Carrying a handgun for personal defense is a massive responsibility and often an onerous task, but it certainly beats not being armed when you need to be. The goal, during your life, should not be to win a gunfight, but rather to never be in one. More than just with the mechanics of packing a gun, this is done via the right mindset, and the cornerstone of that mindset is confidence; confidence in you, your gun, and your surroundings.
Confidence in the law
As was said in the previous article, you absolutely must know the laws in your jurisdiction, and you must know them better than the local police, who can be quite wrong on any given law, and don’t mind lying to you about it, either. Handgunlaw.us and USA Carry are good online resources to look up your state.
A big part of confidence is knowing that you are right in all that you do. A righteous man can be at peace with himself because he is right and others are wrong. Carrying a gun is still not highly thought of in our disarmed, pacifistic society, so knowing and obeying the law to a precise degree will nullify any difficulty you would have with the police, allowing you to concentrate on criminal threats, as you should.
One of the essential traits of being a country that is still a conglomeration of states (although ever increasingly Federalized) is that not all states are equal, and this applies to carrying weapons. You must know where your state’s permit is honored, and where it is not. You must know about any differences in the rules of your home state versus your destination. You must know all relevant rules of any states between you and your destination, as well as city specific rules.
An example of this is that I know I can go to Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio without any real changes to my concealed carry routine, but I have to modify it to go to Illinois and put the piece in a car console or a purpose specific case and not carry it on my person, as my carry permit is not valid there. This sucks, but it’s better than the “it must be unloaded and not accessible from the driver’s seat” that it used to be.
You must know where you can go in any given state with a concealed weapon. Big points of contention are things like bars versus restaurants, government owned facilities, and large crowd events. A typical rule is that you cannot carry in a bar, or the section of a tavern that is a bar, but the restaurant portion is ok.
The easiest rule on a government building is that you know they disapprove of the Constitution (at least this part) when they have metal detectors, but, even if they don’t, you might still be boned. For instance, the Post Office bans firearms, and I’ve never seen a metal detector there. Schools are pretty much always a no-go.
Large gatherings can cause problems as well. While private security cannot arrest you, they can physically disarm you, and you’ll never get the gun back, in all odds. Also, if it’s illegal to carry in a “civic event,” the rent-a-cops will call over the one or two real cops, and now you’re arrested.
Lastly, there is something called “duty to inform.” If you are unlucky enough to have to deal with a law enforcement officer while about your daily travels, you may have to, by law, say that you are carrying. At a minimum, you’ll be disarmed for the duration of the encounter, you may well annoy him by exercising your Constitutional rights, and you may even be arrested, depending on his understanding of the law, intellect, and general mood that day. While not all police are jerks, enough of them are that it is sound advice to avoid contact unless YOU need them, and that goes double for you while carrying.
All of this must be learned BEFORE you go somewhere! Do your homework, or you could find yourself stuck approaching, or already in, a “gun free zone” while packing heat. Legal or not, right or not, un-American or not, that now makes you the bad guy and subject to arrest. If you find yourself in such a situation, leave the area. If you must go back, throw away your ammo, go to a UPS or FedEx store, and mail the gun to your local Federal Firearms License (FFL) holding dealer. Call him and you may need to pay him his transfer fee, and maybe even have the gun transferred back to you that you already own, but it beats getting arrested. Do not do the thug life method of just throwing the gun in the trash, either.
Confidence in your gear
One of the more common mistakes is “now I have a gun, I’m good to go.” The pistol is just the beginning, and it’s not really even the beginning; it’s just a part of it all, both physically and mentally. You need to have gear that works for you, and that you’ve proven to yourself that it works.
You need to have a good holster, a good belt to hold it with (usually heavier than a normal belt), a holder for magazines or speedloaders, and you need to make sure it fits well. Pistols are heavy and they’re noticeable when they aren’t supported well enough. If your gear doesn’t work well, you’re not going to use it much and when you do, you’re going to attract attention to yourself by hitching up your pants a lot or patting the area of the gun.
People don’t notice a confident person with a concealed gun, and they usually don’t even notice a confident person with an exposed gun, but they WILL notice a nervous person who is nervous for no apparent reason. They will then scope you out and figure out you have a gun that you’re not comfortable with, and maybe call the law on you.
3 yards, 3 shots, 3 seconds. Some statistic on gun fights. Yes, this close. Drawing, presenting, firing, changing mags, firing, scanning, reholstering. Go.
This means you need to do a few things. You MUST train, maybe with some classes, but definitely by yourself, on the range, and at home. You MUST practice drawing, mag changes, threat scanning, rapid-close firing, and firing at range, and firing from cover and moving to cover. The bad news is that some ranges don’t allow all that stuff, and you should find one that does. The good news is everything but actual firing can be practiced at home (with the ammo in another room.) Future articles will cover good drills.
You may need multiple guns for multiple activities. My friend’s wife runs, and she bought a little holdout pistol and a fanny pack for it, but I doubt she’s practiced drawing at all. You will fail your training under stress and then you’ll lose. Practice with anything you’ll be carrying.
