I just received my chl.

Now what?

I need some tips of what to do and not to do!

Or anything of the sort.

Not to be a smart ***** - but now.. start carrying?

All kidding aside though - get a good holster and belt and get into the habit of carrying daily!

Being fairly new to carrying myself, I think the hardest thing (mentally) for me to get past was having a round chambered. The first six months I carried without chambering - it was a psychological thing. Since the new year I've changed that!

Another thing I had to get use to - was the idea, or thought, that everyone must know I was carrying. I think most newbies go through that - eventually you realize most people are clueless.

Just my two cents. I'm sure others with more experience will chime in!

Well, get some quality leather, learn the laws and carry

Check this website for instance: Handgunlaw.us

There are also books available, like these ones:

Self-Defense Laws of the 50 States - Second Edition Official Store of the National Rifle Association

Traveler's Guide to Firearm Laws of the Fifty States - 2015 Edition Official Store of the National Rifle Association

Good luck and have fun.

__________________
Jorge

You don't say where you live - that matters some. You don't say what guns you own or want to carry. That matters lots. You don't say how you want to carry or what type of gear you plan to use. Also matters. Also, what do you wear routinely?

Give us that and we can assist.

And congrats!

I have a crossbreed supertuck I have been wearing around to get it broken in.

I have a shield that I absolute love.

I also live in Colorado where open carry is unrestricted.

I'm really looking for some tips from veteran chl holders

Forgot to mention, I bought a 5.11 tactical belt from gander mtn. Was very surprised they carried that stuff considering everything there has to be California compliant.

Lots of people think they need to find a carry gun that fits their style of dress. IMO, that's Back-Asswards. One could probably carry just about anything on the market if they only new how to Dress to Conceal. If you google it, you'll probably find a few good sites about it.

Any Concealed Carry instructor will tell you to dress for concealment, rather than trying to force your carry system into what you wear now.
Concealed carry is not about finding a pistol that fits your style of dress... It's about SLIGHTLY modifying your style of dress to conceal your pistol and it doesn't mean one needs to wear fatigues or camo to carry concealed. My Concealed Carry Instructor was able to conceal at LEAST 5 different pistols within his 'Business Casual' attire.
There are multiple articles on the web dealing with dressing to conceal.
Here are a few Bullet Points:

* If you end up carrying IWB, you'll probably need to increase your pants by one waist size (Form Fit pants are out).
** If it's a "Tuckable" IWB holster, you need to learn to 'blouse' your shirt a bit.
**If it's not a Tuckable, you may need to start wearing untucked Polos/T-shirts made of thicker/heavier (non form fitting/tailored/clingy) material.
* Heavier material doesn't print like light/clingy/form fit shirt material
* Dark Color shirts hide printing better than light colors.
** Prints hide better than solids (like camouflage distorts hard lines).
** Untucked shirt tails need to be long enough to still cover when you reach for something up on the top shelf, or bend over to grab something from the bottom shelf.

Wherever on your body you decide to carry, you need to NOT be self-conscious about it.
* People acting self-conscious gets them 'Made' more than printing.
* People DON'T actually look for printing, but they DO notice people who act self-conscious.

Also... As far as Fanny Packs go... Others that Conceal Carry (and probably LEOs) may think "GUN" right off the bat, but those unfamiliar with Concealed Carry will (still) be clueless.

Things that you do not want to do while carrying (aka: Tells):
* Continually checking/adjusting your cover shirt
* Swinging your strong side (gun side) arm differently (or NOT swinging it at all) when you walk (to avoid sweeping your pistol)
* Constantly adjusting/hiking your Belt (usually due to NOT getting a good strong GUN belt)
* Constantly touching your pistol, making sure it's still there (sounds stupid, but newbies do it all the time)
There are more newbie 'tells' that I can't remember right now. (try googling Concealed Carry Tells)

A term I haven't heard lately is 'The Wally Walk'.
*Once a person gets their carry permit, or starts legally carrying and finds the 'system' they will use to carry, it's an unofficial tradition to head over to Wal*Mart, walk the isles, check items on both top shelves and bottom shelves, Buy some Ammo (if they have some )and basically practice NOT looking obvious. *

