In the last 2 years, we have seen a massive attack on the police and the after-effects of dismantling the very organizations that protect the innocent from criminals.
In my life, I have never seen criminals more emboldened. What is most surprising is that our leaders have no plans to stop the crime.
In 2020 gun ownership skyrocketed amongst women and African Americans to historic levels. Many Americans have a concealed weapons permit.
They are carrying firearms because they are scared. However, they might be making some serious mistakes.
Let’s have a look at the top 3 mistakes gun owners make and some other concealed carry mistakes you have to avoid.
You Don’t Carry Your Gun
It might sound silly, but I can guarantee you that it happens more than you think.
Many people invest the time and money to secure a concealed carry permit.
They invest in a new firearm and a holster and leave the whole setup at home.
Related: Concealed Carry – Why Do You Need One
The most important thing you can do after you get your concealed carry permit is to carry your gun all the time.
Carry it on your person and get a good bag with an easy access pocket for your firearm. This will make carrying your gun everywhere you go easier and more convenient.
You Don’t Know How To Use Your Gun
Another huge mistake that new concealed carry permit holders make is they are carrying a gun they have no idea how to use.
Now, most trainings required to get a concealed carry permit will teach you the basics, but this won’t be enough in a survival situation.
Do you know how to use your gun beyond just shooting a few rounds down range?
How will you reload your weapon when you use it in a self defense situation? What will you do if your gun gets jammed? How do you clean your weapon?
The truth is most people don’t know how to care for or even use their gun for all it is capable of.
You Don’t Know When You Can Use Your Gun
From a legal standpoint there is no greater mistake you can make then kill someone using your gun in a situation that then makes YOU the criminal.
When you pull your firearm in a self defense situation, you need to know exactly when you are permitted to use your firearm.
This changes from state to state. So, you need to know your local self defense laws if you are going to carry a firearm. Otherwise, you might wind up in jail.
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Here are some other concealed carry mistakes you have to avoid.
Carrying In A Bad Holster
A bad holster makes carrying your gun both dangerous and uncomfortable.
If your gun falls out of your holster, then everyone is uncomfortable. It is also a failure to secure your equipment properly.
A quality holster will be designed to fit your weapon snug, keep it in place throughout your day and be easy to remove your weapon from, should you need to do so in a hurry. Get a good holster.
Carrying With A Bad Belt
There is a reason for the gun belt market. Guns are heavy for the average belt.
A sagging belt or sagging pants with your firearm attached to them is just terrible, awful. Nothing is going well if this is how you carry a weapon.
All sorts of bad things can happen:
- Your pants are gonna come down
- Your belt is going to give too much, and you won’t be able to pull your gun.
- Your gun is going to fall out of the holster, or the holster will come off the belt itself.
Wearing The Wrong Clothes
There are clothes that make getting to your gun easy and clothes that make it nearly impossible.
There are also tight clothes that tell everyone around you that you are carrying a firearm. If they can see the imprint of your gun through your clothes this is called printing and is not a great tactic.
Related: 10 Deadly Mistakes That New Gun Owners Make
You should also wear clothes that give easy access to your gun no matter where you carry it. Tight outer layers might restrict that access. The quicker and easier you can get to your gun the safer you will be.
Not Practicing Consistently
Shooting your gun once a year is not enough. Handling and shooting your gun once a month is not enough.
Even if you cannot afford the range time, you can practice dry fire at home. This is a method of emptying the firearm of ammunition and simple aiming and pulling the trigger.
You’ll be surprised by what you learn about your firearm with some dry fire practice.
Being Dangerously Unaware
Let’s say you hit the range a couple time a week, you are outfitted with all the best guns, gear, and training. You carry your weapon everyday but while you are out in public you spend all your time staring down at your phone.
Situational awareness is so important today. Its much more important for someone who is carrying a concealed weapon. You need to be several steps ahead of what is going on.
You need to make a decision about using deadly force and the worst way to make that decision is to look up from your phone in surprise. Pay attention!
Not Understanding Cover And Concealment
It’s not always a guarantee but if you shoot at someone there is a chance they shoot back. The expression is, ‘bullets go both ways,’ and I think its an important lesson.
If you are hiding from a bad guy, then concealment will do just fine. You use concealment to remain hidden.
If you are trying to stop bullets, then you need to get behind cover.
Cover is thick, hard material like brick or cinderblock that can stop bullets.
Related: How To Make Bulletproof Body Armor Plate
You have to know the difference because one will keep you safe from being seen and the other will keep you safe from getting shot and that is a big difference.
Not Planning
You probably spend most of your time in a few places. Have you ever walked through what might happen if an active shooter or other violent crime put you and the people you love at risk in one of these places.
Do you have a plan? What would you do in a situation like this? Where is the best place to be? Where is the cover in the location?
I think it really helps to visualize and plan the steps you will take should a shorter show up. When do you fire and when do you run? Walking through these situations and creating a plan can make all the difference should a situation like this happen.
Just a few days ago a young man hopped up into a cart at Target and started ranting. He had a backpack with him. He was talking about capitalism, and he was about 10 yards from me. That situation set off a lot of alarms in my head. Before he started talking, I was already moving into cover and watching him very carefully.
Turned out to be nothing but a young kid doing something “crazy” in a Target. Still, you can melt under the pressure of the situation and make a bad decision if you have not prepared and plan to conceal carry responsibly.
I started carrying a firearm concealed after the 2017 London Bridge attacks in the UK. I have never felt better. Carrying a firearm sheers off a level of anxiety because I know I can protect myself and my family in the worst case scenario.
When done effectively, carrying a firearm becomes something I think the mass of Americans should do. If they can avoid the mistakes, we discussed we could have an empowered nation of people who would likely deter much of the crime we are seeing in our major cities.
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