Printing.
In addition to being confident in your gear and training, you must be confident in your clothing. States have different laws on what concealment is, whether or not open carry is ok, whether or not you can occasionally expose the gun, and whether or not the outline of the gun, called “printing” can be visible or not. My home state is open carry, however, your state may vary, and you may need to change your clothing style to accommodate your firearm to be legal.
Legalities aside, you need to be discreet. If you are open carrying, or even badly concealed carrying, you just told the local bad guy that you’re his first target, and you also have a gun that he can use on other people. I don’t believe in warning people that you have a gun; if it’s time to use it, use it.
Confidence in yourself
You should never start a fight, or be drawn into one, whether you carry or not. If you’re in a bar, get into an argument, and he goes to “get mah piece” from his truck, you need to run out the back door, even if you have a gun yourself. Any gunfight you are not in is a gunfight you won. There are very few things that need to be won with a gun, and silly arguments are not among them.
No guns and drinking, even with little 22 conversions like this one.
Don’t speed, don’t disturb the peace, and don’t drink. States have various laws on drinking while carrying, but it’s a loss two ways regardless. Alcohol makes you less inhibited, so you’re more likely to get into an altercation, and you’re more likely to be found guilty if the jury knows you’ve been drinking at all. You should not be getting drunk to the point of affecting your judgment at any place that is unsafe enough to be carrying in the first place, which means you should be saving your partying for at home.
Lastly, people who are new to carrying think, “oh, I need to make sure to take my gun with me since I’m going THERE.” Why are you going someplace that you’ll think you need a gun once you get there? Firearms are for the unforeseen problems that crop up despite your best efforts to avoid them. Going to sketchy places, at sketchy times, and dealing with sketchy people does not call for you going there with a gun, it calls for either not going at all, or bringing friends with their own guns.
The most important thing is to be confident in your awareness. Violent encounters happen FAST, and if you get surprised by people that you did not see coming, that is where you screwed up. The greatest weapon you have is not your pistol, but your ability to see trouble and avert it.
Colonel Jeff Cooper’s Color Codes for Awareness. You should travel around in yellow. Orange means it’s time to put your hand on your gun and leave the area.
Confidence in what is right
Most importantly, you must be confident in what you believe is right. This is different than what is legal. Some people believe that it is better to be mugged than to kill the mugger, or be raped over killing the rapist, or just to give the home invaders what they want and they’ll go away. Others do not believe those things.
You must decide, as you start to carry, under what grounds are you personally decided to kill someone. There can be no hesitation, as the only worse thing to do other than be caught unarmed by violence is to pull a gun and not use it. Shoot to stop the threat, and shoot enough times to make sure it is stopped.
If you do get into a gunfight, once you’ve made sure you are safe, you need to call the police and establish yourself as the victim and then lawyer up fast. There is a school of thought that says to leave the area if you can’t be tied to the shooting in any way, but I can’t endorse a criminal act personally. I do know that it would be hard to live with running from such a thing, but it’s also hard to trust the police to do the right thing these days, especially if SJWs get involved.
Conclusion
Carrying a gun is not something that is done once you’ve purchased the gun and walked around with it a couple times. You must stay within the law, you must carry discretely and securely, you must train so you can use it effectively, you must not go places and do things that would bring unneeded violence upon you, and you must know where your personal line in the sand is and be ready to defend it.
The gun is simply a tool; your will is the weapon. Once you understand that the gun is only part of your defense and realize that security at home, unarmed combat, general fitness, staying safe, and situational awareness all play as big a part as the gun does, you will have made progress towards carrying confidently.
Read More: A Beginner’s Guide To Carrying A Handgun.
Number 3 is of primary importance. If you honestly don’t think you can kill someone, don’t even buy a gun in the first place.
I’ve given the same advice to people in real life. I support their right to own and carry firearms 100%, but if they’re just going to end up giving the bad guy a shiny new gun to kill them and others with, then do not even think of carrying.
Nice information. I teach handguns, and as an instructor, the one thing I always start with is “If you aren’t absolutely sure that you can kill someone if your life is in danger, then you should NOT have a gun.” Drawing and hesitating, or drawing and planning to frighten the bad guy because you have a gun, is a very very bad plan. If you draw it, you HAVE to be prepared to fire and to possibly kill someone.
Next piece of mindset – there is no “shoot to wound.” You learn to shoot ‘center of mass’ for a reason – in a gunfight, you will be at best half as good as in practice, and hitting center of mass in a stressful situation is bad enough. Practice, practice, practice, and then practice a lot more until you’re really good in a non-stressful situation (i.e. the range), so that when it hits the fan, being half that good enables you to survive. One guy I knew got a pistol and his CHL, and thought he was good-to-go after shooting two mags. (Shakes head at such inane logic)
Third, if you do have to shoot, lawyering up is always the best plan. And shut the fuck up. Take the fifth and then keep your mouth shut. Cops are trained to get info out of you. They’ll do good-cop, bad-cop. They’ll try to work your sympathies – and it’s all to get you to say something to incriminate yourself. Anything you say that’s not incriminating or puts you in the position of victim? Don’t count on the cops reporting that. STFU. Period and stop.
