We as concealed carry people often focus on what other CCW people do wrong. This is discussion is healthy because we can learn from other’s mistakes and make ourselves better informed people.
Concealednation.org does an excellent keeping us up to date with both success stories and mistakes people make when carrying a gun.
The fact is, carrying a gun is a personal decision and lifestyle. We decide what gun to carry, how to carry it and what round we are comfortable shooting. We also have to decide how much money and energy we will put toward defensive training and practice. We know that the more proficient we are with our firearm the more likely we will be successful if we have to use it.
More decisions come to light when we think about what holster to purchase, if we will buy a gun belt and how we will conceal it best. I recommend carrying a gun with a round in the chamber however other people may not feel comfortable doing that. Understanding our state and local laws are important to remain legally compliant at all times. We need to acutely understand our gun and practice proper gun safety at all times.
Each and every one of these qualities require us to have a knowledge and understanding of our responsibility when carrying. However there is one mistake that stands out as, “The Greatest Concealed Carry Mistake” we can make.
The greatest concealed carry mistake we can make is to not carry our gun. The fact is, crime happens everywhere. The criminal has the advantage because they get to decide how, where and when it will occur. I’ve heard people say, “I only carry my gun when I go to a dangerous place.” That statement is the ultimate ignorance of CCW. As if YOU get to decide how the crime will happen, how many people are involved and where it will take place. As if YOU know the mindset of a drugged up thug who could care a less about you, your family or anything else as long as that next hit is coming soon. As if YOU are so smart that you can predict your future before it even happens. Have you ever noticed after a crime takes place the victim usually says, “it happened so fast” or “I never expected that” or “things like this usually don’t happen around here.”
The fact is, YOU don’t get to decide those things so the best way to always be prepared is to carry your gun 24/7 wherever legally possible. Oh sure, we can argue over a single stack handgun versus a double stack or 9mm versus .45 acp but if we have no gun on us when we need it, those arguments are null and void.
