too.

 

[Bent-Twig]

You gotta carry something big enough that just the sight of the gun will deter them. Who wants to have to shoot someone anyway. All the crap you would have to go through. I dont carry , but I sure love to shoot my pistols. Here are a few of the BIG BOYS. I have deer hunted with a few of these and rest assured they all got some knock down power.

Twig.

Ooo....a Wildey. What caliper?

Some nice Colts in there too.

Thanks!!

The Wildey is 45 win mag. The Colts in this picture are custom 38 super,Anaconda 45long colt, and Python 357.

 

[DigginThePast]

You gotta carry something big enough that just the sight of the gun will deter them. Who wants to have to shoot someone anyway. All the crap you would have to go through. I dont carry , but I sure love to shoot my pistols. Here are a few of the BIG BOYS. I have deer hunted with a few of these and rest assured they all got some knock down power.

Twig.

Ooo....a Wildey. What caliper?

Some nice Colts in there too.

Thanks!!

The Wildey is 45 win mag. The Colts in this picture are custom 38 super,Anaconda 45long colt, and Python 357.

Cool. 8) I've got a Wildey in .475 Wildey Magnum with a ten inch barrel. I love shooting that pistol. Again, very nice Colts!

Can't believe I typed "caliper".

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I much prefer a .40 or 45 ACP caliber. These calibers are available in compact firearm sizes. The vast majority of the time, just the sight of a firearm will send a crook running. It's when they attack you anyway or pull their own firearm that you need a caliber that will quickly stop the person. I carry a Colt Officers model 45 ACP with 185 grn. +P hollow points. I feel com foratable with nothing less. I'm not real big on the .40 caliber in the compact sizes because of recoil. The .40 is a good stopper, but is harder to control than the 45 ACP. If you are really serious about self defense, get a major caliber weapon and practice accuracy and tactics. Be very aware of who is around you. If something tells you a person you see could be a problem, move on and come back later.

Ditto. .45 ACP Officer's Model, slightly tweaked.

If I am going to have to defend myself I'd rather it be in court for manslaughter than repeatedly blasting away with a diddly toy pistol. If the pistol is drawn the situation has already degraded to life or death and I want something to quickly disable the opponent. Death is secondary but instantly stopping his ability to continue whatever he's doing at that point is the primary goal. Nothing better at that than a .45 ACP.

I also have a Benchmade Osborne Rift for those areas where pistols are very frowned upon. And a Lesche is nothing to sneeze at, either.

Not a good idea to carry a pistol in the hopes that showing it will prevent a conflict. Showing it escalates a conflict to life-or-death and if you are not the one ready to commit the other fellow may just be. You show it to kill. Period. Hopefully the need goes away then, but if not that's a bad time for hesitation. If you're not ready for that leave it at home. At least then you won't be shot with your own pistol.

 

[jopher]

Just a note to those who may want to keep creeps at a distance but cannot or will not carry a side arm. Wasp spray!...Perfectly legal......shoots a steady stream up to 30ft...
20 times the knockdown power of pepper spray...(also kills wasps!)

 

[Ahab]

sometimes i do, as you can see in the first picture
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,291676.0.html

 

[Gunny71]

You gotta carry something big enough that just the sight of the gun will deter them. Who wants to have to shoot someone anyway.

Not flaming anyone, but that kind of thinking can get you killed. Or jailed.
You pull a gun, it better be for one thing and one thing only, and that is to stop an imminent threat to your, and in some cases others lives. And by stop, I mean STOP.
Shoot to kill. Humans, like other animals, can be hard to down. You start shooting at someone intent on doing you harm, and your bullet doesn't STOP them, then what? Do some Googling, and read up on some of the cases where people shot multiple times have still managed to cause harm or kill.
You might want to research the instances where the poor guy who was only gonna steal your wallet while he had you at knifepoint suddenly has you in court over a wrongfull injury charge or some such thing.
Things can happen in an eyeblink. A man with a knife will cover twice as much ground twice as fast as you think he can. Your life isn't worth risking.
Not everyone runs screaming at the sight of a gun.


I do not want to ever take another humans life. But to protect mine own?
Center of mass. Front sight, front sight, squeeze. 'Nuff said.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Your revolvers and derringers are not going to fail like the other weapons like my semi-auto subcompact example.

I used to shoot PPC with the local Sheriff's department. I can tell you revolvers will let you down on occasion. I have had it happen to me. If the ammunition is bad it does not matter what you are using. I have seen factory rounds shipped without powder in them and reloads with oil contaminated powder or reversed primers. Worst is the powderless load as it may jamb a bullet in the forcing cone - preventing you from rotating the cylinder or opening the action - all you have is a poor club in that event. There are two schools of thought for semi-autos: make the tolerances tight and shoot mid-range loads for extreme accuracy vs. keep the tolerances loose and shoot hardball FMJ for reliability. Tales of smoke-stacking and short-stacking are usually traceable to lighter bullets and tighter actions. Some actions also use the same spring for trigger resistance as hammer fall and others use a return spring designed for heavy bullets that may not reliably cycle with lighter bullets.

