Concealed carry tips and suggestions!

[LL617]

I remember as a teen reading about a man who had a red belt in some sort of martial arts--one of only 12 in the world at the time. He was required by the state he lived in--Georgia, I think--to register his hands as lethal weapons. Well, one day someone attempted to mug him in the airport parking lot. The news interviewer asked him what he did. He said, "I ran away. I knew that if I had touched him, he would be dead."

Being aware of your surroundings, acting smart, and being humble can keep you--and others--in one piece most of the time.

 

[Don 73]

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

To quote Mr Miagi: "Best block, no be there."

 

[hotrod150]

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......

Good post, Lumpy. I've tried to make this point in the past, when someone else has posted something along the lines of "if he messes with me, I'll kill him. No problem." Personally I think only a psychopath wouldn't have a guilt problem after killing someone, no matter if that was the only way to save your own and/or a loved one's life or how much the dead guy "deserved it".

 

[palmettosunshine]

1) You are not a cop.
2) Your weapon is not for intimidation, threats or being cool.
3) It's ALWAYS loaded.
4) Always carry, NEVER tell. Concealed means concealed.
5) If you wouldn't go there without a gun, don't go there with one.
6) Be willing to swallow your pride and walk away.
7) Buy a quality gun belt and holster. If it's uncomfortable you won't carry.
8) NEVER assume
9)ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings.
10) Have a plan and practice, practice, practice.

 

[wileyjackhammer]

CCW INFO:
A lot of good advice has already been posted. Pay attention to it.

Remember to dress properly for the occasions you are carrying. Not all of your current clothing will work with all methods of carry.

Think about what you are about to do, don't bend at the waist to p/u something...knell down to get it...if it's up on the top shelf , ask for help getting it down....

Carry what you can shoot successfully...

Only spend what YOU are worth on your handgun, holster, gun belt, ammo & training.....

If there's trouble, stay out of it......if it's POLICE business, call them

retired LEO
SAVE 215 (that means I was not 100% successful in staying out of trouble)
wileyjackhammer

 

[finesse_r]

The best concealed weapon you have is your brain and the sensory input it gets. In other words pay attention to what is going on around you and don't just sleep walk along until trouble hits you. This is true whether or not you are carrying a handgun with you.

If you are walking out to your vehicle on a dark parking lot or even in daylight, have your key out and in your hand if possible long before you get to your vehicle. Same thing if walking from your vehicle to your home or apartment. Don't spend time standing around looking for the key to open something.
If carrying groceries or other packages, carry them in your off gun hand.
If you see someone or a group of people that makes you feel uneasy, don't ignore that feeling.
If you see some situation or some person that does not belong don't just ignore it.
Be alert to your surroundings and don't just walk into a situation that would leave you in a precarious position. Being armed is no substitute for common sense.
Nine times out of ten, there are multiple warning signs of pending trouble long before you actually encounter it.
Know your weapon, how to draw it, how to shoot it, and when to do so.
Remember it is much better to avoid getting into a situation that may require you to use a gun, than it is to use one successfully.
Make certain you are willing to use a gun before carrying or drawing one. There are few things more embarrassing that having someone take your gun from you and shoot you with it.
Realize that a 5 shot pocket pistol may be fine for some outings, but others may require more firepower than that.
Know that the 5 shot pocket pistol with you is far better than the 15 round semi-auto in your safe.
Know it is better to hit someone with a .22 than to miss them with a .44 magnum. (unless at close range with a snub nose .44 magnum in which case the flame from the muzzle blast will probably do them in)
Practice, practice, practice with your carry gun.
Don't buy a new gun, especially a semi-auto, and start carrying it without making certain it will work and work reliably.
Don't tell everyone you know that you are carrying.
Keep your gun concealed from view. A primary advantage of concealed carry is that some bad guy will be surprised as he will not know that your are carrying.
Don't carry your least expensive gun because you are afraid of loosing one of your good ones should you have to use it. Just the opposite. Carry your most reliable gun that you shoot well. If you ever have to use it to defend yourself, loosing the gun is the least of your problems.
In a tropical climate like Houston, or Tulsa, stainless steel will hold up to salty sweat better than a blued gun, especially if jogging, walking, or just being active outside. A good holster with a protective layer between you and your gun can help also.

 

[cracker57]

Never give a warning shot
Never shoot to wound
Never shoot to kill
This has been mentioned but it is worth repeating
A warning shot can get you charged with many things including attempted murder or at least reckless endangerment.
Shooting to wound is not a good idea and a civil suite is sure to follow, also the DA might not think you were truly in fear of your life.
YOU ONLY SHOOT TO STOP THE THREAT AND WHEN THE THREAT HAS ENDED THE SHOOTING BETTER STOP ALSO.
Never is it an accident, "I didn't mean to shoot them I only wanted to scare them but the gun went of accidentally" This statement gets you charged with manslaughter. You didn't mean to but acted in an unsafe matter that lead to the death of a citizen (yes even scumbags are citizens in the eye of the law). You will not find a "justifiable accident" in any law books but you will find a "justifiable homicide".
Train with a purpose and get the proper training, when the SHTF you will respond to the threat the way you have trained. I had a great discussion on this with a man who trained FBI swat team, he said they used to have the trainees pick up their brass during training, then they found that when the agents were involved in a gun fight some of them would find brass in their pockets. They would actually pick up their brass during a gun fight as that's what they did during training. So train the way you want to respond and act during the real thing.
Great thread with good points, I like when people say they are newbies and I think if everyone thought of themselves as newbies they would continue their training and educating them self on SD. No matter how long you have been carrying or training you can ALWAYS LEARN MORE AND IMPROVE.
That's my 2 cents and worth exactly what you paid for it.
Cracker

 

[OS-Wiz]

Some good replies here.
I've been carrying for over 28 years, so I feel qualified to give my 2 cents.

Don't tell ANYBODY you're carrying.
Unless it is an LEO, in the official performance of his/her duties asking me, I will not reveal the fact I am carrying. I know, when you first get that permit you want to let all your friends know, so they think you're cool too.
Trust me, keep your mouth shut.
Jim

Yupper! And do you think you're ready for a confrontation, shoot some IDPA matches.

 

[Bushmaster1911]

I see some seem to be discouraging carry and implying it may be paranoid to do so on a daily basis. After all, they don't go to banks or jewelry stores. I will say, when you have a couple of occasions with your family present that become life threatening in the blink of an eye, your perspective may change...then again, it may not. I've needed my gun on two occasions and one of the occasions was with a pregnant wife 30 years back while traveling. I won't go into detail here, not important to the thread, but when your wife says she needs a bathroom now and you're in a bad part of the outskirts of Baton Rouge you still have to pull over. A gun was the difference in me having a wife, child and still breathing.

Since that day, I've had a gun on my person nearly every waking hour of my life and one near by when I'm not awake. I've had a carry gun save my bacon a second time, thankfully without my family present. Maybe I'm just an unlucky guy, I don't know. Maybe I'll go the rest of my life and never need it again, I hope so. I will say, regardless of your concerns for my paranoia (thank you very much for caring), I'll not ever be the guy who wishes he had a gun when he needed one and regrets the decision like Suzanna Hupp did Oct. 16, 1991 at Luby's.
Suzanna Gratia Hupp explains meaning of 2nd Amendment! - YouTube

 

[hotrod150]

Well said. I started EDC about 4 years ago after a double murder home invasion near where I live in rural western Washington. I generally carry a j-frame & a speed strip. I personally don't see the need to carry two guns and/or multiple tactical reloads, but if someone else, does more power to him- as long as he does it safely & for non-criminal purposes.

 

[MOONDAWG]

Two hands are a more stable platform to shoot from and should be used whenever possible.

However, practice "one handed shooting" with both left & right hands.

