THE ARMED CITIZEN, WHERE TO START FOR THE NEW CONCEALED CARRIER

It seems that few personal endeavours are polluted with as much wrong and self serving information as the topic of guns, equipment and tactics. Part of the problem is that tactics and equipment change as technology and requirements change. We, however, are often reluctant to evolve. Another aspect is that we accept suspect information and recommendations at face value because we lack the perspective to make an educated decision. In the beginning you may not realize that all sources of information, equipment and training are not created equal. Where do you even start? If you are reading this you are well on your way. 

Let’s start with equipment, specifically the gun. The handgun is the biggest investment and the one with the emotional attachment (ego). To me this is the easiest decision, but we often screw this up by taking bad advice and not establishing what our personal needs are. I have the luxury of nearly 30 years of making mistakes in this area to help guide me. Lessons learned and all that. 

When the question of “why” someone carries a specific handgun comes up, see if any of these ring a bell; 

“This is the same one the cops use”. 

“The US fought five wars with it, that’s good enough for me” (Relax, I have a 1911 too).

“I inherited this when Aunt Millie’s third husband passed, along with his fishing tackle”.

“This one shoots the new deuce-five inverted mcgillicutty wing-tip, totally deadly”. 

“My dad gave me this when I moved out for college, along with a baseball bat and a spray can of wasp and hornet killer to keep next to my bed” 

“The guy at the gun store said this one was harder to shoot myself with because the trigger is really hard to squeeze”. 

Rarely. More along the lines of “Never”, does someone answer with “After shooting several handguns this is the one I can operate the best. I’m accurate with it, I can clean it and I have a couple nice holsters for it. I’ve trained with it at a class(s) and I have full confidence in it”. 

For handgun purposes here are several parameters I would recommend to help guide your selection;

It should feel reasonably comfortable in your hand. Yes, your hand, not hands. It’s a handgun not a “handsgun”. The hand you use to support your firing/shooting hand will work just fine with it. You need to be able to shoot it with one hand. You should be able to cycle the slide without using a neighbor to help you. You should be capable of loading the magazines and successfully inserting and ejecting them while keeping your firing grip reasonably intact. If it has a safety, think “on and off” switch, you should be able to understand and manipulate it. The sights should work for you and your understanding of what a sight picture should look like (look it up). Factory Glock sights are not good and on the low end of acceptable. 

You must be able to field strip, clean, reassemble and function check your handgun. Do not be afraid of this necessary process. People can get really stressed about this part. No one likes looking incompetent and nobody wants to drive back to the gun store with a shoe box full of parts and admit they can’t get their gun back together. If you lack people around you that can helpYouTube is your friend. 

Be cautious buying the first run of any new model. Make sure you can get magazines and concealment holsters for it. 

Buy the biggest gun that holds the most bullets that you can conceal. Tiny guns are not often easy to use. How much will it cost? You don’t need to spend a thousand dollars. You probably don’t need to spend $500. There’s lots of deals out there. Most used guns have rarely been fired. Buy a known brand with a proven pedigree. I didn’t mention revolvers. If you prefer them the same ideas apply to you and your wheel gun. 

For ammunition you will again need to spend some money. Get premium ammunition designed for our intended purpose. Pretty easy? Yep. There are some really interesting advancements in ammunition of late. I’ll go ahead and let someone else get some data on the new stuff before I switch. I still carry and trust Speer Gold Dot. It’s tested and I’m happy with it. For you, replace your carry ammunition at least once a year. Practice ammo, get what’s on sale. 

What about caliber? Don’t read too much into caliber. With modern ammunition the caliber debate is dumb. Get what you like, and of far more importance, what you shoot the best. .380, 9MM, 40 S&W, 45 ACP are all going to be effective if you do your part. Marksmanship stops people, not magic bullets. 

Having the gun is only the beginning of the odyssey. The devil is in the details and support equipment, or lack thereof, will make all the difference. For belt carry you will be best served buying a belt designed to support a holster and handgun. There are many out there. There is nothing quite like seeing a person struggling to conceal a handgun while using the flimsy, but very stylish, dress belt they found in their closet. The belt holds the gun and holster combo in place. It allows you to retrieve the gun with as much of a firing grip as possible from a less than ideal position.

The holster. You should start fine tuning your BS detector here. It makes no sense to spend hundreds of dollars on a handgun, and then spend as little as possible on the holster. People have the best of intentions when they get involved in this venture. Then they find out that the $15.99 Uncle D Bag holster they bought is so uncomfortable that they never use it. The gun lives in the nylon and velcro “Hecho in China” holster in the center console or in the closet. You do not need extra security snaps and retention devices and thumb breaks for this application. The ability to re-holster is a consideration but of utmost importance is the ability to draw. 

The holster should be comfortable with the clothes you wear and the belt you choose. This will likely require some changes in wardrobe. It should hold the handgun secure enough that it won’t fall out in a fight or if you get knocked on your ass. It should allow you to access the handgun from different positions. Appendix carry works for me. Just starting out I would limit my options to strong side belt carry. Research the topic. Don’t let descriptions like SOB, IWB, OWB, AIWB bog you down. Find out what they mean. For training purposes at the beginning please consider a simple but quality holster that you wear on the outside of your belt. 

After determining that a particular holster will meet your needs and you can draw with it, move on to the next step. Put your holster on using the belt you are going to use with it. Make sure your handgun is empty. Put it in the holster and don your cover garment. Now wash your car in the security of your own driveway. Give it a full detailing. I’ve found that if the gun doesn’t fall out, cut me or become unbearable while vacuuming, waxing, etc. it’s probably going to work. This environment is safer than grocery shopping or otherwise being out in public with untested gear. 

You will need ear and eye protection. You don’t need to spend a fortune on electronic ear protection. Get the basic stuff until you determine what you like. 

You will need a place to shoot. Personally, ranges can be the bain of my existence. When you find one that you like, try to have some type of relationship with them. They tend to treat members better than walk-ins. Be cautious of how much time you spend there. The flat range is not reality. 

There are some bargains to be had in all of the above but keep this in mind, “Cheap gear isn’t good and good gear isn’t cheap”. The same goes for training. While the amateurs are concerned with hardware, the professionals focus on software. Training, or uploading new software, is what separates the unconsciously incompetent from the successful. I want you to be professional, especially so you don’t screw it up for the rest of us. Seek out competent instruction from teachers that have a proven track record. I would suggest teachers that present their curriculum and techniques as concepts that can be applied to numerous situations. Be cautious of range shenanigans packaged as advanced skills. 

You do not need hours of work on “stance” in a shooting booth or reams of mind numbing war stories from the instructor, who is likely out of material. I have found that the more patches,

similar to merit badges, the instructor has on his or her vest the more likely they are to be trapped in a flat range, artificially safe mentality. 

Training is the key. The few hours of lecture you sat through to get your Concealed Carry/Concealed Weapon Permit is not enough. With any luck your CCW class got you up and moving instead of death by PowerPoint. If any of this applies to you consider a FARE THEE WELL CONCEPTS class. Not by accident, the curriculum is designed to allow you to build on the knowledge you have in future classes. The techniques are not sexy but robust and street proven. The methods of presentation have been refined over years of teaching adult learners from all walks of life. You can literally show up with an open mind and your new gun in a shopping bag. We will get you on your way. 

Shawn Pappas, Owner/Lead Instructor 

727-564-2556 

faretheewellconcepts@gmail.com 

facebook.com/faretheewellconcepts