If you’ve made the decision to obtain a concealed carry permit, you’re doing so for the same basic reason anyone else chooses to acquire such a permit: you want to be able to carry a firearm outside of the home without alerting others to its presence. While you will hopefully never find yourself in a situation that requires quickly accessing a hidden firearm, theoretically, it’s possible this may occur.
However, simply having a concealed carry permit doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to successfully take full potential of the rights it entails. A concealed carry permit is only valuable if you’re actually able to effectively hide a weapon in various public situations. Numerous factors could prevent you from doing so as intended.
That doesn’t mean they need to. Once you have acquired your concealed carry permit, make the most of it by applying the following tips:
Wear the Right Clothing
Even a relatively small firearm can nevertheless be a somewhat bulky item. Thus, hiding one often requires wearing the right attire.
Luckily, you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice style in an effort to keep a firearm concealed. For example, various companies offer concealed carry pants that are designed specifically to allow wearers to hide firearms casually and fashionably. Try out a few pairs to find which most appeal to your tastes.
Practice
People with concealed carry permits may choose to hide them on or near different parts of their bodies based on their needs, comfort levels, etc. What’s most important is to thoroughly research the concealed carry laws in your state to ensure you’re fully complying with them when hiding a firearm on your person.
That said, again, although you will ideally never actually need to quickly reach your firearm in an emergency situation, if this type of scenario ever arises, you need to be confident you can safely and efficiently access your gun to address a threat.
Practice doing so. For example, some people with concealed carry permits hide their firearms in purses. This is one of many ways to conceal a gun effectively and stylishly.
However, if you do choose to hide a gun in a purse, should you ever need to reach it, you will likely need to quickly remove your purse from your hand or shoulder, unzip it, and retrieve your gun without accidentally grabbing any of the various other items that your purse may contain.
This won’t always be an easy task. As such, you should practice said task until you’re comfortable with your abilities.
That’s just one example. Of course, not everyone with a concealed carry permit will choose to keep their firearms in purses. Regardless of your concealment method, practicing grabbing your gun in an emergency situation is essential.
Avoid ‘Red Flags’
This is another tip that pertains to how you should dress when carrying a concealed firearm. It earns a spot on this list because it’s a tip that many overlook when they first obtain concealed carry permits or licenses.
When someone first obtains their concealed carry permit, it’s not particularly uncommon for them to give into the impulse to wear tactical pants or other clothing typically associated with military or combat-related situations. However, doing so often defeats the purpose of having a concealed carry permit in the first place.
Your goal is to prevent people from knowing that you are carrying a gun. The problem is, some garments immediately give others the impression that those wearing them are currently armed. Thus, it’s much smarter to dress naturally for the occasion whenever leaving home with a concealed weapon.
Of course, getting proper training is the absolute most important tip any concealed carry permit holder should remember. Safely keeping a hidden firearm on you is a major responsibility. You must be certain you’re prepared accordingly.
