The liberal media has a way of bending the truth. Most of the time, they bend it a little here and there to make it fit with their leftist narrative, but they keep most of the core parts of the story truthful. Other times they bend the truth until it breaks, leaving shards of misinformation scattered everywhere.
That, friends, is exactly what this NY Daily News journalist did after he went to a local gun range to fire an AR-15 for the first time.
He decided that since he’d never actually fired the gun, he should get some first hand experience to inform his reporting. At first, it sounds like his intentions were good.
Honestly, if he really did what he said he was going to do – shoot the gun and give an accurate representation of the experience – it would’ve been a good thing. Instead he shot the gun and then made the rest up as he went along.
See what we mean in this post from The Blaze:
New York Daily News writer Gersh Kuntzman fired an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle for the first time at a gun range in Philadelphia — and he left absolutely “terrified.”
Kuntzman claimed he wanted to “better understand the firepower of military-style assault weapons and, hopefully, explain their appeal to gun lovers” in the aftermath of the deadly Orlando terrorist attack that left 49 people dead and dozens injured.
The writer recalled shooting the popular firearm being “horrifying, menacing and very very loud.”
Kuntzman said he has shot “pistols” before, but he was horrified of the AR-15’s “explosion of firepower,” which he called “humbling and deafening (even with ear protection).”
“The recoil bruised my shoulder,” he added. “The brass shell casings disoriented me as they flew past my face. The smell of sulfur and destruction made me sick. The explosions — loud like a bomb — gave me a temporary case of PTSD. For at least an hour after firing the gun just a few times, I was anxious and irritable.”
This guy must have been banking on the assumption that nobody who actually knows what they’re talking about would read his story. For example, anybody who knows anything about AR-style rifles is aware that they have possibly the least recoil of any rifle on the market, making them highly unlikely to bruise anybody’s shoulder.
Oh well, it’s par for the course as far as the media is concerned. Give us your thoughts in the comments.
Several big things started happening right after the Orlando shooting. First of all, the call for more restrictive gun legislation started before the bodies were even cold. Then, politicians started taking advantage of the opportunity to win popularity contests with their constituents by delivering mostly the same melodramatic overture to the media about how devastated they are and how they won’t stand for modern semi-auto rifles to be sold like they are now.
But then, something even crazier happened, and it has to do with the companies who manufacture the guns in question.
All this talk of new gun regulation and possibly outlawing AR-style rifles spooked an awful lot of people, and they started making a run on gun stores. Investors reacted by pouring oodles of money into gun stocks like Smith & Wesson or Ruger. And the gun manufacturing sector’s stock pricing started skyrocketing across the board.
Here’s more on the story from Fox Business:
Traders rushed to buy into gun makers Monday, as lawmakers reignited calls for new gun-control regulations in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Orlando.
Smith & Wesson (SWHC) and Sturm, Ruger & Co. (RGR), two of the largest gun manufacturers in America, both rallied to kick off a new week of trading. Smith & Wesson rallied 6.9% to $22.88, and Ruger jumped 7.9% to $61.93. Vista Outdoor (VSTO), which owns Savage Arms and Federal Premium ammunition, rose 2.3% to $48.11.
Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, is pushing for a reinstatement of a ban on “assault weapons” following the terrorist attack. Law enforcement officials say a gunman, who reportedly pledged his allegiance to ISIS, killed at least 49 people at a nightclub in Orlando early Sunday morning.
“This is the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States and it reminds us once more that weapons of war have no place on our streets,” Clinton said in a statement.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has promised to protect gun rights. In a speech Friday, Trump said Hillary Clinton wants to “abolish the Second Amendment.”
Former President Bill Clinton signed a 10-year federal ban on AR-15 rifles in 1994. The ban had a 10-year sunset provision, so it expired under President George W. Bush in 2004. The AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle design purchased by Colt in the early 1960s, was later adopted by the U.S. military as the M16. After the 1994 ban was lifted, the AR-15 became a popular firearm on the consumer market. AR-15 models—also known as modern sporting rifles—are manufactured by multiple companies, including Smith & Wesson and Ruger.
