Concealed Carry Hints

Overview

WHY would anyone WANT to carry a gun?! That is a question you will doubtless hear quite often from those that lean liberal and some of the time from others that tend to be more conservative. It is a question that YOU will need to answer for yourself, and it is best that you answer that FIRST.

The purpose of this document is to provide a free source for the information you may find handy if you decide to carry a concealed weapon. Please use the navigation at the top bar to skip to the segment you like, or read it top to bottom as you prefer.

Why a permit?

The subject of why you should need a permit has been cussed and discussed for more than a handful of decades. Many argue that the 2nd Amendment of our Constitution is their permit. From a purely legal standpoint, it is hard to argue against their opinion. That is unless you consider the number of people prohibited from carrying, in fact prohibited from even owning a gun. The permit provides law enforcement a quick and accurate indication of the individual's legal history, as related to gun ownership. Why do we even care? Simply because there are so many within our society that feel THEY have the right to go without being offended by anyone else in our society. Those are the very same people that feel THEY are the sole arbiter of what is offensive and find that everyone else IS offensive if they carry a gun. Thus they will call for law enforcement if they even catch a glimpse of a gun, be it real or imagined. A permit can save you time and money because you do not have to defend yourself in court if you are carrying legally.

Training

Unlike what those on a testosterone high think, there has yet to be a person born with knowledge and skills to properly and safely handle a gun. What does than imply/mean? Simply that YOU will need proper training in the safety and mechanics of gun use. Once you can handle the gun safely, you will need training on tactics to not only safeguard yourself, but others. Let me repeat, NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN BORN KNOWING HOW TO SAFELY USE A GUN! Training is covered in other web pages on my site and on many other web sites.

Reasons to carry concealed

The somewhat thread-bare but none the less valid reasons for carrying include, but are not limited to:

• Insurance
• Why do you carry insurance on your house? Do you think it is about to burn down?
• Why do you carry insurance on your car? Do you think it is about to be stolen?
A Concealed Weapon is a form of insurance, one that - must - be taken seriously, because the mis-use of that tool can be catastrophic.
• Protect my family
• The police will protect me! - - Sure, if you can wait ten to thirty minutes while they arrive.
• It is called LAW ENFORCEMENT for a reason. The PD/SO can NOT take action until someone has broken the law, or shows beyond reasonable doubt that they are about to break the law.
Many believe they have an obligation to protect not only themselves but their family from harm.
I believe that is true, do you?

Why Concealed Carry?

Why some people HATE guns

Sheeple?

Who should carry?

The CC Permit Holder provides quite a few thoughts on what we are and are not. The first item that each of us MUST decide before you carry concealed is are you ready to kill someone, if it is necessary, to protect yourself or another from serious harm? If you can not say with total honesty that you are, then DO NOT CARRY! The very worst thing you could do is to go through the vetting process, get your permit, begin to carry and then hesitate after you have drawn your weapon to defend yourself or others. You MUST make that mental commitment to take any necessary action, or you should NOT carry.

Attitudes for CC See if you can get along with the attitudes necessary for CC with minimal/no problems with LEOs. If you firmly believe that your "rights" supersede anyone else's, you may want to seriously think about NOT getting your permit. The officer has ALL of the rights you have, but has a job that puts them in daily contact with individuals of minimal intelligence. DO NOT look like one of those people to the LEO.

What do I need to do?

The following items are sequenced by importance to you. There can be slight adjustments, but ALL are important.

1. The first item you must do is to read and understand the laws in your state concerning concealed carry! Read AND UNDERSTAND! Handgun Law is a web site that has state by state summaries of the laws pertaining to concealed carry. That is an excellent starting point, but you also need to refer to the specific laws/statutes in your area. Department of redundancy department, UNDERSTAND THEM - before - you carry.
2. Get some training! There are many that will whine/cry that it is their "Constitutional Right" to carry concealed, therefore they do not need training. WRONG! Two hundred years ago it was "common knowledge" that guns were part of our society. The vast majority of households had guns and almost everyone had what training there was available. That is no longer the situation. While many houses DO have guns, and many within those houses do receive training, that training is not adequate for concealed carry (reference number 1 above).
   In addition, those with an excess of testosterone tend to believe THEY are uniquely able to handle their weapons safely, just because they own one (reference number 3). Concealed carry requires a unique skill set to be able to handle yourself and anticipate situations that can easily occur. The more knowledge you have about concealed carry, the more likely you are to NOT have an unfortunate situation happen.

