Commonsense in Concealed Carry, and Gunfights

[Epetrus1]

Great choice of words to explain a lot of important points. Everyone should read this whether they carry or not.

[Shawn Jarman]

That was well thought out , thanks

[PaxMentis]

Very good article, with the exception of the basic BS that is passed off as "fact" quoted below.

Carry how you wish and when you wish, someone else's idea of how you "should" carry should mean nothing and has nothing to do with the basic "common sense" theme. If you carry in such a way that it may be seen or you choose not to carry in certain circumstances, that is your choice and the dire consequences imagined by those who believe their way is THE should have no effect.

The first thing to remember is concealed means concealed. If you are carrying a concealed weapon that means you should be the only one who knows you are carrying it. In some jurisdictions failure to properly conceal your firearm is a crime and can result in some stiff penalties. Flashing or displaying your weapon in any way defeats the entire purpose of concealed carry. The reason for carrying a weapon is self-defense, by carrying a weapon you are accepting the responsibility for you own safety and the safety of your love ones.

...When you fail to conceal your weapon it limits your options and can make you a target. If you are spotted by one of the local gun hating democrat soccer moms then you are a target for her scorn and possibly the local police if she calls to report a man with a gun. On the other hand, if a criminal hell-bent on committing a crime spots your weapon you are now an obstacle that can complicate his plans thus a target. If you are properly carrying a concealed weapon and the situation justifies it you have the ability to act to protect a life, however if the situation does not justify you taking action you can remain concealed and become the best witness possible

[Grognard Gunny]

Oh Lord! ANOTHER open/concealed "trump" my arguement thread. YAWN!

GG

[G50AE]

Navy_LT,

Thanks for the link. That document is awesome.

He has since been promoted to NavyLCDR.

[384540]

could not have been a better post ever

[The_Outlaw]

Excellent post.

[hotti]

I, HOTTI have another goal besides mere survival. I intend to maintain my HONOR, and I'm not letting some scumbag push me or mine around. I'll TAKE the risk that when I simply leave the scene, with my attacker AND his friends shot dead, that I MIGHT have to justify it later, in court, as vs the GUARANTEE of lots of problems if I hang around. :-) Who, me? I just shut my eyes and ran, I have no idea what happneed there. I've been in Asia for the past year, sir!

[NCIC105]

Thank God you're in Asia...I don't want you anywhere near my family!

Please stay there!

[NVCowboy]

The argument about going concealed vs open is one of the oldest arguments around. There are people who will OC because "By God it's my right and there's no one who's gonna tell me any different". There are those who will agree with the article writer because they believe in the Teddy Roosevelt theorem of "Walk softly, and carry a big stick". IMO people need to be cognizant(sic) of a couple very pertinent facts. Snipers are concealed, quiet, and extremely deadly. Why? Because no one knows they are there until it's too late. Being quiet and concealed will give you a HUGE tactical advantage in a self-defense situation. If the bad guy knows you have a gun and Lord forbid Murphy decides to "accidentally" glue your gun to your holster, the time you waste trying to fumble that thing out will get you killed, because the art of surprise is GONE. If the bad guy doesn't have the faintest clue you are packing you have the advantage of surprise and that extra 1/2 second will keep your butt alive to fight another day. I see more and more people these days that are so brash with their desire to show the entire world that they are packing and if you don't like it you can just shove it in your a$$. Personally, I have to agree with the article writer that sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. You can fight the bleeding hearts in congress and in government just fine without pissing off the general public in the process by being a billy bada$$. Now before everyone gets all uppity, let me be perfectly clear. I'm not in anyway shape or form denigrating those who OC. I OC myself REGULARLY. I have also applied for CCW permits because I would like to be able to go concealed when the conditions favor going concealed. All I'm advocating is that people use common sense and not give the anti-gun agenda any more fodder to use against us, and use good sound tactics that will keep you upright and alive.