Why Wal*Mart?
*They're close by, they're gun friendly to those who are Legally Carrying, most of the people there are sheep and will be more oblivious to if you're carrying than other places. (Baby Steps)
= = = = = =
You will learn not everyone can see the outline of your gun and not every movement flashes it.
You will learn not everyone is pointing at you - "He's got a gun!"
You will learn that the more you wear it, the more comfortable you will be with it. If you have a truly GOOD holster/belt combo, you will hardly notice it.
You will learn to "dress around the gun". Dark colors and patterns are your friend, as are loose-fitting shirts.
You will learn to not tug on the hem of your shirt every 5 minutes to assure yourself you're still concealed.
You will learn to stop constantly adjusting the holster. In fact, if the holster/belt is the proper fit, you won't need to.
You will learn to stop touching the butt with your elbow just to assure yourself that it's still in place.
You will learn to give a little extra clearance on your carry side.
You will learn to reach overhead with your weak-side hand.
You will learn to stoop or kneel rather than bend.
You will learn to move through crowds with your strong side to the rear.
You will learn to embrace low, to force your counterpart's arms/hands up, away from your piece.

Know your carry laws (specifically, what you need to do and say if you are stopped by an LEO).

After the holster is broken in, carry your handgun in your home as you would in public and see if it prints and how you look in a mirror. (If you can't tell you are carrying, that is a good sign. ).

Learn not to be self-conscious about carrying - adjusting or touching it regularly may be a giveaway. This will take effort at first but eventually not.

Practice regularly, both dry fire (make sure the gun is really, truly dry!) and live on a range, with and without using the holster, and at least sometimes with the defense ammo you choose.

Others will be along with more tips. Stay safe out there!

__________________
Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

A well thought out and helpful post, but respectfully, a LOT of these issues are negated by IWB appendix carry.

First off, get a GOOD belt and holster as stated above. I love Jason Winnie's pancake holsters. Jason Winnie Leathergoods Nice guy, easy to talk to to answer questions. If you are like me, you will probably wind up with a drawer full of holsters... Took me a while to find the one that works for me.

Decide if you want to carry IWB or OWB.

I would find a good instructor and take a class on drawing the gun with and without a cover garment. Not required of course, but I got a lot of confidence after a good class. If you don't want to take a class, at least practice a good draw stroke.

RobzGuns has some good advice as well. The Wally World walk it 'required'. I cheated, and went to the local grocery store, but it was pretty strange at first. Don't really think about it now.

IME, I've not found just one, best way to carry. Sometimes IWB, sometimes OWB, sometimes the back pocket works. I've found that I often have to change carry position. I prefer cross-draw, but that is not always practical, or comfortable. Carrying in the car is different than carrying while walking, or standing. Carrying in cool weather is different than carrying in hot weather. Learn several ways to carry. Learn when to use the different ways.

Thanks for the replies.
I'll definitely keep everything in mind.

My biggest suggestion has nothing to do with how / where / when you carry.

Leave any attitude, temper, or opinion you have AT HOME while you are carrying. The guy you might yell at for cutting you off in traffic now has to simply be ignored. The person in the parking lot who offends you, your mother, and your beliefs has to be ignored unless they physically attack you. You often must simply and completely change your demeanor. The last thing you want is to somehow provoke something bigger than what it should be.

Become the guy no one notices.

Yup... If you can appendix carry, that eliminates some pitfalls. My waist-to-rib distance is too short to comfortably AC, but then, I'm one of the few that CAN Front Pocket carry a Shield (in a Galco Pocket Protector holster) and that also eliminates a lot of the regular pitfalls.

Open carry in Colorado is not unrestricted . It's illegal in Denver and banned in all City owned buildings in Colorado Springs.

Not knowing things like that can get you in trouble

__________________
Retired Career Security Guard

In the Gravest Extreme, by Massad Ayoob. Don't know whether he or his disciples still offer the LFI-1 course, but it is VERY worthwhile.

I'm happy there is one more citizen carrying a concealed handgun. Carry everyday and protect yourself and your family. Thank you for doing the right thing.

Huh? Gander Mountain is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. Or, are you saying your particular store requires California compliance? But...why...why in the world (how?!?) would a belt need to be California compliant?!?

