Must Have Accessories

Background

Thinking of purchasing a firearm, or have you recently purchased one? Wondering what else might be part of that purchasing process that you haven't thought of? Well, that's what this blog is about: those must-have accessories that you should purchase with your new firearm. I know when I purchased my first firearm, I did a ton of research about the firearm itself and planned to spend the amount of money I saw that firearm advertised for. There's a lot more you'll need though. Yes, need. Plan to spend a lot more on accessories than you did for the firearm. You can probably buy some of these must-haves over time after your purchase, and of course many of these only apply if you don't already have them, making that first firearm investment significant, but future purchases, not nearly as bad.

Safe Storage

Right at the top of the list of must-haves without question, is a means to store that firearm safely. Some people think safe storage means hidden away from kids or people who could harm themselves with a firearm. Some also think that storing it with the provided cable lock is good. Those are true assumptions, but they are only part of it. When you purchase a firearm, you become responsible for who has access to it. That includes people who live in your house, people who visit your house, or people who break in and steal things from your house. Having a firearm out of sight or under and object is not safe storage. Keeping it hidden with only a cable lock, is asking for trouble. The cable lock may keep normal people from using the firearm, but you need to plan on securing that firearm from any scenario - especially theft.

You'll need a safe. Not just a safe, but you'll need one that you can secure to an object that cannot be removed from your house with ease. Check with your state laws and talk with the gun shop staff to find the right safe that's going to work for you, but don't leave the store without one. Don't bring a firearm into your house without a safe ready for it. Heck, my local Costco sells pistol and rifle safes, so there's no excuse. Many safes designed for a single pistol or small number of rifles can be attached to a permanent object like a wall. In fact portable pistol safes often come with security cables that can be used to attach them to a secure object. It's your responsibility. Keep it safe (no pun intended).

Be ready to spend at least $50 for a small pistol safe, and at least $150 for a good solid gun cabinet. Fully featured gun safes will take you further into the $200 and beyond range, quite easily.

Pro-tip: biometric safes are a waste of money. Sure, under perfect situations, you're biometric safe will open quickly and easily...but don't plan on perfect situations. Heck, my iPhone doesn't even unlock for me every time. Go with a key or key pad option, but hide that key and change that combination.

Holster or Sling

The safest way to carry a pistol or rifle is unloaded with the action open of course. If it's loaded, the safest way to carry a pistol is in a holster that completely covers the trigger and prevents an object (including your finder) from touching it. It's also extremely practical if you just want to transport a firearm around the house or wherever. With a rifle, if you want to carry it around, doing so the safest way means having two hands on it (leaving you unable to do anything else), or from a sling where nothing is touching the trigger so your hands are free. Even if you have no plans to carry the firearm you purchased outside, you still need a holster. It's a must-have.

Holsters and slings can be very cheap, or they can be ridiculously expensive. If you are looking to minimize your expense and won't carry often, go with a plastic or kydex paddle holster that you can clip to your waistband or belt. They only cost about $20-$30. If you are planning to carry often or concealed carry, do your research an choose wisely. A quality paddle holster like a Blackhawk Serpa might still be a good option, or a $50 Galco Triton for concealment. But for high quality or good concealment options, be ready to spend over $50. You'll also probably buy several over time as you experiment with what works. Bottom line, don't leave the store without something to help you safely carry your firearm.

Carrying Case

If you buy a premium pistol (Glock, M&P, Sig etc.), chances are it came in a plastic carrying case with formed foam inside, and a convenient handle and lock hole. If you bought a revolver, rifle, or cheaper pistol, chances are it came in a cardboard box. The former may be sufficient for carrying your pistol where ever it needs to go (range, smith, vacation etc.), but a cardboard box isn't. Depending upon where you live, transporting a firearm in a cardboard box may be illegal (unless it's within a locked container). Check your local laws.

Regardless, you are going to want to invest in a good, practical carrying case. You have to if your firearm came in cardboard. I've been to ranges that don't allow you to walk in the door unless the firearm is in a carrying case, and even if you transport it legally in your locked trunk, do you want that firearm just open, sliding around and exposed? Nope. Pistol range bags can be extremely practical as they can hold 2 or more pistols in one. Carrying cases also usually have external pockets for storing magazines, slings, holsters, or whatever other accessories you need.

You'll need one. Check to make sure your firearm fits, and make the purchase before you leave the shop with your firearm.

