learning/beginning to carry concealed - how do you do it?

[Viking Kitten]

For anyone who's been reading the "new folks check in and say hi" thread, I introduced myself about a week ago. I've had my Class A LTC/all lawful purpose for about 3 years now, and have never carried.

I got into shooting and applied for the LTC more because as I age, I have become more and more frustrated with those who attempt to take away my civil rights and privileges simply because they disagree with my beliefs.

That said, for those of you who do and/or have carried concealed, how did you start? Did you feel like your firearm was very obvious to anyone who passed you by? How and when did you become comfortable?

I have taken several classes and am a somewhat regular practice shooter at my range. I am confident in my ability to use my S&W's of choice in that controlled environment, but that's a far cry from being comfortable walking through the mall or, heaven forbid, finding myself on the receiving end of a barrage of bullets like those poor people at VT.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[Coyote33]

I have no idea on this, but if you have a holster, maybe try it without the gun in it and see how it feels. That way, you don't have to worry about safety issues, or the weight of it, but do get a feeling for having something there. I'm sure there are many schools of thought on this.

 

[USMA-82]

First off, congratulations for assuming responsibility for your own self-protection! As you well know, police cannot be everywhere, and they legally have NO requirement for safeguarding you or your loved ones. Unfortunately, they usually show up on the scene well after the damage is done - a fact graphically displayed this week.

Continue to take classes - I don't know where you're from, but there are plenty of fantastic self-defense classes available in New England. One of the best for a quick introduction is the seminar held by the Gun Owners' Action League (GOAL) in Northboro, MA. If you haven't already, be sure to check out their website, www.goal.org for their "Art of Concealed Carry" class.

I am no expert, but I know that concealed carry skills need to stay fresh - don't convince yourself that once you take a class or two, you're all set. It should be a continual process, where you are frequently taking new or refresher courses (at least one or two a year) to keep the skills fresh. Although it's no replacement for good, solid training, some shooting sports events, such as IDPA competition, are a good way to practice some of these learned skills.

But the best way to get started - once you've had a few classes and know the basics of tactics, law, and equipment - is to start. Yes, you will feel self-confident, and yes you will be constantly thinking about the gun at your hip. Eventually, you'll get used to it.

When I teach classes at Riverside in Hudson, I'm often asked if I carry all the time. My response: "Of course not - that's ridiculous. Only when I'm awake."

Seriously - you reach a point where you know you're ready for regular concealed carry. When I first started, I felt nervous and uncomfortable whenever I went out into the public with a gun. I knew I was ready when I started feeling uncomfortable when I DIDN't have a gun with me.

Good Luck, and keep reading posts on this forum and others.

Ken

 

[SKS Ray]

When I first stated carrying it was winter time so my inside jacket pocket was to me the ideal place. Unfortunately going places and hanging my coat up made me realize it was the wrong place for my gun.
I wound up getting a cheap Don Hume in the pants holster that I can wear between my right pants pocket and my hip. I can carry a Glock 23 very comfortably and its never noticeable even with a t-shirt and jeans on. I did go up one waist size when buying pants or shorts though to make it more comfortable in warm weather. This is probably easier for guys because we don't really have hips.
There are a few companies that now make concealed carry pocket books for women if your not comfortable with a holster.

 

[Moderator]

Continue to take classes.

Continue to read about concealing and defensive tactics.

Get your self a good holster, not the most expensive one but something that others have tried and or recommended.

I started out by concealing unloaded in my house, with no magazine in it. Once comfortable I started to conceal loaded in the house. Soon after that I started concealing in my car when going to my friends or out for walks. Within a month or so, I was an everyday concealer.

 

[Jose]

Just dive right in. The overwhelming majority of people live their life in complete Condition One and are brutally oblivious to what is happening around them.

That's what I did when I started. It took me maybe a day of wearing it out in public to get used to it. A GOOD gun belt and a QUALITY holster make life a lot easier by keeping your pistol from shifting around and keeping you comfortable. Keeping your weapon stable reduces the need to grab your belt/waistline and continually pulling it up. A sure sign to most cops and other CCWers that you are carrying.

