Is anyone changing carry/training distance in light of terrorrist threats?

[ACP]

With the possibility/likelihood of radical Islamic terrorrism coming to the United States, and with their tactic of using machines guns and suicide vests in public places, has anyone changed their primary sidearm or training regime for the unlikely but life-altering possibility of being a victim of such an assault or hostage situation?

For example, my SD routine has always revolved around a single perp, very close, in an ATM or a carjacking. So, a 5-or 6-shot j-frame or k-frame has been my primary carry.

Now I find myself carrying 20-30 rounds on me with a Browning HP or a 1911, and practicing more at 50 feet.

Or am I just kidding myself?

 

[Blue Thunder]

My EDC has been a G-19 and 46 rounds of Ranger T for the last 8 or so years. This can get me to my Mini-14 long gun in the car with 120 rounds of FMJ, Red Dot sight and under barrel Laser. As a long time friend of mine who has been a Chief of Police for 2 departments and a Major in two more said "Get one Gun and Get good with it". Carry it always and do not fall into the Gun of the Season of the year trap.

 

[larry_minn]

Well no. I will be carrying only a knife for a while. Too many places I can't carry, or even leave in car. (legally)
The other day I had the .380 and decided it was only twice as good as knife.
I do change guns. (slightly) All have similar t rigger, manual of arms. Except the .380 no spare mag.

 

[strambo]

No, I'm way more concerned with auto accidents and heart disease when it comes to realistic deadly threats. Terrorism doesn't hardly register at all on my risk matrix and I've been to the sandbox 3 times so it isn't like I don't understand the threat.

I carry a P226 though most of the time but that is because I never trained for the easy 1 dude threat in the first place.

Good training isn't scenario specific and should be well-rounded backed by relaxed awareness when out and about and you'll be as prepared as reasonably possible.

 

[ROAshooter]

A change in strategy......avoid large crowds...especially in a gun restricted zone. With the history of shots per hits..(misses)....it occurred to me...that a really large crowd...Times Square on new years.....for example....will suffer more from all the spray and prey the NYPD will be doing if/when a terrorist...starts popping off in the mega crowd of sheeples....how many will be crushed in the masses trying to flee......

 

[JohnKSa]

Nope. I carry based on what I can reasonably carry given the circumstances of my situation.

That works out to a single-stack 9mm with a spare magazine.

According to the article below, over the past 4 decades, there has been about one terrorist attack a year in my state. Extrapolating that to a population based statistic suggests that the chances of someone in my neck of the woods being involved in a domestic terrorist attack before the Paris attack were something like 1 in 20 million each year.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...t-facts-about-terrorism-in-the-united-states/

If there were a practically significant increase in the likelihood of being involved in a terrorist incident, I might consider changing what I carry. But even if the chances have gone up 500% since the Paris incident, that's still such a tiny probability that it doesn't change anything.

 

[GRIZ22]

No change. Your chances of being killed by a terrorist are much less than being struck by lightning. You need to practice engaging multiple assailants as the vermin often travel in packs.

You also need to realize fighting off a determined terrorist attack with a concealed firearm puts you at a distinct disadvantage when they have semi or full auto rifles and explosives. The idea of taking on 4 or 5 terrorists with your Glock 19 and becoming the hero is dreaming.

Not saying to lay down and die, you may get an opportunity to fight back, but make your expectations realistic.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

No...I am still comfortable with a 5 shot revolver and no reloads.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Still carry the Glock 26 and spare mag. Still do IDPA and haven't changed.

We may add some terrorist scenarios though to the matches.

Deaf

 

[hso]

Most of us don't live where we'd face this sort of fight as opposed to assaults from criminals, but if you're concerned about your personal safety it would be prudent to plan your travels to stay away from target locations, increase your awareness of exits and concealment/cover/shelter, think about escape and evasion for where you're going and where you are, dress so E&E is facilitated by wearing more comfortable clothes for the situation, learn some basic trauma wound care and carry a small blowout kit (look into the various wilderness first aid 2 day courses), carry an extra magazine, try to carry more capacity in the sidearm, spend some more time practicing (all the things we should do anyway).

 

[psyopspec]

No change.

The mindset still remains the same, and binary; if the gun comes out, a fight is on. The mindset if things get escalated to that level of violence is the same in a robbery as it would in a firefight overseas. Survive. Default to training as in my sig line. Don't quit.

My tactics are unchanged. I still want to learn new things, examine a lot of ideas from credible trainers and discard what doesn't work while integrating what does. I want to be faster, able to engage farther, and to live up comfortably to the saying in my sig line.

The hardware is the same; this being a fight, I want a fighting handgun and not a compromise with some self-soothing about how low the odds are of needing it. (The fact that it's a handgun is what makes it practicable for carry, and that's already enough compromise in itself.) Because once that switch gets flipped, any handgun will be suboptimal but to only have 5 shots would be a preventable disadvantage. So for me it's a Glock 26, at least one spare mag, and a TDI knife whenever possible. An LCP if the occasion calls for stepping down. In less permissive environs, the TDI and pepper spray. At the bare minimum, a good flashlight is fine by the TSA and thus just about anywhere.

And, there will be times I don't carry. Swimming in the ocean. Long runs. The occasional concert or hockey game with wands and security. During these times I remind myself that the best revenge is a good life, and I simply take a breath and live it. But that only impacts hardware; mindset and tactics can't be taken away, and simply get rejiggered a bit to pay attention to exits and cover.

