Tactical Briefcase

[butch50]

After a lot of trial and error I have settled into a carrying pattern that works for me. I carry in my front right pants pocket, or in my briefcase.

I carry a briefcase at work all the time anyway, and have for years. It is a soft sided brief case with multiple zippered compartments, and one outside compartment with a flap that is held closed by velcro. When carrying the case I use the shoulder strap and the case rests under my right hand and opening the flap and reaching inside is easy and fast.

What I do during most business hours is keep the pistol in the briefcase, which is always next to me, and put it in my pocket when going out for lunch or leaving the office to go where a briefcase is not usual or required. When driving I put the pistol in the briefcase, and lay the briefcase "tactical" side up next to me, it is far easier to get to the pistol while in the car that way, than trying to dig it out of my pocket would be.

I have turned the flapped compartment into my "tactical" part of the case. It contains a pistol, an extra mag, a Brinkman flashlight, a folding lock blade knife, a pocket holster, and nothing else. I am thinking of adding pepper spray too, since there is room.

I will be looking at pepper sprays to try and figure out which one is the most powerful and useful.

[VaughnT]

If it works for ya, run with it. However, remember that briefcases, like purses, are prime targets for the snatchers of the world. Also, moving your pistol about, from briefcase to pocket and back, can really add some confusion when the adrenalin starts pumping.

Do you practice drawing and firing from the briefcase? What is your time, from a sitting position? Can you put one round on target in less than two seconds?

It's not a bad idea, but there are serious drawbacks that you need to consider.

Also, putting pepper spray in the bc only adds one more thing to get in the way. Being legal and innocuous, you would do better to keep the spray on your belt or in a pocket at all times. That way, you have defensive element with you at all times.

Just my opinion. I could be wrong.

[shamus005]

when in rome.

if briefcases are common in your area of work, then a "tatical" briefcase will blend in (as oppossed to the horrid and ugly fannypack). Imagine a fannypack worn with a suit. ugh! That would not blend in.

In college towns or hip metro type of communities you'll see a lot of backpacks and messenger bags, or as I call them: Murses (short for "man purse". You could make those "tatical:" as well.

A zippered Franklin planner can be made tatical and they make planner holsters. Those would blend in seamlessly in the business world.

So basically I guess you have to do a "when in rome" type of thing when concealing your weapon. Just keep your awarensss about you. Whatever route you choose can work if you training supports it.

[Mikeyboy]

Wooh, tactical briefcase??? Butch, What do you do for a living that you need to lug all that. I would be more afraid that your briefcase would be lost or stolen, I rather have the weapons on my person. Figure it this way if you are robbed by a lone person or worse a group of people, they are going for the briefcase first, so you will be in a tug of war with your weapons in the bag. I work a white collar job and I usually carry a knife, since I don't have a CW permit but I'm not in a real high crime area. If your in a high crime area, have you considered a smaller handgun. I think it is better to carry a .22 or a .380 on your person, then a .45 in your briefcase. I'm 50/50 with the use of pepperspray. It can get all over the place in a fight, including you. If you want, I would just get a couple of inexpensive canisters that you can buy locally and see how they shoot. You got do it outdoors on a non windy day (you will be sorry if you don't). Whatever you feel shoots the best, and is easy to use, and carry you stick with and buy extra for practice. I think Practice is the key for not getting that stuff in your own eye. P.S milk is supposed to work well when washing that stuff out of your eyes

[Jkwas]

I like the tactical briefcase from the movie "From Russia with Love".
Throwing Knife
Portable sniper rifle with scope
Gold sovereigns
Exploding talcum powder

[butch50]

Do you practice drawing and firing from the briefcase? What is your time, from a sitting position? Can you put one round on target in less than two seconds?

I do not "practice" drawing and firing. I did do it enough times to get familar with the movements, but I don't do it continually. In less than two seconds? Probably not. In a reasonable amount of time yes. Probably about 3 to 4 seconds, depending. It is about as fast as going into my pocket and pulling it out. About as fast as a holstered gun I would think.

If it works for ya, run with it. However, remember that briefcases, like purses, are prime targets for the snatchers of the world. Also, moving your pistol about, from briefcase to pocket and back, can really add some confusion when the adrenalin starts pumping.

So far it works for me - it keeps me within short reach of a pistol during the normal working day. That is a good point about briefcases being a target for snatching, but I don't normally travel in those kinds of areas during my normal work day routines. Moving the pistol only occurs under controlled circumstances - it is either in my pocket or in the briefcase and when I move it between them it is done where I have the opportunity to do it un-noticed.

Wooh, tactical briefcase??? Butch, What do you do for a living that you need to lug all that.

That's the 64 dollar question about carrying really. It isn't that I need to carry, it is that I prefer to carry, and this is just the way that I have worked out for myself during my working day. When I am not at work I use multiple methods of carry, and vary the gun(s) that I am carrying as well. There is nothing inherently dangerous about my job, it is pretty ordinary.

I haven't found any carry method that I prefer over simple pocket carry, but that is just me. I do like being able to stand casually with my hands in my pocket and actually having a grip on the pistol - that might be handy some day.

The knife generally gets used to open boxes, but it is always good to have a sharp knife handy. The flashlight was a present from my wife - I am amazed at how much light that little thing puts out. If you haven't seen one first hand, you will not believe it. Occasional power losses have happened here where I work, I drive sometimes at night, etc...so a flashlight comes in handy now and then. This thing is tiny too, so it takes up no space.

Pepper spray I am thinking might be handy as an in-between kind of weapon, and it would be nice to have a selection. I had extensive first hand experience with CS gas in the Army and have a very good idea of the effects. I got gassed so many times that I started to think I was being experimented on by the CIA or something....