Gun stocks have widely outperformed the broader market during President Barack Obama’s time in office. Since Jan. 23, 2009, Smith & Wesson has gained 737%, and Ruger is up 822% as of the closing bell Friday. The S&P 500 has increased 135% over the same period.
According to the FBI, background checks for gun purchases and permits hit a record 23.1 million in 2015. So far this year, background checks are up 31% at 11.7 million through May.
Maybe now is a good time to invest in gun stocks. The outlook certainly isn’t great in terms of the likelihood of new regulation, so chances are people will continue to stock up.
Anyone who’s familiar with standard issue military firearms knows that the Army’s go-to pistol is in need of an update. The M-90, while being a capable weapon, has been in use since the 1980s, and modern handguns easily surpass it in core areas of usability. That’s why the Army put out a request for proposal to have gun manufacturers compete for the chance to make the next standard issue handgun.
The process has been rolling for some time now, and reports say that the Army has narrowed the competition down to just three companies out of six that put in a bid. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing which three of the six are being seriously considered.
Still, it’s interesting to hear who’s in the running. You can probably get a decent idea of which three are being seriously considered by looking at the list and reading this post from Guns.com included below:
The Defense Department will narrow the list of bidders throwing in to supply the U.S. Army with a new official handgun in 2016’s third quarter, according to a report by IHS Jane’s International Defence Review.
Speaking to the publication at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Tampa, sources said the DoD received 12 bids for the Modular Handgun System in February but that list will be whittled down to three. Exactly which companies is unclear.
In a 351-page solicitation published in September, the DoD requested a handgun with a polymer frame, Picatinny rail, and ambidextrous controls — much like what’s commercially available. The pistol would replace the M9 handgun, which has been in service since the 1980s.
The publication reported that 9mm and .40 caliber appear to be favored and that .45-caliber weapons appear to have been discounted because of size, weight and accuracy issues.
Jane’s reported competitors are understood to be the Beretta APX, CZ P-09, FN Five-Seven, Smith & Wesson M&P, Glock 17 and 22, and Sig Sauer P320.
However, very few companies have gone on the record confirming their bid and they’re not required to identify themselves during the bidding process.
Two companies have confirmed with Guns.com their entries though. Smith & Wesson working with General Dynamics officially announced last year that they would compete. Also, the current contract holder, Beretta, announced its bid.
Participating companies submitted bids in January. Testing is expected to occur over the next two years and cost an estimated $17 million, according to reports. The contract is valued at $580 million.
Now that you’ve got the details, who do you have your money on? Tell us what you think in the comments.
After yet another tragic shooting, the AR-15 is being demonized even further by liberal lawmakers. They claim that the modern semi-automatic rifle is the source of all evil when it comes to gun violence, and they’re spinning their own narrative about the history and purpose behind this type of gun.
Some of the false claims and misconceptions about AR-15 style rifles include:
They’re designed for military use only
They can fire hundreds of rounds per minute
The “AR” in AR-15 stands for “assault rifle”
Each of these things are patently untrue, along with all the other lies the media is spreading about AR-style rifles.
If you want to hear the real story behind the AR’s history and what it’s intended for, check out the article from AmmoLand below: USA –-(Ammoland.com)- According to the news media, an AR 15 Rifle is any gun that someone uses in the act of doing something bad.
What is an AR-15 really? Technically speaking, AR-15 is a brand name, like Kleenex or Xerox. And, just as with Kleenex and Xerox, the brand name has been hijacked by the general public to describe a whole class of things.
Who in corporate America asks their intern to “make a photocopy of that document using the Canon copier?” Or at home, few parents tell their kids to “grab aCottonelle nose cloth before you sneeze!” Exactly. When a brand name is successful, we regular folks tend to commoditize it.
“Hey, will you Xerox the annual report for me?” or “Connor, I’m not telling you again! Don’t blow your nose on your sleeve! Grab a Kleenex!”
The AR in AR 15 Stands for ArmaLite
Before we dive into the history of the modern AR 15 Rifle, we need to look the “AR” part. AR does not stand for Assault Rifle. Or Automatic Rearming. Or even Apoplectic Ruin. It is a product naming convention from the company that invented it, ArmaLite. In fact, there were a number of rifles with “AR” names, like the AR-1, AR-5, AR-7, AR-10, AR-16 and AR-17.
Let’s do a quick review of AR15 Rifle history what got us from conception to where we are today.
1954
Eugene Stoner responsible for early development of the AR 15 rifle.
ArmaLite was founded as a division of Fairchild Engine and Aircraft Corporation. While most people equate the AR 15 Rifle with military variants, the company was actually founded with the goal of developing civilian market guns using modern materials and manufacturing technologies.
The initial business plan called for establishing some success with commercial products, then using that momentum to get into the government and military business.
Eugene Stoner, a former marine and independent weapons designer, becomes Chief Engineer of ArmaLite. Stone meets George Sullivan, Chief Patent Counsel for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. Sullivan has a super-sized bee in his bonnet about the possibilities of using advanced (at that time) materials like plastics and aluminum alloys in radical new weapons designs. Hold that thought…
1954 – 1956
Plans don’t last long once the action starts… Upon request from the United States Air Force, ArmaLite develops the AR-5 survival rifle. The AR-5 was a modular rifle chambered in .22 Hornet with a four round magazine and bolt action. The receiver and barrel disassemble and can be stored inside of the over-sized stock. This design not only makes the AR-5 waterproof, but also allows it to float. That’s handy for over water ejection scenarios, as downed Air Force pilots were not keen about scuba diving to retrieve their gear. The modern day version of this rifle is the Henry U.S. Survival Rifle made by Henry Rifles.
1955
Armalite AR-5 .22 Hornet Survival Rifle : This “AR” doesn’t look much like a mythical “Assault Weapon” does it?
The U.S. Army began a search for a rifle to replace the M1 Garand. While the Garand served admirable in World War II, all that combat use uncovered some areas for improvement. For example, soldiers wanted more magazine capacity than the eight rounds offered by the M1 Garand. Also, weight was an issue, with the M1 tipping the scale at ten and a half pounds. With World War II soldiers carrying their gear for (literally) years at a time, every pound counted.
Front runners in the contest were an updated design based on the M1, the Springfield Armory T-44 and the T-48, which was based on the FAL design.
ArmaLite submits plans for the AR-10 rifle with similar caliber and performance characteristics as the T-44 and T-48. Unlike the others, the AR-10 incorporated radical design changes that allowed use of lightweight aluminum receivers and plastic stocks and hand guards. The key to the design was using a steel barrel extension to lock up the bolt rather than the receiver itself. This allowed use of lighter and less strong materials for receiver construction. The AR-10 weighed less than seven pounds – in theory allowing a solider to carry three extra pounds of ammunition and/or gear.
ArmaLite entered the contest too late in the game to work out new design kinks and ultimately the T-44 was adopted as the M-14 Rifle in 1959.
Seeing possibility in the AR-10 design, the Army asks ArmaLite to work on a smaller caliber version to be named the AR 15 Rifle. The project is exploratory, as the military doctrine of the time called for large caliber rifles to be used in engagements at longer distances.
1956 – 1959
ArmaLite sells the AR-10 internationally through a licensing agreement with Artillerie Inrichtingen, the Dutch Arsenal. Not even the Dutch adopt the AR-10 and international sales are light. At this time, ArmaLite is only really selling the AR-5 aquatic survival rifle, so revenue pressures mount.
1959
ArmaLite licenses both the AR-10 and AR 15 designs to Colt Firearms. Robert Fremont, a key player in the design team of the AR-10 and AR 15 Rifle models, leaves ArmaLite for Colt Firearms to help with continued AR rifle development. ArmaLite launches the AR-7 Survival Rifle. The AR-7 was a .22 long rifle caliber rifle targeted at the civilian market, although a number of military organizations around the world bought it.
Colt Firearms sells the first AR 15 rifles to the Federation of Malaya, later to become known as Malaysia.
1961
Eugene Stoner leaves ArmaLite to serve as a consultant to Colt Firearms. At this point, ArmaLite was out of the AR-15 business – for the time being. The United States Air Force tests the AR 15 Rifle and purchases 8,500 rifles.
1963
The Air Force standardizes the AR 15 and designates the rifle M-16. 85,000 rifles are purchased by the Air Force. Also this year, the US Army purchases 85,000 more M-16 rifles.
Colt M16 Semi Automatic Rifle
1965
By this time, the M-16 had become the military’s primary service rifle, with over 300,000 purchased from Colt, now known as Colt’s Inc., Firearms Division.
1983
ArmaLite is sold to a Philippine company, Elisco Tool Manufacturing Company.
1987
ArmaLite operations in the US are ended by Elisco Too Manufacturing Company.
1988
Colt loses the government contract to supply M-16 rifles to the military.
1989
Jim Glazier and Karl Lewis of Lewis Machine and Tool Company (LMT), operating a new entity called Eagle Arms, begin producing complete AR-15 rifles for the consumer market. By this time, many of the earlier AR 15 Rifle related patents had expired, thereby opening up the market for complete AR-15 type rifles.
Eagle Arms EA 15 Rifle
1992
Colt, now known as Colt’s Manufacturing Company, Inc., enters Chapter 11 Bankruptcy proceedings and a period of litigation.
1994
Mark Westrom purchases Eagle Arms. Colt wins a contract to supply 19,000 M-4 Carbine variants of the M-16 to the US Army and Special Forces Command.
1995
Westrom and Eagle Arms purchase rights to the ArmaLite brand. Within a year, ArmaLite is producing the AR-10B rifle, chambered in .308. During this period, Knight’s Manufacturing produced an AR-10 derivative rifle, the SR-25. Colt wins another contract for 16,000 M-4 Carbines.
Knight Manufacturing SR-25 Rifle
1998
Colt’s wins back the procurement contract for military M-16 rifles with an initial order for 32,000 M-16 rifles. An additional order follows to upgrade 88,000 M-16 A1 rifles to the A2 configuration.
2009 – 2011
With support from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the term Modern Sporting Rifle gains popularity as a more descriptive name for AR-style rifles.
Racks of new Modern Sporting Rifles. The AR 15 Rifle is well on its way to be America’s most popular rifle ever.
AR 15 Rifle Present Day
At last count, 16,973,489,012 companies are making AR-style rifles. Actually, I lost count at just over 12 million, so this number is really more of an estimate. Whatever the actual figure is, it’s a lot.
Kidding aside, the AR 15 Rifle has become the most popular general purpose rifle platform since, well, since ever.
Hopefully that sets the record straight. Share this article with your friends and relatives if they’re falling for the AR-15 fear mongering and give us your reaction in the comments.
We all love firearms. Shooting is a fun and fulfilling hobby, and the pursuit of building an extensive gun collection is part of the experience. However, not everybody can afford to build up a massive arsenal like the ones we see online.
So what’s the best course of action if you could only own three guns? You want to have a wide range of flexibility when it comes to the type of shooting you can do, but you don’t want to break the bank. What should you do?
Well, if you’re interested in having just three guns that can serve as self-defense, hunting, and sporting firearms, then there’s a video you have to see. It tells us the best three guns to own, and it tells you exactly why.
Check it out below:
What do you think? Do agree with the video’s stance?
Hillary Clinton is now the presumptive democratic party nominee, and now gun owners are getting nervous about the possibility of her ending up in the White House and imposing a whole new set of restrictive gun regulations. She’s not going to be able to do it without having to answer a few questions along the way though.
An interviewer forced her to do exactly that just the other day when he asked her if she believes that the right to bear arms is an individual freedom protected by the Constitution.
Any reasonable politician, even a lot of liberal ones, would’ve simply said yes and moved on. But she took a different approach.
However, it’s the things she left out of her answer that are scaring Americans the most.
See the video below:
Did you notice anything strange? If you listen closely, you’ll notice that she never says that she does believe that the 2nd Amendment is actually a Constitutional right! She weasels her way out of the question and pushes her own leftist absurdity instead.
Election season means one important thing for gun owners: a new round of politicians will take office in November, and they might not be as gun-friendly as the ones who came before them.
Sure, many congressmen and senators will manage to keep their incumbency, but a new president is a sure thing. And while you think that there couldn’t be a worse president for gun rights than Barack Obama, you should think long and hard about the possibility of another Clinton presidency before you get too comfortable.