I agree w/Post #15, get a copy of that book and commit it to memory. A lot of what's in those pages are things most people never think of but it is excellent advise. Keep it on the shelf and re-read it every so often. The other guns and gear advise here is excellent too, but this book is a must read.

__________________
Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Carry Everyday, Everywhere you are allowed to!

Rob said as well as it can be said..... and on the "tells, you will catch yourself doing one or even all of them at first. When you are out and about while carrying you will pay more attention to your surroundings and the people in them... what you will probably notice is most people are too busy with their own lives to even pay the type of attention required to spot your weapon. I carry a K frame snubby or a 1911 Commander in an outside the waist band holster 90% of the time. I don't give it a second thought any more.
As for gear... the belt is the most important part of your system, holster is next (imho). As with most on this site I have a box full of gear that I no longer use. I have refined my systems and am comfortable with my choices... they work for m e.

Welcome to the Forum and the choice to exercise your 2nd Amendment right.

Carrying a gun does not make you bulletproof, nor does it make it more advisable to go into dicey areas frequented by dicey people.

That's important. The whole point is that you do not want to have to use your gun. It's there if you absolutely must, but it's at least as important to stay out of dangerous places when armed.

Also you will learn that nearly everyone around you is far too engrossed in his own activities (many involving a smart phone) to notice if you're on fire, much less if you're carrying concealed.

__________________
Oh well, what the hell.

This has been one of the best pieces of advice I have been told . Since I have been trying to get my CHL, and now that I do.
I have been working on this from the start.
I have even caught myself doing the opposite of what I used to do.
It has even been made aware to me from others the difference in my reactions..

There are many excellent pieces of advice in this thread but have picked the above two for emphasis. To add to the last point, here is a characterization that I found particularly helpful:


Found on Western Rifle Shooters Association: Next Steps: The Grey Man

"The Grey Man is always invisible in plain sight.

The Grey Man is totally aware of his environs, his own capabilities or lack thereof, his weaponry and his levels of competence with that weaponry. He constantly strives to improve upon both his capabilities and competence. In public, he is always respectful, even to the point of obsequiousness if the situation calls for it. He always appears to be just a little confused by what is happening around him, while in reality he is alertly doing a tactical assessment.

The Grey Man NEVER draws attention to himself by word, dress, action, or mannerism. The Young Grey Man is dismissed as a wimp, the Older as a doddering old fool. The Grey Man derives great inner satisfaction from having this portrayal of himself accepted by all he meets, for it means he is succeeding in his disguise of his actual persona.

The Grey Man is a private man. He practices with his weaponry in private, or only with his fellow Grey Men, always in a secluded location. If he must resort to use of a public facility, he schedules his practice for times when he is likely to be the only one there. At such times he would probably wear bright clothing, to be remembered only as ‘that guy in the red jacket and sunglasses’, a quite different person from his usual persona. If right-handed, he would always occupy the leftmost station on a NRA bullseye pistol range, with his back to an observer, or the rightmost one for riflery or combat pistol practice. He would not have his name emblazoned on clothing or equipment, nor would he have any noteworthy affiliation proclaimed on his cap. “He’s just a guy. Comes every Wednesday morning for his coffeebreak. Always pays cash.”

The Grey Man does not drive a pink Cadillac with steer horns on the hood, NOR does he drive the biggest mutherin’ 4X4-with-all-the-bells-and-whistles BOV in the lot. The older his vehicle is, the rustier, the less likely it is to draw attention (or to be stolen, for that matter). This vehicle is, under its exterior, scrupulously maintained and in excellent running order. If pulled over by authority on the basis of appearance, it can be shown to meet or exceed all requirements under licensing laws, and an obsequious co-operative manner precludes a search under the seats. The Grey Man does not speed on the highway: cruise control is his friend. So is the Highway Patrol: he waves to any he sees. If he travels the same route constantly, at the same times, The Grey Man becomes a ‘fixture’ and can be dismissed from conscious observation.

It helps the Survivor to build up this persona of The Grey Man gradually and over time. The anti-gun sheeple neighbors will quickly rat out the ‘Patriot’ who is always loudly declaiming about his ‘Rights’ and ‘what will happen if they try to take my guns’. The Grey Man goes far out of his way never to offend anyone, imitating the duck which appears calm on the surface of his pond whilst paddling like hell under the surface.

