If you’ve decided to go for concealed carry, i.e. to exercise your second amendment rights in the most meaningful way and more than that: to take responsibility for your own safety, I must congratulate you first.

Now you’re your own police, so to speak. Going for concealed carry is maybe the most adult decision one can make for himself/herself. And also the revelation of the fact that cops only arrive at the scene of a crime in the aftermath.

If you’ve noticed from watching the news, criminals are usually smart enough to make sure there’s no police around when they go “all in”, “hands up, this is a robbery” etc.

Concealed Carry – Myths and Reality

However, there are many people that have never carried (or shoot) a gun yet are very concerned about their law abiding compatriots packing heat for self defense. I can relate to that. I mean I understand their somewhat legitimate concerns, but I must also confess that these concerns are the product of ignorance regarding this subject. Concealed carry by law abiding citizens, that is.

A prepared concealed carrier can get out of most threatening situations. Just take a look at this military veteran thinking and acting so fast that the robber didn’t even have time to react:

“Concealed carry” is the basic right of self defense granted by the Constitution and nothing more than that. If you want a comparison, a concealed carry permit is the equivalent of an airbag on a car. If you carry a gun with you at all times, it will protect you but it has its limits. Even if you’re carrying a gun, you should be aware of the fact that it’s better to avoid conflicts, especially when you’re strapped.

Also, if you carry a weapon, that doesn’t make you smarter, braver, meaner or Clint Eastwood. It just provides you with a legitimate means of self defense in a society in which bad things may happen to good people. The average police response time to a 911 call is 10 minutes while the average interaction time between a criminal and his victim is 90 seconds. Do the math and draw the logical conclusion: the police may not be there to protect you when you’ll be in dire straits. After surviving a critical gunshot/robbery/kidnap scenario, concealed carry haters go and buy some guns and permits for them and their families. And become hardcore conservatives. (Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs)

Some people still belive the myth that guns are dangerous and they may discharge on their own, hurting/killing/maiming innocents. That’s maybe the case with guns from the 18’th century, because modern weapons are redundantly safe and there’s no real danger from this point of view; only if you’re reckless or you do intend to injure somebody, then you can injure yourself or somebody else. But then again, if you’re that kind of guy you don’t need a concealed carry permit or you don’t deserve one in the first place.

Maybe the worst and stupidest myth about concealed carry is that law abiding citizens carrying guns on the streets will shoot others out of sheer anger. Now, think about it: the key words in the latter phrase are law abiding citizens. The difference between a criminal and the average law abiding Joe is their ability to control (or not) their behavior.

It comes as a no brainer that criminals don’t require and don’t apply for concealed carry permits if they need a gun (for a robbery, that is). Also, they don’t have a problem with laws prohibiting people from possession/use of fire arms. Only law abiding citizens have this “issue”, only they care about the laws.

Permit Requirements

If you deny your law abiding citizenry the basic (and Constitutional) right to self defense, you’ll only enable criminals to victimize the innocents, that’s all. If you own a gun and you want to apply for a concealed carry permit, you must know that a handgun is just a bit more than a tool that comes with a cool feature. When SHTF, it may allow you and your family to get out alive from a hairy situation.

Even if the rules for getting a concealed carry permit differ from state to state, there are a few “must have’s” regardless of your location, such as :

• be 21 or older
• be a US citizen or a permanent resident with a green card
• have no outstanding warrants, no pending trials, appeals, court order injunctions against owning firearms

The best thing  to do is to visit here for a list of information regarding concealed carry by state.

To safely wear a gun you should consider having some proper equipment like: a fully adjustable belt keeper or a shoulder holster.

Why You Should Get a Concealed Carry?

Enough with the ranting, let me give you a few reasons for getting a concealed carry permit:

• It’s your right, use it or lose it!
• Armed citizens make unarmed ones safer
• The world really is a dangerous place and you don’t want to be part of that grim statistic
• Most if not all mass-shootings took place in “safe” spots, like movie theaters, restaurants or (my favorite one) “gun free zones”. Hint: criminals don’t care about the rules.

Now, a few words of advice to help you further if you’ve already acquired a concealed carry permit:

• Buy a holster if you don’t already own one. I would go for an established manufacturer, like Blade-Tech, Comp-Tac, Galco, Bianchi etc. Holsters are more than an option. They’re one of the few means to carry a gun in a safe way.
• Don’t carry just your gun, but also your cell phone (you must be able to call the police) and a small flashlight (when it’s very dark outside, you should be able to establish if that person you’re pointing your gun at is a mugger or the pizza boy)
• You must know the laws of your state if you’re carrying a concealed weapon, i.e. where can you carry (can you carry in schools, churches etc), what will happen to you if you enter into a building/business place flashing a “No Guns Allowed” sign, there can be such a place? (banning guns) in your state etc. Talk to a local lawyer, that’s the best idea.
• Learn how to safely use your gun, your life depends on this (and not only your life), practice regularly
• Think about the pros and cons of concealed carry; for example, if you’re packing heat you’re renouncing the luxury of being angry and that’s not negotiable.
• Carry your gun ALL THE TIME (loaded obviously), start by wearing it around the house, relax, get “acquainted” and after that start carrying it on an “everywhere” basis. The basic concept is that you don’t get to choose when shtf;
• If you think that  you’re going someplace where you will probably need your weapon, well, DON’T GO THERE! It’s as simple as that! Even cops have SWAT teams that go where the regular police doesn’t. The name of the game for a survivalist is situational awareness, I’ll discuss this issue in my next article.

Bottom line, relax, stay safe, have fun and enjoy your rights!