Common Concealed Carry Mistakes

Dear Fellow Survivalist;

Carrying a firearm carries with it a lot of responsibility. Not only are we responsible to make sure that anytime we draw that gun, we have a good reason; we’re also responsible for anything else that happens with it. Sometimes, things happen differently than we expect; but that’s no excuse. The law doesn’t allow us any wiggle room for error, and if you think about it, it shouldn’t; there’s just too much risk.

Nevertheless, there are things that can go wrong, which really don’t cause any harm. But some of those can be against the law as well. Sadly, it is possible to lose the law if you don’t get those right as well. that gun requires our constant vigilance, or we’re going to end up in trouble somewhere.

Here are some of the problems that I’ve encountered myself. What about you?

Wearing the Wrong Clothing

Concealed carry means just that; it’s got to be concealed. In practice, how well concealed it has to be can vary from state to state. Some allow the gun’s shape to “print” through your clothing, while others don’t allow for that. If you’re in a state which doesn’t allow for it, the police can stop you if they see your gun.

Of course, there’s also the problem of the gun showing inadvertently. I was recently installing smoke detectors as part of a Red Cross campaign. It turns out that the shirt I was wearing wasn’t long enough and every time I raised my arms to install another smoke detector, the hem of my shirt raised and my gun became visible. Oopsie!

As a longtime concealed carrier, I firmly believe in keeping my gun well concealed. This isn’t just for the law, but also for tactical reasons. If a criminal takes action in my presence, I don’t want his first action to be shooting at me.

Wearing the Wrong Belt

Good belts are critical when you’re carrying, even if you aren’t using a belt holster. Unless you’re using a shoulder holster, bra holster of some sort of cross-body bag, the weight of your gun and spare magazines is probably going to be riding on your belt. If you don’t have a good belt, your pants can start slipping.

I’m not as thin as I should be, so this is a constant issue for me. I find myself pulling my pants up all day long. I’ve also had a few times when I wasn’t quick enough in grabbing my pants, because my hands were full. Make sure you pull that belt in tight when you buckle it, or it won’t matter how good it is.

Using a Poor Holster

In my opinion, one of the most important functions of a holster is to cover up the trigger guard, so that a finger, or even a tree branch, can’t inadvertently find the trigger. Most holsters provide this protection, but I’ve seen a few that don’t. Avoid those like the plague; you don’t want any accidently discharges.

The other important aspect of any holster is how well it holds the gun in place. Most police officers use holsters that require additional actions to release the gun as you draw it. This is to keep criminals from stealing the officer’s gun. Few civilian holsters offer such features. Yet they are important. If a criminal steals your gun from you and then uses it to commit a crime (such as robbing you) you’re at least somewhat at fault.

Public Bathroom Problems

This hasn’t happened to me yet, but I’ve seen others whose pistol fell out of their pocket or holster while in the bathroom. This is most likely to happen with a clip-on inside the waistband holster. You have to be careful that the holster doesn’t become unclipped, when you pull your pants down.

If you’re going to carry, you have to be constantly aware of your gun. It would be sad to leave your gun in the bathroom stall, just because you didn’t know it came off. Possibly worse would be to intentionally take it off, so that it doesn’t fall off and end up leaving it in the bathroom stall. I haven’t done that with a gun yet, but I did do it with a Pocket PC once. Had to buy another one.

Entering Prohibited Areas

We can become so comfortable carrying, that we don’t even notice our gun anymore. That’s okay in some ways; but it can be dangerous as well. More and more, we’re seeing the anti-gun activists convince people to post their places of business as gun-free zones. Carrying a gun in those places can be illegal, depending on your state’s laws.

In the state where I live, gun laws require a specific type of sign to make the premises gun free. There’s another type of sign for denying the right to carry openly. Both look similar, but the style, wording, size and location are clearly specified in the law. Posting a sign with a picture of a gun and a line through it doesn’t mean a thing. But that may not be the case in your state.

Bragging

It’s called “carrying concealed” for a reason; that’s because people aren’t supposed to know what we are carrying. Yet I see people all the time, who can’t wait to brag about what they’ve got hidden under their shirt. While I can understand that temptation, it really doesn’t make any sense to fall to it. Better to keep your secrets to yourself.

So, while you’re busy keeping your powder dry and your survival gear close at hand, be sure to avoid these obvious mistakes as well.