For the Clovers out there:
COLTON, Calif. (AP) — Police say a naked, 300-pound bodybuilder savagely beat a Southern California couple at their home, leaving them in critical condition.
The Sun of San Bernardino says 22-year-old Ruben Arzu apparently was under the influence of steroids and other drugs, and it took four police officers, two stun gun blasts and four sets of handcuffs to restrain him.
Police say the couple came home late Saturday to find Arzu naked on the front porch of their home in Colton.
When Arzu was confronted by the 35-year-old husband, police say the bodybuilder attacked the man, causing major head trauma.
The man’s wife called 911. Police say Arzu then picked her up and threw her around, causing facial injuries and multiple cuts to her head.
Arzu was booked on suspicion of attempted homicide.
Information from: The Sun, http://www.sbsun.com
Here’s a question that may actually (surprise) tie this back in with car stuff. Don’t you just love synergy?
OK. I would like to figure out a way of safely keeping a handgun and ammunition in my vehicles, within arm’s reach, for self-defense purposes, anything from carjacking to road rage folks attacking to TEOTWAWKI, etc. I’m only toying with the idea, and I am not in a position that I can conceal-carry a firearm and, therefore, keep one on my person, as I work on federal government property.
Here’s the requirements/preferences:
1. .45 ACP cartridge – I have standardized on this round for my pistols, though would be open to other suggestions depending on reasons.
2. Small – First, I need to be able to conceal this somewhere in a vehicle. Second, I don’t want a long barrel getting hung up on something inside while trying to access it quickly.
3. Reliable – This will potentially be called upon to function in extreme cold or hot weather after having been kept in a car/truck for weeks/months at a time with little attention (even the best of us often forget to do the routine maintenance sorts of things for a while, especially out of sight, out of mind stuff).
4. Inexpensive – Let’s face it. It’s going to be sitting in a vehicle most of its life, not in a nice, humidity controlled environment like a gun safe. It could, potentially, get stolen if the car is stolen/broken in to. It’s not for show, anyway.
Other considerations:
I know lots of folks who do keep weapons in their vehicles, but I really don’t want anyone stealing my gun and then committing a crime with it (or my car, for that matter). Any thoughts on the wisdom of that issue vs. self-defense utility of such a weapon?
Storage locations? Under seat? Glove box? Gun safe box bolted to floorboard? Trunk?
What about traveling across state lines? Assume I have a Concealed-Carry permit.
At this point, I’m only contemplating, since CC is not really an option given my work situation. I could just leave my gun in the car when I’m at work and put it back on when I get back in the car, but I still face similar problems.
It seems to me that a gun designed for CC would be the preferred choice for many of the same reasons. Small, light, deburred to limit hanging on stuff when drawing the weapon, etc. I’m guessing a Glock or a Sig might be good choices.
If I opened up a little and considered another caliber, a revolver would be simpler and probably more dependable.
Thoughts?
Sig Sauer P220 Carry
http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/p220-carry.aspx
Thank you have a nice day!
Suggest you consider a Kahr CW-45. Excellent quality 45 ACP semi-auto – 6 round mag + 1. Weighs under 20 oz – 1 inch thick. Realistic street price – new about $400 to $450. Stainless steel resists rust/corrosion. (reasonable care) Get holster that straps around seat, position so gun is out of sight and accessible. DON’T STORE UNDER SEAT OR IN GLOVE BOX ! IF IT IS IN A LOCKED SAFE BOX, WHAT GOOD IS IT ? Best regrds.
Thanks for the input, Kent!
There’s also an item the NRA store sell for in-car carry. I’m gonna see whether I can find it online and will post the link here if I do.
Thanks, guys! Good suggestions. I’ll look into those.
Since you are willing to consider a revolver in something other than .45, consider this. My wife, who has no interest in firearms, has had a Taurus Model 85 for over 22 years. It has suffered neglect just as long. The only time it ever gets cleaned and maintained is when she shoots it (maybe once a year) and I take care of it for her. It usually lives rattling around somewhere in her SUV, but it’s stainless, so corrosion is not a problem.
It’s small and concealable so out past 7 yards accuracy is minimal. But for what you want one for that’s irrelevant. With .38 Spl. +P self defense loads it’s nasty. She shot a big groundhog in our garden with it a few years ago and I couldn’t believe the damage. I can assure you that you do not want to get hit with a Federal Hydra-Shok out of a snub-nosed .38! You should be able to pick one up used at a gun show or through your local trader rag for under $300.
There’s no doubt that Dom’s recommendation of a Sig is a sound choice, as well as the Kahr that Kent favors. If your price is flexible, a stainless Colt Commander would be a good choice in .45 as well. If money were really no object, a Kimber would also fit the bill nicely. But even finding one of those weapons for “a deal” is still probably going to set you back anywhere from $400 to $800.
But a wheelgun has the advantage of intrinsic safety so you don’t need to do anything other than pull the trigger to fire it. It also eliminates a separate magazine that can get lost or potentially malfunction (especially if neglected in a car). If you’re married (or have a significant other), it’s easy for the “firearms challenged” among us to pick up and instinctively use a revolver too. For a relatively inexpensive ‘beater’ to keep in the car through heat, cold, dirt, moisture and neglect, and fire first time every time you need it to, that little Model 85 has proven itself to me.
