Concealed Carry Myths

Shooting Illustrated ^ | 13 May 2021 | David Workman

[COBOL2Java]

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With the increasing popularity of concealed carry among self-defense-minded folks, it’s important to separate fact from fiction to make us all better, more responsible defenders of ourselves and our loved ones. For that purpose, let’s clear up some of the most common myths surrounding concealed carry.

Smaller Guns are Easier to Shoot

Concealed carry is all about compromise. On the one hand, it’s easier to conceal a smaller gun. It’s less likely to print because it has a smaller frame and grip. It also might seem easier to shoot, especially if you have smaller hands because you can grip it easier. The tendency, therefore, is to find a small gun that easy to hide.

However, people who buy small guns often quickly discover how difficult they can be to shoot. Why is this? It’s Newtonian physics: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The bullet goes downrange and the gun recoils. The amount of felt-recoil depends on the mass of the gun. Less mass equals more felt-recoil. Therefore, a smaller gun is going to "kick" more than a larger gun in the same chambering, making it more difficult to handle. So while a smaller gun may sound appealing, shoot it first to be sure it’s really what you want.

Manual Safeties are Better

One reason people are often convinced that manual safeties are a good idea is born out of a fear that the gun might accidentally go off while they are carrying. However, the odds of that happening are minuscule at best, and almost always the result of negligent use on the part of the carrier. Quality semi-automatic pistols have multiple internal passive safeties that prevent the gun from discharging without the trigger being pulled. So if you’re concerned about the gun "going off" by itself, rest easy.

There are only a few guns for which a manual safety is an integral part of design and function. One of those is the 1911 platform, because the single-action trigger is extremely light. Folks who carry 1911s typically train on how to engage and disengage the manual safety as part of their regular range activities, so the motion is committed to muscle memory. For the rest of us, a manual safety is not vital, though there's certainly nothing wrong with having one on your gun; just remember to practice disengaging it and engaging it.

Carry with the Chamber Empty

Similar to the safety-on argument is the empty chamber mindset, this one also borne out of concern for accidental discharge. The idea is that, by keeping the chamber empty, the gun won’t go bang if the trigger is accidentally pulled. This, too, is well-intentioned, but not practical. Two reasons.

First, are you certain you will have both hands free to charge the pistol? Can you chamber that first round with one hand, especially if your other hand is occupied fending off an attacker or corralling a loved one? Just like with a manual safety, adding another step to deploying the gun complicates things, increasing the odds we will not get the gun into the fight when it’s needed.

Second, carrying with an empty chamber cheats you out of valuable ammunition. By keeping a round in the chamber, you can replace that round in the magazine with an extra. If you have a 10-round magazine, for example, you can carry 11 rounds, usually expressed as 10+1. Wouldn’t you want to carry an extra round? I certainly would!

I Can’t Carry without a Belt

Most waist holsters do indeed require a belt to hold things up, but it’s not true for every holster. Some holsters fasten with steel clips that grab onto your waistband so tightly they don’t need a belt, while other holsters, such as friction holsters, stay in place by using the friction created by the waist of your pants or shorts against your body.

And then there are belly bands, an option for athletic wear or any time your wardrobe doesn’t include a belt. Belly bands are self-contained holster systems that wrap around you and include a holster for your gun and sometimes places to add accessories such as spare magazines, a knife, pepper gel, and other carry items. Belly bands are a secure way to hold your gun without a need to significantly alter your wardrobe. Be sure to look for one with a reinforced area over the trigger, though.

Ankle Holsters are as Efficient as Waistband Holsters

While it is true that some unconventional carry methods can be okay in a pinch, they are less preferable to the conventional on-the-belt method. One such unconventional method is ankle carry. It’s not awful, but it’s not the best. Here’s why. Two big considerations when choosing a carry position are 1) how easy is it to get to the gun from any position, and 2) can you get to the gun when on the move?

With a waistband-carry position, you can reach your gun whether standing, sitting or lying on the ground with relative ease. With an ankle rig, you must bend over or lift your leg to retrieve the gun, often requiring you to take your eyes off the target while you fumble to get the gun out. If you’re moving, as is often the case in a defensive scenario as you seek cover or concealment, you can’t get the gun out of an ankle holster until you stop. This puts the odds against you from the start, and you may not get a chance to even them out. So while carrying a gun in an ankle holster beats not carrying a gun at all, it’s a less-than-ideal solution.

