< Previous78SHOOTING T O LIVE individuals of different races. Perhaps that partially explains why some men are not Imocked out by bullets when they ought to be. Again, if a bullet caught a man off balance, might not that aid in producing the appearance of a Imock-do^vn blow ? We have made no mention yet of an aspect of this m a t t e r w h i c h w e h a v e o b s e r v e d t i m e a f t e r t i m e i n the course of years. A hit in the abdominal region almost invariably causes a man to drop anything he may have in his hands and to clutch his stomach convulsively. We may add that such a hit almost always has fatal results, and that is an excellent reason for such equipment as effective bullet-j)roof vests, at least for the use of pohce. If the ideal to be attamed is a weapon that, with a body shot alone, will drop a man in his tracks with absolute certainty, then there is something lacking i n t h e b e s t o f m o d e r n r e v o l v e r s a n d a u t o m a t i c s . I t could be done, doubtless, with a weapon of greatly increased calibre and power, but the added weight and size of such a weapon would almost certainly render it unsuitable for average requirements. So perhaps we shall have to make the best of such weapons as are available to us. Those readers who have had the patience to follow us so far will most likely be justifiably irritated by our inconclusiveness. We can imagine them saying, " But there must be one or two kinds of pistol that are better than aU the others. Why on earth can't they tell us what they are ? " WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKSTOPPING POWER 79 If that question is asked, we should reply that, for ourselves, we should choose the pistol which, while being easy to carry and convenient to use, would conform most nearly mth the following requirements :— (1) The maximum of stopping power. (2) The maximum volume of fire. (3) The maximum speed of discharge. To attain the first requirement we should choose a cartridge that represents what we consider a safe middle course, i.e. with a bullet of reasonably large calibre and weight, driven at a very high velocity. As regards the second requirement the reader will have gathered from Chapters in and rv on training that we have a preference for firing in " bursts " of two or more shots. We think that lack of stopping power inherent in the cartridge is compensated for in some degree by the added shock of two or more shots in very rapid succession. Medical evidence tends to confirm this behef, which is strengthened moreover by the evidences we have seen of the terribly destructive effects on human targets of submachine-guns of the Thompson tjq)e. Obviously, this behef of ours unplies the necessity for a large volume of fire, quite apart from the desirabUity on other grounds of having as many rounds as possible at one's disposal without having to reload. Throughout this book we have done our best to WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK80SHOOTING T O LIVE emphasise the vital need for extreme rapidity of fii-e. For ourselves we can accomplish this, our third desideratum, most easily Avith an automatic. The more closely our own pistols resemble machine-guns t h e b e t t e r w e l i k e i t . WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKCHAPTER Vm MISCELLANEOUS Holsters. Care and Cleaning of Pistols. Holsters for service men who are requii-ed to carry a pistol openly while in uniform must obviously he of a standard pattern, and there is little room for all the refinements that go to the making of a really good holster where individual requirements are the only consideration. Nevertheless, the design of service holsters might well be given a little more thought than is often the case. It is not possible, perhaps, to combine service needs ivith the facilities for the lightning-quick draw which some special designs provide, but there are one or two things that can be done to help in the latter respect. The butt of the pistol should protrude fi-om the holster sufficiently to allow the user to get it well into his hand as quickly as possible; there should be no fumbling. If there is, there is something radically rvrong with the design. The front of the holster should be cut away to allow the forefinger to enter the trigger-guard without resistance and without the stubbmg of the finger-nail on the leather that is so often noticed. The gun can be secured in the holster either by a flap or a strap, both fastening on a metal stud. The strap is, of course, no \vider 81 ^ i • i WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKSHOOTING T O LIVE than it must be to ef fect its purpose. The flap offers better protection from the weather, and we do not think its greater width makes any real difference to the speed with whicli the pistol can bo drawn. The b o t t o m o f t h e h o l s t e r s h o u l d be open so that in case of rain o r a c c i d e n t a l i m i p e r s i o n t h e w a t e r d o e s n o t r e m a i n i n s i d e and the holster can dry out more quickly. The bottom of the holster cannot be entirely open if the design of the pistol is such that it will slip too far do%\Ti, but it is always possible to leave an aperture or" aper t u r e s o f a d e q u a t e s i z e f o r draining. T h e r e r e m a i n s t o b e c o n sidered the position in which t h e h o l s t e r s h o u l d b e w o r n . The witers have a preference f o r w e a r i n g t h e g u n o n t h e belt at the left side of the body. In that position (see Fig. 20) the wearer is able to draw his pistol at reasonable speed, and apart from those WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKMISCELLANEOUS83 occasions when he is obliged to shoot, he can protect it with his left hand and forearm from attemjjts to snatch it from the holster. Pohcemen find that such attempts are by no means in frequent in a crowd or on the part of " drunks " resisting arrest. To guard further against this danger (and it may well be serious), we recom mend the use of a stout lanyard attached at one end to the smvel in the pistol butt. The other end should pass m a loop over the right shoulder, the shoulder strap of the uniform preventing the lanyard from slipping off. Never wear the lanjmrd round the neck, as we have sometimes seen it done, for needless to say, such a practice is liable to add to the danger very considerably. Whatever the position m which the holster is worn, gi'cat care should be taken to ensure that its design and method of attachment to the belt provide the maximum of resistance when the pistol is dravm. To make our meanmg clearer, the pistol should shp easily out of the holster, but the holster itself should remain as nearly immovable as possible. Otherwise, when the pistol is dravm, the holster has a tendency to accompany it, and the result is. a slow and clumsy draw. With a holster worn on the right thigh, the necessary amount of resistance may have to be provided by a thong or string fastened to the bottom of the holster and tied round the leg. Though so far we have been referring solely to holsters to be worn openly when in uniform, it will be obvious that the WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK84 SHOOTING T O LIVE necessity for resistance exists for all other holsters a s w e l l . Tiurnuig now to holsters for other purposes, wo strongly recommend the reader to "be satisfied only with the best and to take any amount of trouble in order to get it. Having provided yourself with the pistol of your choice, consider next how it -will suit you best to carry it. Determine whether it is to be carried openly or concealed on the person. If the latter, do you prefer it under the left arm (Figs. 21 and 21a, pp. 85,86) or around the waist (see Figs. 22, 22a, 22b, pp. 87, 88) ? Having decided these points, get in touch with one o f t h e r e l i a b l e a n d w e U - k n o w n m a k e r s o f h o l s t e r s . If unable to visit him personally, provide him with such information as is appropriate to your require ments. Depending on those requirements, such information might well consist of The make and model of the pistol. Your chest, waist and shoulder measurements. Length of arm. Size of hand and length and thickness of trigger- finger. A photograph of yourself, showing the clothes usually worn. With these particulars in his possession, the maker will be able to design a holster suited to your requirements in every way, including the correct angle at which to wear it. This latter is a most WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKMISCELLANEOUS F i g . 2 1 . — S h o u l d e r H o l s t e r . WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK86 SHOOTING T O LIVE WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKMISCELLANEOUS 87 WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKNext >