This post comes to us from our friend Jason Hitchcock at the Survival Stoic, a site all about preparing, defending, and surviving against anything life throws at you. We know you’ll enjoy this in-depth write-up on the basics of Concealed Carry. Enjoy!
There are many aspects of concealed carry that beginners and even experienced citizens overlook.
When I first decided to carry a concealed handgun and get my permit, I rushed into it. After all, I had experience with a few handguns and had been hunting with rifles since I was a boy.
Looking back, I wish that I had a concealed carry guide to help me through all of the decisions I had to make. Which gun to get, which classes to take, and all the other things that I had no idea I even needed to do.
Keep reading to find out some of the things I learned and the basics to get you started.
Understand Your Concealed Carry Responsibilities
Carrying a concealed carry handgun comes with unique responsibilities. After all, you are carrying a tool that can take the life of someone’s loved one. But the responsibilities are much more than this.
The first step is understanding the laws. You are likely wanting to carry concealed for self-defense and to protect your family. Facing stiff fines or even jail time is certainly not a way to help your family.
Laws change frequently and are different between states. Some require a permit, others do not. Yet others have different levels of permits for certain situations or to be able to carry concealed in certain areas.
I have found it is best to find a local resource that teaches concealed carry permit classes and take one, even if it is not required in your area. They will go through the responsibilities and laws, more so than teaching you how to shoot.
Carrying concealed also requires the correct mindset. A handgun is not a ticket to go anywhere and invite trouble. It is not a protective force field either. It requires the opposite, a defensive mindset.
Before you draw your handgun, touch it, or even talk about it, you must be in a life-or-death situation. This means you can’t use it to boost your ego during an argument. There are laws against this as well, and you could be charged with a felony even if you never point it at someone.
Concealed carry requires avoiding confrontation, even more so than not.
Get Comfortable with Your Handgun
The biggest reason most people don’t carry consistently or have accidents is because they are not familiar with and comfortable carrying their handgun.
First, you must understand the basics of firearm safety. Pay attention here and make sure you understand how to check that a handgun is unloaded.
It is likely that eventually, you may not like the first handgun you purchase. This is usually because most people go to their local gun store and just buy whatever is in stock and the store owner wants to sell that day.
Instead, I recommend going to a range that has handguns that you can rent. Do your research first, and then go to the range with a list of guns you want to try. Shoot each one with the same ammo and get a feel for not only how they shoot, but the ergonomics and the controls on the handgun as well. Things like the position of the magazine release, slide stop lever, and how easy or hard the slide is to rack.
After you have selected a handgun, read the manual and fully understand the operation. Know how to safely handle it.
Then, spend some time consistently training with your handgun. Clean it after you use it. If you only touch it once a month when you go to a certain area or do a certain activity, you will never be comfortable with it.
Choose the Correct Ammo
Buying random ammo one box at a time at the range or the big box store is one of the worst ways to buy it. Even if something is “on sale” it is probably not any cheaper or it may not be a good fit for your gun.
Instead, focus on consistently buying two types of ammo, training ammo and defensive ammo.
For defensive ammo, I recommend some type of hollow point bullet from a well-known brand. While we won’t go into bullet weights here, pick something in the middle. Not the lightest you can find and not the heaviest.
For training ammo, go with a full metal jacket bullet that is the same weight as your defensive ammo. If you can find some from the same manufacturer, it is even better. This will keep the felt recoil of your handgun similar between the two.
Training ammo will be much cheaper than defensive ammo, and you can buy it in bulk online to save the most money.
Don’t forget to train with your defensive ammo sometimes as well. You want to make sure it functions properly in your handgun.
Choose the Right Holster for Concealed Carry
When I first started carrying concealed, I went through a bunch of holsters. Some did not hold my handgun securely. Some were hard to conceal and bulky. Others were just a pain, literally.
First and foremost, your holster should be safe. It should hold your handgun securely and fully cover the trigger. It should also stay in position. For example, if you decide to carry in the outside the waistband position, the holster should not slide around on your belt.
Concealing a handgun is a function of your body shape, handgun size, holster style, and the type of clothes you usually wear. There are also multiple positions where you can carry a handgun.
The reason most people stop carrying their handguns or don’t carry them as often is that they do not have a comfortable holster. But sometimes it may not be the holster, but how the holster is being used.
In the end, don’t get discouraged. It may take a few tries to find a holster that works well for you. Purchase one that is specifically made for your handgun. You may want to try a few different carry positions as well. Most of the best holster companies have a good return policy, so you can try a few and then send back the ones that don’t work for you.
Train, Train, Train
Perhaps the biggest thing that most people fail to do when they decide to carry concealed is train.
Find a range near you and make a habit of going as often as possible. Shooting a handgun is a learned skill that can degrade over time. It is not like “riding a bike” as they say.
Take a defensive handgun class that focuses on shooting. There is no substitute for having someone with experience watch you shoot and give you tips.
Take additional classes or go to a defensive handgun match. Shooting at a match is fun and there is no pressure to be the fastest or most accurate. Everyone was a beginner once. Shooting a stage while a timer is running is a great way to induce some stress. The stress will show you where you need to improve.
Finally, do some dry fire drills at home. These will help with eliminating the recoil anticipation that many new shooters face (and some experienced ones as well.) Many of the top shooters in the world do a lot of dry-fire training. It costs nothing and is where most of the manipulation skills are learned.
A major component of training is, of course, buying your ammunition in bulk. BulkMunitions has you covered there, so be sure to check out today’s in-stock bulk ammo deals!
