Don't think it can't happen to you.

[RDM416]

First of all, glad you are OK and that your "bluff" worked!!

I have had my carry permit for 15+ years but just started to carry all the time about 4 years ago. Like most people I kept one in my truck or carried one when "I thought I might need it".

A good buddy and I were sitting around a campfire in NM at elk camp and the subject turned to personal carry. Well, it so happens he has spent a lifetime in law enforcement including a 4 year stint as a US Marshall. His advice was simple and to the point.

1) If you are going to carry one, carry it all the time. Put it on when you get dressed in the morning and put it up when you get undressed for bed. If you just carry one when you think you might need it, you will NOT have it when you do.

2) Carry enough gun.

3) Never pull it unless it is necessary to use it, then use it till they are dead.

4) Don't let anyone make you feel foolish for packing. They are the ones who will be a victim one day rather than your or your family.

I carry a Kimber 1911 EVERY day, except when I really need to be discrete then I have a Kimber Solo 9mm that is a little easier to keep from printing.

+1 on the Raven holsters. I also use a Mitch Rosen "high ride" for my .45. It depends on which pants I am wearing as to which holster fits best.

Glad your OK, now carry that gun!!

 

[jmden]

ss7mm,

Glad you are OK and thank for the reminder. I've become lax in this regard myself lately.

I sure hope the federal concealed carry 'act' or whatever it's called is passed and signed into law soon.

What do you guys think of the Blackhawk CQC holsters? http://www.reactgear.com/Blackhawk-SERPA-CQC-Holster-w-Matte-Finish-p/41051-p.htm

I picked up one of these awhile back: http://www.kangaroocarry.com. Best way I've found so far to carry if you can't conceal carry around the waist for a variety of reasons. Seems to do a pretty good job of hiding a even full size auto, depending on your size. Anyone else found anything better?

 

[ss7mm]

1) If you are going to carry one, carry it all the time. Put it on when you get dressed in the morning and put it up when you get undressed for bed. If you just carry one when you think you might need it, you will NOT have it when you do.

Yup, when the pants go on in the morning so does the gun. The only time it's off is when I have to go somewhere the law does not allow a gun like at my granddaughters Christmas Choir recital at school tonight

 

[ss7mm]

ss7mm,

Glad you are OK and thank for the reminder. I've become lax in this regard myself lately.

I sure hope the federal concealed carry 'act' or whatever it's called is passed and signed soon.

Jon

It seems stupid to me that there would even be a question about whether a national reciprocity carry law would pass or not. I've been fingerprinted, my background has been checked and I'm on record with the City Police and the State Police. Sure seems like a simple thing for the states to simply communicate but the politicians have to see how bad they can screw things up some times. I've got my fingers crossed that it passes so that I'll become legal in the future.

 

[Eaglet]

First of all, glad you are OK and that your "bluff" worked!!

I have had my carry permit for 15+ years but just started to carry all the time about 4 years ago. Like most people I kept one in my truck or carried one when "I thought I might need it".

A good buddy and I were sitting around a campfire in NM at elk camp and the subject turned to personal carry. Well, it so happens he has spent a lifetime in law enforcement including a 4 year stint as a US Marshall. His advice was simple and to the point.

1) If you are going to carry one, carry it all the time. Put it on when you get dressed in the morning and put it up when you get undressed for bed. If you just carry one when you think you might need it, you will NOT have it when you do.
Right-On!
2) Carry enough gun.
Yes! mine is a 40 S&W - The metal poppers tell me it's got a punch.
3) Never pull it unless it is necessary to use it, then use it till they are dead.
Reminded me of my grand-pa...
4) Don't let anyone make you feel foolish for packing. They are the ones who will be a victim one day rather than your or your family.
Good advice! Nobody else knows aside from my wife and sons when we meet some place
and two of the three have ccw.
I carry a Kimber 1911 EVERY day, except when I really need to be discrete then I have a Kimber Solo 9mm that is a little easier to keep from printing.

