re: What are some Do s and Don't s Regarding cancealed carry?

There has been some good advice here but I don't agree with this one (refer to my rebuttal at #3):

quote:

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I would recommend getting a CC with a thumb safety. Learn to CC with it. Keep it if you like or later on get CC with no safety when you're ready.

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Before I discuss more in depth, I do agree with others here - have a lawyer handy, and ask yourself if you're willing to end another human life. When fighting for your life there are three battles:

1. The gun fight
2. The psychological battle
3. The legal battle (both criminal and civil)

Most people begin to carry in a reactionary manner. I see it all the time - a mass shooting happens close to home (Lafayette most recently) and people vow to start carrying a gun.

What they fail to realize is that this risk always exists. I simply chose to start carrying in a preventative manner - I wanted to carry from the start rather than waiting for something bad to happen to me and have reality slap me in the face.

Concealed carry is a lifestyle. If you actually want to carry, I advise you carry very often. If you start to become selective ("I'll carry when I go to NOLA", "I'll carry only at movie theaters") you will eventually not carry at all. And even if you do stick to your word about selectively carrying, you have not developed the confidence and awareness that carrying on a consistent basis teaches you. If you are truly serious about it you have to commit yourself to it.

If you simply want a permit to have some of the car carrying perks when crossing state lines, I still think a concealed carry class is valuable in that it teaches you a lot of important information about lethal force laws. But if you claim you're going to carry, then carry most of the time to get your confidence up and to maximize your personal security. You spent the money on a permit - now put it to use!

If you start carrying:

1. You will think every single person you see knows you have a gun on you. You should carry deep and blend in but you will find out that most people are completely oblivious.

2. If you are nervous about carrying with a round chambered, carry with your gun in condition 2 (full mag, empty chamber) for only a week. Check your gun every evening to see if the trigger pulled itself. As you notice it's safe, you will slowly build enough confidence to carry chambered. Carrying condition 0 (loaded chamber, no safety) is the most effective method and should be your ultimate goal.

3. If you personally feel more comfortable carrying a gun with a manual safety that's fine. But if you do, you must use it EVERY SINGLE TIME you practice with that gun. It has to be trained into muscle memory. When you're fighting for your life with your gun, you will not be thinking, only reacting. And you will react how you train.

Any quality holster covers the trigger entirely and prevents the trigger being pulled. Rifles and shotguns require safeties since their triggers are always exposed. It's not as important with a holstered handgun.

4. If you carry regularly, I highly advise you take a defensive handgun course. The NRA basic pistol course or initial concealed handgun course is NOT a defensive handgun course. A true defensive course consists of high round counts (500 or more rounds), multiple shooting positions, threat assessment, trigger manipulation, sight alignment, etc. If you think a concealed carry course makes you a good shooter, you are delusional. It is NOT a shooting course - it is mostly a legal course about self defense law.

5. I advise you get night sights or a weapon light on your gun for low light situations. You may only be point-shooting and not even use them but they are still a reference point that your eyes may use. That reminds me...

6. Learn to point shoot at close range. Most defensive engagements are very close and learning to instinctively shoot is extremely important. You'll notice that your sights are barely relevant up close - if they are in the vicinity of your target, you should make an effective hit.

7. I have to reiterate how important it is to get REAL training. Take a defensive handgun course.

8. Do not change who you are when you carry - unless you are aggressive and provoke people. Learn to deescalate situations and avoid them if you can. The best way to win a gun fight is to not even have one.

9. There is no Good Samaritan law in Louisiana that requires you to get involved in something you weren't initially involved in. As others have mentioned, you are not the police and do not have nearly as much insurance behind your decisions.

10. I usually advise people to carry a gun chambered in 9mm. 9mm, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP all pretty much do the same thing - one is light and fast, one is heavy and slow, and the other splits the difference. I carry 9mm because I get the highest number of rounds in my magazine as I can. The larger the caliber, the smaller your magazine capacity.

11. DO NOT carry target ammunition in your carry gun. You run a greater risk of hurting bystanders by doing so. Carry defensive hollow point ammunition - it is much more effective for its intended purpose.

12. When carrying in other states that respect Louisiana permits (aka reciprocity) you must follow THAT state's lethal force and carry laws. It is not up to that state to adhere to Louisiana law - it's your responsibility to do your research. It is also your responsibility to know where you can't carry in other states. A good resource on laws by state is handgunlaw.us but it is not the end-all, be-all. Do your research - it is your responsibility.

13. I go more in depth into some of these topics on my YouTube channel. Refer to it if you need more elaboration: https://www.youtube.com/user/bigapple0828/videos.

Message to OB: Sorry for length. Bookmarking for later use.