Over at CombatCarry.com there is a tradition of going to Wal Mart as soon as you have license + pistol + holster. It's a rite of passage to force you to go into a very crowded, very public place while armed and observe the reactions (more like the lack of) from those around you. It doesn't have to be China Mart. It can be any place where there are lots of people.

 

[JimB]

do it

I carry a smith model 60 stainless with a fobus holster, (cheap) the gun stays
put, for the most part your the only one that can remove it.

I went out to visit my yougest son and he had no clue i was wearing it
until we were ready to leave. So you can hide most guns effectively.

Summer brings on a whole different thing, go to a good gun dealer and
try on a few with what you want to carry.

JimB

 

[SKS Ray]

One more thing

Not sure if this was mentioned but once you carry comfortably no one can ever tell. Once you don't carry EVERYBODY seems to know you're not, especially the bad guys. At least thats how it feels.

 

[Len-2A Training]

VK,

You brought a big smile to my face reading your post for a couple of reasons:

- I'm very glad that you are coming around to considering CCW. In the Art of Concealed Carry class you sounded rather hesitant to carry.

- Your comment "I got into shooting and applied for the LTC more because as I age" really brought a chuckle. I hope you never age to look any older than you look now! [For the readers benefit: VK is a very pretty young lady.]

Now to your main points:

- Yes we are always very self-conscious of the gun while carrying. As long as we are discreet and don't bring attention to it, most of the sheep out there will never guess.

- Over time we do get used to it and become a little less self-conscious. [Oddly enough I think I was more self-conscious when carrying exposed in uniform all those years . . . always watching who was near me . . . than I ever was carrying concealed.]

- You must "dress to carry", so you choose your wardrobe and style of clothes based on what and how you are carrying. Especially critical for women.

- Major decisions on on-body carry vs. off-body carry (keeping it secure at all times in combination w/MGL on "locked storage" makes me dislike this method)!
* I sat thru an AWARE seminar next to a young lady (who has adorned the cover of Women & Guns numerous times). Mas Ayoob was addressing us and mentioned that said young lady CCW'd a Desert Eagle in a thigh holster!!

- For on-body carry, due to the way women's hips and waistline are shaped, most normal men's holsters will not work well (dig into your side). There are a few mfrs who address this specifically for women.

- I have addressed the women CCW'g issue here on NES (Advanced Search should turn up some info with references) and on some other forums. Given some time to dig, I can probably refer you to a thread elsewhere with a lot of good info written by a woman.

Here are some holster references (sorry if any links don't work, I don't have time to check them out now, I have to run shortly to pick Deena up):
- http://www.c-rusty.com/pages/holsters/Ladies.html
- http://www.womensholsters.com/choosing.html

An excellent site written by a woman on this subject:
http://www.corneredcat.com/

If you'll be at SAS on Saturday, why not come to BR&P a bit earlier and we can talk? I have RO duty on the outdoor range from 10AM to 3PM. I don't know if Deena will go to SAS or not (her choice) or just shoot with me after that. We should be up at the outdoor range, but I can sneak away to the clubhouse to talk with you before SAS begins. Feel free to send me an Email.

 

[Cabinetman]

VK, deciding to conceal carry is a big responsibility. I've been carrying for almost 10 years now and have learned one important thing: you can never, ever take it for granted. Slipping that pistol into your purse or pocket every day should remind you of the decision you've made and the mantel you'll be wearing. However, it should satisfy you to know that you are accepting responsibility for your own protection and, possibly, the protection of those around you. You should not be "afraid" of that responsibility but, rather, should respect the power that you now have over your own life. Respecting that power will keep you always aware of your situation.

Anyone who says that carrying a firearm is "old hat" or “no big deal” has lost the edge. Putting my Keltec into my pocket isn't like putting my pen knife or lighter in my pocket. Those are conveniences. The pistol has the ability to change not only my life but those around me forever. So, it is with a lot of thought that I carry.

Allow me to tell you that the first couple of weeks of when I started to carry I felt naked to the world. I felt that everyone around me could see that I had a "gun" and it was pretty intimidating. However, concealed carry is just that: concealed. I finally realized that no one could possible know that I had a weapon in my possession and that I was just as "invisible" as the next guy. So, you'll become immune to those feelings as time goes on. That doesn't mean you can ever let down your guard. Quite the opposite. It's imperative that you always are aware of your surroundings and situation. You'll become much more alert to what's happening around you.

