Five Recommendations for Carrying a Concealed Weapon
One question I get asked frequently is “I want to carry a gun, where do I start?” So, I thought I’d share my top five recommendations for carrying a gun. This list is by no way an end-all be-all list. There are probably a few things that could easily be added to this list. An article could be written for each of these items as well, but I am going to keep it as brief and to the point as I can and encourage you to do further research into each area. The top five attributes I think you need to carry a gun are: the proper mindset, the right equipment, non-lethal alternatives, an understanding of the law, and continual training. Now, let’s take a little deeper look into each of these categories.
1. The Proper Mindset – A word that is frequently thrown around in the self-defense world is “mindset,” but what is it and what is “the proper mindset” for carrying a gun? Dictionary.com defines mindset as “a fixed attitude, disposition, or mood” and “an intention or inclination.” Samantha Mann of NRA Women, in Be Ready: The Self-Defense Mindset quoted Lt Col Jeff Cooper’s, former Marine and founder of Gunsite Academy, definition of mindset as, “Proper mental conditioning allows competence, rather than only chance, to increase the probability of survival. Pre-planning or logical pre-thought of crisis behavior actions, coupled with environmental awareness, has shown to be a great tactical advantage to sinners of lethal confrontations.” Wow, now that’s a mouthful. Wow, that’s a mouthful, so let’s break this down. It means that you are going to defend yourself, or those you love, to the death.
This means that if you carry a gun, you have already made the decision that, if it means your safety or the safety of that of a loved one, you are ready to kill the attacker. If you cannot make that decision, and there is certainly nothing wrong with not being able to make that decision, then I strongly encourage you not to carry a gun. But let’s be real. Why carry a gun? Bottom line, I may have to shoot someone to protect myself! As Tom Givens, owner of Rangemaster and retired law enforcement officer, stated, “You don’t get to pick what day you need your gun. Somebody else picks what day you need your gun…” during a 2015 podcast on The American Warrior Show.
Being in the proper mindset means we are aware of our situations and who’s in them. In other words, we are situationally aware of our surroundings. Lt Col Cooper gave us the color codes of situational awareness: white – unaware (potential victim), yellow – relaxed alert (aware of your surroundings), orange – specific alert (a specific threat has been identified), red – the “fight” or “flight” syndrome (ready to fight or exit the situation), and black – in the fight. Whenever we carry a gun, we must be in condition yellow – relaxed alert (aware of your surroundings).
Being aware (condition yellow) helps us see potential danger and avoid it. Remember, we win 100% of the fights we are not engaged in. If we can avoid the fight, we need to avoid the fight! We should always be thinking Avoid, Deny, Defend: avoid dangerous areas, people and situations; consider all routes of entrances and exits available; clear fields of fire should something happen; look for any cover (protection from bullets) or concealment (hiding yourself from an attacker); and can I reinforce this area/structure to deny the attacker access to me.
Another aspect of the proper mindset is creating file folders of how we would react in any given situation. This can be accomplished by playing the “what-if” game in our heads. The internet has given us another great way to wargame these scenarios. John Correia, of Active Self Protection, analyzes violent videos daily on YouTube and discusses what went wrong and what went right. These analyses help to create file folders should you ever be placed in a similar situation.
2. The Right Equipment – Have you ever heard the phrase “gear doesn’t matter?” And then you look around and the pros always have the “best” gear money can afford? Well, if you apply the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule, then gear doesn’t matter that much. In a gunfight, 80% comes from skills/tactics and 20% comes from the equipment. This does not excuse someone to carry the cheapest firearm out there. Remember, you are carrying a piece of equipment that your life will depend upon one day. Once you have the skills, the equipment helps to refine those skills. So, what is the right equipment for carrying a firearm? Equipment includes the gun, the ammo, the holster, the belt, cover garments, and extra mags. Sure, there are many other options we could get into here such as Red Dot Sights, RDS, but that is for another article. Let’s do a quick breakdown of things to consider for each piece of core gear.
- The Gun – There are several aspects that need to be considered when choosing the right defensive handgun: reliability, caliber, size (full size, compact, subcompact), ergonomics, accuracy, and power.
- Reliability – The number one factor here. Mike Seeklander, owner of the American Warrior Society and former IDPA World Champion, stated it best in an article in Recoil Magazine, “The number one thing a firearm must do is work… If they don’t work, get rid of them.” They should run through hundreds of rounds without any malfunctions if you use quality ammunition and magazines with the gun.
- Caliber – The purpose of a defensive handgun is to stop the attack immediately which means you should have the most powerful handgun that you can also shoot quickly and accurately. Some of the most popular defensive caliber for handguns are 9mm, .38 special, .380, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP ,with 9mm being the most popular. A 9mm handgun offers a balance of power, capacity, and modest recoil, and it is the current choice of the FBI and police according to ShootingIllustrated.com.
- Ergonomics – How well does the handgun fit the user? Can you easily manipulate the gun – establish a good grip, press the trigger without moving the gun, work the slide and any control features (thumb safety, magazine release, etc)? A full-size gun might have less recoil than a subcompact but if it doesn’t fit your hand well, you will have issues with running the gun and the same is true from the other spectrum, a subcompact might fit your hand really well but if you can’t control the harsher recoil it may not be the gun for you.