During a defensive situation the other hand could be injured or more likely engaged in fending off blows, opening doors, holding flash lights, phones etc.

Don't wait till TSHTF to realize you've never fired a shot at a target left handed.

 

[finesse_r]

Good post, Lumpy. I've tried to make this point in the past, when someone else has posted something along the lines of "if he messes with me, I'll kill him. No problem." Personally I think only a psychopath wouldn't have a guilt problem after killing someone, no matter if that was the only way to save your own and/or a loved one's life or how much the dead guy "deserved it".

I disagree with this completely. Defending your life or a loved ones life is no different that killing in a war zone. There is nothing wrong with protecting your life. In fact I think it is an obligation. I think only someone that is mentally unhealthy to begin with would have a guilt problems if he had to kill someone to defend his own life.

Sure no one is going to be happy about it, or to enjoy it. Still if you get put in that position, there is no sense acting like some kind of weak minded fool about it. Some people can deal with the stress of such a thing and some can't. In my opinion if you choose to label one or the other as mentally defective, I would think it would be those who don't have the mental strength to put such an incident behind them and move on.

Are our soldiers or police that kill in the line of duty also to be considered psychopaths if they can deal with fully justified shootings? That badge or uniform does not change the basic right to self-defense. In fact in war men are often on the offensive which should induce more guilt than being on the defense.

To confuse good mental health and a strong sense of self with being a psychopath is just ridiculous.

A psychopath has no conscious about any thing. That is a far, far cry from not feeling guilty for protecting yourself. In my opinion a man should feel guilty if he fails to protect himself or his loved ones.

If one of the people involved is a psychopath, it is the one initiating the trouble, not the one defending himself.

 

[crudebucker]

Being Hotheaded

You can't be a hothead. If you are a tough guy that likes to fight or mix it up more power to you, but you have no business carrying. You need to suck it up, swallow your pride, and walk away if you are confronted with a physical altercation (ie. fist-fight). Getting into tussle could lead to either A) you getting whipped and pulling your weapon in anger, or B) your angry opponent getting ahold of your weapon...neither will end well.

Oh yeah, and if you want to avoid people picking fights with you, avoid bright red sneakers!! (Sorry Sip, couldn't resist!)

Exactly what me and a co-worker were discussing in regards too concealed carry he said that he was too short tempered and quick too react too have a weapon on his person.

 

[shouldazagged]

I don't know anyone who has killed another human being, in war or law enforcement or civilian life, who has been unchanged by the experience. "Psychopath" may be too strong a term, but personally I would be in awe and a bit of fear of someone who was not pretty seriously affected by taking a life. Even people who were glad they did it have been changed. I've counseled some of all kinds.

 

[Don 73]

Part of surviving a lethal encounter is finding peace with yourself ... knowing that you did everything you could to avoid it, but it still went to $hit anyway. My Lt was involved in a lethal shooting b/c a guy was dragging him with his Jeep. It took the Lt a long time and talks with his pastor to fully "forgive" himself and see that what he did was right and just. He's fine with it today, but it did take a while.

Being at peace with what you did does not make you a monster, (if what you did was just), just a human being that was forced to do something no one really WANTS to do.

 

[hotrod150]

Making peace with what you did is different than not being disturbed by it to begin with.

 

[shouldazagged]

Making peace with what you did is different than not being disturbed by it to begin with.

Exactly right.

 

[growr]

My only comment is ....."If you have made the decision to carry a firearm for protection it behooves you to be knowlegeable and proficient.

So...know YOUR state laws and yourself (I carry copies of state laws where I will actually carry so as to be sure)

practice early and often under as many situations you can think of....Take as many classes as you can afford or find....consider matches like IDPA/USPSA/ICORE to keep skills sharp and introduce all kinds of skill sets.

Randy

 

[haywood]

Learn to dress around your Gun.

 

[Alyssa_USN]

I love the 10 commandments of ccw you all are posting - We need to put them as a sticky in here for all to see as one post =)

You all have some great insights for the newer folks to this life decision.