Ammunition Loader (UpLula)

A must have? Maybe not. I'll tell you though, loading brand-new factory Smith & Wesson M&P magazines can be extremely difficult until they get a little wear. Glock magazines are easier, as are most rifle magazines. But, when at the range, your thumb or loading finger will get sore pretty quickly if you rely on it to load magazine after magazine, especially new ones. Do yourself a favor, if you bought a pistol, buy an UpLula magazine loader. It will save your thumbs (and temper).

Cleaning Kit

Before you take your first shot, and after every time at the range, you'll need to clean that new firearm. There's a ton of great kits out there. I recommend starting with the caliber specific kits from Cabelas. You'll need a few additional items to augment that kit, and I strongly recommend a bore snake as they make cleaning a snap. I also recommend purchasing a set of plastic dental tools as they are excellent for accessing hard to reach spots on the firearm. Bottom line, you'll be cleaning often so you need the right tools to do it. Here's minimally what you need:

Barrel rod with caliber specific attachments (or bore snake)
Bore brush (or bore snake)
Patches
Cleaner (or combination cleaner, lubricant, protector like CLP or Balistol)
Lubricant (or comination like CLP etc.)
Cleaning mat or sturdy but soft surface
Cleaning brush (or tooth brush)

Personally, I'd grab a can of CLP, a package of patches, a bore snake, and a Cabelas cleaning kit and call it a day.

For a basic kit, expect to pay around $40

Snap Caps

Those of you who are firearms owners already might disagree with me on this one. Hear me out. As a firearm owner, it is your responsibility to be extremely proficient with that firearm. You must know how it works, how to handle it, and what to expect from it. That means you'll need to handle it often. It's a must. You'll probably want to anyway, but you have got to put hands on that firearm often, practicing how to safely hold and operate that firearm for your safety and those around you. A great way to do this safely is with snap caps. If you are totally unfamiliar with them, they are the same shape as ammunition (bullet in a case), but are are made of different material and instead of a primer (that makes the firearm ignite the powder), they have a small piece of plastic or rubber (well, plus no powder). They are duds. Fake bullets. But they are made for you to load into your firearm and safely pull the trigger without any sound (other than the action) or propelled object (nothing comes out of the barrel). It's generally considered bad practice to pull the trigger on a firearm with nothing in the chamber (Glocks are the obvious exception). Having Snap Caps allows you to safely do just that.

If you want to safely practice loading, pulling the trigger, and unloading your firearm, or go through the motions to learn how the action words, Snap Caps are a must-have. Buy the right ones for your caliber.

Snap Caps are cheap. This must-have should only add $15 to your purchase.

Magazines or Speed Loaders

Most semi-automatic firearms that are magazine fed will come from the factory with 1-2 magazines. Revolvers don't. Their magazine is built in, but unless you plan on carrying around loose ammunition, you'll need some way to manage the loading process. The bad news is, magazines are expensive these days. I know about 20 years ago, they were far more expensive and impossible to find, but for what they are, they still seem expensive to me.

You'll need to buy more. A few more at least. How many more? Well, some experts say you should start with 5. Why? Because they malfunction, wear out, sometimes break, and aren't always available. This is the feeding device for your semi-automatic firearm. Without it, your firearm doesn't work. Do you want just 1 backup? Do you want 2? What about when you hit the range, do you want to be reloading magazines after each 1 or 2? Many bolt action rifle magazines only hold 3-5 rounds. Will you keep the magazine's charged (full of bullets) at home? If so, do you want an empty spare to practice with? Think through these questions and make your decision. I think 5 magazines is a reasonable start, but you should also consider the future. Eventually you'll want more, but that can come with time. I think between 5-10 is a good number to land on, but that's just me. Some people assume that they won't be able to buy magazines in the future, so might as well own as many now as you'll need for the rest of your life. I understand that logic. Up to you.

My core recommendation is 5. If you are purchasing a revolver, buy a few speed loaders and a few speed strips. I personally prefer speed strips from Bianchi over speed loaders, but get some of each to practice with before you invest in a bunch more. I haven't torture tested either device, but my guess is speed loaders and strips will wear out much faster than a magazine, so you'll probably want more.

For magazines, expect to pay between $15-$40 depending upon the firearm. Go with your manufacture's magazines for pistols. For AR-15s or AR-15 magazine compatible rifles, Magpul PMAGs are the standard, and they are cheap.