We had an active shooter on the facility I work (it’s a gun-free zone) and there was no more helpless feeling than to not be able to defend myself. Having a gun and knowing how to use it adds to a sense of security, but you have to be responsible with it. It’s a mindset.
If you have to shoot someone, it’s going to fuck you up mentally. No getting around that. You have to go in knowing that, and deciding to protect yourself and your family anyway. You have to go in knowing you’re going to possibly kill someone. If you can’t deal with that, do NOT carry.
You can do a lot worse than follow the advice Luke gives.
As I was always told “do not aim at anything you are not willing to destroy”. And as you mentioned if you’re not prepared to do that you shouldn’t have a gun. I have never aimed a loaded gun at another human and hope I never will. However I will drop one if it is them or me.
I haven’t carried a firearm since I was in my 20’s. But there’s a new, double barrelled pump 12 gauge I want to get. 16 rounds and the closest to an automatic shotgun you can get (I think). Anyway, I want it because of it’s like something you’d fight space invaders with.
The Turkish made one (forget the nomenclature), or the KSG? KSG is only 15 rounds (2 3/4) I think.
Thanks. I’m going to check it out.
Too heavy. An 870 or mossberg 500 is probably a better choice.
I am surprised no one said anything about getting concealed carry insurance to pay for legal fees in case you become a George Zimmerman. US Concealed Carry Association is one place to get it.
I did not know that existed. I’m not sure I’d get it unless I had a rough job, like armored truck driver. It strikes me like having a bail bondsman on retainer, maybe a little too much prep for a really low chance of happening event.
It may be available as a rider on your homeowner’s or (less likely) renters policy.
It’s also a good idea to carry an “Umbrella” policy which, even if it doesn’t explicitly cover firearms, there may be something else that triggers (see what I did there?) coverage. As an example, in the Paula Jones lawsuit against Bill Clinton, she alleged “Defamation of Character” – I would imagine related to his denials of any sexual assault – specifically because it brought Clinton’s 2×1 Million umbrella policies into play.
There are law firms that basically are on retainer as legal insurance in case you ever need to use your firearm. Once you’ve signed up, there is no additional legal cost if you need them. It’s another type of insurance. In my area, it’s Texas Law Shield. No doubt there are other such firms around the country. Cheap-ass insurance; if you get hauled in front of a grand jury, it’s going to be 10K and up, even if you get no-billed. And if you have to use your firearm, odds are high you’ll be in front of a grand jury at the very least.
For other insurance, you’d want to see if your homeowner’s policy will do you any good against a civil suit if you have to shoot someone on your property and either they survive or the heirs decide to sue your ass.
fuck insurance, find an abandoned mine shaft for proper shitlord disposal.
I read about a guy who got his nuts shot off in a gunfight. That certainly put me off gunfights.
What the hell news outlet are you watching that reports people getting their nuts removed? First it was the honey badgers rumored to castrate things and now this.
Although, “shoot him in the balls” was the best answer I’ve read when someone asked how to deal with a home invader wearing body armor.
I know man, fuck, honey badgers are bad enough. It was, incidentally, a report about a concealed carry permit holder who prevented a mass shooting by shooting the nuts off of the maniac. Surely no better way to end a fight. I am pretty sure he wasn’t aiming for his nuts but that doesn’t make me feel better about it.
Probably the reason you didn’t hear about it is because it was a CC holder who saved the day rather than the (“wait till he’s finished massacring everybody and offed himself”) cops.
Same reason I avoid motorcycles like the plague- imagine getting paralyzed in a stupid wreck and losing the ability to blast cheeks forever. TOO MUCH RISK!
Oh, that’s at least a happy ending. The first thing I thought of reading about nuts being shot off was a combination of negligent discharge and Mexican Carry.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2ddaf27a9931527e44b25c6fc461abd4725546d028aa77ee4c37a4a74385aa3a.jpg
An accident… waiting to happen. Apparently this is what happen to Tupac.
Just one further point. The general advice here applies whether you are carrying a gun or not. Situational awareness, avoiding confrontation, and not being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is what keeps you living to old age.
Be like a cat not like a dog.
Love this article (especially the Tuco quote!) People just don’t understand the warrior mindset that drives someone to carry a weapon, and that it is not born of a desire to harm, or unreasonable fear, or the need to prove something, but out of predardness, and the will to do what is necessary.
Trying to figure out the gun laws like:
Liberals be like “Why can’t we regulate guns the same way we regulate cars?” :^)
http://www.michaelzwilliamson.com/blog/index.php?itemid=227
Why can’t we require ID for voting like we do buying guns?
For some reason Obama won’t let me use a college ID to use the 2nd Amendment! Those lyin’ libs tell me “they aren’t real IDs…” just because those are printed by a student with a machine they bought from Staples!