   A few thoughts on training include:
   Defensive Shooting and
   Live Fire Exercises
   Is it LEGAL?

3. Safety! Gun Safety is an essential item for anyone that handles, much less carries a gun. You will often hear a gross oversimplification of gun safety rules when someone says "Treat every gun as if it were loaded!" HOW DO YOU DO THAT?! By following the FOUR rules presented in the linked page.
• A major item to think about:
  Once you have your permit/license and you are carrying, BE SURE you keep one fact in mind. If you are unfortunate enough to be present during a robbery, OVER 60% of the people doing an armed robbery, HAVE AN ARMED ACCOMPLICE! In other words, the robber is SELDOM alone. Do you want to get shot in the back as you try to stop the robbery? NOT ME!

Specific Hints on Carry

The following are hints from several people on Ruger Forums

• From allabtslfdef:
  Concealed means concealed. If you keep that in mind you will be good to go. I saw a signature one time that said always carry, never tell. Those are good words to live by.
• From slinger56:
  PRACTICE,and when you are tired of that, take a rest and then practice some more. Next week,,,,,,,practice again. Practice with the gun, holster, and concealed method(s) you plan on using. Practice on realistic targets at realistic distances. If you need to, seek out experienced folks who may train you or share tips on just HOW to get that gun out of the holster without shooting your foot off, or without muzzle sweeping half of your state in the process. Then, PRACTICE!
  Don't worry about speed, focus on accuracy. Did I mention PRACTICE ??
• From Pat-inCO:
  ** One statement from a national shooting champion is worth mentioning
  "You can not miss fast enough to win."
  ** Now a few things to think about (how do YOU want to handle these situations):
  ~ Use of indoor facilities:
  ~~~ Urinal - Can you use the receptacle and have your carry piece protected? In some places there is a long line of receptacles. Is there one available that will put your carry rig against a blank wall?
  ~~~ Sit-down receptacle - Where will you place your gun while you are "busy doing paperwork"? Is there one with a blank wall on the side where your gun is?
  ~ Winter:
  ~~~ When you take off your coat, will your gun become uncovered? It gets really hot with a heavy coat on, indoors. You also draw attention to yourself if you are wearing a heavy coat indoors and sweating.
  ~ Summer:
  ~~~ Hot days often require different carry rigs. Investigate the possibilities - before - you need them.
  ~~~ Think about techniques that allow you to have your gun "hidden in plain sight". Some carry rigs (fanny pack, SafePacker) allow you to have team logos sewn on. That will reduce the "gun" image.
  ~~~ Will your carry rig allow you to protect the gun from sweat?
  Saves cleaning the gun every time you carry it.
  ** The last item is, exercise due diligence in your setup, then RELAX. Just because someone looks at you, it does - not - mean they have made your rig (If they stare, you may be in trouble ). Allow yourself to relax while remaining aware.
• From JustPlainDirt:
  First practice safe gun!
  **Read "In the Gravest Extreme" before you strap on anything. If you can't wait to get the book then at least, read every on-line article and video you can about, for, from or with, Massad Ayoob. (don't do like I did initially and discount this guy because his name sounded like maybe a foreigner's.). Critique every single gun related crime you can; as if you were an armed bystander. What would you do? How would you do it? Put your mind in the shoes of victim(s). Create any imaginary scenario you can think of with yourself, your family, co-worker, friends, neighbor and include coming to the aid of a police officer. Prepare yourself. If you can imagine it, it can happen! The unimaginable happens all the time. If you have to shoot a home invader at night, which direction is it safe for you to shoot from where you stand? Do the same exercise for daytime hours. It seems ludicrous to think about safety when you have to shoot somebody and, if you do, it may get you killed. Know in advance!
  ** Learn who Jeff Cooper is and why you care. Research "The Lakewood Four" (Nov 29, 2009), what if you had just stopped in for a latte? (There are hundreds of these types of incidents that have gone down over the years.) Know the laws of your state, understand 'felony force' and how it applies to your incident. Practice close quarters shooting. A bullseye at 15 yards is nothing like a tweaker* at two feet.
  ** And, certainly not the final word on the subject, but, it might behoove you to know about, "The Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network"
  ** It is important to know how to shoot, it's imperative to know when.
• From CARSINC:
  Learn what to do and say if you draw your weapon and don't fire. Learn what to do and say if you do draw your weapon and fire. Retain a lawyer who knows concealed carry and has a record of defending CCW cases. Carry his/her card in your wallet and have the number in your cell phone. Never stop practicing and training - you want muscle memory, not just the ability to draw, point and shoot. Spend some time with someone experienced in CCW. Learn situational awareness, who is around you, what are they doing. Avoid situations where you have a high probability of needing a weapon.
• From BearTaylor:
  ** Avoid a gunfight if possible.
  ** Don't shoot anybody that doesn't deserve it.
  ** Never let a bad guy get control your weapon. If you do you're dead.
  ** Don't draw a gun unless you know you can pull trigger if you have to.
  ** Keep in mind that your bullet may continue on after passing through your target.
  ** Get to know a good lawyer and don't say anything you'll live to regret after an incident.
• From BuckeyeBlast
  Train. Don't just go to the range and shoot paper while standing still. Marksmanship does not equate to handgun fighting skills when you're under stress. Join a range that has IDPA shoots. Don't be intimidated, some of the guys are amazing, ask for instruction and then start competing. You're shooting while moving at multiple targets, with some form of stress, and you're starting off with drawing from concealment. All things that could save your life.
  ** Don't cheap out on a holster. The last thing you want is something that pulls heavy on your belt, doesn't conceal well, and could lead to dangerous retention problems.
  **Be smart, be mature. You'll find you're more calm when CCW'ing. It's not just a right, it's now a responsibility. You represent all of us when you carry. KNOW your laws, think about scenarios, ask questions of others and yourself. If you do something wrong, it's likely to punish all of us. Again, it's not just a right, it's a responsibility. Remember that if nothing else.
• From martinj001
  I did see mention of not cheaping out on the holsters, but you might want to add not cheaping out on a belt too. If a person spends big money on a holster and cheaps out on the belt to carry it on, it ain't worth much. A good belt and a good holster are just as important as the weapon that goes in them.
• From Tracer
  You should choose a brand of pistol and type of caliber that number one, fits your hand and feels good, second choose a caliber that you can handle and shoot well from the get go.
• From Stirfry
  1. don't just assume an IWB holster is the best way to conceal a gun.
  2. "this gun/holster is so ______, I almost forgot I was carrying it" ... it not always a good thing.
  3. if you carry a small or light gun, a "good gun belt" adds more bulk and stiffness than is needed.
  4. a good holster, on the other hand, is mandatory.
  5... sure, "hiding" the gun is important... but don't let that override the need to access it when needed. (I pocket carry at times, but seated in a car you will never be able to access it. plan/think ahead)
  6. smaller is not always better (doesn't matter how easy it is to hide, if you can't shoot it well)
  7. laws, laws, laws!
• From ncspeedsix
  Ask your local LEOs what type of ammo they use and consider using the same in your gun. That way, if you are ever asked on the stand why you chose to use a particular type hollow point in your gun, you can respond that you were using the same round that the local police force uses. This may seem trivial, but prosecutors may attempt to make the defendant out to be overly aggressive in his selection of ammunition for his firearm, and this will keep you covered.
  
