First time jitters.

My first concern was about line of fire when carrying IWB appendix...Still unnerving when I think about it, even more so when I read about ND when suiting up.

My biggest issue when I first started carrying was comfort and confidence that my pistol was truly concealed. Both issues caused me to constantly readjusting the holster and clothing. Nothing smokes you out like absent mindedly fondling your carry piece or getting the hem of your shirt stuck between your grip and your body.

I eventually had to buy a bunch of bands, holsters and shoulder rigs before I found a set-up that complimented my body shape and fashion style. The Army required me to dress business-casual and carry a full size service pistol, I chose M11. I used a Kangaroo Carry shoulder chest rig with great success.

OP, this is a great question!

I clearly remember the first time that I walked into a bank with a daypack and a concealed revolver to make a withdrawal. This experience cemented in my mind the concept that carrying a concealed weapon is all about the operator, not the tool!

After you acquire decent gear, becoming comfortable while carrying is all about cementing suitable habits into your (the operator's) routine.

One example:

To significantly reduce risk of a negligent discharge when carrying with a round in the chamber, I thought a lot about what I could do to prevent anything from getting close to the trigger when not desired. I decided that one way to prevent accidental trigger manipulation was to always transfer my loaded gun while its still in the holster. In the morning, the holstered, loaded gun comes out of the lock box and onto my hip. If I have to go inside a post office during the day, the holster and gun come off my hip together and are secured inside my vehicle. The gun doesn't come out of the holster when I use the toilet. When I go to bed, the holstered, loaded gun comes off my hip and into the lock box. When I do remove the loaded gun from the holster for practice, inspection, cleaning, etc., I make a point of only doing this when I am facing in a safe direction, with a safe backstop. These habits (and many others) have become so ingrained in my daily routine, that I don't worry about carrying with a round in the chamber any more.

Your task as a (new) operator of a concealed deadly weapon is to carefully consider every aspect of the use of this tool. You must develop routines that FIRST protect you and those around you from negligent operation of this tool, and that SECOND prepare you to use it to defend yourself (and perhaps others) within the constraints of the law and your own rules of engagement.

Thinking through all of the possibilities, identifying actions that accomplish your goals, and then cementing these actions into your daily routine takes time.

Lots of folks here have gone through this process. Our conclusions may differ those that you reach, but there is tremendous value in discussing and learning from each others' experiences and analysis.

Welcome to the adventure!

My biggest obstacle, was the feeling that people will see it.
And then ironically, most people give the fact away by constantly fiddling with it, to ensure it can't be seen!
Being able to just relax, know it's covered and that the vast majority of people aren't paying attention anyway; goes a long way towards eliminating your "tells".
Like poker, if you don't give it away..nobody knows.

My 2nd biggest was deciding which platform to carry. that one was a lot easier to fix.

Iggy said:

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Minor nit pick. WallyWorld makes you pay for the ammo at the sporting goods counter. When distracted reading the back covers of DVDs or checking for cracked eggs, theft from your cart is a real possibility.

Mike

I carried a loaded handgun on my person with my Concealed Carry Permit on Labor Day, the first time I did so for the whole day. I went no where that I had not gone before, and was not 'looking for trouble' but remained alert of my surroundings, just like I try to do at all times. It was definitely reassuring while stopping for gasoline in South St. Louis city and driving through East St. Louis, IL on my way home.

I liked the feeling and am looking forward to my next full day of carry.

OK. Sounds cool. Get the round in the chamber ASAP. Carrying a heavy paperweight will be of little use if Armageddon happens within 3 or 4 seconds.

Which it does, every single day.

Another day into my ~2 months into carrying.

Today I had to be involved with/oversee myself and my Misses yard sale/tag sale. Talk about interacting with a lot of random people.

I was moving and lifting things from about 6am to 1pm and interacting, and as far as I know no one was the wiser.

I feel like at this point I've been pretty comfortable for a bit with the "can anyone tell" or "everyone's looking at me" paranoia.

In fact it's almost to the point where I'd feel comfortable carrying my full size in the summer with light clothing and just not care if it prints or shows.

I would have to agree with those who suggested that you get used to carrying with one in the chamber. If the excrement hits the rotating blades you will be in trouble as an inexperienced gun carrier. Way too many things to do before you can engage the bad guy. I also agree that if one of your hands is being used to fight off the dirt bag you won't be able to rack the slide at all.

I wanted the xd mod 2 as well but chose the s&w.

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Some folks don't like the cheesy words on the grip....but I don't care. The gun is so nice that it a blast to shoot, accurate, 100% dependable, has great sights and fits my average sized hands perfectly.