Of course, the libs are actively trying to allow illegal immigrants to vote in Jew York and California, with more states to come. Libs aren’t really hypocrites… just treasonous.
accurate but should also include restless natives with poison darts and a hole filled with punji sticks
If I could find a picture like that, I definitely would have used it. 😛
I think the SJWs have infiltrated my phone. My autocorrect is trying to tell me that “gun” isn’t a real word.
It’s the “Words fags and Liberals don’t like spell checker” that queer friendly companies like Apple and Facebook are installing…
This was a very good article it cover a lot of bases and did it well
Also, practice your one-liners in front of a mirror so they become second nature in a real situation. For example :
“OK Niggums, who’s the badass now?!!”
Work on a good pose too!
Hahaha good one, I almost spit my beer!
“Who ordered the whupass fajitas?”
What’s your next article on, sir?
Next gun article will probably be centerfire ammo and basic reloading. Next actual article will be a satire piece I wrote; I hope it goes over well. I’m going to get into some other manly hobby articles here shortly, I’m going to do one on canoeing and I’ll start a car maintenance series too. Sometimes I wish I had more than one a week, but sometimes I’m grateful it’s only one. I’d like to do a news article on something, but our other writers do a good job of finding applicable news to ROK.
Well I don’t think any of us would complain if you had an extra article or two per week. Keep up the excellent work. Always looking forward to the next article.
Keep up the great work. There’s plenty of food for thought in your articles. As a non American, i found this particular article informative & intelligently presented.
Looking forward to your future work.
Why do I even read these articles!? It like reading about Michael Schummacher flooring a F1 car in front of my house. In my country only police or high dignitaries can own a license to carry a fire-arm. The worst a citizen can carry is a rubber bullet gun – and boy do you have to do paper work on that !
“Do you feel lucky,punk?”
Anyone who carries or is thinking of carrying must read the “Law of Self Defense” by Andrew Branca( I have no financial interest in this book).
It carefully outlines the laws you need to know for defending yourself. There’s way too much bad advice on self defense law out there, and this book clears up any misconceptions you might have.
Read my mind Sven, excellent excellent book. Walks you through each state’s views on self-defense (they have important differences!) and different hypothetical scenarios.
Some things I learned from that book: 1) if you’re ever in a self-defense situation do NOT automatically lawyer up and give the cops the silent treatment (read the book for more); 2) it is possible in some states for you to withdraw from an altercation, only to be followed and in self-defense you can *still* be charged (read the book); 3) you want to clearly identify yourself as victim and that you were “afraid for your life” when interacting with law enforcement (read the book).
Lots of great advice in that book that can save you LOTS of trouble. No affiliation with the author but I read it before making a cross country trip with me and my baby glock. It turns out I hardly carried as so much of the country – particularly rural areas – is still incredibly safe.
Awesome advice.
Another great article Luke thank you!
Commenter Sven referenced “Law of Self Defense” which is an outstanding primer on this stuff.
Lots of bad advice out there I appreciate you doing your part to help out.
BTW if you’ve never carried it will feel like you hog tied a brick to your waist. Very strange feeling!
There are featherweight guns too, and for most beginners I think it’s more logical to start with something a tad smaller than a 1911.
Depends on the round you shoot. I have a nice com-bloc PPK-clone in 9mm Mak. It’s BRUTAL to shoot. CZ-82 in same caliber? very sweet. Featherweight = mean-ass recoil.
The fuck you carrying brother? Ruger Super Blackhawk with a 10.5″ barrel? Or what? Heh.
If you want a .45, a Kahr CW45 is a great choice. Single stack, compact without being too small, very easy to conceal.
I have a Springfield Armory XD.40 subcompact. 3 inch barrel. 9 rounds. Shoots very nice.
XD’s, very popular gun around these parts.
I conceal the CW45 or my Series 80 19111, or I open carry the Series 80 1911 or my Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt.
Yeah, we can open carry here too, but I never do. If I was, I’d go for the heavier .45. If I don’t need to hide it, no worry about how bulky it is.
1911’s are surprisingly easy and comfortable to carry concealed, if you have a dual clip/loop holster made for the small of your back.
In the summertime when it’s hotter-n-hell and super-humid and hard to conceal a 1911 – carry a CZ-82 in 9mm Mak. Sweet gun. When clothing is more plentiful, 1911.
In the summer time, I just open carry.
I never carry behind me. Im big, so a 1911 is my ‘compact’ because its narrow. I tuck it inside the pants with the muzzle between the nads and thigh or in the winter a full size auto on the hip with baggy shirts and a jacket. I can always have my arms over it in an instance.
Backpack
You’ll laugh a baby Glock (G27) but a little on the thick side for CCW. It’s an iwb holster that was for a trip out west with my Utah non-resident permit.
Here in NJ just thinking about it you better break out your paddle and head up creek.
I hardly carried the rural areas in this country are so incredibly safe.
I can’t fit the baby’s in my hand comfortably enough to shoot, they’re way too small.
they come with thicker grips if that helps. a friend got slide bite with it same problem. my favorite handgun packs a great little punch.
