Posted on 12/26/2019 9:24:50 AM PST by w1n1
The decision to carry a concealed firearm is a personal choice that can either be a lifesaver or a "life taker." It is a choice that may leave you taking the life of a fellow human being or disfiguring them. Therefore, how you conduct yourself will determine whether you protect yourself or put others in danger. Whatever you do, you should never make these mistakes while carrying a concealed gun.
-Leaving the concealed carry permit at home
The first mistake, especially for veteran concealed carriers, is to leave their licenses at home. You can talk yourself out of situations, but police officers will hear none of it. Unless you are in a state that allows the free use of guns, always have your permit.
-Buying a holster without testing it
Many first-time carriers fall victim to this mistake. When you purchase a holster and fail to check it, you will be subjecting yourself to potential physical and financial pain. Make sure you buy a holster that fits your body comfortably.
-Removing your handgun to show-off
The importance of concealed carrying is to keep it unseen. That implies that irrespective of how excited you feel about having a gun, you must not show it off.
-Fire warning shots
Apart from not showing off your firearm, you shouldn’t fire warning shots. There are many tense, ambiguous situations out there. You don’t have to use your gun in all of them. If you feel threatened, it is okay to act accordingly, and that is all it goes down to.
-Getting drunk and carrying
Some states prohibit the habit of getting drunk while carrying a gun. Others stipulate that one must not go into an alcohol-selling shop with a concealed weapon. Firearms and alcohol don't mix. Read the rest of concealed carry: should never do.
Heh heh, hold my beer
“...It is a choice that may leave you taking the life of a fellow human being or disfiguring them. ...”
If that other “fellow human being” wasn’t doing something to cause my life to be in danger, HIS life wouldn’t be in danger in the first place.
As carrying is a choice, so too is it a choice to try and criminally harm another person and criminally infringe on their life and right to be left alone.
We all live - or not - with the choices we make.
Frequently test your holster. My crossbreed after years of flawless operation, locked up the firearm and would not release while practicing. Fixed it, but could not trust it again and only use full leather products.
The gun club I belong to has an attached bar. I’ve seen guys have a drink or three there, then go off to one of the ranges. When they are at a range, I am not.
So yeah, alcohol restrictions makes some sense to me.
The most important thing you should do is never take advice from AM Shooting Journal.
I had a kydex paddle holster that I use to qualify annually. The last time I went to place the weapon in the holster, the “lock” that goes around the trigger guard was in the wrong position, I’d never would have been able to remove the weapon if it had seated in the holster. Lesson learned.
I figure Progressives want to sow chaos by favoring criminals over victims, so they want to vilify Police and disarm Civilians.
But why can’t I have non-lethal weapons that will just temporarily disable a criminal, and all I have to deal with in the aftermath is whether I unlawfully restrained them?
Aside from wasting your limited ammo, there's 2 more serious issues with 'warning shots':
1. Unintended things happen. You could hit an innocent bystander - even by ricochet - while you're not aiming at the person 'needing to be warned.'
2. If you shoot, you shoot to kill and it's only because you're believing your life is in danger. Just by carrying the weapon, you have to 'buy in' to that possibility. You don't 'shoot the tires' or 'shoot the leg' or some stupid Hollywood scenario like that.
Shooting for any other purpose (excepting practice) is inviting bad outcomes.
“The most important thing you should do is never take advice from AM Shooting Journal.”
Which of their recommendations are you violating?
Do NOT go to places where you could invite trouble. Should be #1.
Agreed! After reading this, I was left wondering if the writer had ever carried a firearm regularly.
It’s not too fine a point to make, is it... :^)
Why is it so terrible to try only to disable, as implied by the previous post?
I think it completely depends on the situation.
YMMV, but at least “shooting the legs” gives one a vast advantage without the full legal issues.
Exactly my question.
My LEO training is that you only shoot to stop the threat. The word "kill" should never be uttered even in self defense.
“No one would ever know it’s there unless they made that mistake “
I carry a P365 in my right front pocket. Whatever gun I carry, it’s in a sticky holster there. No one has ever mentioned it. One day in Costco a man looked over and said, “Is that a gun in your pocket?” Without hesitation I said, “No. I am extremely well endowed. I have to keep it folded in my right pocket.” There was a long pause as his face adjusted to what I’d said. He said, “Dang. Sorry.”
Never brandish your gun. Pulling your gun out and presenting it to a potential assailant to scare tham off can have the opposite effect, make them panic and think they are about to get shot, and just attack you.
My rule is, don’t pull your gun unless you actively intend to use it directly to shoot an assailant. If things change while you are pulling your gun — the assailant runs away or surrenders — you can always choose to not shoot your gun, if you still have the presence of mind.
But the idea that you can be in a questionable situation, and you think you can simply pull your gun at a potential perp and think that alone will automatically scare them off, is just false. I have read a number of stories where someone feld threatend and aimed their gun at the person, only to have them immediately bull rush the CCW holder.
Don’t brandish. If you need to shoot, pull your gun and shoot, otherwise keep it holstered.
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