Living With Mouse Guns

[priell3]

Living With Mouse Guns
Myths and half-truths debunked, discarded
by Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D

08/09/2011

http://www.humanevents.com/article.p...t=yes&id=45384

I can carry any gun I want to carry. However, most times, I carry a small caliber gun, what some call a “mouse gun”, in my pocket. How is that?

Stowe and go

Small caliber guns are easy to insert into a pocket holster and throw into your pocket. This takes much less time than strapping or clipping on a belt or inside the waist band holster, holstering a compact to full size pistol, and finding and donning an appropriate cover garment to conceal the piece.

Comfortably concealable

Small caliber guns are small and light. Yes I know that small and light means harder to shoot; that is, more recoil and less accuracy beyond bad breath range. However, small and light equate with comfortably concealable and this makes a “mouse gun” easy to tote around all day.

The harder to shoot part is addressed through training and practice. Mouse guns are not beginners’ guns. They require good technique to shoot so that they do not malfunction and so that the little bullets go where intended. But shouldn’t you train with any gun that you are going to stake your life on?

They don’t drag me down
Mouse guns don’t drag me down. They don’t pull my pants down and don’t strain my back. Heavy side arms will do that to you--or to me specifically. When something hurts, you are less apt to do it again. I am not saying that I never carry substantial side arms concealed—I do carry my Glocks, Sigs, HKs, Kimber 1911s, etc., often. However, I do carry these substantial weapons because I enjoy carry them, and I believe that it is important to be prepared for the worst. That being said, if you are well trained and can shoot a .32 or a .380 well, and it is comfortable to carry your .32 or .380, then you are more prepared than if you are walking around with an aching back.

Quiet confidence

Carrying one or more mouse guns in your pockets can give you quiet confidence. I am not talking about “gun courage.” That is silly. I am talking about the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you have protection with you at all times and that no one but you knows it. It is better to have a little gun in your pocket that you can forget about until you need it, than to have a big gun on your hip that you are constantly adjusting, because in the latter case, you will be self conscious and you will be noticed.

Don’t worry about printing
Carrying little guns means I do not worry about printing. There are no tell-tale bulges anywhere except for my big belly and oversized waist.

Cute and pretty

“Mouse guns” to me are cute and pretty. I admit I have a thing for them. My .32 and .380 ACP Seecamp and North American Arms Guardian pistols are little jewels. My .32 and .380 ACP Kel-Tec pistols are beautiful in their own right, as is my .380 ACP Ruger LCP and .380 ACP Kahr P380.

Myths or half truths about mouse guns

There are some myths or half truths about mouse guns that need to he dispelled. These myths can kill you. Huh? What I mean is that if you take these myths or half truths too seriously, you may end up not carrying, and then if you need a gun, you just may not have one on you.

Myth #1 -- If I get into a gunfight, I’m outgunned.

The last thing you want to do is get into a gunfight. If shooting erupts, you want to take cover. Unless you are on a SWAT or HRT team, you want to avoid trading bullets with bad guys. Let’s face it. If you are carrying your Glock or HK or Sig, and you are attacked by more than one armed and serious bad guy, you still may be outgunned.

Myth #2 -- I will need to take out a shooter from a distance.

This is unlikely. Most lethal force confrontations occur within a bad breath range of less than nine feet.

Myth #3 – Mouse guns are not reliable.

Choose a quality weapon and take care of it. Know your weapon and how to use it, and it will take care of you.

Myth #4 – Mouse guns are too hard to shoot and practice with.

That is nonsense. The truth is that “mouse guns” are not for everyone. You need to practice with your carry guns and master shooting them. The old adage of “carried a lot but shot little” is a half truth. Again, you need to master the operation and deployment of whatever weapons you choose to carry for your personal defense. To not do so is foolish.

Myth #5 – Mouse guns come in marginal calibers.

Marginal for what I ask? Nobody wants to be shot by any gun. If you need to deploy your firearm, no bad guy is going to say something like, “Hah! Go ahead and shoot me. That’s just a mouse gun!” Some crazy psycho might say that, but (a) it is not likely, and (b) someone that crazy, just might not respond to any gun. In that case, you just might want to have a big blade.

Mouse guns I love

I love Seecamps, NAA Guardians, Kel-Tecs, Kahrs, and Rugers. They are all reliable and they all keep working like the Energizer Bunny. They are cute and pretty. They are intrinsically accurate. They are fun to shoot with. Finally, factory customer service is exemplary.

