Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. Massad Ayoob Tailoring The Defensive Handgun To Your Customer A s a gun dealer, one of the most im- Reliability Factor tion revolver. He wants a gun that will work Warren is a professional, with an ana- in all light conditions where he can identify portant things you do is help your customer get the best defensive lytical way of looking at things. He wants his target. He wants compactness for conhandgun system that works cealed carry — and, above for him or her. You’ve long all, he wants total reliability. learned that one size/type/ He has chosen a Ruger caliber doesn’t fit all. Yes, SP101 .357 revolver with a there are common factors barrel just over 3" in length, that apply to all gun owners, fitted with a Crimson Trace but fitting the right firearm to Lasergrip. We’re shooting the customers is the imporoutdoors on pleasant sumtant part, and that’s where mer days in Pennsylvania your role is crucial. and he can see the red dot on Let’s look at some of the the target up close. When the circumstances that can help laser fades away at distances you tailor that choice. in the bright sunlight, he I’m just finishing a firstreverts to this gun’s highly level, 40-hour LFI-I class visible fixed sights. that I’m teaching for Lethal He’s using Safariland Force Institute. Considerspeedloaders, and after some ing the shooters/students personal training on how to in the class, it’s amazing to Warren’s strong high-hand grip obscures the view of the Crimson Trace use them to maximum effisee how many have assessed Lasergrip on his Ruger SP101. ciency, he has kept up just fine their needs — or had those with the auto-pistol shooters. needs assessed by firearms professionals, something that will not only work for him, He qualified on the police-type course with including gun dealers — and have come but also for anyone whom he might have an excellent score. He got through with zero up with different handguns for their par- to hand his gun to in an emergency. So, he malfunctions, which is more than some of likes the simplicity factor of a double-ac- the auto shooters can say. ticular needs. Assessing The Commitment Factor oe recently retired from the sporting goods industry, where he was involved in research and product development. He is new to handguns, but is a highly accomplished archer and there is a lot of crossover at work. After consulting with several accomplished handgunners, he has decided on a carry-size 1911 .45 auto. He selected the Kimber SIS in the Pro variation, with a full-length grip frame and 4" barrel. And he’s doing remarkably well with it. He has committed himself to a serious regimen of both training and practice, and he is virtually flawless in his handling of the cocked-and-locked pistol. His archery career has given him a good understanding of kinesiology, and he has good natural manual dexterity. He finished the qualification with an excellent score and no malfunction problems. John was a skilled bull’s-eye shooter before he decided to carry a gun concealed. He didn’t want to discard his long familiarity with the 1911 .45 platform, but his reading in the field and his discussions with police friends convinced him there was a reason most cops aren’t allowed to carry cocked-and20 SEPTEMBER 2008 J Liability Factor locked pistols with short, easy trigger pulls. Understanding the concerns with civil liability, he decided that a doubleaction-only auto made the most sense for his defensive carry needs John was top shot with a compact Para-Ordnance He chose a LDA CCW .45. compact CCW model of the Para-Ordnance 1911 .45 auto, in its LDA (Light Double Action) variation. Quickly adapting to the pistol’s longer but smooth trigger pull, he was able to transfer all his grasping and pointing habituation to the new carry gun. After his last 60 double-action shots on the qualification range, he finished in www.shootingindustry.com