The most important piece of this puzzle, however, is training; not so much classroom or course training, however, but more training to build your confidence in your abilities and familiarization with your weapon. A good musician will always get the "butterflies" before a performance but won't feel fear. Fear is the absence of your abilities to cope with a situation. A poor musician will fear a performance because he does not have the talent or ability to perform properly in front of an audience. They should not be performing. Anyone who carries a weapon concealed must be confident in his or her abilities at all times. Like the responsible musician, a good shooter will practice, practice, and practice. Feeling fear just proves that you are not confident in your shooting abilities. Practice.......lots of practice will help overcome those fears. The "butterflies" will always be there as they should. If you ever do decide to employ your firearm, handling it will be automatic because the practice you’ve endured will make it so. It will allow you to concentrate on a developing situation with a more focused attention.

My mother-in-law is a retired lieutenant, 25 year vet on a police force. She never drew her weapon in all those years. I hope to go to my grave with the same results. However, having the confidence in my abilities, the knowledge about how to deploy it, and accepting the responsibility of carrying a weapon all add up to being comfortable with my decision. The same will go for you as well. In the past ten years, only once was I even remotely concerned about a situation and even then, I was still in the "yellow" mode. (Green: all ok. Yellow: Caution. Red: imminent threat. ) It only lasted a few moments, thank goodness.


I carry all the time, period. Up to the milk store, in Church, at the mall, at parties, etc. While I have a number of pistols I could carry, I'm very comfortable with my very compact Keltec P32 (going to replace it with a .380 model soon). I'm pretty competent with it as well. I practice mostly at 21 feet at the range. That's where it will be most likely used as I'm sure your instructors have told you. Small pistols don't do well at longer ranges. So, I stick with what I know and am a good instinctive shooter with it. And, before anyone says caliber is everything, the most important thing you should have at a gun fight is….well…a gun. I could carry a .45 hog leg but frankly, it doesn’t fit my lifestyle. So, the .32 ACP (soon .380 acp) is fine by me. It’s got a great report and does what it is supposed to do very well, indeed. Don’t be impressed with the argument for big calibers. Shot placement is much more important than big holes and chances are that the Keltec would fit much more appropriately in that nice evening bag you carry! LOl

I know this is long but wanted to just share some thoughts with you about the decision to carry. It's certainly not for everyone. My wife has her permit, too, but does not carry. She accepts that I do. I think that eventually she will but it’ll be her decision when she’s ready.

One thinks about the recent tragedy in Virginia. If just one student had had a concealed carry pistol on their person could they have limited the carnage there? Unfortunately we won't know. However, there are tens of thousands of cases across the country where the proper deployment of a concealed carry weapon has diffused or terminated a threat against civilians. I hope to God that I am never involved with anything like that during my lifetime.....but....I'm prepared to do what's necessary and confident enough in my abilities should the situation call one me.

Good luck with your decision.

Rome

 

[rscalzo]

Our club will be offering the NRA Personal Protection Outside the Home within the next few weeks. That would be a good place to start. There are many more areas then what type of holster and ammo to buy when you make up your mind to carry a handgun.

 

[Viking Kitten]

My sincere thanks to everyone who's taken the time to give me advice. I know in large part my reluctance to carry needs to be overcome simply by doing...and perhaps that means I start around the house, and build my confidence.

In part, I was reluctant to carry because I was not comfortable with what I'd chosen for that purpose: I had a Seecamp and found it just too small. So last Fall I purchased a S&W Airweight 642. Much more comfortable in my hand, but so much larger! (Nope, not easily concealable in an evening bag, or on my hip!)

LenS - will send you an email.

rscalzo - to what club do you belong? I think a tactics-oriented class would be helpful. The GOAL "Art of Concealed Carry" class was primarily academic for the students, no hands-on practice, even drawing from a holster.

Like Cabinetman - and I'm sure everyone on this forum - I sincerely hope I never have occasion to test my skills in a confrontation.

Thanks again to everyone.

 

[rscalzo]

Club Info

Major Waldron Sportsmen's Association
www.majorwaldron.com

Quite a few clubs offer these classes. Many, like ours, do so at almost a break even cost as a service to new and continuing shooters. I'm glad to see that you are taking the stepsto further educate yourself in this area.

