CONCEALMENT 8 Concealment #8 Iain Harrison Join the Conversation At RECOIL, we review every product fairly and without bias. Making a purchase through one of our links may earn us a small commission, and helps support independent gun reviews. Learn More With mass shootings dominating the media’s attention, we should perhaps take a deep breath and consider just what types of threats are likely to be encountered by the law-abiding citizen. Mass casualty events are mercifully rare, and while atrocities such as the Las Vegas shooting suck up the oxygen of public discourse and often result in knee-jerk political reactions, as individuals, we’re far more likely to be victims of more mundane crimes. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, in 2016 over 1.2 million violent crimes occurred in the U.S., 64 percent of which were aggravated assault. If we’re serious about protecting ourselves and loved ones, then it behooves us to train for the most likely scenarios, rather than the ones that grab the most headlines. Here at CONCEALMENT, we don’t think that the gun is always the answer — if all you have is a hammer, then every problem is a nail, and in the times when your tool belt is empty, you’d better be able to improvise. This is why we take seriously the concept of you, the reader, as being the weapon and everything you encounter or possess is a means to an end. As part of that mindset, we asked a panel of experts to identify melee weapons within arm’s reach and how they’d employ them. We also look at employing that most basic implement — the pocket knife — in a self-defense role. There are plenty of times when, even living in a Constitutional carry state, I don’t have access to a handgun. But so long as I’m wearing pants, there’s a blade on my person. Once you’ve decided to make a serious study of the use of that most ubiquitous weapon, then you’ll want to check out our training blade guide, as practicing with a sharp edge is like dry-firing with a loaded magazine. Sooner or later, it’s going to bite you. Elsewhere, we examine Walther’s newest iteration of their PPS, a design that, while frequently ripped off, still doesn’t get the attention it deserves. And while we love giving unbiased information regarding firearms deserving of your consideration, we also don’t shy away from offering opinions on what my former brother-in-arms would term, “comedy weapons.” While the current fad for non-NFA shorty shotguns is interesting, after trying our damnedest to make them work, we’ve written them off as effective home-defense equipment. Fun, yes. Effective, not so much. Whatever tools you select for your own use, by far the greatest investment you can make is in training. We’re not saying you must sign up for classes, buy time with an instructor, or commit to a decade in a Shaolin temple. But without the ability to effectively use the hardware you’ve acquired, it’s not a weapon, it’s a talisman against evil. And we all know how effective those are. To preview the issue click here: Concealment 8 Explore RECOILweb:SHOT 2016: Something old, something new from GlockCountering the Vilification of the KalashnikovRECOILtv Gun Room: Knight's Armament XM-9Merry Christmas from Silencerco NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOILFor years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included). Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.You want this. Trust Us.