Having said that, if we do end up seeing Hillary Clinton snag the White House in November, she’s going to chomping at the bit to start implementing new gun restrictions. The way she’ll do it will be sneaky though. She won’t go after firearms outright. But what she will try to do is restrict access to the core parts that allow Americans to build and service their own firearms.
On that note, here are the three gun parts you should start stockpiling now. Thanks to Off the Grid News for the list:
We all remember the buying panic that left shelves empty after Sandy Hook and President Obama’s subsequent call for increased gun control. In fact, ever since Obama took office, we’ve seen so many of these panics that we’ve become somewhat resigned to scarcity every couple of years.
This experience has gun owners nervously looking at the 2016 presidential election and the possibility of what will happen if Hillary Clinton wins in November.
If you don’t have an AR-15, then now is the best time to buy or build one. And if you already have one or two, but like to keep spares — or want to be sure you can build in the future – then there are three key parts you should purchase now.
Lower receivers can literally be printed on 3-D printers, and trigger groups are cheap and easy to make. In fact, there are several parts that a smart shopper can be assured of supply. Yet there are three specific parts that are expensive, complex and difficult to make at home — and you need to get these now while you can.
Item No. 1: Bolt Carrier Groups Arguably the most complex assembly in the entire gun, it is also the set of parts that sees the most stress and strain. You can print a lower out of plastic and have it work surprisingly well, but few people are equipped to machine a BCG, and then shot peen the surface to work harden it, perform a magnetic particle inspection for flaws, and then give it a final surface treatment.
Right now, a basic mil spec BCG can be had for less than $100. (They were going for more than $250 after Sandy Hook.) Buy ‘em cheap and stack ‘em deep.
Item No. 2: Upper Receivers A skilled home machinist could make these in a garage, but unlike lowers which can be made with jigs and kits, upper receivers are not so heavily supported in the home builder market. And for good reason; they are not a regulated part and require no paperwork to purchase, but they are also very hard to import. Shop around; deals can be had on uppers, especially if you aren’t picky about forward assists and dust covers. Two or three upper receivers put aside now is two or three ARs you can put together in the future.
Item No. 3: Barrels Another item few can really make at home. These are labor- and time-intensive parts to build, and are often the most expensive single part of any AR build. Because of the time to make them, these are parts that dry up fast — with long waiting lists. Quality barrels can be had at reasonable prices. I’d grab a few M4 profile barrels in 1:7 or 1:9 twist, ideally with a 5.56 or .223 Wylde chamber while you still can. If you are feeling up to it, .300 Blackout, 7.62×39 and perhaps a long heavy barrel is in order. Either way, a few barrels on hand now is security against an increasingly dark future. This is one place where a bit of research and decision making comes in handy now; 5.56 barrels come in several twist rates, and just mentioning them sets off an incredible storm of debate. If you plan to shoot regular ball ammo, then 1:7 or 1:9 for general use is just fine. But if you plan for specialized ammo, or have strong and firm opinions on the matter, then buy the twist rate most suitable for your beliefs or ammo choice. That way you won’t spend the next panic — or even worse, an outright ban — hating yourself for having the “wrong” barrel.
Plan for the Worst One can argue that there are plenty of AR parts worth stockpiling, or better still, the entire gun. Certainly a powerful argument could be made for adding complete or 80 percent lowers to this list, and I certainly would, but even during panics, 80 percent units can generally be had. Barrels, bolt carrier groups and upper receivers are three of the most expensive and complex parts of an AR, and manufacturers are unlikely to stock excessive inventory beyond projected needs.
America is facing dark and uncertain times, where our civil liberties and very way of life hangs in the balance. We still enjoy relative security and access to many items that gun grabbers want to take away from us. Smart purchases now could mean the difference between having a functional rifle and being at the mercy of an oppressive administration.
What are your thoughts on this list? Are you already stockpiling some of these parts?
Tell us what your strategy is for staying armed come November.
Firearms technology steadily moves forward as each day goes by. Today we’re lucky enough to witness the development of the most powerful and accurate firearms ever made. But do you ever wonder what came before them?
Sure, you probably know about some of the classic, iconic rifles of history, but do you know which firearms changed the world forever?