Obviously this doesn't apply to shotgun purchases, but consider your shell carry solution as well. Bandoliers are silly, but can be practical. Several tactical clothing manufactures make ammo bags that you can attach to a MOLLE capable vest or pack of some sort. You could also go with a direct mount option either to the stock or the receiver. These have pros-and-cons, namely capacity. Get something though. Otherwise, you're stuck with what's in the tube.

Flash Light and Mount

Ok, I may have lost you with that one, but hear me out. You bought that firearm, chances are with personal or home defense in mind right? Ok, so think through a night-time scenario in which you may have to retrieve that firearm. Will you have one hand free to manage a flash light to see in the dark? Can you effectively control and shoot that firearm with one hand? Trust me, a mounted light option is the way to go. Until you have it, you won't be able to use that firearm at night.

You've now entered the world of expensive must-have accessories. Some great options for pistols include Streamlight and Surefire. Both are expensive. A Streamlight TLR-3 for a pistol will set you back about $100. Surefires are more. With a rifle and mount (see Magpul again), you can get away with a tactical flashlight like a Streamlight PolyTac for about $30. Mounting a light on your pistol or rifle does require some sort of rail system, so check for that before you make your final firearm selection (or buy another firearm for night-time defense). Magpul also offers mounting solutions for shotguns and AK platforms if your factory setup doesn't come equipped with a rail system.

To set expectations, if you need a new fore-end for your rifle or shotgun, plus mounting rail, plus light mount, expect to pay at least $100.

Once equipped, if things go bump in the night, you can grab your firearm, flip on the light, and investigate what's going on. Be sure of your target and keep that finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire, and don't point that firearm at anything you don't intend to destroy.

Ammunition

Your gun needs food. You can't shoot if you have no ammunition, and these days, ammo can be hard to come by. Artificial fluctuations in ammunition supply causes regular periods of empty shelves at your local gun store as well as at online retailers. In 2015 when the ATF started trying to ban popular 5.56 ammunition, owners when on a purchasing binge and every store I know of (online and physical) ran out. If you buy a .22 long rifle, well congratulations and good luck. The places I buy .22 from limit orders due to the popularity of the cartridge and tendency among people to just buy up everything they see. A few years ago, 9mm was impossible to find. It's back now, but there are still times when my favorite retailer is out of the specific ammunition I'm looking for - even among popular brands like Federal and Hornady. Never assume ammunition will be plentiful. It's not.

So, how much should you buy? I recommend keeping at least 500 rounds of ammunition for each caliber firearm you own as a minimum. That might seem like a lot, but you can easily burn 100 rounds in a short hour at the range. What if you hit the range a few times in a month, and all the local shops run dry on ammo? You'll be out fast, and your firearms will go hungry. Ammunition prices are all over the map, so there's no way to set expectations on this for you, but for the average centerfire ammunition (9mm, 45 ACP, .223/5.56, .38 spcl, .357, .44, .30-30 etc.) you'll be paying between $0.30 a round to well over $1.00 a round.

You should also consider the continuous attack on our freedoms by anti-gun politicians. As I mentioned, when ATF started to try to ban 5.56, it suddenly disappeared from availability. We can't assume the ammunition we buy today will be available tomorrow. If you can, buy, buy, buy.

Ammunition Storage

Ok, now that you have all that ammo, where are you planning to store it. Remember, ammunition can be a health hazard if you purchase and store ammo that has exposed lead. You'll also need to keep it in a dry and safe location so that it's not damaged by weather or impact. Firearms safety manuals also say to store it in a locked container or safe, separate from your firearms. I'm not going to offer you suggestions on this one, but you'll need to think this through. Think about ammo cans, lockers, safes etc. and make a decision, before that ammo arrives home.

Red-Dot Optic

Ok, I'm going to depart from the rest of the article on this topic and end with a DON'T BUY. This is an accessory the store might try to sell you, but YOU DON'T NEED IT. Not at first anyway. If you buy an AR-15 or similar rifle, you may be really tempted to buy a red-dot, especially if you are influenced by what you see in movies, magazines, or YouTube. Believe me, they are extremely useful and practical. However, it's better to become proficient at close distances using traditional "iron sights" anyway. Our men and women in the military are taught to be proficient with iron sights at 100 yards and beyond. You should start there too. You'll need iron sights anyway in case your red-dot ever fails or the battery dies. Better to learn it from the start.

