Concealed carry tips and suggestions!

A woman I know overheard me & a friend discussing the whole Trevon Martin thing a while back, and she made the comment that she didn't want to believe she lived in a world where she had to be armed. Another gal I know agreed with her. Both are friends of mine so I didn't want to burst their bubble, but I felt like telling them that whether they want to believe it or not they already live in that world. Both of these women are friends of the person whose aunt & uncle were murdered that I made reference too in my last post, but apparently that little bit of reality hasn't penetrated through their rose-colored glasses. The law of averages is on their side, but I hope that their naivety won't get them into trouble some day.
 
You keyed in (overly so) on the "gunfight" comment. I'm not a sidewalk commando or wannabe gunfighter, and I pray to God I never get into a gunfight or even have to witness one. My point was that if and when you ever need a gun, YOU WILL NEED A GUN. Very few of us have the ESP necesary to know when we get up in the morning if we will be in a do-or-die situation later in the day, the best we can do is try to be prepared. I don't wear kevlar, pack a "NY reload", etc which I consider to be excessive for my lifestyle. I do however carry pretty much every day JUST IN CASE.
I started carrying about 4 years ago, shortly after a home-invasion double murder occurred about 5 miles from where I live in rural western Washington. The victims were the aunt & uncle of a friend of mine, very nice people and very well liked in the community. I realized then that violent crime is NOT only an urban phenomenon these days but occurs everywhere, and I made the decision to take measures not to become a victim of it myself.

Sounds good. I guess it has a lot to do with personal preferences and personal experiences. In my life, I have been up close and personal with murderers and murder victims, dead bodies, and a host of assorted felons. But yet, I still don't feel compelled to pack heat wherever I go. And most of my former LEO peers don't either -- but it's good to have the option.

These days, I seldom if ever enter a bank, I do all my grocery shopping during busy times in crowded stores I never enter jewelry stores, and I shop for most of my other stuff online. I'm seldom in a place and at a time that would be conducive to, or likely to encounter criminal attack. There are obviously unexpected exceptions e.g. breaking down on a highway at night while traveling, having to go into shady neighborhoods for whatever reason. But generally, I don't put a lot of thought into the potential for being attacked during the course of my every-day activities.

I guess that comes from making it all these years without so much as a close call. Part of that could be that I don't look like a typical victim -- ripe for the picking. I suppose that there would be some reluctance on the part of a criminal to single me out of a crowed to be victimized -- when there are other less risky targets. I put a great deal of weight in personal situational awareness while blending-in and remaining under the radar as much as possible.
 
Here's a good one.

A .500 Mag, in any barrel configuration is NOT a suitable choice for Concealed carry, Neither is the Desert Eagle, Raging Bull or any configuration of .454 casul.......:-D
 
Here's a good one.

A .500 Mag, in any barrel configuration is NOT a suitable choice for Concealed carry, Neither is the Desert Eagle, Raging Bull or any configuration of .454 casul.......:-D

For that matter, how suitable is a .44 Magnum snubby for civilian concealed carry in the city? I can certainly think of a great many more practical choices, but some people do prefer the heavy artillery.
 
This hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread. If you have been in a shooting, no matter how justified is was or proves to be, expect to be arrested and for the officers to be quite unpleasant, at least initially. Remain calm, cooperative and quiet.
 
You can only control what you do in life. All the people around you control what they do.

Be aware a domestic, robbery, assault, etc. can happen to others with you in the background.

Some things you can look for before trouble starts:

Clothing- people wearing things that are not fitting for the function, the weather, or time of day may be people to avoid.

Watchers- these people are watching you harder then your watching them, you don't know what is going on in their little heads.

Pacers- the guy pacing in front of the bank or store may have a buddy inside robbing it or they may be getting up the nerve to do it themselves. Wait for them to leave before putting yourself in harm.

Traffic Nuts- you can get wherever you have to get to without being first. Avoid and change routes often.
 
For that matter, how suitable is a .44 Magnum snubby for civilian concealed carry in the city? I can certainly think of a great many more practical choices, but some people do prefer the heavy artillery.

