Tactics for couples?

[psalms144.1]

Lots of good thoughts in here. My wife can shoot (she out shoots me every time we go to the range - with no apparent effort on her part, the witch!), but now, in NYistan, can't carry. When we lived in the free world, she had her permit to carry, but rarely did when we were together - because (1) she has an unreasonably high perception of me and my abilities, and (2) we'd already established that, God forbid we were somewhere and things went to guns, the best thing she could do for me was get herself and the little ones as far away as she could, as fast as she could.

In a perfect world, my wife would carry something that fed off the magazines I carry as spares (making me a glorified assistant gunner or ammo bearer) and we'd train tactics and movement to the point where we could do what needs to be done whenever/wherever. Reality is, she's not THAT into it (see #1 above) so I'm good with her getting herself and the kids gone ASAP if we find ourselves in a bad place.

[PF Flyer]

Lots of good advice as I expected, thank you all for replying.

I think one of the common themes for us is planning ahead with different types of scenarios and knowing how each of us might react. She is pretty level headed, maybe more so than I. She is the one who had to drag me back to reality when I decided it was safe to wander the streets of Nassau Bahamas on our own. That was several years ago and I have a bit different attitude about flirting with danger these days. We for the most part try to avoid putting ourselves in the danger zone as much as possible. We don't make 2 AM runs to 7-11 for a slurpy... But as we all know, there are a rapidly declining amount of truly safe, always safe places in current day life.

She is very level headed, believes in doing things right and learning from and using training whether it's her career or otherwise. Definitely not afraid to defend herself, but as with most people not 100% sure how it will feel to shoot someone. I am fairly confident that once the decision is made, for either of us, that we would abide by the shoot to end the threat completely edict. Of course we are both hopeful that a situation would be diffused before it came to drawing a weapon and hopefully if drawn, the presence of a gun might finally deter others. But, I am for sure ready to take the needed next step if warranted.

I pretty much always carry, single stack 9mm. She carries about 50% of the time when we are together, and purse carry when she is out on her own about 70% of the time. She currently carries a Taurus PT 22, 9 shot semi. She is pretty accurate at dumping the mag at 10 yards into an 8" circle. We have a tcp in .380 in the drawer for when she is ready. Recently purchased and need to put a few hundred rounds through to verify its as reliable as her other Taurus, which runs at pretty much 100% with Remington golds. Have put 50 rounds through the TCP and so far so good with a minor fluff and buff and adjusting the spare mag. She is not loving the recoil, if she gets used to it great, if not she will stick with the gun she can shoot and shoot accurately in 22LR.

Our biggest concern for her is honestly when she is home alone as I travel quite a bit. She keeps the 22 with her as she moves about the house and another 9mm that is loaded and ready to go in a hidden, easy to get to location. We do spend some time in the Seattle area of and on for my business and will likely get lined up with some training over there this winter or next spring.

[PF Flyer]

Tiffany, very good advice on the get the weapon while running... or not! We had more in mind to run to cover, then retrieve the weapon. if the threat remains to not engage unless it is coming to her. I would hate to have her run back into the fight from safety.

Unfortunately, she has no interest in being on the forum, actually any gun forum as through some bad advice she got from a family member led her to several that were filled with over the top radical prepper, vigilante types. Still trying, (with this forum and another) to get her to understand that there are normal and reasonable people out there who carry guns and enjoy a dialogue about them. Getting her gun and CPL was a proud moment for her and I. She posted on facebook and all the whackos came out, pro and con, crazy and sane... that was the beginning of the end of facebook for her. But in everyday life it allowed a lot of people to decide their unwanted input was in her best interest. Having people who raved about having to have at least a bazooka to be properly armed or how it was now her responsibility to rid the world of the dregs of society was pretty insane. Of course having the neighbor lady tell us that she didn't feel safe having "gun people" in the neighborhood didn't help either. (she thought I was a good guy when I snowplowed her driveway or helped get into her locked car after she locked the keys in).

David S... I agree on working to where she is at, she has come long way from not liking or being interested in guns to where she now enjoys shooting (not the LCP yet..) It is one more thing we enjoy together. She is the type who doesn't like to do anything she can't do well, but she also tends to be good at anything she tries. She is becoming more and more comfortable with gun handling, finally had the epiphany that a loaded gun was not coiled up and ready to strike with no provocation, that for the most part you really did you have cause the gun to shoot. It was fun to watch her comfort level go up after that realization. More than anything she now handles it with much more authority, which I firmly believe is much safer than being afraid of it. She is is still careful and mindful of the four basics, but she now realizes it wont go off by picking it up or setting it down, and believe it or not, you can grab the slide and rack it like you mean it!