+1 on the Raven holsters. I also use a Mitch Rosen "high ride" for my .45. It depends on which pants I am wearing as to which holster fits best.

Glad your OK, AMEN! now carry that gun!!

Good post, of course, all rules have exceptions.

 

[Pdvdh]

It seems stupid to me that there would even be a question about whether a national reciprocity carry law would pass or not. I've been fingerprinted, my background has been checked and I'm on record with the City Police and the State Police. Sure seems like a simple thing for the states to simply communicate but the politicians have to see how bad they can screw things up some times. I've got my fingers crossed that it passes so that I'll become legal in the future.

Alaska is one State that doesn't require, or issue, CC permits. Anyone 21 years of age or older that isn't convicted of certain crimes can legally carry a concealed weapon. That might complicate the passing of a national reciprocity carry law. Different States have different criteria for issuance of CC permits, and some don't even require a permit.

So I could believe that some uniform standard might need to be established before Federal legislators could warm up to a national reciprocity law on concealed carry across all State borders.

 

[Buffalobob]

An interesting map showing reciprocity

Concealed Carry Permit Reciprocity Maps

 

[winmag]

An interesting map showing reciprocity

Concealed Carry Permit Reciprocity Maps

Thanks BB.

 

[Eaglet]

Real useful link!

Thanks, Buffalobob.

 

[sportmuaythai]

I have had my carry permit for 15+ years but just started to carry all the time about 4 years ago.
A good buddy has spent a lifetime in law enforcement including a 4 year stint as a US Marshall. His advice was simple and to the point.

1) If you are going to carry one, carry it all the time. Put it on when you get dressed in the morning and put it up when you get undressed for bed. If you just carry one when you think you might need it, you will NOT have it when you do.

2) Carry enough gun.

3) Never pull it unless it is necessary to use it, then use it till they are dead.

4) Don't let anyone make you feel foolish for packing. They are the ones who will be a victim one day rather than your or your family.

I'm not an American, and I don't live in the US. I did have a concealed carry license, and I carried a SigSauer P225 (single stack mag version of P226). After about 5 years with no incidence, I did not extend my permit which was expensive, and frustrating to get an extension, same as getting a new permit. I felt it was bothersome to carry a pistol, and that I was street wise to avoid trouble. About two years ago, I was driving when the bus beside me stopped at a bus stop. The van behind the bus did not want to stop, and veered sharply into my lane. I had to brake hard, and honk my horn to warn the van driver. The driver stopped his van and got out. I had just come off a muaythai gym where I train and felt that my muscles and joints were loose and stretched. My false pride took over when I saw that he was a young punk with thick waist, and thick facial skin. He was less than 30, While I was 63, and I thought that I would teach him a lesson. Then he reached into his van and pulled out a 12" blade jungle knife. What could I do? Fortunately, the traffic saw what was happening, and stop their cars to allow me to turn away from the van. At that time, I wished I had my pistol. I report the incidence to the local police who did nothing (Bangkok). Actually, I've trained in Thai sword fighting also. I thought of putting my trusted blade in the car, since I now know that Thai police wouldn't care much if it was found. However, after time has healed my pride, and I regained my senses, I decided against putting weapon in my car. I still keep a pistol near me when I sleep. I have trained in revolver combat shooting system very similar to the PPC, and was instructed never to pull the pistol, unless to shoot until adversary is decommissioned. I would urge that those who carry arm should receive extensive training to be competent with the pistol.

 

[Korhil78]

I am a Firearms Instructor for a law enforcement entity and I am glad to see that many of you carry concealed. There would be nothing more reassuring than being in a gunfight with someone and having a CWC there to back you up. There are a lot of things that one needs to take VERY seriously when carrying concealed.

1. You need to keep up your proficiency in shooting. Practice, practice, practice. If you get in a gunfight, your adrenalin will be pumping like crazy and you will shoot worse than you normally do. So you need to practice a lot to get that good muscle memory instilled into your brain so that when it does come time to fight, it just all happens narturally for you.