Actually. Depending on the frame of the person.... Not bad. I'm 6'4 210. I carry my scandium 329Pd in 44 all the time in the winter. Heavy coat hides her just fine. And she weighs nothing. Short barreled 44 will hide nicely in fall too :) but that's about as big as I would ever go haha

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I carry my scandium 329Pd in 44 all the time in the winter. Heavy coat hides her just fine. And she weighs nothing.

That "weighs nothing" line has me thinking. What I'm thinking is that lighting off .44 Magnum rounds in a scandium revolver would be about number 764 on my list of choices for a hobby. :D:D
 
That "weighs nothing" line has me thinking. What I'm thinking is that lighting off .44 Magnum rounds in a scandium revolver would be about number 764 on my list of choices for a hobby. :D:D

It's not a smooth ride haha but it gets the job done. One . 44 is worth 5-6 9mm any day haha

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Dress in manner that does not stand out. "Oh, wow, why is that guy in 5.11 pants with photography vest and wilderness belt here/there?" Understand any veteran leo with eyes probably already knows you carry. Have someone provide you with instruction on how to best drop/lower/surrender your gun/items and not be shot after an event! In my area several legal shootings have involved grappling before a gun is brought into the event so prepare for that action. Find a local instructor that goes above your ccw training requirement and attend some training. Learn how to incorporate an edc flashlight into carry and training.
 
CCW means just that. The only person that needs to know you are carrying is you and the LEO who encounters you in their official capacity. I see FAR too many people go out of their way to "show" their gun by reaching for stuff on the top shelf when the same item is at waist or shoulder level.

I also love the "open carry" crowd. 2nd Amendment and all that. The truth is guns freak people out. I like to be able to have a rational discussion with someone about guns and at the end of it tell them that during our entire conversation I was carrying and never needed to show it to them or threaten them in any way. I am a lover of the Constitution, and as a Cop have sworn to defend it, but I don't see the need to open carry to accomplish that goal, or prove a point. Aside from that, If I am intent on doing bad, I'm going to kill the guy with the gun first. Some people are just crazy and I want to be a "sleeper" when they show up so I don't make myself a target by advertising I have a gun.

Also since guns freak people out, they tend to call the cops on you. I am the training division commander for a large metro PD and as such deal with other cops 40-60 hours a week, I don't want to do it on my off time! They have better things to do than respond to calls for man with a gun, when that man has a CCW and is not in violation of the law. Of people don't know you have it, they don't call the cops on you.

Please don't buy one of those stupid Concealed Weapons Permit Badges. They're dumb and every person I ever knew who had one was a wanna be cop. I want to charge every one of them with impersonation. What other purpose could a badge, a traditional symbol of authority convey to the general public? A CCW Permit is in no way a license to have authority of any kind. All it does is tell cops you have passed a background check, you are not a felon, and you have a pretty good chance of not having acted like a moron in the past (or at least didn't get caught ;).

An idiot with a gun is still an idiot. Be situationally aware and when you see the potential for bad stuff, LEAVE. Don't think, "I have a gun, I can handle something if it turns bad.". You are NOT TRAINED TO DEAL WITH ARMED ENCOUNTERS. And if you insert yourself into a situation you could have otherwise avoided, you may face criminal charges, but you ABSOLUTELY will face civil litigation, the standard of proof for which is much lower than a criminal trial. Who needs the aggravation?

Lastly, I know this sounds like I am against people carrying, I am not. I believe that everyone who is not crazy should have the right. However the society we live in now is more and more a nanny society that does not accept responsibility for its own protection, they rely on the State for protection. They can't rationalize that other people understand that the State can't always be there. None of us has a Protective Detail assigned to us. We realize that personal protection is our own responsibility. Those that don't understand that, can't handle the responsibility, and consequently think since they can't, neither can anyone else. I just want those of us who can handle it to do so without frightening the herd.




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I carry concealed anytime I'm one step outside my door, and I'd give that post multiple likes if I could, Fox On Point.

I knew one idiot who carried the concealed-carry badge in a leather case and though he had never come anywhere near working law enforcement, liked to wear uniform-style shirts with epaulets when he went out drinking. He said he used these toys to scare people (including women) for the fun of it. I know for a fact he was not licensed to carry a gun concealed. I also know he did. I sometimes wonder if anybody has killed him yet.
 
