A few weeks ago I was rearranging the closet, and I decided to lay out my collection for a photo. My wife came in and counted them. Thirteen holsters. She said, “13 holsters for 4 guns. Looks like someone has a Holster Problem.”

I tried to put on my best “how many purses do you own?” face, and explained my collection.

Because of its unique shape and size, the Buck Mark has a dedicated holster, a nylon belt holster that I had to modify to hold the red dot scope.

My Glock 17 and Glock 19 can share holsters, and for them I own a Glock factory polymer holster, a leather belt holster, a leather IWB holster, and two Kydex paddle holsters, one black and one painted tan. I also have an ankle holster that both will fit, but honestly, I would only carry the G19 in it.

My Glock 21 has a dedicated leather belt holster and a Kydex paddle holster.

All three Glocks can also share a thin leather IWB holster that I keep in the car, and a flap holster I use for open carry when I’m camping or hiking. (Is that a can of worms I smell?) They can also share a cheap shoulder holster I admit I have never used, and a holster with hook and loop on it, that I use inside fanny packs.

I suppose I should include the nylon belt holster that I got for the G17 when I first bought it. My son uses it for his Airsoft pistols, but we still have it.

Finally, I have a Bladetech double offset drop holster that I use for competition. I use it for the G17, but it fits the G19 right now, and the G21 with some adjustment. I also have a Kydex belt holster that I can use for IDPA.

So, there we are: 17 holsters for 4 guns, an average of about 4 each. Each has its purpose, its history, and a valid argument for owning it. No problem.

My wife shook her head and left. The day was mine.

Now, I’ve heard a lot of good things about these new IWB holsters . . . .

I just read another posting on an online forum from someone who was openly carrying his pistol legally in a large city, and was given a really hard time about it by the police.

I don’t think you should open carry, in most cases. Here’s why.

If the laws where you live allow, it is your right to carry a gun openly at any time. I don’t disagree with that. It’s not about whether you have the right to open carry. If anyone ever tries to take away our right to open carry, I fight it with everything I have.

Instead, to me it’s about what happens when you open carry – the reaction of people you encounter, the reaction of the police you encounter, and the kind of message those reactions send about responsible gun ownership.

Why do we care what the average person thinks of us as gun owners, or for that matter, what the police think? Because we have to live in this country and the time may come when we will need those people for their support to keep our rights from being taken away. And if you don’t think rights can be taken away, you are naïve or ignorant or both.

In a worst-case scenario – think Katrina or Japanese tsunami aftermath – I would rather my local police and citizens think “Oh, good, here comes someone with a gun,” rather than “Oh, no, here comes someone with a gun.” And if the governmental climate ever shifts toward the antis, I want the average citizen standing in their way, not supporting them because they’re fed up with my rantings.

So, unless I’m in an area with a strong tradition of open carry (like Arizona), or I’m at an event where it’s welcome and encouraged (like the NRA convention), I will carry concealed, rather than openly. Heck, I live in Kennesaw, Georgia, with its famous ordinance requiring gun ownership, and I don’t open carry here. I’m just as well protected when I carry concealed, and I don’t need to show my gun to prove any point.

On Saturday May 7, 2011, I traveled to Creekside Firing Range in Taylorsville, Georgia, a little way outside Cartersville. This range is owned and run by Joe Harris, a former US Army Ranger sniper, whose penchant for his former vocation is reflected in the 600 yard rifle range and the monthly long range rifle tournaments, and periodic 2-man sniper tournaments. It has a very nice covered pistol range, and covered 50 yard and 100 yard rifle ranges. During our match there was a tactical rifle class going on at the 50 yard rifle range, so there were a lot of people there, but it was not crowded at all.

This day I shot their Steel Challenge match. This does not follow the standard Steel Challenge format, nor are they members of the Steel Challenge Shooting Association, but in my experience it was every bit as fun, and I had a great time.

The match was shot in four stages on the same range, which gave the shooters the advantage of not having to move equipment from one bay to another. Time between stages was spent setting up the next stage, reloading magazines, and chatting with other shooters. There was no moving required, which allowed for shooters of all physical shapes to compete, valuing shooting skill over running speed.