- Ammunition – The best and most used ammo for self-defense is the hollow point, which is a bullet that expands on impact causing a more lethal hit without over-penetrating the target. There are many different brands of hollow points. You should always check the way that your gun fires the hollow points you choose and that your sights are accurate with those defensive rounds. Hornady Critical Duty, 135 grain +P, is the hollow point round chosen by the FBI. Caution: Do not use a +P ammo unless your gun handles +P ammo (check the gun’s operation manual).
- Holster – To carry a defensive handgun, you need a good quality holster that allows for comfortable all-day carry. Carrying a firearm will not be the most comfortable, especially for great lengths of time and in various environments. The holster you choose can help to alleviate a lot of discomfort. There are three things a holster must do:
- Cover the trigger guard completely to keep the trigger from moving if something brushes up against the outside of the holster.
- Hold the gun securely enough that you can trust the trigger will stay covered at all times and that the gun will always stay in the same orientation.
- Allow the user to access the gun when they need it. When considering a holster, you must also decide where you will carry your firearm. I am an advocate for appendix carry, but it is not for everyone. Each location you choose to carry, appendix or strong side, has their limitations. If you are aware of the limitations of where you decide to carry and train from that position on a regular basis, go for it. I am not a fan of open carry or small-of-the-back carry and suggest avoiding these positions.
- Belt – The belt is the foundation of your carry system and should be sturdy enough to support the weight of the gun and any accessories. Do not skimp in this area. Personally, I like Kore and Nexbelt as they have micro adjustments that can be made discreetly to loosen or tighten the belt when needed, but any good “gun” belt will work.
- Extra Magazines – John Corriera of Active Self Protection has analyzed thousands of self-defense battles and claims to have never seen a civilian reload during a self-defense gun battle. A good reason to carry a spare magazine may not be to have additional ammo, though that won’t hurt, but in the event you have a malfunction with your gun, you will not have to worry about the magazine as much and can simply do a mag swap to keep your gun in action.
- Cell Phone – The cell phone could be the second most important piece of self-defense equipment needed. During and after an assault, your phone will allow you to contact Police, EMS, Fire, and other important contacts. They can also provide a quick flashlight if needed and allow you to take any pictures or document anything you need.
- Pocket Flashlight – Not only will a pocket flashlight help you see in low-light scenarios, but they can be used as a defensive tool as well. Many good pocket flashlights have strobe capabilities which can be used to blind or disorient an attacker.
- Knife –Many of us carry a knife for it’s everyday function of being able to open packages, etc. But a knife can also be used as a defensive tool, one you will need to decide beforehand if you want to carry for its defensive purposes. Knowing why you carry a knife will help to determine what type of knife you carry. If you carry it for defensive purposes, be sure that you train with it and know how to deploy it when the time comes.
- Tourniquet and/or First Aid Kit –If you carry a firearm, it is always a good idea to carry a tourniquet and/or Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) with you. You are far more likely to need medical supplies before needing your defensive tools, but if you are involved in a gunfight, these tools become indispensable.
3. Non-Lethal – Why carry non-lethal tools? If all you carry is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. OC (Oleoresin Casicum) Spray, aka Pepper Spray, is a must to carry. It is small enough to fit discreetly in a pocket or on a key chain, and it is legal to carry in all 50 states. Some states do have restrictions on OC spray, such as size or where it is legal to carry, so be sure to check your state laws. POM or SABRE Red are my recommendations for OC Spray.
4. Know the Law – This is vitally important. Andrew Branca says it best, “You carry a gun so that you’re hard to kill, know the law so you’re hard to convict!” This not only includes knowing the gun laws of when/where you can carry a concealed firearm but also knowing the self-defense laws for the state you are in. The best way to understand self-defense laws is to look up jury instructions and court cases to see how judges interpret the laws and explain to juries how to interpret the law.
5. Train – The CCW class you took to legally carry a concealed firearm is only a starting point on this journey but does not include everything you need to know and do to successfully use that firearm in defense of yourself or your loved ones. If you have not taken a CCW class or are ready to go to the next level, be sure to check our my website for available classes and training dates. Tom Givens of Rangemaster defines proper defensive shooting as “a standardized system of training and operation designed to produce rapid, accurate, decisive hits under stressful conditions.” During a stressful situation, you will naturally revert to your lowest form of training. Meaning, if you never train to draw quickly and present your gun on target, when stress is introduced, you are liable to foul it up.
- Firearms – Your firearms training should be beyond the basics of cleaning, clearing, and maintaining your gun. It should focus on drawing from concealment, accuracy at speed, close quarters, low light, etc. You must develop these skills, so they happen automatically, without having to think. These skills can be developed through dry fire, but all dry fire practice must be proven on the range. While there are great videos on the internet, nothing compares to live training from a professional, competent instructor that can demonstrate the skills you are seeking.
- Tactics – Understanding tactics is essential as it teaches you how to use cover and concealment, slice the pie, movement, defense from vehicles, etc.
- Medical – You carry a firearm to win the fight, but if you cannot stop the bleeding, then you have lost. Basic trauma classes will help you learn to control the bleed as well as learning CPR. CPR and trauma skills will allow you to perform lifesaving skills while waiting for EMS to arrive.
A lot more can go into carrying a concealed firearm, such as the clothes you choose to wear and how they affect concealing the firearm and drawing the firearm to what is acceptable printing and how to avoid printing (your gun outline showing through your clothes). I hope the things listed above help you in your pursuit of being an armed citizen and exercising your 2nd Amendment right. If you are going to carry a firearm, remember why you are carrying it and that your life and those you love are depending on you as their First Responder.