 

[tomj44]

No, you are not kidding yourself.

 

[taliv]

i think what i already carry would be just fine for terrorists. so nothing to change

 

[GEM]

Just a comment - I carry a Glock and an extra mag. Hasn't changed.

However, it is rare as being hit by lightning or being in a plane crash.

I have been hit by lightning. I had a friend years ago, who survived a DC-8 running out of fuel and going down in the woods. He, wife and baby were in the back. When they knew they were going down, the stewardess said we can move the baby to the front as it is safer. They refused. All the front died, they made it.

So we are in a class and the instructors says it is as rare as ...

We both laugh and raise our hands.

I have thought deeply on this issue and the risk continuum. I have decided that the cut off for reasonable carry and rare but possible intensive critical incidents is a semi 9mm and an extra mag. Other stuff too as EDC - knife and light.

About being a victim of terrorism - that's rare also. My kid was in France for a study program, years ago. She had to take a train from Lyon to Paris. She did. The next week that train was blown up. Oops.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

Not for me, but I would NEVER discourage someone from being more prepared/aware/on guard.

To each their own, but I am sticking to my 239 and a spare mag or two.

 

[huntsman]

No I'm a practitioner of Clean Country Living and an LCP will continue to be my EDC.

 

[psyopspec]

@ GEM

Your comment reminds me of a thought I had in the military. It occurred to me that to train was to fight for a 1% advantage, as war is absolute proof that one can do everything right and die anyway, or be an insufferable idiot and survive despite themselves. Fortune gets a majority vote every time.

Nonetheless, 51/49 chances are still better than 50/50. Prepare reasonably, then go live life. That's what it's there for.

 

[BLB68]

No changes here.

If I'm caught up in an unlikely event, I'm leaving through the route of least resistance, and encouraging anyone else I can to do likewise.

That said, training at a longer ranges is always a good thing. If you're shooting on a typical 25 yard indoor range, you should get in some practice out to that distance, even if you do the majority of your shooting at shorter ranges. I do most of my shooting at 7 yards, and shoot at least a couple of magazines at 10, 15, 20, and 25 yards. I also shoot supported and unsupported strong and weak side. You can't do much on a square range, but I try to do what I can.

 

[cc-hangfire]

No. I realize that I'm not a professional responder, and also that I cannot prepare for every possibility and eventuality and still live a "normal" life. I'm more prepared than some, less prepared than others.

 

[a_canadian]

No change for me. If the odds don't go in my favour and some incident occurs (unlikely, as I don't attend crowd events of any sort, just don't like crowds) near me, I'll assess the situation and respond as seems most practical. Which as several times above stated will probably mean exiting the scene as safely as possible. I regard my personal safety as paramount. Saving others from butchers with superior fire power doesn't seem like a useful effort unless it's easy; as in the bad guy is alone or there are just two of them, and I happen to find myself directly behind or above them and can take clean shots while retaining at least two clear exit paths. The next most likely scenario in which I'd draw would be if utterly trapped. If there's no clear exit, a gunfight is the only obvious option and of course I'd take it as it's shoot and/or die trying. Seems fairly obvious. I'm a decent shot out to 50 metres so not too worried about precision, having tested myself while shaking badly due to hormonal stress (exercise stress not being the same AT ALL).

 

[JWH321]

i haven't changed anything but I have gone back to be sure that what planning I have done is still in place - things like making sure where the bag is, making sure that what's in it is usable, making sure the uplula is not hiding (arthritis is a bummer).

We've also made sure we have a meeting place in case the balloon goes up while we're scattered. And we make sure that the cars aren't running on fumes.

I am more concerned with civil unrest than I am with terrorists. I just wish we had a government that we could count on.

 

[GEM]

'Saving others'

Hmm? That implies some think the extra ammo is so you can launch into the fray. You may to choose to think that but I think it is not core.

The reason for the extra mag is if you have to defend yourself (not going to look for trouble):

1. You can miss (not I, I train on the Internet).
2. You have a malfunction that is best handled with an extra mag.

These are really irrelevant to going to look for trouble. It is just normal gun usage. Sure, flee but having the options for a functional gun are just based on using the gun anywhere and however you are using it.

 

[a_canadian]

Sorry, should have spelled that out. I carry 11+1 uncocked (hammer fired) plus 3x11rnd magazines. I was making no inference regarding a connection between 'extra' magazines and saving others. That reference had more to do with the dividing line between saving my own skin and that of family members, and getting the hell out of Dodge. I don't mind leaving my pistol unfired in such a situation at all, so long as I/we are clear of the scene safely. Stuff happens. If other folks die and I might have had a chance at preventing that while putting my own life on the line, well, that's not likely to happen considering the relative value I place on my life compared to those of strangers.

 

[Hangingrock]

No not really. I don't reside in a high density population center nor go to venues that attract the mega multitudes. Now if the local Wal-Mart is a target of opportunity I could be in trouble dependent on what day of the month.

 

[GBExpat]

No, no change in equipment or mindset.

Being crowd-averse, I only shop in the very early morning (usually dependent upon when each store opens) and live in a rural/suburban area so it is rare that I ever find myself in an environment that would be attractive to such terrorists.