Habits of Highly Effective Concealed Carriers

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Concealed carry involves learning to feel comfortable with your gear. Your holster and weapon should become as natural to don as your shirt and pants. This doesn’t happen overnight. 

First you need to have the right holster. Choose one that is comfortable and fits your handgun snugly but not too snugly. Your  weapon should never be in danger of falling out of the holster. At the same time, the holster should not be so snug that is makes drawing your gun difficult or jerky. The time lost in fighting your weapon out of a too-snug holster might well prove fatal.

You need to get so comfortable with wearing your concealed carry that you don’t need to check on it by doing what we call printing. Printing means patting or feeling for your weapon to make sure it hasn’t moved or fallen out. This habit is a dead giveaway that you are carrying a weapon. Remember, the whole intent of concealed carry is that it is concealed.

Part of getting comfortable wearing your concealed carry is choosing where you will carry: inside the waistband, outside the waist band, in a shoulder harness, at the small of your back or at your hip. Try various positions and choose the one you are most comfortable with and the one that best conceals your weapon but at the same time allows you fast, smooth, easy access to your handgun.

Excessive handing or patting can also be a safety issue.

You also need to practice situational awareness. That means being hyper aware of the people and places around you. For example, know escape routes. Be aware of physical threats around you. Note people, patterns, things that seem out of place. Good situational awareness could well save your life.

Avoiding possible traps begins with not being in situations that are unsafe. Habits like drinking or being aggressive can also get you into trouble so avoid the potential for these and avoiding them.

Know your local and state laws. Don’t get caught concealed carrying where it is not lawful to do so. You could be charged. You could lose your weapon. You could get caught in a costly legal battle. You could even end up in jail. Not knowing the local laws is no excuse and it is not the sign of an effective concealed carrier.

Highly effective concealed carriers practice the rules of gun safety:

• Keep your gun loaded. Now this may seem dangerous but an unloaded gun is not a weapon. It’s decoration. Unloaded guns do not protect you. So, keep a bullet in the chamber so your weapon is always ready.

• Keep your finger off the trigger until you intend to shoot. Accidental discharges only mean you forgot this rule. That’s not the sign of a responsible concealed carrier.

• Know what’s in front of and behind your target. Safety should be your number one priority. Not being aware of your situation is not responsible shooting.

• Imagine a laser beam coming from the muzzle of your weapon. Everything in the path of that laser beam is in danger when you shoot. Keep this in mind when you aim.