  Along those lines, consider using a firearm for defense that has not modified in any way since you acquired it NIB. Ie, right out of the box with the factory trigger etc. If your weapon is involved in a shooting, you can be sure that ballistics experts will be examining it. If your gun has a modified trigger, the prosecutor can use that against you by arguing that you put a lighter trigger on your weapon so that you could pump more rounds into your target at a faster pace, and therefore may have used excessive force in stopping your threat. These may seem like trivial details, but any advantage that the prosecutor has to stir up the jury, you can be sure they will try to use to their advantage.
• From hariph creek
  Once you've figured out your CC rig, wear it around the house until it doesn't feel like a foreign object anymore. That way you will feel and look natural in public. Thus avoiding constant adjustments, checks and having shifty or guilty looking eyes when you look people in the face.

Some final Thoughts

• The BEST gunfight, is the one you were not even near.
  Many seem to be looking for trouble and if you do, you could easily find far more than you anticipated. There are significant legal repercussions in the use of a firearm for anything but personal protection (obviously not talking about target practice or hunting).
• Bullet Set-back: One thing that many have not heard about, but is non the less VERY important is bullet set-back. This occurs in EVERY manufacturers ammunition, to some degree or the other. It happens when the slide picks up a fresh round from the magazine and pushes it into the chamber. The bullet is forced back into the case by anything from one or two thousandths of an inch to FAR more than that. The cheaper the ammunition the more likely it is to have the set-back be larger, and even the best ammunition experiences it after multiple chamberings.