[k9lwt]

Get the HK MP5 with built-in briefcase (or is it the other way around?).

[Dog Confetti]

You wanna see something that's a riot, check out www.lifecase.com...

[VaughnT]

Probably about 3 to 4 seconds, depending. About as fast as a holstered gun I would think.

Not so, good sir. The standard Tueller drill teaches us that an average man can cover 21' in 1.5 seconds. From that, we learn that we need to be able to access our weapon and get a round on target in a similar time. Personally, I have put five rounds on target (four in an 8" circle and one in the occular cavity) in 4 seconds, at a distance of ten feet. That's not great time, but better than I would have expected given the circumstances.

That is a good point about briefcases being a target for snatching, but I don't normally travel in those kinds of areas during my normal work day routines.

Snatchers can be found anywhere. They will look for target-rich environments, like the white-collar district, because that is where they can score the most with the least number of hits. If you think that you don't work in that kind of area, check with the police to see just how high the numbers are for your territory.

Moving the pistol only occurs under controlled circumstances

My point here isn't that what you're doing is unsafe or could be seen by the sheep in your work. Rather, I'm concerned that when the adrenalin starts to pump in a hostile event, you will reach for the gun in your pocket when it's really in the briefcase, or vice versa.

In shooting my innocent, safe, friendly pistol matches around here, I have seen me make some of the worst shots, fumble for the pistol, do horrid reloads and generally make a fool of myself. And that's with just the pressure of buddies watching and a clock ticking. As much as I've trained in the past, with Suarez and Gonzales and both NC and SC states, you would think I would be an ace. I read about shooting, I work in a dangerous field, I carry a big gun every day in open carry. All of that, and I collapsed under a minimum amount of discomfort and pressure. That was a tremendous wake-up call.

Please don't think that I'm bashing you: I'm very happy to see that you're taking your defense seriously and looking to make it home at the end of the workday. I see your briefcase as being akin to the soldier's second-line gear; an auxillary item used to stow support equipment that might be needed but is not primary in importance. Using this analogy, your briefcase would hold extra ammo, knife, light, medkit and phone. Your pockets and belt hold your first-line gear, which is the gun/reload and knife/kubaton/light.

[Sir William]

One thought. Have you checked your company HR policy regarding weapons on company property? Do you have a CCW?

[notareal]

What ? Carrying in a briefcase ? I wouldn't recommend it. If someone attacts on you, the attact will be over after 3 or 4 secs. If you can carry your handgun in a holster on yoy, use knife. It will be a lot more useful in a defence situation than a gun in briefcase.

[Ian2005]

Im with Mikeyboy, why carry all that? Crazy, get a slimed down .380 or .40, any brand pistol and practice. If something happens, how long would it take to get to the "secret compartment", load one in the chamber and fire, all while running for cover. Not practical. It may sound and look cool, but in all practicality, you'll die trying do all this. Might as well add armor plate to your briefcase because your going to need it.

Actually that "Lifecase" product looks great. Use that plus your concealed and I would think you've definity improved your odds in a firefight.

[butch50]

Some very interesting points have been brought up here.

I do not continually practice with a brief case draw in order to reduce firning time down to 1.5 seconds. 3 or 4 seconds may not be quick enough in certain situations, but on the whole if I am suddenly attacked, without any warning whatsoever, then I doubt that I could fire a shot in 1.5 seconds anyway. On the other hand, if I suspect an attack may be imminent, then I will be alert and 3 to 4 seconds will probably be enough. I don't live in the Wild West and I am not interested in being the fastest draw possible. I am interested in being armed, and having that arm within reasonable reach.

The pistols that I carry always have one in the chamber and only need the safety released to fire, that is the only way I carry. Well except for one SA that I have and all I have to do there is cock the hammer.

Yes I do have a CCW, and yes I have checked the employee manual - the manual doesn't explicitly say yes or no, and from there I take it as a don't ask don't tell situation.

I am familiar with the fumbling caused by adrenalin rushing through my body, I have experienced it many times and I find that the best rememdy is to move in a deliberate and methodical manner. Hence the lightning speed of a 1.5 second draw from absolute zero warning isn't very likely for me.

As for snatchers, I know that they can be found anywhere, but I doubt that I will run across one in the normal areas that I carry a brief case. Generally I am walking from my vehicle into a building. If I am going to be outside for an extended period of time I don't carry the briefcase.

I am not trying to be super-protected against any and all contingencies, or trying to become the fastest draw in the west. I am simply carrying a pistol wherever I go. If I have any forewarning at all, I will be as well defended as anyone out there is.

[XavierBreath]

Concealment Briefcase. You can find it for much less elsewhere. I have used this one as a medical bag. It allows carry of a full size gun while in scrubs, and your draw is not compromised if you recognize the threat in time.
Galco makes day planners that allow for a very quick draw.

[guntotin_fool]

I have used a lands end cloth brief case for years as a secondary solution, Hot days where i am required to wear a tie but no coat, when dealing with customers in situations where i might have to crawl in and out of tight places, ( being a contractor that happen fairly often) i placed a fobus holster in the inner slip pocket and fastened it permanently in there. I also have a dayplanner with a commander in it that goes everwhere with me. sure on the street it is not that fast, but i got a gun with me no matter what the environment. plus when i go to to The court house to file apps and permits, i can carry it in and just drop it in the locker basket and get a claim check from the deputy without worrying about handling the gun with all sorts of people around.
I understand somepeople want instant access, in my old company i always felt my most likely scenario was a disgruntles employee, and that i would havea few seconds notice of him/her popping rounds off in the building
most of the time I carry in a yaqui holster that i pop my cell phone in when i am in a NPE, that hides it when it is visible nad when outside a i retrieve my weapon and place it on my hip

[Bobarino]

Bobby