Pocket Carry Will Be Just Fine

Try this experiment: Put your cell phone in your pocket, sit down and try to pull it out without standing up. Pretty difficult, no? Now imagine your cell phone is your gun tucked in a pocket holster, and you need to get to it in a hurry. Probably not going to happen. That’s one of the biggest drawbacks of pocket carry: inaccessibility. If you’re sitting down, such as in a restaurant or your car, you’ll have a harder time getting your gun out of your pocket.

If you do manage to pull the gun out, there is a good chance the holster will come out with it. In theory, the holster is supposed to stay in the pocket, but in reality that only works about half the time. Which half will it be in the moment? If the holster comes out with the gun, now you must ditch the holster before you can use the gun. Not a great way to start a life-or-death encounter.

Practicing at the Range will be Enough

Most of us only shoot at a static range, one where the paper or steel target is hanging from the ceiling or set on a stand. It doesn’t move, and neither do we. This is great for practicing accurate shooting and working on fundamentals such as grip, stance and trigger squeeze; all important skills for good marksmanship. But that’s not the way real-life encounters happen. If your shooting consists of static ranges only, you will not be sufficiently prepared for a defensive encounter in the real world, where the scene is dynamic and targets move.

Take your training one gigantic step forward by adding dynamic movement to your shooting. Most indoor ranges will not let you practice this because they require you to stay behind the bench, so you will likely need to move to an outdoor range or find an indoor range that allows it. Also, seek out qualified instruction from someone who is well versed in dynamic encounters and can help you in a safe and effective environment.

[Magnum44]

yep. I use the the magnet down on the panel by my right knee for some trips. Just a little less visible if someone is looking in the window.

I mentioned when I holster while driving, I shift the RH IWB to the left side so its not under the seatbelt. Comes out with a RH cross draw naturally pointing to the driver side door.

[exnavy]

yes, lots of good reading on this thread...

[sarge83]

I pretty much have done the same thing and gone to pocket carry with a Sig365, Kel-Tec P32, Taurus TCP .380 or a .38spl revolver, and I carry condition one in the autos. I have a good pocket holster, a Mika Pocket holster(EXCELLENT POCKET HOLSTERS!) for each model that fully covers the triggers and it stays in the pocket but the weapon easily comes out if I need to access it.

As a rule of thumb I never carry anything else in the pocket where I am carrying my weapon. If I am driving I have another weapon in the console or glove box should I need to access a piece. If I am at home I have have a handgun near my seat at home. About the only place I am not carrying is at my work where I am prevented from doing so.

As another poster related I hate public restrooms and have a standard check in place when I am finished. I smack my phone in my shirt pocket, my wallet in the back pocket, my car keys in my weak side front pocket and then my firearm in my strong side pocket. The 1,2,3,4 quick count.

[Who is John Galt?]

Years ago, I ran across "KY Jim's Rules of Carry", which cover the bases about as well as anything I've seen. Quoting from memory:

1. Any gun is better than no gun.

2. A reliable gun is better than one that is not.

3. A hole where you want it is better than a hole someplace else.

4. A bigger hole is a better hole.

I've also seen a 5th rule added:

5. Don't carry it, if you can't afford to replace it.

;^)

[ex-cadet]

YES, I carry a Series 70 Colt’s Government Model 1911 concealed & generally under an untucked golf shirt with jeans, cowboy boots or boat shoes.
(The secret is the PROPER size golf shirt & the DON HUME “CONCEALER” holster, which is made to blend in with the upper body silhouette. = It pulls the Colt’s GM close to the body & is really inconspicuous.
(I’ve had other LEOs ask me why I was NOT armed & when I pointed out that I was carrying a GM, they were STUNNED.)

Yours, ex-cadet

[ex-cadet]

EXACTLY SO.

Yours, ex-cadet

[COBOL2Java]

Good rules!

[Nailbiter]

flr

[ex-cadet]

I am reminded of the WISE words of “The Polish Falcon”, who was one of our senior instructors when I was a student at USAMPS’ MPOBC.
(He said to our class one day, “Gentlemen, It may possibly be that you will complete your law enforcement career without getting into a single shooting incident & are never required to use deadly force to protect yourself or another person.” [PAUSE] He continued, “It is also very possible that you will be forced to exchange gunfire with a criminal to preserve your life or another person’s life.” [PAUSE] “Should that VERY BAD DAY come into your life, you will need a gun on that WORST OF ALL days & on that day you will need a gun BADLY. ——— Thus you should always go about your daily duties armed.”