How do you find out? Practice, practice, practice.

I have also spent hours tuning and hundreds of hours firing my carry semi-automatic and I have the upmost confidence in it. I have also practiced clearing drills in case the unimaginable occurs (Murphy's Law, don't you know). You get what you pay for and a well made semi is better than a cheap single-shot or double. I have NEVER seen anyone who can do a quick double-tap with a derringer. They are uncontrollable in recoil in effective calibers.

 

[DigginThePast]

Just a note to those who may want to keep creeps at a distance but cannot or will not carry a side arm. Wasp spray!...Perfectly legal......shoots a steady stream up to 30ft...
20 times the knockdown power of pepper spray...(also kills wasps!)

This is really a great idea! Pepper spray is not legal in all area or may be quite regulated. Wasp spray could legally be carried and could reasonably be expected to part of the common gear that a detectorist may carry, therefore no premeditation could be presumed if a legal dispute arose.

My personal preference is still a sidearm but the wasp spray idea is an excellent one.

 

[DigginThePast]

You gotta carry something big enough that just the sight of the gun will deter them. Who wants to have to shoot someone anyway.

Not flaming anyone, but that kind of thinking can get you killed. Or jailed.
You pull a gun, it better be for one thing and one thing only, and that is to stop an imminent threat to your, and in some cases others lives. And by stop, I mean STOP.
Shoot to kill. Humans, like other animals, can be hard to down. You start shooting at someone intent on doing you harm, and your bullet doesn't STOP them, then what? Do some Googling, and read up on some of the cases where people shot multiple times have still managed to cause harm or kill.
You might want to research the instances where the poor guy who was only gonna steal your wallet while he had you at knifepoint suddenly has you in court over a wrongfull injury charge or some such thing.
Things can happen in an eyeblink. A man with a knife will cover twice as much ground twice as fast as you think he can. Your life isn't worth risking.
Not everyone runs screaming at the sight of a gun.


I do not want to ever take another humans life. But to protect mine own?
Center of mass. Front sight, front sight, squeeze. 'Nuff said.

X-Ring Gunny!

Typically the conversation will be with someone new to guns or someone whose only experience with a firearm is Hollywood. "I'll just shoot to hurt them" or "I'll flash my piece and they'll run". This thinking can get you killed, sued and/or jailed yourself as well as not being realistic.

I'll state it (again) for those reading this that may not know:
The ONLY time you pull a firearm is in defense of your life or another person's life around you (and that can be a very gray area) and you shoot to stop (kill) them.

Be responsible with firearms and certainly don't carry them if you don't want the potential consequences that go along with them.

 

[VaNative]

I am fairly new to detecting and to T-net but I have had a concealed carry permit for a number of years. When I decided to obtain my conceal carry permit I opted to take a concealed carry course even though I did not need one to obtain the permit. It was some of the best training I ever had. The course cleared up a lot of mis-conceptions I had concerning concealed carry. As stated in the pervious post and something the instructor reiterated over and over again was that if you had to draw your weapon, be prepared to use it and you had to have yourself mentally prepared before hand (like when you decide to carry) to the fact you may have to fire your weapon and if you fire your weapon two rounds center mass.
In Virginia open carry is legal and if I am in the woods or away from habitation I open carry but if I am around a populated area I carry concealed.
Weapons of choice are a Sig 220 in 45acp for open carry and a Kel-Tec PF-9 for concealed carry. My personal opinion anything less than 9mm+P is unsuitable for personal defense in a crisis situation.

Happy Hunting

NV

 

[DigginThePast]

Welcome to T-Net VaNative.



Have you ever fired a Walther PPK/S? If so, how does the recoil compare to the Kel-Tec PF-9?

I'm looking for options for a lady friend. She has fired my Walther and with the "snappy" recoil she actually experienced bruising to her hand. I don't have a compact 9mm for her to try and that piece looks fairly compact.

 

[Cachefinder]

I always carry- detecting or not

Here in AZ everyone can carry(open) CCW is aval.

One thing to always remember is that unless your life is in immediate danger you can not

shoot someone. In AZ the person you shoot better be within 7yards (21ft) or your life was

not in danger-(unless they also have a gun). (pace out 7 yards--it is not far at all)

So just make sure you know your local laws on this-

*side note if someone is in your home the distance does not matter*

 

[bigwater]

Hehe, you can't be in my house and be more than 21' away from a gun... more like 10' if the truth is known. They're very well hidden though, so you can't find them unless you know where they are. I pitty the crackhead that breaks into my place. I keep the shotguns loaded with low impact buckshot so I don't tear the place apart if I have to use one. Nothing worse than having to repair sheetrock on a wall on a Sunday afternoon.