sigchick88:
fiddletown
[1] I strongly recommend getting some good, professional training... One of the things that can be a huge help to you will be a sense that you understand the gun, how it works and the confidence that you can manage it. Training will help you achieve that much faster and more surely than just practicing on your own.
Ditto this.
Friend of mine, circumstances similar to your own, wanted a gun and training. She figured she'd get the gun, take some lessons, shoot it a few times, then put it in a drawer somewhere, rarely to be touched again. Here's part of what was going on in her head:
Her worry about owning the firearm was that she didn't really know how it functioned, merely knew how to load it and fire it, but had developed no genuine sense of gun mastery. In short, she lacked both comfort and confidence handling and shooting a gun.
Furthermore, she believed that, in a defensive encounter, it would prove sufficient to point the gun at the bad guy and rapidly unload on him, despite no real experience with the principles of marksmanship or defensive shooting.
Training quickly solved all of these issues. She understands the safe handling and operation of her guns (yeah, she owns more than one, now). She can take them apart, clean them, put them back together, knows what the parts are and what they do. She understands the principles of marksmanship and defensive shooting, can diagnose mechanical malfunctions and clear them, understands the difference between a mechanical malfunction and a misfire (squib, dud, hangfire), and knows just as well what to do about those, too. On toppa that, she can shoot with precision on demand, or with useful speed and accuracy on single or multiple targets.
For her, an unexpected byproduct of training was this: she discovered that she likes shooting. She finds it fun.
Curiously enough, however, she has yet to settle on a preferred carry method, though she's certainly aware of the options.
What made the difference for her carrying comfort was the aforementioned training. Before: not comfortable. After: comfortable. And she's comfortable because she knows how to run her guns, has had lots of practice doing so, knows what she can confidently do with them, at what ranges, and within what time frames. Knowing the concealed carry law in her state contributes to her carrying comfort -- i.e. “I'm legal and legit.” -- but not nearly as much as the training.
As to feeling that everyone knows your toting a gun once you start carrying, everyone feels that way. Then they get over it. The only difference seems to be in how long it takes.
Unwanted advice time.
There's something here that requires attention:
Where we live is a pretty nice area but where my husband works isn't and where we go hang out generally aren't either so my husband wanted me to carry while I was taking him to work bc the area was so bad.
Where your husband works is simply where he works, and though changing to a better work location would be a swell idea, it's probably not as subject to swift change as the point of concern, which is this: Sounds like you're choosing to hang out in unsafe places. Armed or not, this simply isn't a good idea. The best way to avoid trouble is avoid places where trouble hangs out.
Stay safe. Keep learning.