There are a handful of guns that set a new standard for their time, and they’re fascinating to see in action.
Check out the video below to see what we mean.
What do you think? Are there any other rifles that should be on this list?
Finding the right pistol for you is the number one factor in successful concealed carry. You can tweak your setup all you like, but if you’re not carrying the right handgun it’ll all be for naught.
Having said that, some guns are better suited to concealed carry than others. Size, weight, and ease of firing are all important things to consider, and it can be difficult to find a gun that meets all your needs.
By the same token, some guns are ideal for concealed carry. From grip to tip, they dominate the concealed carry market.
You’ve probably already got a few in mind right now.
What you don’t have in mind, however, is this awesome concealed carry handgun that practically nobody knows about.
It’s the Steyr S9-A1, and Off the Grid News just published a fantastic write-up on it. Check it out below:
One of my favorite carry pieces is a little known Austrian-made pistol: the Steyr S9-A1. On the surface it looks like a typical polymer framed, striker-fired pistol. But its utility is deeper than this.
Most people know of Steyr for their iconic AUG rifles. These futuristic bullpup rifles have been around for over three decades and represented innovations for rifle manufacture and deployment.
The S9-A1 pistol is no different.
Like the majority of polymer-framed striker-fired pistols, there are no external safeties or de-cocking mechanisms. This is not new, in and of itself. These types of pistols have proven themselves time and time again.
Where the Steyr starts to depart from the rest of the pack is in its trigger.
Wilhelm Bubits, who was the brain behind the Glock 20, developed this trigger. It is a two-piece type that is preset to a crisp-and-clean four pounds, and rearward movement is more reminiscent of a 1911 style pistol. A very short reset allows the shooter to make quicker follow-up shots.
Another key difference is the unique trapezoidal-type sights. Instead of traditional “three dots,” the Steyr S9-A1 makes use of a triangular front sight that reminds us of the reticle on our Trijicon ACOG. Diagonal lines cut into the rear sight allow the shooter to bring the sights to alignment and seem to allow the eye to capture this sight picture readily.
Some shooters have a hard time adapting to this sight picture, and that can be remedied by replacing them with traditional three-dot sights with tritium inserts.
My main reason for loving this pistol is the Steyr S9-A1’s superb-grip angle. Cut high into the frame, the shooter can easily maintain a grip which is close to the axis of the bore. I find it to be the most perfect grip design on any polymer-framed handgun, and think it needs no “grip reduction,” texturing or interchangeable back straps.
There is a short accessory rail on the frame to attach a visible white light or laser.
The magazines are masterpieces of construction, but this is one of the pistol’s shortcomings in my view. They are easily capable of holding 12 or 13 rounds, yet they are blocked off to hold only 10 rounds. They resemble circa 1994-2004 restricted capacity magazines and probably help sales in states with restrictive bans on magazine capacity, but I would like to see true factory magazines that are unrestricted.
Fortunately, magazines for the full-size M9 and L9 series will fit in the pistol, although they protrude from the bottom of the frame an inch or so.
Unlike other polymer-framed striker-fired pistols on the market, there are very few aftermarket accessories for the S9-A1. Part of the reason is that the pistols are just about perfect out of the box; the other is that it is not a well-known firearm.
The holster makers are getting better at producing holsters for the Steyr pistols, though. I went with a custom Kydex rig through L.A.G. Tactical of Reno, Nevada.
My main reason above all these for going with the Steyr is its accuracy. I regularly achieve sub-two-inch groups at distances of 50 feet with my Steyr. It replaced my H&K P7M8 for carry based on this alone.
They can be tough to find, but MSRP is less than $500, and every now and then you can find them on sale.
Caliber: 9mm
Weight: 26 ounces
Overall length: 6.7 inches
Barrel length: 3.6 inches
MSRP: $469
Had you heard of this gun before? What’s your opinion of it?
There’s one reason, and one reason alone, why we carry concealed weapons: to protect our lives and the lives of our loved ones.
When you take the step to carry a weapon on your person, you’re doing a huge service to yourself and those around you, assuming you know how to handle it responsibly that is.
Having said that, there are a few crucial rules every concealed carrier should be familiar with as they carry their weapon day-to-day.
