Carry Your Pistol Loaded

What condition should your pistol be in as you carry concealed? That question is asked often in classes. A lot of our students are surprised and a little uncomfortable when we reply, ‘chambered.’ But couldn’t it accidentally go off? You bet it could, but the likelihood of that happening is very minimal as long as you act responsibly. Let’s talk a little about why we should carry with a chambered gun and how to do it safely.

 Why do you want to carry in the first place? I know why I carry. It is a symbol of being free. I also carry for protection. As a citizen you should generally never draw or present the firearm unless you have decided, as a responsible person, that you need to use lethal force to eliminate a threat.  Therefore, you are always behind the curve.  Meaning you are reacting to what someone else is doing instead of being the first one to act.   

It will not be like the movies where everyone has time to whip out a gun or two, stare at one another, engage in some trendy dialogue written by Quentin Tarantino, rack and chamber your gun about twenty times and then start shooting. It will be fast. As soon as you realize that there is a threat and that you will need to use lethal force, you may only have seconds to act. You should draw and shoot till the threat is no more, or your loved ones could be no more. 

You may not have the time to chamber a round. There have been plenty of videos the past few years showing Israeli soldiers and police on the receiving end of knife attacks.  The Israeli methodology insists that pistols are carried with a loaded magazine and empty chamber. What can be seen in some of these videos are those being attacked getting stabbed multiple times as they have to chamber a round in their pistol to put it into action.  It is just one more step for you to do under stress.   

Most of us have been mentally conditioned to think that a loaded gun is bad. That is why even good people, who should know better, still make a face when we say that they should carry loaded. Think about it: 50 years ago, 100 years ago, it wasn’t that big of a deal. The key is to do it responsibly. So, if and when that time comes in your life, both you and your gun are ready. 

One of the things you should do is get yourself a good holster that you can wear.  One that is stiff, such as those made out of Kydex. Not one of the flimsy or easily bent ones made out of thin nylon or something. Some stiff leather holsters work at first, but with wear, they too will get soft and not as reliable or safe.  Not only does a good holster retain your pistol, it also protects it. With one of the flimsy types, the safety can accidentally be bumped off, or worse. Sure, they can hold your gun, but offer little in the way of protection. Plus, with a stiff holster you can use it to rack your slide or do other things if you are injured. If you keep your pistol in a purse or bag of some kind, you will want to keep it in a way that it will be free from clutter.  Again, this is best done by a good holster. 

The next thing you need to do is to practice the Draw. Make sure you can present your firearm smoothly, without any clothing or other obstruction impeding the draw. Practice over and over. Every time I carry, I practice a few times before I walk out the door. Make sure you are comfortable with the manner in which you carry your firearm. Walk around, stretch, make sure that it is secure with all your movements. You should feel confident as you carry the pistol. 

Now, go to the range and train. Go with a buddy, and let them watch you and help make sure you are safe. Start slow, with no ammo. Dry-fire till you feel comfortable. Then load and go hot. Make sure that everything you do with the draw is safe. Go slow with just single shot, then do controlled pairs. Your draw should be slow and methodical. As you gain confidence and experience you can speed up the draw. 

Come to any of our pistol classes, especially our Concealed Carry Series classes.  There, under our watchful eye and instruction, you will get good feedback.  You will gain the confidence to carry safely and present your pistol effectively.   

The bottom line is, if you feel too uncomfortable carrying hot, then you are not trained enough. You should not be carrying a gun at all. Get some training, by us, or by someone else. Work to gain the self-confidence you need, and then carry hot. Our cities and streets are safer if you do. 

Thanks for reading,

Jared