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 Have Gun. Will Carry.
By Syd
When you make the decision to arm yourself with a
defensive pistol, one of the first psychological bridges you have to
cross is when and how much to carry the pistol. The choice generally
comes down to either carrying the pistol only when you think you’ll need
it, or carrying it pretty much all the time. My preference is for the
latter – as close to all the time as I can get it. This is just one
man’s opinion, but here’s why I think this way.
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Keeping the gun on you at all times (or as close to
that as is reasonably possible) is the safest way to store your gun.
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Keeping the gun on you at all times is the most
effective way to deploy a personal defense weapon.
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Keeping the gun on you at all times is the most
comfortable way to deploy a personal defense weapon.
Safe
If the gun is in your holster, you know that no one
else is messing with it. Unless you live completely alone and no one
else ever enters your domestic domain, a loaded gun laying around
unattended is a dangerous thing. Even with other adults moving through
your space, it is a risky proposition, but if kids share your space it
can be a recipe for disaster. I have trained my own kids on firearms,
but I don’t know about other kids they might bring over to the house. If
the gun is under your immediate physical control, you know that none of
these dark possibilities can become realities.
If the gun isn’t with you, it can’t perform the
function of defending your life, and it becomes nothing more than an
expensive and problematic paperweight. In other words, it’s not keeping
you safe. If you’re not going to use it, why have it? Assuming you don’t
leave the pistol laying around loaded, you must unload it when you take
it off. In an emergency, it is just too slow to load a gun before you
can bring it into action. Loaded guns are much more effective at
discouraging goblins from doing unpleasant things to you.
Effective
When you wear the gun day in and day out, your body
“learns” it. It learns where it is and where to reach to get it. It
becomes almost like a part of your body. The value in this is that in an
emergency, you don’t have to think about where the gun is and how to get
your hand on it. It just happens, smooth and quick. When you go to the
range to practice, all you should have to do is clear leather, aim and
squeeze the trigger. Personal defense guns don’t live in plastic boxes.
If you ever have to use the gun in earnest, it will
probably be a surprise. It is likely that you will be responding to a
threat quickly, and it will probably not be something you expect. The
shock of a sudden, violent attack is not the context in which you want
to be doing new product testing.
Comfort
Unless you are a retired law enforcement officer,
the first time out in public with a concealed handgun will be an
incredibly uncomfortable experience. You won’t be able to think of
anything but the gun. You’ll feel like you have a red neon sign on your
back flashing “GUN.” You will most likely feel that everyone has x-ray
vision and can see right through your clothes and to your pistol. You
will move strangely, stand differently, and act unnatural. It’s not a
good thing. Experienced people can spot the awkwardness and discomfort
you’re feeling. People will talk to you and you’ll have trouble
concentrating on what they’re saying because all you can think about is
the GUN. Wearing the gun every day dispels this discomfort and
awkwardness.
In terms of physical comfort, I’m not sure that any
chunk of metal hanging from your belt or bouncing in your pocket is
really comfortable, but I am reminded of Clint Smith’s observation that
"Your carry gun should be comforting, not comfortable."
As the gun become a part of you, you move
naturally, quit being nervous about it, and adjust your wardrobe and
carry gear so that you are more comfortable, well concealed, and not
worried about the gun. Part of successful concealment is not
“telegraphing” that you’re wearing a gun with awkward body language.
Practice, practice, practice…
To be safe, comfortable, and effective with your
carry gun and rig, you must practice with it. The ideal form of practice
for most civilians is the IDPA (International Defensive Pistol
Association) style of tactical pistol matches in which you must draw
from the holster, get on target quickly, move, and engage multiple
targets while being timed and scored for speed and quality of hits.
(IDPA is not "tactical training" but it is good practice. For more on
this, click here.) Standing in a pistol range and punching holes in paper is better than
nothing, but it does not allow you to practice many of the skills
necessary to effectively use a defensive handgun. Classes offered by
local shooting clubs are also excellent opportunities to improve your
skill. Like any martial art, the movements of defensive pistolcraft must
be practiced and repeated thousands of times to achieve the speed,
accuracy, and fluidity of motion which a violent encounter will demand
of you.
Closing thoughts
Finally, and perhaps an ancillary but vitally
important issue, rights are like muscles; if you don’t exercise them,
they wither away. There still remain powerful forces who would take away
all of our gun rights if they had their way, and shall issue concealed
carry is first on their list. One of the greatest arguments and supports
for shall issue concealed carry is the tremendous track record of safe
and lawful concealed carry by millions of permit holders across this
nation. When you carry your gun, you are joining this historic movement
and casting your vote for the right of individuals to keep and bear arms
as guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This is
no small thing. When you strap on your gun, you are telling Chuck Schumer,
Dianne Feinstein, Sarah Brady, Hillary Clinton and Josh Sugarmann to go
to hell, and it feels good.
Remember, it is your legal and constitutional right
to carry your gun, and you don’t have to apologize to anybody about
that. As a responsible and trained gun owner, you are making your corner
of the world a safer place. The goblins will have to find some other
place to do their nastiness.
Related Articles
The Psychology of Self
Defense and the Force Continuum
Selecting a
Pistol for Concealed Carry
Selecting a Holster for
Concealed Carry
Pistol Packin' by Jim
Higginbotham - Discussion of holsters for concealed carry.
CCW and the Large
Auto by Jim Higginbotham - Discussion of carry of a large auto,
particularly the M1911
Is "Cocked and Locked" (Condition One) Dangerous - A
discussion of the safety features and function of the M1911 Pistol
Defensive Pistol Practice and Training – Some basic
understandings
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