Upgrading your gun – The Checklist

My first entry into the world of concealed carry was through my father. I had moved to my own spot minus the “safe picket fence” and my father gave me a .22 handgun for protection. That gift required a lot of practice (every weekend at the shooting range), but it taught me the skills I needed to stay safe.

I assumed that my father gave me this gun because he rarely used it anymore. I later learned that he actually chose that specific gun because it was what my Mom received, back in the day, from my Grandpa. Because my father knew me any my situation, I didn’t need to figure out which gun would work for me.

Eventually, I would have to move up the ranks to something more appropriate. Moving up in your CCW weapon of choice should also include stepping up your CCW abilities. When deciding to move to a new carry gun consider your comfort level with your current gun and the potential learning curve of changing to something different. As you become more experienced and skilled your ability to change from one gun to another may not require as much time and effort to get to a place were you are comfortable with the gun. Your future handgun shouldn’t be a burden to carry. Instead, it should be easy to pick up, shoot, and do whatever you need to do (including conceal it). Take the time to consider what works for you. A bigger gun may be easier or more comfortable to shoot, but it may be harder to stash away in addition to being heavier to carry. In addition to size, ease of carry, etc. Comfort level can also address being more comfortable with some calibers over others. Moving to a larger caliber handgun may require some time to adjust to the  increase in noise, recoil, flash, etc.

Upgrading your handgun isn’t something that you should do on a whim. You want and need a gun that you can feel comfortable and confident with.

Choosing a gun is an investment of time and money. You want to honor that investment by choosing something that is worth it.