Be seen as conservative in all you do. A Survivor is a Grey Man, and that little old grey man alone over there in the corner is probably a Survivor!

And that young guy next to him? Just another wimp? Or are they both watching each other’s backs?

Making the other guy waste precious time in assessing the situation is a big part of staying alive. Practice being grey now, while there's time to build your skills."

Congratulations on getting your CHL. Carry it everywhere it is legal. The Shield is a very concealable gun and OWB is very easy and more comfortable. I carry mine OWB by wearing a Hanes light weight tee (assorted colors) tucked in and a button type shirt unbuttoned and untucked.

Most people new to Concealed Carry like to talk about it. The less people that know the better off you will be. There is no need for all your friends to know you are carrying.

Plenty of good posts here. Only thing I would add is [I] am not comfortable carrying a striker fired gun (like your shield) in the appendix position; I know not all will agree with this position. If you do be very aware of shirt tails or anything that could get caught by the gun when reholstering and cause a ND. Reholster slowly and watch the gun when you do it - if you feel the need not to look at the gun when you reholster then I would change weapons to something with an external hammer or change the carry method. I know we are all careful but I don't care who you are, things can happen.

__________________
K & N S&W revolvers

Congratulations on joining the ranks of those who take personal responsibility for their safety! You made a nice choice in holster, belt (I have the 5.11 tactical as well), and handgun so you're off to a great start.

My next advice would be to learn the laws of your state regarding firearms. If Colorado is like Michigan you would have been given a CD that contains the states laws - learn them. You won't do this all in one sitting, but consistent familiarization over the course of a year will get you there. And last but not least - seek additional training! As you finances allow, plan on not only trips to the range for target practice, but also training in acquiring the proper mindset, strategy and tactics in deploying your firearm. This may require leaving your state at times, but don't let that deter you.

This forum is a valuable resource, filled with knowledgable people. Take advantage of it.

__________________
Stay protected my friends.

All very good advise. I strongly believe in training, like others have said take a class. The only other thing I would add is a quote from John Farnam" Don't go to stupid places with stupid people and do stupid things". Tom Givens has a DVD entitled "Lessons from the Street", it will show you bad things happen to good people sometimes for no reason.

If you are like me you will research and research and listen to much advice and still end up with several CCW guns before you find the one you will realistically carry every day. It took me 5. You will probably end up with a box of holsters too.

Be very aware that no matter how right you might think you are if you draw that weapon the odds are it will cost you a lot of money and time dealing with the aftermath. Whatever you decide upon carrying, keep it concealed when not needed and practice, practice, practice with it.

__________________
Hook686

Carry every day that you can.

__________________
John

Learn and study the places you "don't carry as well as state law.
Don't respond to road rage and don't provoke anyone. Don't joke some take things the wrong way. Don't carry without a holster that covers the trigger guard. Don't leave a gun behind in a bathroom. Don't tell friends you have a gun. Don't throw headlights back in another driver's face if he fails to dim, he might turn and follow you. Don't use bathrooms without a good
stall that conceals the gun. Keep reminding yourself gun gun gun so you don't forget it. Any of those things could give you
a really bad day.

I think the mental aspects are key when we begin carrying. Learn your state laws, leave your ego at home, don't go to stupid places with stupid people to do stupid things, etc. Work on improving situational awareness so you won't have to use your weapon.

My equipment advice for the beginning CC'er is somewhat non-standard, though. I suggest carrying a mouse gun - a small, easily concealed, perhaps even underpowered pistol or revolver.

WHY? Well, it doesn't require a lot of new equipment or a new wardrobe. You will not assume everyone can see your gun. You will not feel like Billy Bada** who can take down a gang of thugs if they look at you wrong. And, it just might serve you well enough that you never do graduate to the heavy belt, tactical pants, and multiple spare mags. However, if you do want to start carrying more firepower than the mouse gun, you'll already have the experience, a certain comfort level with carrying, development of the proper mindset, etc.

Lots of retired cops carry a 5-shot J-frame in a pocket. Why would they do that when they have 20+ years experience wearing the vest, Glock, spare mags, etc? Because civilian carry is different. It's 90% mindset and 10% hardware choice. The mouse gun lets you work on the 90% without worrying about lumpy bulges and wardrobe replacement.