So, for your initial purchase, skip the red-dot. You don't need it.

Thanks, and be safe.

Firearms Myth 9: A Gunman is a Danger

The media and anti-gun politicians have done a great job of creating the perception that someone with a gun, a gunman, is a danger or a threat. We've been condition to the point where if we see someone holding a gun, we automatically think it's a problem. If you went to a friends house, and they had a gun on their hip, or were cleaning a firearm, you might instantly feel uncomfortable. Why is that? It used to be that guns were just another tool most people carried around. When packing for a camping trip, you'd grab your tent, food, stove, mess kit, gun, sleeping bag etc. When heading downtown for the night, you'd grab your gun. When getting ready for a morning jog, you'd strap on your holster and insert your trusted pistol. When heading out to work in public among unpredictable situations, you'd load your trusted defensive firearm. In fact millions of Americans still do this...silently.

So what changed that created the perception that these people are dangerous? Are there so many more people running around threatening us and provoking people with guns that this fear is justified by our societal experience? That hasn't been my experience. In fact, where I live, seeing someone with a gun is extremely rare, despite the fact that gun sales top the nation in my home state. It's estimated that 1/3 of households in the US have at least 1 firearm in them. Clearly, they are extremely common, and for every firearm, there is a person who owns it. There are millions of gunmen and gunwomen out there today. If you live in the inner city, then perhaps you have had negative experiences with firearms and gangs. I'll give you that, but those people are criminals, not the normal everyday gun owner that you're most likely to encounter.

So what happened?

I recently heard this myth promulgated by the media following a recent home invasion and murder. The news media was reporting that the "gunman was on the loose" and police were in pursuit of "the gunman" as if a gunman being out on their own free will is a problem and police would naturally pursue a gunman. Murders out on the loose are a problem. I'm a gunman. Me being on the loose is not a problem. I have a completely clear and clean record and am out on my own free will. Does that make me a danger? Absolutely not. My character and record prove otherwise.

In fact, in order to purchase a firearm in America, you have to pass a federal background check orchestrated by the FBI. Yes, every new firearm purchase has to be essentially approved by the FBI and the person purchasing the firearm vetted. That essentially means, just about every gunman out there is a safe, law abiding citizen with a clean record. In fact that means if you see a gunman while in public, you are probably safer with them that without them, because the criminals among us - the real dangers to our society - obtain firearms in illegal ways and aren't vetted by law enforcement. Law breakers on the loose are the problem, not gunmen.

You might be thinking, "well, you aren't the problem, the gun is the problem. It's dangerous because it can kill." I've heard that before too. Here's the problem; guns can't kill. If I load a firearm and set it on a table in a room crowded with people, it won't just start killing. If it is left there, even with a bullet in the chamber, no one will be harmed. Someone has to pick up that firearm, point it at someone else, and intentionally pull the trigger. That is a very intentional action. In fact, most "self defense" firearms sold on the market today have multiple safety features built into them to make sure that if you pull that trigger all the way, you really meant it. You can't just put light pressure on the trigger (except for with single action revolvers), and it will accidentally go off. No, there are no accidental shootings. Firearms are built so that the action has to be very intentional, and the motion specific. You see, it's not the object that's the danger, it's the person yielding it that is the problem.

You might object saying, "well, I understand that, but I don't trust everyone else in that room with a loaded firearm." Ok, fine, but you trust that everyone around you on the road has a drivers license, isn't under the influence of an intoxicating substance, is in their right state of mind, is fully paying attention, and has maintained their vehicle to make sure it's operating perfectly. You trust all of them with an object that can very easily become a lethal weapon, yet you don't trust a room of strangers around a loaded firearm? I think the average person is far more likely to get behind a car they've never driven, then they are to pick up a firearm they've never fired.

Just because someone owns a firearm, and you see it with them, does not mean your life is in any more danger than any other moment of your existence. In fact, I'd say you are probably safer with that person than away from them.

Before I end this though, I must say, if you see someone with a firearm, do assess the situation and follow your instinct in that moment - even if your instinct is based on miss-understanding. The reality is there are murderers among us and they use firearms as weapons. They are extremely rare...but they are out there.

Thanks and be safe.