I agree. I have both!
I have the big Sig and a S&W “airweight” hammerless (great for purse carry) .38 for the wife. She does not (like most women) understand or like semi-autos but the revolver is very straightforward. And as you point out, the .38 round is no weakling. It used to be the standard cop round, in fact, until cops went all military and began to carry (mostly) 9 mms.
Good ideas. I’ve got a couple of Kimbers already and love them, but I don’t want them “banging around” in a car for months at a time.
I like Sigs but have never shot a Kahr. I have never really been “in to” wheel guns, but I don’t have any good excuse as to why not. I’ve got a .357 Ruger, for example, but it was handed down from my father.
I will definitely keep the Taurus Model 85 in mind as well. I’ve seen them around, but didn’t know if Taurus was any good. They have an old reputation of being junk, but I’m already spotting more favorable reviews as I look online currently. Must’ve cleaned up their act a bit.
Great info, guys. Much appreciated. I’m off to see what that NRA thing Eric was talking about was.
SJ,
Here’s one:
http://www.nrastore.com/nrastore/ProductDetail.aspx?c=13&p=SA+22685&ct=e
The store has some other options, too.
I personally use an “in the pants” reverse clip on holster for my Bersa Thunder (Walther PPK knock-off). I rarely wear belts and in summer, I often wear just cargo shorts and t-shirts, so this set-up works very well for me. The piece is totally concealed yet immediately accessible.
I have to use an outside the pants deal with the Sig 220. Though much more compact than a standard 1911, it is still a pretty big (and heavy) gun for CC.
My wife has a hammerless S&W .38 snubbie and it’s a bad-ass little gun with plenty of short-range stopping power. I just prefer the extra capacity of a semi-auto.
Also, we need more cops like this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QjMTsfZ1DJg#!
Wait for the first part to get through….
I called Plymouth Campus to give Brad and Tommy my support this morning. But the number on their video “is no longer in service or has been disconnected”. I guess the college elite in the “Live Free or Die” state don’t want to hear from the liberty minded “mundanes” that provide these same pathetic state parasites with their ill-gotten paychecks. The revised state motto from the university brass to New Hampshire gun owners, the Free State Project, CopBlock.org and all of us that love liberty appears to be:
“F%*k off and Die”.
I am shocked…..
A nice, cheap, reliable Taurus .38 revolver. You don’t want an automatic rolling around your glovebox collecting grit. The revolver is still more reliable than an automatic–I know, I know, modern pistols are super-reliable BUT. And the Taurus will set you back a whole lot less than a Sig, Glock, etc.
Granted you’ve standardized on .45…but this is for emergency use, it’s kind of a one-off. Think of it as a backup and you don’t have to store as much ammo for it as you would for your main handguns or more importantly your battle rifles.
I’ve just started doing the same and it’s quite nice to have it available, Just In Case…while not subjecting my HK to the rigors of car duty.
On another note–have you considered carrying a nice folding knife? They’re more lethal than a handgun in a close fight, and much more “legal”.
The downside to a blade for self defense is (a) considerably more skill is required to be effective with one than a revolver, (b) you have to get awfully close to your assailant, (c) in a knife fight both parties get cut, and the biggie (d) if you bring a knife to a gun fight you won’t like the outcome.
A very sweet weapon that is easy to use and carry is an expandable baton. Don’t get the friction lock crap. Get the newer style one with the press button release. Purchased one a year ago and love it.
Here it is:
http://www.batons.com/autolock.html
The corpse with his arm up is the winner. 😀
What about a Governor? Ugly, vicious, heavy, but I like the multi-load option, and birdshot at close range seems fairly devastating, and at long range, mostly ineffective. (Not savvy enough to know the full deal on .410, so if i’m off-base, DO call me. Basing it on my limited experience with 12-gauge shells, which is … VERY limited. So I really DO want to know, but sicne it’s a revolver, and has versatility on cartridge… Sounds good to a novice.)
Wonder what clover would do in a situation like this?
He’d get his ass walloped like those people did waiting for the police. You know, when seconds count, cops are minutes away.
Arzu was booked on suspicion of attempted homicide.
Suspicion?!
I do not think that Arzu was welcoming them to the neighborhood.
I know how you fell Mithrandir, but…..even a flagrant criminal must be presumed innocent until proven guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt, of the crime he is accused of. When someone does something like this moron did to innocent people, our gut reaction is ‘lock ’em up and throw away the key’. The very same Constitutional protections that are supposed to protect you and me, also apply to this meathead. The frustration that good cops feel about not being able to punish a jerk like this is what leads to over-reaching and abuse of power. Which leads to power hungry bullies becoming cops.
Never forget that John Adams defended Captain John Preston after the Boston Massacre out of his deeply held conviction that the rule of law was far more important than colonial partisanship. All ‘people’, especially government labeled ‘terrorists’ and ‘criminals’, deserve the presumption of innocence, humane treatment, facing their accusers and a fair and impartial hearing. That also includes the right to a trial by jury where the jurors actively understand that they are there to judge the law and it’s application or misapplication as well as the facts of the alledged crime. Anything less and you have the police state we are currently staring down the barrel of here in Amerika.
You are correct about the legal protections of the constitution.
As an outsider, just only on the facts as presented here, I have a difficult time imagining of any good reason for what occurred.