Tom Spooner's Everyday Carry: Staccato CS, Spartan Folder and CAT Tourniquet

On the Shawn Ryan Show, retired Delta Force operator Tom Spooner sat down for a pocket dump segment and walked through the gear he keeps close day to day, along with how he thinks about carrying a weapon in the first place.

Snapshot

Retired Delta Force operator Tom Spooner shows his daily carry on the Shawn Ryan Show, from a CAT tourniquet and Spartan Blades folder to a Staccato CS loaded below capacity, and explains why habit keeps him on iron sights though he is warming to a red dot. Spooner argues mindset comes before gear: know the law, dry fire often and decide in advance whether you would use lethal force.

Key points

• Medical: Spooner said he keeps a CAT tourniquet in the backpack he carries everywhere.
• Blade: He carries a Spartan Blades folder, made by friends who run the company, and described himself as a believer in the old "man without a knife" mindset.
• Pistol: His daily carry is a Staccato CS, loaded with 13 rounds despite the magazine's 16-round capacity, a preference he chalked up to being particular about magazine springs.
• Optics vs. irons: Spooner said he still leans on iron sights out of habit even though he likes the Trijicon RMR, and a story from Kyle Morgan about using a red dot with night vision pushed him closer to making the switch.
• Carry method and mindset: He carries appendix or inside-the-waistband depending on clothing, and argued the real first decision isn't gear, it's deciding in advance whether you're willing to use lethal force, since hesitating to make that call under stress leads to emotional, not rational, decisions.

Quick take

Spooner's bigger point is the mental homework that comes before any gear: know your legal boundaries, dry fire often, and settle the kill-or-not question before you're ever in a position to need the answer.

Watch the full video: Shawn Ryan Show