Not thickness, it’s the length of the grip, it’s too short. I’m a large man, 6’3″, lift weights, all that shit, and big ol’ hands. The Grip doesn’t drop but down to the middle of my palm, it’s like holding one of those nearly useless small Derringers to me.
I actually fitted one of the magazines with an pinkie extender plate and it makes a great difference.
Thought about that, but it just seemed like it wouldn’t quite make it. My CW45 is barely large enough, grip wise, to be comfortable and it has an extender on the magazine.
I’ll have to take a look at that Kahr, just as soon as I get done visiting the state police and asking permission, filling out the paperwork, possibly getting fingerprinted *again*,
All it does is encourage people to buy three instead of one (spaced every 30 days of course).
Can’t imagine having to live like that.
We can even buy sidearms, and semi-auto rifles, get this, at gun shows through private sales with no paperwork. For any gun in a store, it’s the NICS check and nothing else.
Hell, home cheese, I can take a trip down to the gun store about 5 miles down the road and buy a suppressor or a machine gun. How about them apples?
Suppressors (i.e. mufflers) are out of the question with or w/o tax stamp.
I bought an AK 47 but only because Century renamed it an N-70 to get it off the list.
How can you just buy a suppressor? Don’t you need a bunch of paper work or tax stamps?
I guess you can only appreciate something by its contrast so we in NJ are happy to be of service to the rest of the freedom loving states.
Yup, pretty much smells like liberty and freedom over there in the US. You lucky bastards!
Which state is so friendly? I’d love to visit someday.
Ohio. And most states not on the border of an ocean outside of Illinois.
Of course, you need the stamp. The gun store(s) have a streamlined process where you fill out, well, a few forms and they take care of the rest. Our sheriff’s all sign, and if you don’t trust that just get a gun trust. It’s all good.
A collection of forms and a specified wait and suppressors are to be had.
When you’re carrying a firearm, a good rule to go by is don’t go stupid places with stupid people and do stupid shit.
I debated the idea of getting a CCW for awhile. Carrying a loaded gun is a huge responsibility. An excercise I started doing was carrying my unloaded handgun around the house just to get use to the feel of it and find the least uncomfortable position for it. (Carrying a gun is comforting, not comfortable.) After awhile, I’d carry it with a loaded magazine and an empty chamber. Once I was comfortable with that, I started keeping one in the chamber.
Great points. Basically if you’re going to do this you really need to think and operate like a Saint.
No drugs, total sobriety, no road rage, be totally civil, etc. (only be making friends iow)
Yep, why I don’t do CCW personally. I don’t like to avoid everything that would be unwise while armed, mostly drinking. I get too paranoid when I’m packing to enjoy myself much as well.
But I’ve done plenty of hand to hand, and the only time a dude pulled a gun at me in a robbery I grabbed it before he could blink and tossed it in a pond before dumping his ass in the bushes. And I’m living in Europe so much less of a chance here.
Once you carry enough the “weird” feeling goes away. It’s not overnight though, it takes a month or two of nearly daily carrying.
Try open carrying if you really want a thrill (and can legally do so). You will make the discovery that the general public citizen has the situational awareness of a bowl of cottage cheese. You could hang a loaded revolver around your neck on a chain, bedazzle it and cover it in bright blue LED’s and only 1 out of 50 people would even notice it. The number of times I’m talking to a person, sometimes upwards of 15 minutes, and he’ll suddenly startle, point to my Blackhawk and say “Holy crap, you have a gun”, well, it’s pretty damned high.
Open carry is nogo here, but I do when I’m somewhere where it’s ok. But you’re right, most people don’t notice when I open carry even though it usually is a 1911 in an old leather holster lol. I don’t think I ever got a holy crap response to that, but I have many times to CCW if it shows at some point… Even had girls go ‘fuck you, I’m going home’ for it heh.
actually laughed out loud at this one!
Most women where I live think it’s hot.
I’m a bit of Blackhawk and Single Series collector…357 and the 327. The “Yosemite Sam” (long) barrel models make a great conversation piece because they look like they belong to a cartoon bad guy.
It’s easier than you think. #1 is Mind Your Own Business. The problem is if you see something go down, do you stop it? That’s not something that can be thought out ahead of time. If something is going to happen to you or yours, rock and roll. Someone else that deserves it, none of your business. But, what about some innocent? Some girl is being hauled into an alley to be raped by three dudes, they aren’t armed, and they’re just muscling her; what do you do? Holding them at gunpoint is riskier than just plugging them, plugging them will probably send you to prison if they’re not white and you are, and doing nothing will put a pretty good dent in your conscience. Not sure what I’d do….shoot one of them in the ass to show you’re serious and let his homies haul him off?
What I would do :
1. Yell and scream at them to get down on their fucking knees. Call the cops.
How do you keep the stupid people doing stupid stuff out of your area?
You move, or you call the cops on them, or you figure out creative ways to screw with them.
I always find its best to not raise a flag and stay as low key as possible. Although sometimes you win the wrong lottery and that’s why you carry a gun.
