YOURVEHICLE
CANPROVIDEA
DEFENSIVEBARRIER
The21-footrulecanapplytoapotentialcarjacker.Ifyouareap-
proachingyourvehicleandsomeoneappearstobemovingtoward
youaggressively,takeadvantageofyourvehicleorothernearby
vehiclesandputthembetweenyouandthethreat.Thepointat
whichyourweaponwouldbedrawnandpresentedwouldbebased
onpropinquityandapotentialattacker’sactions.Ifyoucangetintoyourvehicleandlockthedoorswithouten-
dangeringyourselfthatisevenbetter.Thatforcestheattackerto
decidewhethertoretreatorcontinuewithhostileactivity.Youhave
theoptionofhonkingyourhorn.Ifheattemptstobreaktheglass
togettoyou,thenyoushouldbejustifiedinprotectingyourself.
Attemptingtodriveawaymaybemoreeffectivethanshootingthe
attacker.Anyvehiclegeneratesmorefoot-poundsofenergythan
evena.44Magnum.Attemptingtodriveawayalsodemonstrates
yourattempttoretreatratherthanengage.Arushatyouwhileexitingthevehiclecanalsooccur.Ifyouhave
trainedforthisscenario,itmaybefastertodrawandengageusing
theopencarasabarrierthantoattemptgetbackintothevehicle.TOP LEFT: If the
attacker does get
to you before you
can engage and a
struggle for your
weapon ensues, re-
tention techniques
should be used
until you can reach
your backup gun or
knife. In this case,
a S&W auto with
a magazine safety
allows the magazine
to be dropped
rendering the pistol
unusable.
TOP RIGHT: If a
stranger does come
close, have your
gun available and
warn him to stay
back. Keep him
beyond 21 feet.BOTTOM: Speed of
access is important
in presenting
the handgun to
counter a close-
range attack. This
Blackhawk rig, for
example, is excel-
lent for use in a
combat zone where
the firepower and
tactical versatility
it offers can be
invaluable. However,
clearing the weapon
quickly without
catching your hand
on the light or spare
magazine and while
smoothly pressing
the release button
could lose fractions
of a second.FALL 2019 • CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS 75
“I’VE FOUND
THAT LASER
EQUIPPED
HANDGUNS
USUALLY GIVE
AN ADVANTAGE
FOR QUICK
ENGAGEMENT
AT CLOSE
RANGE.”