Firearms Myth 8: Spraying Bullets

One of my all time favorite movies is Red, starring Bruce Willis, John Malcovich, Morgan Freeman, Karl Urban, Helen Mirren, and others. Just a fun movie all around. Unfortunately, it's also very much Hollywood, which means it continues the tradition of creating myths around firearms. The one I want to address this time is the myth that you can keep on spraying bullets from a standard rifle for long periods of time. It makes for great action scenes in movies, but it's a myth unless you have a very specific setup. More specifically, you can't spray bullets for extended periods of time from a standard-issue military rifle like an M4, nor from it's civilian cousin, the AR-15 as are commonly used in movies where the spraying happens.

I'll give you an example.

There's a scene toward the very beginning of this movie, where Bruce Willis' character is attacked in his home. I won't spoil anything, but there comes a point where an assault crew brings in fully automatic rifles (look like M4s plus one SAW), and for several moments, just sprays the home under attack with bullets. In fact, it's a stream of continuous fire for almost 30 seconds by my count. You don't get any long detailed shots of the rifles being used, but based on their appearance, at least 2 of them are M4s with standard 30 round magazines. The assailants are wearing standard tactical vests, which on average can easily hold 12 magazines. Now, I won't go into it in this article, but there's a huge difference between the rifles you see in this clip and rifles that look like them that you can buy at your local gun shop (in free states that is).

Take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WxZOes2Na0

Now let's take a look at reality. The M4 documented rate of fire is between 750-950 rounds per minute in full-auto mode (a mode unavailable to most Americans). That's the military rifle that many in the media equate to the semi-automatic AR-15 cousins many of us own. The two are not the same, but again, that's another article. As for the rate of fire, let's split the difference and assume the M4 is capable of 800 rounds per minute. For brevity, rate of fire represents the frequency at which a firearm can launch a projective. In laymen's terms, it can shoot 800 bullets in a minute. That's about 13 per second. The standard magazine for an M4, including the ones visible in the Red clip above, have a 30 round capacity. Drum style magazines (not observed in the movie) have a capacity of 100 rounds. That means to empty an entire standard magazine while in full auto mode would take less than 3 seconds. In fact, closer to 2 seconds. A 100 round drum (again, not used in this movie) would be emptied in about 8 seconds.

Firing continuously for 30 seconds as is shown in the movie, using standard 30 round magazines isn't possible. One would need a magazine with a capacity of about 390 rounds to accomplish that. If you used 30 round magazines and wanted to fire for 30 seconds as continuously as possible, you would need 13 magazines and 12 reloads. Now, given the tactical vests the assailants in the movie are using, it's possible they could have done that with minimal time between each reload. If you wanted to extend the firing time, you could use 4 drum magazines and 3 reloads, but they didn't do that.

In other words, what they did is not possible. So, if you believe that an AR-15 can just be used to spray bullets for minutes at a time, I hope I've corrected the record for you.

Now, the story continues it's absurdity (although fun). These assailants stop spraying the home from the outside, and decide to enter. They still haven't reloaded at this point, but even if we're to assume they did, given the standard tactical vests they appear to be wearing, they would be out of ammo when they walked into the house. Not a great idea if you are trying to take out a Bruce Willis character, but hey, it's a movie.

The only exception to this is the assailant with the SAW rifle who uses a belt to feed his machine gun it's ammunition. With a long enough belt, there's the potential that he could spray for 30 seconds, but I don't know much about that platform, so I won't comment on that.

Now, you may be thinking, "come on, it's a move, don't be so particular." I'm right there with you. I love that scene even though it's absurd. Here's the problem though. People see that scene and think it's a realistic representation of what those firearms are capable of. That's the experience they've had with a rifle like that, so when the media or politicians say things like "no one should be allowed to spray bullets from an AR-15," that's the image that may come to their mind, and they may be inclined to agree. They may see an AR-15 and think "why would someone want the ability to spray out a seemingly endless stream of bullets?" The problem is, no one can...at least not with the platform depicted in the movie that politicians will hold up in a press conference claiming they are trying to protect the public from.

It's movies like this, that while fun, fuel the miss-information out there and establish perceptions that many of us are judged against. Why would I want a firearm that can spray bullets continuously like that? I don't know, for fun I suppose. It's a civil right, so why not? But my point is, don't make those assumptions about that firearm platform or about owners of that platform. It's not real.

Thanks and be safe.