Damn good question. Some people seem determined to challenge Darwin.
I really enjoyed this one.
To reinforce a point therein and tie it into another masculinity issue, there’s a scene in the movie Friday (the only part worth watching or sharing with a son) where the son is frightened to face the neighborhood bully as he might lose and/or be embarrassed, so he goes to take a gun along to a fist fight (sadly a mindset all too common these days). Luckily, his father stops him.
It is important to know when something is a situation requiring lethal response, most arguments and pissing contests never are, or not, as the article says. It is also important to either stand and win on your own merits or lose and use that as motivation to improve yourself. This invaluable lesson is but one good reason why stopping all attempts to break up the family and remove men from raising their sons (leaving their fates instead to self-absorbed, vindictive, and/or effeminizing mothers) is imperative.
Also, the right to bear arms is one of our most intimate/personal and individualistic rights in the US, and it is important too to remember that having the mindset of “I WILL pull the trigger.” is crucial but is also no guarantee of action when the need arises. Even the most trained, experienced person can freeze, even if they never have before (this time could be that time), so as the author says disengaging if possible should always come first.
Excellent article Luke Stranahan.
Great article Luke! It definitely gives sound advice for people looking to own a gun and even for people who do and are riding on a wave of assumption regarding the gun laws of the State they are in.
I happen to be fortunate to live in gun friendly State, but even i wasn’t aware of the phenomenon of “printing” as you so call it. Even still, I’ve long since become aware of my State’s somewhat nebulous legalese regarding open carry vs concealed carry, thanks to the remarks of the pro gun control outgoing attorney general vs the pro gun rights AG currently serving.
Right now the AG of the State i’m in has tried to clarify that open carry is allowed, and what instances concealed carry is allowed Vs how a LEO might interpret your concealed/open carrying. Her remarks are confusing (big surprise) since she phrases her remarks around carefully chosen vernacular in order to keep her from being bound to any one definitive interpretation. Even still, i take her remarks as generally supporting the principle of open carry and concealed carry, and i carry my CC certificate with me whenever i travel with my weapon as proof of legality. It’s been rare when I’ve had to take it with me on my person, but when i do i take the CC with me along with a printout of current law in addition to the AG’s remarks “just in case.”
So far the best thing I’ve chosen to do is “travel with discretion” which is what your article is also recommending.
My advice to future gun owners: treat carrying a gun like approaching a female: if you are nervous, sweaty or look like you don’t know what you are doing, you are probably going to be interpreted as someone who is not ready to give the impression he is desiring to give. Depending on the circumstances, this failure can harm you greatly.
If you are going to carry, read up anything you can find by Massad Ayoob. Even if you are not into firearms, watch any video on youtube with this guy and study his mannerisms. The man is about as neomasculine as a man can get.
And his hairpiece has a mind of its own, as well.
No guns and drinking, even with little 22 conversions like this one.
Guns and alcohol don’t mix, this is true. I dropped my Glock into a glass of Scotch one time and all it did was mar the finish on the gun.
Next time, try Kentucky bourbon instead of Scotch 🙂
Is it safe to say you like to drink your scotch on the Glocks?
No need to say it. That was a terrible joke.
On, under, above, on the side, I’m flexible when it comes to Scotch.
I’m curious as to how that happened though. Were you trying to rock out with your Glock out?
It was actually a joke. Everybody always talks about guns and alcohol not mixing. So I figure, hey, let’s joke about me dissolving a gun in a glass of Scotch but not succeeding.
You know how sometimes a joke is funny at first, but then you have to explain it….. heh
Oh, i got the joke. I was just trying to see how many Glock jokes I could make.
Ah, I get it. Sure. I see. A wiseacre, eh? Don’t make me Glock you on your ass.
There you go!
Just out of curiosity, do you only open carry or do you conceal as well? I’m interested in finding out what types of concealment holsters people like.
Both, depending on circumstance. If I’m going someplace where it would seem impolite to open carry, I’ll conceal. Also places where I’m fairly certain that the owner is a dick but he has forgotten to post his store/business. Otherwise, open. I’ve walked into a couple of my favorite watering holes before open carrying (to pick up something, not to drink) as well as open carrying in my bank pretty frequently. Nobody bats an eye.
Holsters, inner waist band, I make myself (I do leather working), same with open carry.
That’s pretty cool that you do your own leather work. Do you make rifle slings as well? I’ve thought about experimenting with kydex but never got around to it.
Yep, anything that can be made with leather, I make with leather. Even the weird stuff, for people I would *never* have guessed were into that shit. It all pays.
Do you have a website? Sometime before the upcoming deer season, I’d like to put a new leather sling on my 1895G.
I did, but it sucked hind tit and probably drove away more sales than it created. My email is in my profile, just shoot me a line and we can arrange something. My sales now are customer referrals, gun shows and the quarter horse congress when it rolls through town.
Scotch on the Glocks? I would’ve thought GOJ a straight shooter.
…..
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/609277590618b92d6d74d59925dc2872556fc9fa615076fcfebb2060c428b5f5.jpg
How do you get empty cans and bottles without drinking beer at the range?
