Concealed carry is a privilege that comes with great responsibility. A desire to protect and defend is one worthy of respect. Protect to the best of your ability and follow these important safety tips for concealed carry.
Be Discrete
The primary objective of concealed carry is to provide safety for yourself and others in times of need. However, you must be discrete with your concealed carry firearm. Don’t make it known to strangers that you have a weapon. If you do, they may see you as a threat. This can be off-putting and intimidating to people pro-gun reform.
Only let those closest to you know that you have a concealed carry. Also, form a plan of action if a crisis were to occur. Whether it’s in your home or in public, communicate a plan before an emergency occurs. In the meantime, stay discrete and respect others around you.
Practice Your Draw
A fast and accurate draw from the holster will need practice. A few seconds can be the difference between life or death in a life-threatening scenario. With an unloaded firearm, you can practice from your home. If you want the full weight of your gun to practice with, invest in dummy rounds, but still act with caution. Remember the four basic rules when you handle your gun and start to build muscle memory with your draw. Be patient with yourself; it will take time.
Stay consistent in your pursuit. You may want to purchase a timer or use your phone so that numerical values can show how you’ve improved over time. Record your times in a notebook or journal, and try to wear your CCW clothes when you practice. You could be a sharpshooter, but if you don’t know how to properly clear your clothes, you could be in some trouble.
Practice Grip and Sites
Continue practicing with your gun out of the holster. Perfect your grip on your firearm and grip tight and high. Don’t be afraid to take another class at your local range to ensure you have proper form. It’s best that you don’t practice bad habits at home. Next, practice keeping your sights aligned with your eyes. When at a range, take practice shots with sites in your line of vision.
After establishing this skill, extend the gun with your eyes closed. A proper alignment should be instinctual. The sights should be close to the target. If not, practice with your eyes open more. Chances are, you won’t look at your sites in an emergency. You want this skill to come naturally to you.
Dry Fire
Become a sharpshooter. In the event of a crisis, have confidence that you can take out the target and not innocent civilians standing by. If weather, finances, or time prevents you from range practice, invest in gear for dry fire practice at home.
The MantisX is a great tool to use for at-home dry fire. It mounts to your gun’s firearm rail with ease. When you “shoot,” it sends data back to an app that you install on your phone. The data will show each shot’s movement pattern, your trigger pull, and your recoil pattern. Analyze your data and practice accordingly. If you have a 3D printer or know of someone with one, this is a great opportunity to create swinging targets. In the real world, a threat moves.
Only Draw if You Need To Use It
A concealed carry course should walk you through this tip thoroughly. It’s crucial that you don’t draw your concealed carry to de-escalate a threat. Responding to a threat with a threat, such as your gun, may escalate things. It may not stand well in the court of law, either. Only draw if you intend to defend and protect. Consider concealed carry insurance, otherwise known as firearm liability insurance.
This low-cost coverage can provide legal protection in the case you use a registered firearm for self-defense. Only draw your gun if you fear for others’ lives or your own. Whether you shoot or not, be ready to endure a legal battle ahead. And remember that you put others at risk when you draw your gun. You may be an accurate shooter, but when your adrenaline pumps, you may not shoot as well as you would at the range. Understand the risk of other people getting hurt, not just the threat.
Readjust in Private
Don’t readjust your holster or gun in the public eye. A bystander may see you reach for your gun holster and think you will grip your firearm. Avoid as much confusion and intimidation as possible and help others feel safe around you while you carry. If anyone in your party knows you have a concealed carry, still communicate with them that you need to adjust your holster and don’t intend to draw your gun. Of course, it’s still best practice to step into a space with no other people to do so. When in public, go to a restroom stall to readjust your holster so that it feels more comfortable.
Permit Check
Don’t leave the house without your concealed carry permit if you have your firearm with you. Ask others to remind you of your permit before leaving the house. If you leave your home around the same time every day, set an alarm on your phone for this specific time and label it “permit check.” As you may know, you could face serious legal charges for carrying your concealed carry without a permit. This is a serious offense, even if you don’t fire the gun. Protect yourself and do everything you can to remember your ID.
Location Laws
Laws for concealed carry can vary from state to state. Educate yourself before you travel somewhere with your firearm. Additionally, keep in mind the locations within your home state that you shouldn’t carry. This may include school zones, federal buildings, state and national parks, and airports. Don’t risk legal woes from having your firearm on their premises. Invest in a small lockbox, safe, or even a discreet rifle case that can hide in your vehicle. If you must remove your firearm due to a location, you can safely store it in your vehicle.
Concealed carry is a privilege that you shouldn’t take lightly. Always consider these important safety tips for concealed carry. Invest time into proper gun handling, your aim, and legal boundaries. Protect and defend yourself and those around you and respect the freedom to do so by following these safety tips.
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