Carrying a concealed weapon is a major decision one must make, and ultimately you as an adult are solely in charge of defending your life. It can be an intimidating venture, but I have a few tips I’ve discovered after carrying a weapon for the last five years.
1. Wear your rig everywhere Wearing a gun in a concealed fashion for the first time is quite uncomfortable. First off, holsters are often like boots: They have to be broken in. Not only does the holster have to be broken in, but you have to be broken into carrying a gun. If you are a new concealed carrier, or waiting for your permit, or scheduling a class, go ahead and start looking for holsters and guns. When you decide on one holster or another, just start wearing it. The more you carry, the more comfortable you’ll be with a gun.
You’ll also learn how to comfortably conceal your weapon. This means you can test your belt’s mettle, making sure it is supportive and comfortable. You’ll learn that if you use an inside-the-waistband holster, you’ll have to up your size of pants. You’ll also learn how to adjust a shoulder holster, and you’ll see if carrying your weapon is viable with your everyday attire.
2. Try a variety of holsters When it comes to purchasing a holster, be prepared to purchase several holsters. You may read rave reviews about one holster or another, but find they simply don’t work for you. I love Alien Gear Holsters, but you may not. Be prepared to try some holsters out, and to start your own small collection. As a side note, stay away from cheap nylon holsters, and if your holster costs the same as a box of ammo, you’re doing it wrong.
Most people are going to face situations in their life where their normal method of dress will change. I wear a shirt and tie to my day job, and typically jeans and a T-shirt when I’m off work. These sets of clothing have different restrictions and challenges for carrying a weapon. I own a Sneaky Pete for carrying at work, and a simple Stealth operator compact holster from Phalanx Defense systems. I keep an Alien Gear Cloak Tuck for deep concealment in casual clothes. These three holsters give me options for nearly every clothing I choose to wear.
3. Know your weapon and holster inside and out
This is a big one. If you use multiple holsters like I do, then you want to train with all of them. Each of my holsters is similar enough to make cross training easy but different enough to make it necessary. If you choose to use different holsters and one has a retention device and the other does not, then you’ll have to practice for that. You’ll have to train how to draw the weapon not only with your strong hand but with your weak hand, with your back on the ground, and so forth.
Knowing your weapon is another major factor. For example, I typically carry a Walther PPS in 9mm. The Walther PPS has a different magazine release than most weapons, and I have to train to use it. If I carried a weapon with a safety, I’d train to disable that safety on every draw during practice. You need to practice mag changes with both hands, disabling the safety with both hands, and be able to use the weapon with one hand competently.
4. Practice with your everyday carry ammo Most practice you do will be with standard full metal jacket ammunition; it’s cheap, effective and commonly available. No doubt, training with FMJs is valuable and will be the majority of training you’ll do. You do need to occasionally shoot your defensive ammunition. When you first purchase a gun and choose your defensive ammo you should buy two boxes — one for carry, and one for practice. Make sure your weapon can reliably feed in the weapon. Some defensive ammo may have a tweaked overall length, which may affect reliability. Some defensive ammo has a polymer tip to it, and this may affect reliability with your weapon.
Outside of reliability testing, you should shoot your defensive ammo just to remember how it handles. For example, I use Speer Gold Dot 124 grain that is +P. That +P adds some more power to the round and some more recoil. I want to make sure I am capable of handling this recoil and to expect it. Also, if you constantly rechamber defensive ammo after practice over and over, you may push the bullet into the case, reducing the overall length.
5. Be willing to fight The last tip is a mental block some people may have to climb over. As a CCW instructor, I have heard it from a few people that they never want to shoot anyone, and hope the gun will simply scare the attacker off. This is a dangerous mindset, and if you aren’t willing to pull the trigger, you shouldn’t be carrying the weapon. If you pull your weapon and can’t pull the trigger, you may lose it to your attacker and suffer some serious consequences.
You need to be prepared to fight, to truly take hold of your responsibility to defend yourself, and, if necessary, shoot your attacker. Carrying a gun without the willingness to use it makes the weapon useless.
Do you agree with these rules? Maybe you have a few rules of your own you’d like to add.
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