Not to be a bitch but I call bs on the Glocks finish being affected 😉 unless you got some weird custom finish hehe.
Don’t harsh my mellow, dude.
That’s what the collection in the bed of the pickup is for.
I know mang, ranges are filled with the gun masturbators also. Head to the hills to shoot for free and plink at your beverage of choice. & find abandoned mine shafts.
Haha ain’t that the truth, that shit is so stupid it has made me avoid official ranges for 20yrs already
Gun wankers are useless, but it’s just like the tools thing, guys who are useless As mechanics buying fancy tools
Was the scotch OK?
Always. Although it smelled a bit of Hops #9.
I kind of like that smell 🙂
But dude! Don’t clean your guns while drinking! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0912ddf6f11b28a871f02d950f0dc3f634eee746848bdf9e9bd43581e18549c7.png
Slightly bruised. It also acquired a somewhat oily sheen.
>White: You are ‘Switched Off’ and unaware of what is going on around you and not really ready for anything.
… this is true on so many levels.
Guns are nice but I still love my trusty katana that I have hanging in my bedroom. And for a home invasion, this is a great weapon to use to defend yourself with:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/15/samurai.sword.killing/index.html?iref=24hours
Mine is in the living room which is where I’d use it anyway. For the bedroom I have an SAS dagger, all steel and goes through most body armor.
Try it sometime. Walls in halls are mercilessly narrow, and you don’t get to choose where Mr. Evil decides to meet you. You’re better off with a dagger of some sort or a large knife.
Never bring a katana to a gun fight.
You americans could not imagine how much I envy your right to keep and bear arms. In my country it is almost impossible to buy a gun legally, and obtain a concealed carry permit is even worse; you have to be a politician or a filthy rich person to obtain such “privileges”.
What is the result of this? the law abiding citizens like myself are in the hands of delinquents, you can see armed (gun or knife) robberies almost in every corner, robberies in houses are so common that the news dont bother to even mention it, and the rate of homicides is of the chart as well.
Do you perhaps live in Canada?? Unless it’s a hunting rifle you have to hit up the black market (which I’m not sure if it even exists lol)
And it’s more legal to shoot someone in the U.S. than outside it.
Seems like a minor traffic offense in Brazil.
It’s a never ending fight to keep that right… but well worth the struggle.
When I was a kid (1970’s) I’d visit my cousins in Canada. I could get lots of guns on the black market in those days, and my cousins would have me run them up there for them. Didn’t know I was breaking all kinds of laws: In Indiana you could own a bazooka untill, like, 1969 or so. At the Sault St. Marie border they were more concerned about smuggling fireworks.
Become a smuggler
I own guns for hobbies and an anti-home invasion .38 special which I m prepared to use. However, I prefer not to concealed carry, as it is tricky in the street.
I am not convinced it is safer. The only time I wish I had concealed carry is the Greyhound bus station which I cannot avoid picking up my son coming home from college.
Scary people there. Why does the bus station have to be in the worst part of town in every city ?B
I try to avoid bars, downtown, malls. So I feel safe most of the time
I live in one of the very few Counties in California that has a
“shall issue” Sheriff.
As long as you’re not a convicted felon, or have any kind of violence or mental health issues in your past, you can get a CCW here with little trouble.
I’ve been thinking about getting one for some time now, but realize there are huge responsibilities involved and possible legal liabilities should you ever have to use it. I’m still kind of on the fence here.
I’ve owned firearms all of my life including many pistols, so I’m familiar with proper safe handling of them.
Fun Fact: There are more women in my County with CCW’s than men.
And if I do get a CCW, I will carry a Kimber ultra-carry .45 ACP.
Get the permit. It’s no liability if you never use it, plus it’s a good character endorsement.
I think you’re right Luke, I should do it while I can.
Pfffft! I will drink and handle my guns whenever the HELL I want.
Make sure to learn you state’s (and any other states you travel to or through) self defense laws. They very greatly from state to state. They go anywhere from stand your ground no matter where you are to having a duty to retreat. Also levels of force allowed by law vary greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Also, learn the law when it comes to firing a warning shot. (Generally I think it is a bad idea to fire a warning shot, but I can see when strategy might favor the use of one…say in helping to disperse or dissauding a large crowd coming at you). In some jurisdictions firing a warning shot an illegal discharge even if you do have a valid self defense case. Yes I know it sounds strange because by firing a warning shot you could have actually avoided actually shooting and probably killing someone. But, that is the law of the land in some parts of the US.
How come there’s no black in that Awareness Color Code Chart?
Cooper’s original had the four colors. Someone else “improved” it with the black.
Train… train… train…. and then train some more. Carrying a handgun is one of the most awesome responsibilities a man can undertake. Make sure you use it wisely.
Update that map, Illinois is a shall issue state. Problem is, they don’t recognize other state’s CCW licences, so you have to pay $300 plus class fees to get one as a non-resident.
