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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[Silver Surfer]

Ranger huh? Wonder if we ever shared a beer at the NCO club at Camp Frank D. Merrill. I'm sure you were at that base for mountain phase training at least once during your stint.

Ahhh, good old Georgia... I thought it was miserable in N. Carolina until I went there.. When were you there? Were you ever sent to S. America (Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, etc.) during the Contra era?
Sometimes I wish I had stayed in... I would have retired with 30 yrs a few years ago... Where were you stationed?

 

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[bigwater]

Ranger huh? Wonder if we ever shared a beer at the NCO club at Camp Frank D. Merrill. I'm sure you were at that base for mountain phase training at least once during your stint.

Ahhh, good old Georgia... I thought it was miserable in N. Carolina until I went there.. When were you there? Were you ever sent to S. America (Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, etc.) during the Contra era?
Sometimes I wish I had stayed in... I would have retired with 30 yrs a few years ago... Where were you stationed?

Sorry if I indicated that I'm a current or former Ranger, I'm not. I'm part of the missing generation... born in '63 and there wasn't much need for my service in the military when I came of age. I tried to join the navy as a pilot, but the only way I could get in fighter jets was to pay my own way through flight school. They'd pay my way if I was willing to shuttle freight around, and they'd give me big bucks to go down in a nuclear submarine for a year at a time, but I decided it wasn't worth it.

My knowledge of Camp Merrill comes from the fact that I live only a few miles away from it. My wife worked there as a bartender for her second job for about five years, so I hung out there a lot to keep the kids from hitting on her. I made a lot of friends there over the years, and even schooled a few of the wannabees on the climbing wall... I'm a 4.9 climber and I could scramble up that thing in about 15 seconds. MP's used to get annoyed at me playing around on the wall, but they never could climb fast enough up or down to catch me so I always got away with it.

Did you ever get to play on Mt. Yona? I fell off that thing once and lived to tell about it.

 

[leefields]

yep...

as a ex service member (navy) ex state police officer (fl) ex county sheriffs officer (Polk)....i carry...i have seen the best and worst in people...
and i wont let myself or anyone i am with be another number....i carry a Beretta in 40 SW (cougar 8040)...i side carry or rear belt bag carry...with two shirts
i carry under the left arm...i have only pulled a gun 2 times in 10 years...both times it acted as a deterrent....thank God...

 

[Silver Surfer]

Re: yep...

as a ex service member (navy) ex state police officer (fl) ex county sheriffs officer (Polk)....i carry...i have seen the best and worst in people...
and i wont let myself or anyone i am with be another number....i carry a Beretta in 40 SW (cougar 8040)...i side carry or rear belt bag carry...with two shirts
i carry under the left arm...i have only pulled a gun 2 times in 10 years...both times it acted as a deterrent....thank God...

To be honest, I cant remember, and the name doesnt jump right out at me... Of course, what THEY called the mountains (being from the NW, I called them "hills") and what we did, were completely different.. I sure do remember Mother-F***er hill though, and the guy who couldnt make it up and refused to quit was the only person I ever participated in a blanket party for though... We climbed up that thing till I was puking my guts out, AND dragging his sorry arse (along with another buddy)...
I still think that training was the main reason that at my age, I still have a six-pack ab, and before getting really sick this past year (almost cleared now to return to it) could freedive 70 ft with a 2.5 min bottom time while spearfishing.. Whenever I have had a chest xray, they have always said "GOD, YOUR LUNGS ARE HUGE!"
The survival part of it, especially the jungle phase, has, and continues to serve me well..

 

[bigwater]

It'd be hard to forget Yonah. 220' tall, 500' wide rock face at a steady 75º pitch all the way to the top. Used to be the gold standard for the mountain phase. If you could make it up Yonah from the base unassisted, you passed the mountain phase of ranger training.

 

[Silver Surfer]

LOL.... That would be the one that caused me 100 pushups for asking if I could hit it without my boots on.... You may laugh, but when my feet were in their best shape, I could run and climb best without footwear. People still call me "Monkey Man" due to my long feet, ridiculously long toes, and I can pick stuff up off the floor as easily as with my hands...
The mountain phase was what got me hooked on free-climbing, and I did that for years after from Yosemite to British Columbia... Really lucky to be alive. Got arrested one time for climbing the northwest face of Beacon Rock on the Columbia River.. The park rangers and sheriff were waiting for me at the bottom, along with about 30 "I wonder if he will fall" gawkers that actually were the tip-off to the Ranger in the first place... "You know how many people we have had to rescue off that rock for pulling stupid stunts like that"...
Just to pre-clude those who may wonder, no, I never did El Capitan.... I was never that good to even attempt to free-climb it...

Sorry for really hijacking this thread folks..

 

[bigwater]

Yeah, we did the best job of hijacking a thread that I've seen on this board. I'd get a kick out of talking to you sometime about climbing. I've freeclimbed some pretty hairy stuff myself, and my toes are longer than my wife's fingers I have a couple of named routes from my younger days.

I can't walk vertical as easy as horizontal these days, but in my younger days if i could find a gap to fit a fingernail in the rock, I could get up it. The reason I fell off Yonah was equipment failure... dumb me for depending on equipment... but I was able to arrest myself on a ledge about 100 ft from the top. Broke my ankle and had the choice of free climbing down, or free climbing up. I knew the hike to the parking lot would be easier from the top, so I chose up.

