Mark Keefe, Editor in Chief of The American Rifleman, has an excellent article in the December 2016 issue on “The Pocket Pistol’s Progression,” in conjunction with a review by Joseph Kurtenbach of the second version of the landmark Ruger LCP pocket pistol.

Keefe provides some interesting quotes from the English gun writer Hugh B.C. Pollard about the pocket pistol, including:

The advantages of the pocket automatic are — rapidity of fire, and the flatness and compactness in the pocket.

And

The average Englishman has little idea how widespread is the habit of carrying a pocket pistol; it is certainly unusual in England, but almost customary in the U.S.A. and Continental countries.

And

After all, it is better to be efficiently armed than not; and ever since the first prehistoric man invented the sling or the bow, weapons that kept the enemy at a distance and disqualified mere personal strength…

You signed up for your first firearms class.  That is awesome and you will certainly learn a lot.  It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the new ideas. Your first class probably covers firearms safety.. and much more. Here is a review of what you’ll learn, and what you might need to unlearn.

Safety- You thought safety was for beginners. Firearms safety is a lifelong skill for both beginners and professionals. Professionals have to be both swift and safe all the time.

Preparation- You thought a gun might keep you safe. Like a life-jacket keeps a sailor from drowning, your gun is only a tool. Your skills keep you safe.

Equipment- Your gun seemed to fit your hand perfectly when you held it in the gun store. Your all-day class will show you every place where your gun rubs your hand the wrong way. That happens to all of…