While LegalShield only recently launched the Gun Owners Plan in Texas 3 weeks ago, LegalShield has been covering individuals, families and small business owners for 45 years…. Great coverage, include 24/7 emergency access to our network of over 7,000 lawyers. Anyone who owns a weapon – especially those who carry – should be covered.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/legalshield-introduces-soft-launch-new-legal-plan-gun-paustenbach?published=u
This ex-cop says otherwise. His mantra is shoot, scoot, stay mute.
http://www.crimefilenews.com/2012/05/survival-tactics-for-flash-mob-violence.html
Two other articles which go into this subject by him are:
http://www.crimefilenews.com/2012/03/lessons-learned-from-trayvon-martin.html
http://www.crimefilenews.com/2011/06/chicagos-african-american-youth-is-on.html
The pussy ass era of fire arms. I don’t get your fascination for a weapon even a toddler/woman could effectively use.
We’re miles away fro the age of the blade, where a father had to teach his son to wield a sword or a spear form the youngest age in order to survive. A “skill” which took time, patience and energy to master. As a result making you physically fitter and sharper. Unlike a fire arm, these weapons really did sort out the men from the boys.
Weapons a people or nation could be proud of, both in the craftsmanship and the skill.
Sure things change and we live with our times. Hey even Arquebuses and muskets took skill, but don’t exactly pride yourself for owning a weapon even a fat wheezing bastard could wield. It’s a little like the guy who buys big motors to compensate for his small dick. Your ancestors would be laughing in their graves.
You’re going to have to get over the fact that the past no longer is with us. Intelligence suggests that using appropriate weaponry is better than whipping out a truncheon or scimitar in the 21st century.
I’ve seen so many people who couldn’t shoot the broad side of a barn in my lifetime that I can only chuckle a bit at your apparent lack of familiarity with the actual skill of shooting. It ain’t the movies, and the only time the fat wheezing bastard with no real skills can effectively use a gun against you is maybe, maybe, 10 feet or less.
Sure there is some truth in that. But when you talk about using appropriate weaponry being more effective and skill of shooting. Well i wouldn’t chuckle too much.
Your country has had all the appropriate weaponry one could dream of and firepower and means to master the skill over the years. Yet wherever your army went these past 60 years it got its ass “whooped” (literally) by infinitely smaller opposition (Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Korea) and the foreign contingents (UK, France, Denmark…) who fought alongside you in some of these wars, a lot of the time got better results. So it would be fair to look at the fact and think that your comment is not always the case and sometimes the weapon does not always make the difference so much as the people who wield it. So my point is maybe not totally objective but yours isn’t either bro.
I would also say, don’t tell anybody you have a gun either. The one way you get the up on someone is if he doesn’t know about you. If a criminal decides to get wild with a gun or a weapon then all your friends or family are looking right at you like you supposed to do something, he is going to assume you have a weapon and try to take care of you. Surprise is your best weapon in a dangerous scenario.
I’ll take your surprise and up it with “deterrence”.
Trayvon Martin lost to a Keltec pf-9, just having a piece when the shit hits the fan gives you a tremendous upper hand. I dont mind even carrying a .22 auto at times, it will do the job. Nerding out on all this for the masturbators…if you have to use it, will you throw it off a bridge or go rat yourself out? If you have to use it, who cares if you have a permit or not. The time when you do use it, will likely be in a dark place where no one is looking and on someone nobody cares about. I dont bother with holsters and am fine with it above my rear hip in a belt.
There’s been an increase in states allowing carry without a permit since that graphic, Luke. Kansas, for example, has unrestricted open and concealed carry since July, 2015.
It’s usually a good idea to get the permit, so that the reciprocity laws regarding concealed carry go into effect, even if you are a believer that the 2nd Amendment is your right to carry law.
Solid article!
“Legalities aside, you need to be discreet. If you are open carrying, or even badly concealed carrying, you just told the local bad guy that you’re his first target, and you also have a gun that he can use on other people. I don’t believe in warning people that you have a gun; if it’s time to use it, use it.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Great article. I do not have concealed carry yet. I am just a home defense dude. The only place I go where I wish I could carry concealed is a bus station in ghetto land which I simply have to go to about 3 times a year to pick up my son.
I’ve found this a very good site, particularly the part about NOT ‘escalating the situation’: http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/
Nice summation of a post. I did a tour overseas, then concealed carried when I got home for years, and took ongoing training as well. I no longer own guns, as it is a personal choice, my PTSD has gradually worsened over the years. About two years ago I decided I could no longer own them and sold them to a friend of mine.
I may never be able to own a gun again, unfortunately. I still go shooting on days I feel OK, but I either go to the range and rent a pistol and buy ammo, or go shooting with friends, buy ammo, and help clean weapons afterward. Sadly enough, with all my skill and training, I should probably be one of the ones concealed carrying, but it was a personal judgement call.
One thing I don’t agree with in some of my classes was the close range stuff. When you are that close, you won’t be standing still, and you won’t be using your sights. You need to be moving and point shooting, but some of the instructors weren’t teaching that, probably for liability reasons, the no sights issues and such.