My biggest problem when I got my CCW was the weight of the gun. It kept pulling my pants down, not off, just down enough to be uncomfortable. The hazards of my butt moving to my gut. Been wearing suspenders ever since. Only problem with that is with an undershirt under the suspenders and a cover garment (shirt) it gets a little warm in the summer. I guess you young’uns don’t have that problem.

I have a few questions:

Why do so many who carry concealed worry so much about printing? Most people are so much less observant than you think. Nobody cares about you or what's in your pants!

Why in the world would anyone want to carry a gun without a round in the chamber? That is the same as carrying an empty gun. If you doubt that and think you will have time to rack the slide in a SD situation, think again. Oh, and about the external safety, I hate them on a SD handgun. Your only true safety is, keep your stinking finger off the trigger and the gun won't go bang. Of course all that goes away with a revolver which is what I carry.

Lastly for now, unless required by state law where you live why would you ever tell anyone, even a police officer you are legally carrying a gun? Your gun is just a tool, not something special. Do you inform the officer you have a tire iron in the car? How about a fire extinguisher? Even a knife, do you tell them? Of course not. We need to stop treating handguns as something special before we can get the public to accept it as normal too.

Of course this is all just my opinion.

ArchAngelCD, all your opinions are good ones, IMO.

Why in the world would anyone want to carry a gun without a round in the chamber? That is the same as carrying an empty gun. If you doubt that and think you will have time to rack the slide in a SD situation, think again.

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I agree and would like to add that trying to chamber a round under the stress of a defensive situation will be difficult and in some cases, impossible. Improperly done, it will tie up the gun rendering it unusable.

First time I carried concealed the entire world was watching me... But after a time those furthest from me became uninterested, and as time passed, ever closer did disinterest surround me.

It keeps coming up that people don't pay attention. And while that's usually true, It's not always true.
The trick is to carry, and not be spotted by those folks who have that keen situational awareness.
And then ultimately, to be one of those people who see the things that usually pass unnoticed.
Part of the responsibility that comes with being capable of your own defense, is being able to recognize the potential threats and assets that move around you.

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but sometimes those finer points are lost within the debate of "what", "where" and "how" to carry.

Which is one (of many) reasons the only thing I buy at Wally World is ammo. YMMV.

When I first started carrying I was sure everyone knew. A few years down the road we are loading a new recliner into my truck and the guy at the store asks me what caliber glock I am wearing. Most of the people that are observant enough to notice it, are smart enough to realize it is not threatening them and /or have their own.
My favorite thing is to ask my wife "Do you think that guy in the glock/NRA/smithnwesson shirt and fannypack is carrying?
I also sometimes wear one of the green mountain cc vests that screams "I have a gun" to anyone who has spent much time in gun shops.


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Twiki357 said:

My biggest problem when I got my CCW was the weight of the gun. It kept pulling my pants down, not off, just down enough to be uncomfortable. The hazards of my butt moving to my gut. Been wearing suspenders ever since. Only problem with that is with an undershirt under the suspenders and a cover garment (shirt) it gets a little warm in the summer. I guess you young’uns don’t have that problem.

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A good gun belt is something a lot of folks don't take into consideration.

I got over it pretty early once I realized people either don't notice, or assume you're in law enforcement.

I was probably 19 or so and going on a coyote hunt with some friends. I couldn't yet conceal, so I was open carrying a cz82 in a leather OWB holster, and my buddy had a big Ka-Bar on his hip. We went into a convenience store to grab some smokes, and he was in line in front of me. The lady at the register noticed his knife and became visibly upset; almost shaking and eyeing him nervously. He paid and left, and I got to the counter, she noticed my pistol, and immediately calmed down. Best I can figure is she associated the big knife with 'Bad Guy' and gun with 'Cop/Good Guy'. Interesting experience to have early on and certainly affected my outlook on the general public's perception of firearm carry to this day.

Your feeling of apprehension is a sign that you are appropriately aware of the responsibilities that come with walking around with a loaded gun. A moment of inattention can mean an AD/ND, or a gun carelessly left where young hands can get it. Don't try to lose that feeling. Use it to maintain the best possible practices.

JTHunter said:

ArchAngelCD said:

In some states, the antis got enough language into those laws to make it "illegal" to print. And many of those same antis will be the first one to scream in panic at somebody printing, making a public spectacle of everybody involved.

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I have heard in some states the laws are such as if your gun is visible when carrying concealed you could be charged with brandishing but the gun has to be visible. I have never heard of a law where it was illegal to print, it's not the same as lifting your arms and the gun peeks out or your cover garment getting pushed to one side and the gun is fully visible. I have never heard of printing being a crime. Of course just because I never heard of it doesn't make it impossible. Can you tell me in which state is it illegal to print?