I shoot these guns at the range in two ways. One is to plink with them. The other way is to shoot them like my life depends on them at the moment. Both modes of practice build and sharpen my skills with these guns.

Sources
Kahr Arms. www.kahr.com
Kel-Tec. www.keltecweapons.com
L.W. Seecamp. www.seecamp.com
North American Arms. www.naaminis.com
Ruger Firearms. www.ruger.com

[nfafan]

Have to agree in terms of the fun factor; blasting targets with a tiny Phoenix HP22A is challenging - and cheaper than larger calibers.

If I were rich, the gem-like PSA Baby Browning in .25ACP would be uber kewl, as are any of the .380 pocket guns.

[Hawk]

I tend to agree with all that was stated except the "cute and pretty" part. One other thing, to me it's much more difficult to deploy a pocket pistol than one on my hip, especially if I'm sitting.

[Valorius]

My Ruger LCP with Crimson Trace laser and loaded with Buffalo Barnes .380+ SCHPs in a +1 mag goes with me everywhere. I carry it IWB behind the hip using a Kel Tec P3AT pocket clip.

[knight0334]

Nice post!

I'm not afraid to carry only my Beretta 21A Bobcat 25acp, or my AMT Backup II .380. At "bad breath" range I can dump all in the important parts of centermass and that head as fast as I can pull the trigger. At 10ft I've put all 10rnd of my Beretta's 9+1(MecGar mags) capacity in a 4" circle on a paper plate in about 3 seconds. And all 7 of my AMT's 6+1 in on 6" circle on a paper plate in about the same time.

If a person isn't stopped by that many rounds in a close quarters situation its likely a bigger gun would have had similar results, and that you have bigger problems at hand.

Mouse guns do work if you learn to shoot them proficiently. There are times when carrying a compact to full sized handgun isn't practical do to clothing or events.

[Orive 8]

O.K. I guess I will be the one to disagree with ol Dr. Eimer.

As better men (and women perhaps?) than I have said;
"Friends don't let friends carry mouse guns."

But really, I do think that they have a place in the scheme of things; some officers I worked with carried a third - last ditch gun on their person. Usually one of these "mouse gun" types were used in that capacity/roll.

For me, a S&W or Ruger snubby or possibly one of the new breed of super compact 9mms, is as small as I want to go. (And even the compact 9mms have to prove 100% reliability first before I will use them.)

I call the mouse guns "Linus Guns", cuz like Linus' blanket, they sure make some folks feel safe just by carrying them around. But when Mongo the Barbarian comes a calling - I want something else if it's going to be time to fight for my life.

Just my opinion of course.

[Valorius]

Technology has vastly transformed the capability of mouse guns.

They are far more capable today than they were even a decade ago. The ammunition, models of mouse guns available, and the sighting systems now on the market have made them far, far more potent.

I would much rather have to rely on my LCP with crimson trace laser and state of the art solid copper hollowpoints than i would a WWII era 1911 with non expanding and over penetrating FMJ ammo and those tiny little GI sights.

Especially at night.

[keystoneman 85]

O.K. I guess I will be the one to disagree with ol Dr. Eimer.

As better men (and women perhaps?) than I have said;
"Friends don't let friends carry mouse guns."

But really, I do think that they have a place in the scheme of things; some officers I worked with carried a third - last ditch gun on their person. Usually one of these "mouse gun" types were used in that capacity/roll.

For me, a S&W or Ruger snubby or possibly one of the new breed of super compact 9mms, is as small as I want to go. (And even the compact 9mms have to prove 100% reliability first before I will use them.)

I call the mouse guns "Linus Guns", cuz like Linus' blanket, they sure make some folks feel safe just by carrying them around. But when Mongo the Barbarian comes a calling - I want something else if it's going to be time to fight for my life.

Just my opinion of course.

I'll agree here. I'm not sure what all the hype is with throwing a gun in your pocket. That takes what 10 seconds at most? For me to throw on an IWB holster and put on my LCR or Glock takes 40 seconds at most. If you don't have 30 seconds to spare before you leave the house you have other issues.

[Thomasconnor]

I have to laugh when I think of what a PITA (for me) belt carry was compared to pocket carry.

[keystoneman 85]

I have to laugh when I think of what a PITA (for me) belt carry was compared to pocket carry.

Different strokes for different folks! Hey, at least were all carrying.

I found the pocket carry uncomfortable, hard to get to, and not to mention it took a whole pocket away from me which isn't good since I carry so much other shit on a daily basis.