Tips For A New Weapons Carry Permit Holder

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TRAIN: When you go to the range train with everything you use while carrying. Train with all your different jackets, shirts, and holsters. Some of my clothes have weights sewn into them so that the cover stays down to cover my weapon. When i go to move the cover during the draw the weights help get the cover out of the way. Train to be an effective person with a skill and a tool. The weapon itself doesn't make you any better.



ACT: As if you don't have a gun, don't let anyone know you have a gun. Far to often I see people (open or concealed) act a freaking fool and give us all bad names.

Always remember just cause you have the right to carry doesn't mean you have the right to carry everywhere. It's your job to see the posted signs and if an owner of the property doesn't want your gun there just leave. It doesn't require any talking back, stating your rights, bad mouthing, just turn and leave.
 
Your method of dress can communicate your 'standing' in a community.
When I OC I always make sure I'm wearing a nice polo or button down shirt, and a nice pair of jeans for khakis. That way if people notice (and around here nobody noticed my CZ75, too busy glued to their phones) they see its attached to a person who looks well dressed enough to not be a threat in any way. No MWAG calls on me yet, though given OC is legal in VA.

Dress nice and people will be nice.

Glad to hear about the gas station lady too, feels good eh?
 
Indeed it does. Now, I have my smart-phone in my right-hand pocket of my jacket (same side as my pistol) and I use that as a weight to aid in my draw. I don't have any magazine pouches yet, so I keep an extra magazine in a coat pocket.


~On The Road Again...~
 
holster with retention, retention, retention. There is nothing worse than a pistol hitting the floor in a public place. I have witnessed this AKWARD moment in person. pepper spray is a great alternative because you can always apologize for macing someone if you have to.

practice getting it out of the holster. practice getting it out of the holster again.

spare mag is a very good idea.

I also use a man bag sometimes it make carry much easier in certain situations.
 
Early in my era of carrying concealed, I read an article by Massad Ayoob. The article is pretty comprehensive.

My copy of the magazine is in storage, but my best guess is it's: Guns Magazine: G049654 Ayoob, Massad April 1996 "Practical Tips for Concealed Carry"

It can be ordered or found in a library. Great help to someone starting out.

My thoughts:

1) Training is more important than the gun you carry. Similar to constantly worrying about which phone to have, while being unable to hold an intelligent conversation.

2) Thought a lot about my mind-set. Made sure I had worked out any issues with defending myself with lethal force before needing to do so. Embraced the idea of aggressively defending myself and others once conditions demanded it.

3) Questions I asked myself as I selected my primary carry rig:

- Does the gun point naturally for me?
- Is the grip on your gun big enough for you to feel confident making follow-up shots?
- Did you carry the most powerful ammo you can handle?
- Is your holster stable?
- Did you have reasonable confidence in our overall setup?

4) Attend at least one training school, then practice what you learned. I suspect a lot of people don't know what they don't know. A class can show you.

5) Learned and practiced situational awareness so it became more natural to me.
 
Get a good belt and a good holster (ditch the Serpa).

OWB is fine most of the time, but IWB conceals better. Sometimes this is important.

Carry everywhere you can legally do so, including in your own home.

Remember: concealed means concealed.

R
 
Consider how well that serpa is going to conceal come sumertime with no jacket. I can carry G17 or 5" 1911 IWB with a t shirt, hybrid iwb holster and correct positioning/cant. Not sure how well that'd work owb without a cover garment, but if it works for you then it works.
 
I carry OWB year 'round in a Dale Fricke Gideon Elite, and it conceals very well under an untucked shirt; though I do switch to a Comp-Tac IWB a few times per year, on those occasions when absolute concealment is more important than comfort.

R
 
Use the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle, and avoid unnecessary handling of your carry piece (i.e. chambering, clearing, holstering, unholstering)

Decide what condition you want to carry the weapon in and leave it in that condition ALL THE TIME. For me, that's condition 1 with a SAO, in the holster.

If you remove the pistol from your person, remove it while still in the holster and put the holstered pistol in a secure location. I use and highly recommend the push button keyed gun vaults.

IMO, you are much more at risk of having a ND than you are of every having to use a weapon in self defense (assuming you avoid stupid places and people).

Read every ND report you come across and I suspect you will find that most of them are the result of either 1. people "playing" with guns or 2. excessive and unnecessary gun handling.

Good luck and be safe.
 
Ive always had it easy. Washington state allows open and concealed carry, so ever since i got my ccw at age 21 (Im 26 now) ive concealed carried mostly full sized guns (springfield xd40, CZ75b, Glock22, and now a M&P40 fs) without ever worrying about if somebody sees my gun. Even in big cities like downtown Seattle and Tacoma ive had no problems. My advice is to not worry and stay confident. I think its the lack of confidence and comfort that causes people so many issues.
 
All the tips are great, but there is one thing that I did not see. Mindset. Make up your mind you are not going anywhere that you know is risky, make up you mind to never draw unless you intend to shoot, and shoot to make it count. Wounded is not good. Finally, always check your backstop. Innocents do not need to be shot. Hopefully you will NEVER EVER need it. Remember the pistol should not make you any braver and it surely should not make you stupid.
 
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