2. Always carry an extra magazine or 2. Nothing is going to be more horrifying to you than your slide locking back anwith no reload and the adversary is still able to fire back.

3. The best cover that you are going to have is precise, accurate return fire. Nothing is going to make someone miss more than accurate fire hitting them or whizzing by them (hopefully hitting them). Look for things to get behind or by so that you present a smaller target to the adversary.

4. Dont stand still while someone is shooting at you. MOVE, STOP, SHOOT. If you can shoot accurately while moving then do so but you need to do what you need to do to shoot accurately. This one will be hard because people get into OH CRAP mode when someone is shooting at you but if the adversary shoots right handed then move to your left and if he shoots left handed move to your right. Most people that don't shoot guns well (which are a lot of criminals) will slap the trigger badly when (1) they are at a distance and (2) you are shooting back at them. A right handed shooter will shoot low and to his left (your right) when slapping the trigger and a left handed shooter will shoot low and to his right (your left). So if you are facing a right handed adversary and you start moving left then the odds are with you that you are moving out of the bullets path if he slaps the trigger. If you are facing a left handed adversary and you are moving to the right then it has the same effect. The easiest way to think of it is move to the same side of the locked out arm of the adversary. The locked out arm is his gun arm so you move to the same side as that locked out arm. Most shooters bend there non shooting arm at the elbow.

NEVER NEVER move towards or away from the adversary. Always move side to side. Targets moving side to side are way harder to hit. Any shooter/hunter should know this.

5. Know what is behind your target. Nothing is going to be worse for you for the rest of your life if you plug the bad guy, the bullet passes through him and blows through a 5 year old kids head. With the media these days, the headlines will say, CONCEALED WEAPON CARRIER KILLS 5 YEAR OLD IN REASTAURANT. You have to take this into consideration because you can't try and protect the public by killing the public. That is another reason why you move side to side and shoot so that you can get a clearing behind the target.

6. If the adversary is not shooting at you then you can square up and get those good accurate shots. BUT REMEMBER, he is probably not going to be staying still for long so you dont have all day.

7. One shot is not enough most of the time. Shoot the adversary until the threat is stopped.

8. Make your presence known after the adversary is down so that people will know that you are not just another criminal trying to take out your competition. SECURE the area, get your adversaries gun, down load it if you know how. If you don't know how then secure it on your person. Then you must secure the adversary. HANDS kill, so get his hands behind his back and secure them until police arrive. Even if you think the individual is dead, still secure his hands behind his back with your hands. YOU ARE NOT A DOCTOR so you cannot tell if someone is dead or not so you must take every precaution to make sure the person is secure and will not attack again. You don't know if he has another weapon or not. While you have his hands secured, lift up his shirt or jacket to look at his waist to see if he has anything else on him. NEVER let go of his hands, he cannot kill you if you have control of his hands. If he tries to break loose then, back up and draw your weapon again and do what you have to do.

9. Make sure someone has called the police, if no one has, then anyone BESIDES you needs to call them. You need to have all of your attention on the subject. When the police arrive, announce who you are and what you are carrying to them. LISTEN AND COMPLY to every command the policeman gives you after you do this because it could be your life at stake. They don't know who you are and will have to sort it out after they have control of the situation.

 

[Daves762]

We have the same problem with illegals here in San Diego but they refuse to allow CCW here..............................

 

[ishootkittens]

I just read the original post.haha..."How bad do you wanna find out?"

Bad ***...

They probably saw the size of your balls and that is what scared them away. I think chuck norris would have ****ed himself. Nice.

 

[Pdvdh]

I am a Firearms Instructor for a law enforcement entity and I am glad to see that many of you carry concealed.

Thanks for sharing your professional level advice and commentary. All kinds of talent and experience levels sounding in - from common sense-based conduct to professional-level instruction.