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Being new to CWP [I got my license about a year ago], I will say, "Practice! Practice! Practice!"

If you are a "newbie" as I was [and still am] it is essential that you don't think that you are an expert once you have gotten your CWP. You need to actually practice firing at least once a month, often enough that your CWP carry feels natural to you.

I recommend taking all available advanced classes. In our area, we can take Intro. to Handguns, Defensive Firing 1 and 2. [I'm still trying to find a class that will work with my schedule].

Finally, practice firing at home with dummy bullets. Practice drawing from different positions [if you have to actually draw and fire your weapon for self defense purposes, you probably won't be standing at a gun range.] Try drawing and shooting from the different holsters that you might have, drawing a sitting position [like you were in a car or chair], etc. It is critical, however, that all safe gun rules are followed during such practice times. Always begin by loading an empty gun with dummy rounds making sure no live ammo is anywhere around. Start very slowly, trying to follow all safety guidelines for gun handling. Speed is not an issue-teaching your muscles what to do is. Over time, as you practice, speed will come. For example, when I started, I was all thumbs using the speed loader to load, but I am much faster now.

These were the things that I was told to do by a couple of handgun specialists. I am trying to do them and look forward to taking more advanced gun classes when I can.
 
CCW means just that. ....The truth is guns freak people out.....Some people are just crazy and I want to be a "sleeper" when they show up so I don't make myself a target by advertising I have a gun. ... since guns freak people out, they tend to call the cops on you.....An idiot with a gun is still an idiot. Be situationally aware and when you see the potential for bad stuff, LEAVE.......I just want those of us who can handle it to do so without frightening the herd.


Good points all, Fox.
 
Consider, think about, meditate on, the idea that you may someday END another human's life. There's several angles to that. There's the legal angle, regardless of your "in the right" you face a legal battle. There's the sociological angle, your family and friends will now treat you differently "He's killed someone". And always the most gripping and long lasting is the personal, mental angle, "I took another human's life". It doesn't matter if the guy you killed was raping a nun. Ending a human's life is a gut wrenching experience, no matter how "in the right" you might later be found to be.

Use all of that pre-meditation to guide you about getting IN TO situations in the first place. If you're about to walk into a store and something doesn't look right, DO NOT think "No problem, I'm armed if I need to be". That's a totally wrong and inverted approach. Instead think "This doesn't look right, I don't want to have to use my weapon - I'll go somewhere else".

The best possible outcome to ANY gun battle is to never get into it in the first place. Work very hard to make that your goal.


Sgt Lumpy
 
Consider, think about, meditate on, the idea that you may someday END another human's life. There's several angles to that. There's the legal angle, regardless of your "in the right" you face a legal battle. There's the sociological angle, your family and friends will now treat you differently "He's killed someone". And always the most gripping and long lasting is the personal, mental angle, "I took another human's life". It doesn't matter if the guy you killed was raping a nun. Ending a human's life is a gut wrenching experience, no matter how "in the right" you might later be found to be.

Use all of that pre-meditation to guide you about getting IN TO situations in the first place. If you're about to walk into a store and something doesn't look right, DO NOT think "No problem, I'm armed if I need to be". That's a totally wrong and inverted approach. Instead think "This doesn't look right, I don't want to have to use my weapon - I'll go somewhere else".

The best possible outcome to ANY gun battle is to never get into it in the first place. Work very hard to make that your goal.


Sgt Lumpy

If you are not in the middle of it for **** sake don't be.
This is when a call to 911 would be in order.
I would hopefully have a chance to observe and report from a safe place. Don't forget to describe your self and what you are wearing while making the call also. You don't want to be mistaken for the criminal.
Just my civilian 2 cents worth.
Thanks Sarge for bringing up the point.
 
Don't be afraid to speak up and call someone out. If you are out and about and someone walks up to you or is walking at you acknowledge them put your hand up and tell them in a firm voice to stop coming towards you. Distance is your friend. May seem weird if it's an innocent person asking for directions, better safe than sorry.
 
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