Oh ya.....I forgot about that little monster. It must hurt like hell to shoot that thing. My son visited me on Thanksgiving. He brought his new Mossberg shotgun with a pistol stock. I had never fired a shotgun in my life. He handed it to me loaded with 00 "zombie load". I asked how to you hold and aim this thing. He said just put the front sight on the target and pull the trigger. Bad advise! I held it with my elbow bent like it was a rifle with nothing pressing into my shoulder. My other arm was further down holding up the barrel. Bam!!! I punched myself in the mouth making my lip bleed. I was told I hit the gong but I never saw it. I handed it back to him saying, to hell with that thing! He said something about not holding it near my face. How can you aim a shot gun without holding it up to your face?! I'm turned off on shotguns.

I suppose that Texas Defender could be held at arms length with a locked elbow.

Attached is a photo of my customized Glock 29. That fits nicely within my belt. In fact I just forgot I was wearing it and feel asleep wearing it. I use a Mic holster.

BTW, the RMR sight and pistol grip serve as stops on my belt keeping it from falling down into my paints. The red dot is visible at arms length where I know how to hold and aim it.

:thumbup: I concur Doc! As a retired police firearms instructor and armorer people often ask me what worries me most about the firearms "situation."


"My main concern is that the vast majority of people who own firearms never learn how to use them safely and properly.
The skills necessary to operate a firearm are not something we're born with. There's very little that is natural about using firearms. In fact, a lot of our natural instincts are counterproductive if not downright detrimental to performing safely and efficiently with a firearm. Rule III, "Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target" is a prime example of how our "natural" instincts are dangerous. Give a firearm to anyone who hasn't been taught basic safety. The very first thing they do is put their finger on the trigger. They haven't been taught otherwise, and this is where it feels "natural" for the finger to be when gripping the weapon. Add a little stress to the situation and even people who know better have that finger on the trigger when it shouldn't be.

Rule II: Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. This makes common sense, but you see people breaking it all the time. Our body tends to follow the head. When someone is holding a firearm and they look in one direction - like at you - watch out. An untrained person, and even those that know better, will cover you with the weapon.

Weapon manipulations are another skill that doesn't come natural. To unload a semi-auto pistol you need to remove the magazine, cycle the slide – three times is best – and finish by visually inspecting the camber to ensure it's clear. Of course during all this the muzzle must be pointing in a safe direction and finger off the trigger. It's not unusual for someone cycle the slide, see a round ejected, then remove the magazine without realizing there is still a round in the chamber.

Safety Rule I: All guns are always loaded. This is one that even trained shooters get wrong, all the time.
The majority of guns owners, especially those that are newer to the sport, get too caught up in buying stuff instead of learning how to use it. The older and more experienced gunmen I know don't have that many different firearms, but you can be double sure they know how to use the ones they have in a safe and exceptional manner.