  The problem comes when the set-back becomes large enough that the cartridge will no longer chamber correctly. If you can finally get a cartridge chamber that has significant set-back, it WILL experience over pressure and function improperly.

  How can you avoid set-back? Simple, once a round is chambered, either shoot it, or use it for practice ammunition. IN NO CASE, should you be chambering a round more than twice! There are many people that unload their pistol each night and reload it in the morning. If you have a VERY specific reason for doing that, make sure that you put the previously chambered ammunition in a box that is just for range practice! Failure to do that can easily cause significant problems.
  (obviously not an issue in revolvers)

• The following is a summary of five year's articles published by the NRA in the "Armed Citizen" segment of its publications. There are 482 incidents reported but many do not include shooting (hint, hint). It addresses many of the over-reaction comments we frequently see in Internet opinions on gun forums. Read it and decide for yourself.
  
  
  • Shots were fired by the defender in 72% of the 482 incidents.
  
  
  • If the defender fires any shots, it will most likely be 2 rounds.
    This does NOT imply a 2 shot derringer is "good enough".
    If more than 2 shots were fired, it generally appeared that the defender's initial response was to fire until empty, or that the caliber was inadequate for the need.
  
  
  • Private citizens needed to reload in 3 of the 482 incidents.
    That is one half of one percent of the shootings.
  
  
  • In the vast majority of shootings, the distance was slightly in excess of arm's length. This strongly implies that extensive practice at 25 yards is not necessary for self defense. In my opinion, 15 or so FEET is far better.

  The perceived need for massive quantities of ammo, reloading, and precision shooting at distance is largely a figure of people's imaginations. There is simply no evidence to support the contention that any of those conditions occur during most armed confrontations involving the private citizen.

  • 52% of incidents took place in the home, with 32% being in a business. Incidents in public places were 9% and 7% occurred in or around vehicles.
  
  
  • The most common source crimes were: 1)armed robbery - 32%, 2)home invasion - 30%, 3)burglary - 18%.
  
  
  • Most commonly, criminals acted in a shark-like fashion, slowly circling and alerting their intended victims. Anyone heard of situational awareness?
  
  
  • Handguns were used in 78% of incidents while long guns were used in 13% and the remainder were not reported.
  
  
  • The most common size of handgun was the .35 caliber family (.38, .357, 9mm) at 61%. 380s and below were at 23%, and those starting with a .4 or larger were 15%. Proof that having a gun available is more important than its caliber, but I still think something starting with a point four is an advantage.
  
  
  • The firearm was carried on the person of the defender in only 20% of incidents. In the remainder, the firearm was obtained from a place of storage, frequently in another room. When you remember that over half of the incidents were in the home, this is easier to understand.
  
  
  • Multiple conspirators were involved in 36% of the incidents. However, there are no apparent cases of drivers or lookouts acting as reinforcements for the criminal actor(s) once shooting starts. Please note, this statistic is for all encounters documented in the NRA publication and not just for the armed robberies noted above.
• Many people seem to live in fear of over-penetration. That is where a shot will pass through a BG and strike an innocent person behind him. The FBI did a major analysis of penetration as part of their effort to find the "optimal" round for their agents to cary. Their results do not agree with the worry.
• If you are involved in a shooting and the Bad Guy (BG) turns to leave, let him leave! There are many well documented cases where the GG was totally in the right, until he took just one more shot than was necessary to stop the incident, and ended up in SERIOUS trouble.
  There was one where a doctor had someone come onto his property and break in to his house. The good doctor used a .22lr revolver to convince the BG of the error in his ways. Once the BG turned to leave the doctor took one more shot (that he swears was into the ground) as an additional warning to the BG that he was being watched. That shot hit the BG in the butt. End result, the doctor lost his farm, all of his guns, did jail time, and can NEVER own a gun again. All, just for a "warning" shot. - - If the BG turns to leave, LET HIM GO!
• Here is a diagram that I found in no less than twenty web sites so I will rely on the source's name included in the diagram for credit. It details some of the more prevalent errors people will make when carrying concealed. Do your best to avoid them!
  

Links to other information

The following are links to information that seems very useful.

• Handgun Laws State by state summary of CC laws
• The CC Permit Holder - Attitudes necessary for CC.
• Shooting and safety - Four basic rules of gun safety.
• Shooting a Hand Gun - Basics of Handgun shooting.
• Why some people HATE guns
• Sheeple?
• 10 Rules of a gunfight
• Sightm1911 CCW Library EXCELLENT general information on CC.