 

[Prepper]

I'm also just beginning also to concealed carry, at least occasionally. (I can't bring it to work so that means I can't carry most of the time anyway.) I've had the Class A since 2001 but just kept the guns locked up. I also bought the S&W 642 (just last week) specifically so that it'd be easier to carry it. I initially tried carrying around my house a Sig 229 and almost immediately concluded that I'm not going to like that. The pocket holster seems to work well for either my jacket or cargo pants (upper pockets). I haven't tried the IWB holster yet; I expect that'll be less comfortable than a pocket holster.

 

[M1911]

VK: There are two excellent schools for defensive training in NH: Lethal Force Institute http://www.ayoob.com and Sigarms Academy http://www.sigarms.com/EducationTraining/

They both offer classes that give you hands-on training in defensive tactics. Sigarms Academy offers a Concealed Carry class that covers drawing from holster, using cover garments, alternative carry options (pocket carry, purse, etc.). I highly recommend it.

If you haven't had training in using a holster, I suggest that you get some before you do -- more than a few people have had negligent discharges while holstering.

 

[Len-2A Training]

VK, Email responded to.

I also found three pertinent threads on another forum. I DL'd them to a Word file but it's 8MB! I'll need a day or two to trim the wheat from the chaff and then I'll forward it to you as an Email attachment. The best parts of them are written by a young lady and she included some pictures of what and how she carries.

 

[tuna]

I just recently started CCWing also. I'm noticing that I'm much more self conscious than I thought I'd be. FWIW, in the mideast, I had no problem CCWing an M9 (sometimes 2) OWB concealed only in with a loose shirt, because I had the authority to carry there and didn't have to worry about "brandishing" or other issues like I do now.
Once I got my LTC-A no restrictions, I immediatley traded my wife her Model 60 for my K frame sized Taurus .357 for nightstand duty (yes, she likes the .357 and can handle it very well, and the Model 60 was purchased by me before I met my wife, so cut me a little slack). I was struck by how obvious (at least to me) the Model 60 was when carrying, so I downgraded to one of my "mouse guns" and have been carrying a small pistol (derringer or .25ACP) until I feel less self conscious. I'm starting to realize that NO ONE can tell I have a derringer in my pocket, so I'll start moving up a little.
I know, a derringer or .25 isn't the perfect choice. But it is a gun, it is building my confidence in my ability to carry, and it has a little longer range than my fists. I also don't worry as much about one going off in my pocket as I do when I carry pepper spray, having had a zippo lighter leak in my pocket on occasion.

 

[Thor67]

Viking Kitten - L-O-V-E the name! I hope there's a story behing it and that you know the Norse cat myths. Powerful stuff!

That being said, I think everyone goes through the same thing with starting to carry. We all feel like everyone can see the weapon. Especially in this state, there are potential real consequences to "being made."

Here's how I got comfortable with it:

• Read a lot about CCW strategies, here and other forums.
• Found a weapon that I love.
• Tried different holsters - OWB (outside the waistband) and IWB (inside the waistband).
• Got a good holster, and a good thick belt.
• Carried around my house to get used to the weight of the weapon, and the feel for it, learned how to move with it, lift my arms over my head, kneal down with it, etc.
• Looked in mirrors, I adjusted the cant of the holster, and the positioning - I like it strong side at about 4 - 4:30 o'clock.
• Learned the right clothing to weat and how to wear it. Untucked layers work best for me.

Remember, what works best for one person may not work best for you, so it's important to try everything out for yourself and get comfortable!

There are several holster makers that make 1) holsters for women, and 2) Purses geared to CCW (if you tend to carry a purse), 3) Casual bags/backpack style CCW rigs too.

Continue taking classes (David Kenik has some CCW classes coming up I think, and NE Shooters may too). Practice what you're taught. I do hundreds of draws from the concealed holster (make sure the gun is unloaded - obviously), and make sure I'm familiar with all my weapons.

Good luck!

Thor

 

[Len-2A Training]

VK,

You should now have the LARGE Word document I sent you in the wee hours of the morning. It's a trimmed down version of 3 separate threads in another forum (that requires registration in order to read there).

Happy reading!