“The Falcon” told us that over 50 years ago & I have never forgotten his advice. - YES, I have had more than one of the “very bad days” that he spoke of.
(All these long years later, I still carry a handgun concealed every day.)

yours, satx

[OKSooner]

So what’s the smallest handgun you’re willing to carry?

[ex-cadet]

A S&W Model 10 “snubbie”, loaded with 200 grain soft lead bullets, as that “long for caliber” bullet, out of a 2-3” .38SPL barrel, TUMBLES & “makes a MESS of the interior of the torso”.
(FYI, a Louisiana ME once described the wound made by that round of ammo out of a “snubbie” at close range, as a “large bloody rat hole”.

Yours, ex-cadet

[ex-cadet]

FWIW, when I worked for an International agency in the early 1990s in Latin America, I routinely carried a PAIR of BHP, loaded with 147 grain JHP.
(The agency REQUIRED only 9x19mm firearms/ammo.)

Yours, ex-cadet

[ex-cadet]

FWIW, when I worked for an International agency in the early 1990s in Latin America, I routinely carried a PAIR of BHP, loaded with 147 grain JHP.
(The agency REQUIRED only 9x19mm firearms/ammo.)

Yours, ex-cadet

[Hot Tabasco]

The problem I have is that I am very small framed and live entirely in sweat pants in cold weather then shorts during the warmer months. Nothing I wear requires a belt so I am limited to paddle holsters which due to the weight of the pistol, pulls down the sweat pants or shorts on the side of the gun........LOL!

[ex-cadet]

I suggest that you take the advice of the late JUSTIN WILSON, AKA: THE SAGE OF CAJUNLAND, & become a SAFETY MAN.
(CHUCKLE)

Yours, ex-cadet

[dsc]

“Everyday carry AND RELATED procedures should be such that children can’t access the weapons.”

With the grandchildren we also work toward “children WON’T access weapons,” even if they are lying on the coffee table.

Still, “can’t” is a degree safer, so we don’t leave loaded weapons strewn about the room either.

However, sometimes I fall asleep in my chair, edc on the coffee table, and the grandkids come over whilst I snore. At times like that I think it better that the chamber be empty.

I am old, they are young, and I want that extra degree of safety.

If I were heading into harm’s way, then I’d load 6+1.

[familyop]

“Manual Safeties are Better” is described as a myth. That’s overly generalizing. Whether or not a manual safety is better depends on how you’re carrying. Appendix carry is popular with the young crowd and good for its special purposes and conditions, but it’s not always the best way.

A person in a particular situation might need to carry under several layers of supple clothing and need to fish the weapon out of all of that in a tense situation. And during part of that draw, the trigger might not be covered with a trigger cover (see finger getting pushed or snagged by something else into trigger guard).

Quite a few methods of carry are good for their respective reasons and various circumstances, and special practice is needed for each one. Training can’t be overemphasized. More training, always, and safety first. Generally, people are more likely to have accidents than to get into firefights. Very few people will become hot rod killers like characters in movies. Few can even do well with hitting stationary targets on ranges.

Another thing that’s popular now is a lack of good retention. There are hoods who practice pulling other people’s weapons.

And as for recoil and weapon type (e.g., subcompacts), it depends on the person. Many are far more sensitive to it now than over two generations ago. One who wants to desensitize to recoil might fire a 12 gauge shotgun until desensitized, but as always, be careful. Practice slowly, following every safety step. Paradoxically, speed eventually comes from that with enough practice, seemingly all by itself.

And remember, he who has the most calm, analytical mind in an exciting situation stands a much better chance. Not everyone experiences that “tunnel vision.”

[familyop]

And don’t carry with a loaded chamber under the hammer with an old revolver lacking a trigger bar or some other mechanism to keep that hammer from hitting the firing pin.

[familyop]

Yes on public restrooms for some. That’s why so many police ankle carry .380s.

[Fightin Whitey]

Who claims smaller guns are easier to shoot? NEVER heard that one before!

I took the author to be in agreement with you, lightly mocking those who prefer to shoot smaller guns.