Conceal Carry-ALWAYS

I have been concealed carrying for about 6 years now. Inevitably, when discussing guns and such, family & friends have occasionally asked me how often I concealed carry. My answer has not changed in all the years…ALWAYS. I know, it sounds silly, and to some, a little paranoid. I am a gun enthusiast, not an NRA Instructor or PRO, so please regard my opinions accordingly.

Approximately 7 years ago, I bought my first handgun, a Smith & Wesson 9mm Shield. I practiced at the range & subsequently, applied for my concealed carry license in CA. I got it in about 4-1/2 months. Having a concealed carry license in CA is about as rare as finding a pink Rhinoceros.

To get comfortable with carrying, I started concealed carrying around the house, which was a new habit & felt weird. An integral part of concealed carrying you see, is not looking like you are, in fact, concealed carrying. To do that properly, besides having the right equipment & clothes, you MUST be comfortable with carrying a weapon. If not, you will be constantly checking to see where your weapon is, if it is showing (printing), if your pants are sagging, pushing your gun down into the holster to be sure it is in place, etc. These are all tells, for anyone paying attention, that you are concealed carrying a weapon. Like any new habit, it takes time & practice to get it right.

Home Invasions are another reason that I will always carry around the house. I see products available all the time, providing ways to hide a gun in the living room, bedroom, or other places. Clever ways to quickly retrieve your gun with a magnetic release are quite popular. Think about this-If an assailant(s) is breaking down your front door, how much time do you think you have to retrieve your gun? Go ahead & ponder on this, I will wait. BING, times up! Here is your answer. If you do not have a gun on your person, with a round chambered, you are unarmed! There is no time to run across the room, magnetically actuate your hidey hole & retrieve your gun. If you are not prepared to address the immediate danger, it is too late.

And finally, one last point-Children! (Truth be told, we don’t have any children in our house) They are very curious & like to touch things they shouldn’t. If your loaded gun is not in a safe, the only child-safe place for it to be is on your person (assuming you have a good quality IWB holster with a trigger guard & good retention). But then, if your loaded gun is in a safe, you are unarmed! Something to consider.

So, the lesson here is, always carry your gun wherever legally allowed. Eventually, it becomes a good habit, and will be just like carrying your wallet, keys, a flashlight, etc. You will forget you have them, but happy you did when needed.