There were 18 competitors, and they seemed to range in age from a college grad student to a couple of retirees. A quick equipment inventory (done by watching people shoot) showed 2 SIGs, 2 Smith & Wesson M&Ps, a Ruger, a Walther, a revolver, and 11 Glocks. From the brass on the ground it was clear the prevailing caliber was 9mm. I was surprised there were no 1911’s. Chatting with the shooters I found that the cost of ammo was on concern, but magazine capacity turned out to be a big reason, as we will see.

Stages consisted of a number of 3 inch steel plates, 4 inch steel silhouettes, mini steel poppers, and a Texas Star, in various orders, plus a 4 inch steel stop plate, and shooting ranged from 10 to 17 yards. Scoring was all time, since all the targets could be knocked over. The match was also kept interesting by requiring mandatory reloads or limiting the number of rounds in the first magazine used. This also had the effect of leveling the playing field for the revolver competitor and his 8 shot Taurus.

Here’s what we shot:

Stage 1: First magazine limited to 8 rounds, then unlimited rounds. I loaded 19. (Oh, yeah.) 1 popper, Texas Star, 1 silhouette, then the stop plate.

Stage 2: 8 rounds in 2 magazines, then unlimited. 3 plates, 1 popper, mandatory magazine change, 3 plates, then the stop plate.

Stage 3: 2 poppers, 1 plate, the Texas Star, then the stop plate. The first magazine is limited to 8 shots, so there is a quasi-mandatory reload. I see what you did there . . .

Stage 4: 3 poppers, 4 plates, and the stop plate. No limit on the rounds loaded, and I shot this one in 10.4 seconds for my fastest stage.

The match lasted a little over 2 hours, and was very enjoyable. I ended up coming in fifth, with a total time around 75 seconds. First place went to the Walther-shooting grad student, second to a Cobb County policeman shooting his own Gen 2 Glock 17, and third went to the only semi-pro in the group, who was sponsored by the gun shop he works for. His Glock was the closest to a race gun, with a ported after-market barrel and flared mag well.

This was a very enjoyable format, and it was run very efficiently. A couple more stages would have been welcome, but I could probably say the same of any match with less than 10 stages. As with any good match, there was a continuous emphasis on shooter safety, and as a result there were no incidents.

Creekside Firing Range was definitely an excellent host. While the range doesn’t offer a fancy clubhouse or pro shop, for someone in the north Atlanta area looking for a nice outdoor range that doesn’t cost a great amount, I think it more than fits the bill. I will definitely be back next time.

Check them out at www.creeksidefiringrange.com.

My 14 year old son and I were at the movies last fall, standing in the lobby, waiting for our show. I can’t remember exactly how we got on the subject, but we got around to discussing full auto weapons. As the bill-paying adult of the group, I thought that maybe a rifle that shot 3 round bursts would be just as fun as full auto. My son then asked if a gun with 3 round bursts still fell under a Class 3 license.

I said I didn’t know, and as quick as that, out of the corner of my eye up walks a tall uniformed police officer, and said “Say what?”

“Excuse me?” I answered.

“My ears perked up when I heard ‘Class 3’.”

Having nothing to hide, I told him what we were talking about, and he cleared it up for us.

First, a “Class 3 license” refers to the dealer who sells automatic weapons. The owner doesn’t have to have such a license, but still has to go through a lot of paperwork. Yes, 3 round bursts require a Class 3 dealer license. Yes, the Acworth, Georgia, police department issues M4’s and he shoots his at least once a month. They practice out to 100 yards, but mostly closer than that. He said their use of the M4 in most cases would be as suppressing fire, in a hostage standoff or other situation. He didn’t really see the point of a civilian owning a full auto gun. It wasn’t from a Second Amendment point of view, it’s just that tactically it wouldn’t make sense.

Ah, but it would be a lot of fun.

“Well, yeah, there is that. I guess your specs are a little wider than mine.”

We chatted a little while longer, and my son even got involved. But after a while our movie was seating, and we said thanks, and went in.

More than the information we got about the NFA and the weapons of the local police, it was great to talk to him. For one thing, it was definitely a teachable moment for my son. We’ve talked about it many times since, and he has a very good view of the police.

Now, whenever we are at the movies, and that policeman is there, I make it a point to say hello. I suppose if I ever get that full auto, I’ll tell him about it. Maybe we’ll get an invite to come shoot.