 

[dahut]

I legally carry a .38 Special snub, A Taurus 85 or Charter Arms Police Undercover. Were I to go to an auto, it would be a P11 I suppose.

 

[bradsguns]

Glock 19 with 16 rounds of 147g Hornady Custom XTPs.
and Yes, Im legal....I have my Carry Permit and am a CCW/Firearms instructor as well.
Brad

 

[Seamuss]

Learn Kung Fu, teach your dobbie Kung Fu. Teach your attackers to be on the receiving end of a can of whoop ask if you can bleed right for me.
Carryingprotection is a lot of extra weight that can not find treasure for you.

 

[rmptr]

I like that 'hang knife' !

Where can I get one of those, SS ?

Tnx,
rmptr

 

[Silver Surfer]

I like that 'hang knife' !

Where can I get one of those, SS ?

Tnx,
rmptr

That particular knife is made by Cold Steel and is called the "Bird and Trout"... But google "necklace knife" and you will find many, many different brand/types... I like this one for two reasons.. One, it is very light. Two, you can hold it with your little finger through the hole while making a fist and it fits really nice, and it can be thrust in and broken off.. That makes it very deadly, as an implanted, broken off blade cannot be removed.. Thrust... Snap.... Job done... AND, done in that fashion, very little blood leaking out of the hole, so it would take quite a while for anyone to even suspect that a blade was imbedded, like an xray once they reached the ER, and then it would be too late IF it were in a vital organ, etc...
Sounds gruesome I'm aware, but hey, if you need to do that, you want that effect, right?

 

[wwace]

Berreta 92F 9mm 14rds, Alaska is open or concealed carry no permit required. What I worry about is getting busted on school grounds having them call my Lesche a weapon. I wouldn't dare take a knife near a school here and leave the gun at home if I am going to schools. That wasp spray sounds great to me, I wonder if it works on bears lol.

 

[rmptr]

Thanks, SS.

I'll look for it today...

rmptr

 

[ford7379trucks]

i carry 24-7 unless im at work were they give me a AR-15. I carry a XD 40 Sub compact. Its a great firearm.
I would recomend anything 9mm or larger tho.

 

[Frankn]

When I carry it's usually a Texas Defender. It is a two barrel darrenger in 45 special, but I usually have it loaded with .410 tripple ought buckshot. Hard to miss that way! But usually I travel with my bodyguard, an 80# bulldog. She is afraid of nothing!!
O by the way, tripple ought buckshot is almost as large as a 9mm and it is untraceable!! I think there are about 4 of 5 pellets per shot.

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[jmaryt]

As a retired LEO and Gunsmith, I'd really like to put my 2 cents in here. The small firearms many of you have shown are easy to carry and lightweight. The problem is most of the small calibers like 22LR, 32 ACP .380 auto, .25 auto etc are not good stopping rounds. Most of the people who will accost you will be high on drugs. Some of these drugs will allow the person to continue to attack you until they bleed out. I've seen this more than once. The smallest caliber to carry for self defense should be a .38 special or 9mm with good hollow point self defense ammo. 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.
The right caliber is like having the right metal detector. A small caliber short barreled weapon is like a $45.00 K Mart detector at a coin shooting contest, your going to loose. If you must pull your weapon, don't get shakey, look them in the eye if you have time and let them get the feeling that you will shoot them then go out for a nice big bloody steak. Crooks can read fear like a book. The last guy I had to pull on off duty was a large biker with a Bowie knife pulled. I looked him in the eye and told him that I would blow his F'n head off and smile while I did it. I then smiled at him. He dropped the knife and ran like a scared rabbit. He knew by looking at me that I would have
used my weapon.


Best Regards, John K

i agree with you 100%!..however,as you are aware there is a "huge" market established for so -called
"mouse" guns because "most" people have a difficult time concealing a bigger"piece" so to speak!
today,if ya walk around exposing what ya got,you'll have very few friends,and people won't go any where near you!
apparently the "mouse" guns ARE a compromise,allowing the average citizen the chance to defend himself
against a perceived threat,without making others believe HE may be the "nutcake!,by having a "proper" defensive caliber
'exposed" somewhere on his person!

regards!
(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[ford7379trucks]

The Springfield Armory XD .40 Sub Compact doesn't have much recoil. its a little on the heavy side at 26oz. but with a good belt and a good holster I have no problem caring it. If your carrying concealed your carrying concealed. even tho you mite notice a bulge other people wont or they wont know what it is. And if they know what it is and have a problem with it then there relay not friends at all.

allso I don't believe recoil will relay mater in a real fire fight. I don't think you will notice it.

 

[HCW]

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.

So far, this sounds like the most level headed opinion Iv'e heard here. But why bother hunting areas thar are dangerous in the first place if your reason for metal detecting is to relax.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

You could stay at home, but there are times your own home can become a dangerous place. You never know when a formerly safe area wil become dangerous. It's not the area so much as the people who happen to be there at the time.

I hunt state game lands that are usually deserted. But the biker gang there to check their cannibis crop I didn't know about until I stumbled onto their grove by accident . . . that changes things.