USA Carry
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Concealed Carry Maps
  • State Guides
    • A-E
      • Alabama
      • Alaska
      • American Samoa
      • Arizona
      • Arkansas
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Connecticut
      • Delaware
    • F-J
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Guam
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Iowa
    • K-M
      • Kansas
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maine
      • Maryland
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • Minnesota
      • Mississippi
      • Missouri
      • Montana
    • N-O
      • Nebraska
      • Nevada
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New Mexico
      • New York
      • North Carolina
      • North Dakota
      • Northern Marianas
      • Ohio
      • Oklahoma
      • Oregon
    • P-U
      • Pennsylvania
      • Puerto Rico
      • Rhode Island
      • South Carolina
      • South Dakota
      • Tennessee
      • Texas
      • Utah
    • V-Z
      • Vermont
      • Virgin Islands
      • Virginia
      • Washington
      • Washington D.C.
      • West Virginia
      • Wisconsin
      • Wyoming
  • Articles
    • Defensive Gun Uses
    • Concealed Carry
    • Gun Reviews
    • Gear Reviews
    • Training
    • Firearm Laws & Litigation
    • CCW For Women
    • General Firearm
    • Open Carry
    • Self-Defense
    • Survival
    • Home Defense
  • Forums
  • Podcast
  • Store
  • Deals
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Concealed Carry Maps
  • State Guides
    • A-E
      • Alabama
      • Alaska
      • American Samoa
      • Arizona
      • Arkansas
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Connecticut
      • Delaware
    • F-J
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Guam
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Iowa
    • K-M
      • Kansas
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maine
      • Maryland
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • Minnesota
      • Mississippi
      • Missouri
      • Montana
    • N-O
      • Nebraska
      • Nevada
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New Mexico
      • New York
      • North Carolina
      • North Dakota
      • Northern Marianas
      • Ohio
      • Oklahoma
      • Oregon
    • P-U
      • Pennsylvania
      • Puerto Rico
      • Rhode Island
      • South Carolina
      • South Dakota
      • Tennessee
      • Texas
      • Utah
    • V-Z
      • Vermont
      • Virgin Islands
      • Virginia
      • Washington
      • Washington D.C.
      • West Virginia
      • Wisconsin
      • Wyoming
  • Articles
    • Defensive Gun Uses
    • Concealed Carry
    • Gun Reviews
    • Gear Reviews
    • Training
    • Firearm Laws & Litigation
    • CCW For Women
    • General Firearm
    • Open Carry
    • Self-Defense
    • Survival
    • Home Defense
  • Forums
  • Podcast
  • Store
  • Deals
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
USA Carry
No Result
View All Result
  • DAILY GUNS & AMMO DEALS – CLICK HERE!
Home Articles

What Is Holding Back Your Firearm Skills?

Luke McCoy by Luke McCoy
August 11, 2016 - Updated On December 7, 2021
in Articles, Concealed Carry, General Firearm, Training
Reading Time: 3 mins read
What Is Holding Back Your Firearm Skills?
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

What Is Holding Back Your Firearm Skills?

This is an honest question I ask myself and wondered if maybe the gun community thought of it, too.

What is the biggest thing holding back your firearms skills?

We see defensive gun use scenarios played out in real life nearly every single day on the news. Whether it’s a home invasion or a concealed carrier stopping a gas station from being robbed, we’re always left asking ourselves:

What would we do in that situation?

And then comes the second part of that — do we feel confident in our abilities to do those things?

Now, not every concealed carrier needs to be a knight in shining armor. In fact, trying to step into someone else’s business can be a recipe for disaster. But, should the time come — we’ll have to use the skills we’ve practiced to good use. Are they up to snuff?

Here’s a couple things I get from readers who write in to ask questions.

Reasons why firearms skills are held back:

  1. Budget
    1. Ammunition can be expensive
    2. Range time can be costly
  2. Schedule
    1. Too busy to go to the range regularly
    2. Classes are only offered during working hours
    3. Quality time with family comes first
    4. Work too darn much
  3. Overconfidence
  4. Lack of proper equipment
    1. Hearing and eye protection should always be used.
    2. Firearms should be cleaned after being used.
  5. Lack of confidence
    1. Person doesn’t feel confident in disassembling pistol
    2. Person has a natural ingrained fear of loud noises
    3. Person is worried about being judged for poor performance

Believe it or not, every single one of these can be remedied cost-efficiently.

It starts with time management, setting a budget for munitions, range time, and classes, and continually building upon your personal base of knowledge with firearms. While there are plenty of experts, even experts still have areas that they seek to improve upon… As should we.

Every single time a piece of paper goes up on the target line, if you see results you’re not satisfied with — training needs to be a priority. And the only way to get better is to practice.

If paper targets are easy, then it’s time to move on to more challenging training and scenarios. No one is 100% prepared all the time — no matter how prepared he or she thinks she is.

Overconfidence is actually harder to overcome than a lack of confidence. A lack of confidence can be fixed by simply implementing a routine training cycle and recording your results. You will see, over time, you will get a better handle on aiming the gun accurately and precisely.

Overconfidence can stem from having handled guns for so long, the very idea that a person could fail at a critical moment is laughable. There’s also people that think because they’ve handled their gun in the home, suddenly that makes them ready to handle real danger. This is a huge problem. This is where we begin to run into negligent discharges and silly mistakes that are easily avoidable.

So, in conclusion, sit down with a piece of paper and take an honest assessment of how confident you feel with your concealed carry firearm.

  • Question: Do you know how to safely disassemble?

Remedy: Read your pistol’s instruction manual. Look up some YouTube videos on disassembly of your specific pistol make and model.

  • Question: Do you feel confident that you can hit a target center mass at a variety of distances?
  • Question: Do you find your aim is less than ideal?

Remedy: Work on remedial marksmanship. The basics are:

  • Sight alignment
  • Sight picture
  • Breathing
  • Trigger control
  • Posture (bone support)
  • Grip

Question:

  • Can you quickly and safely draw your handgun from its holster and put it on target?
  • Are you comfortable scanning and assessing multiple targets?
  • How well can you change a magazine when it’s stored in your pocket or holster?

If any of these answers shake your confidence or you feel something is lacking, this is motivation to work out a schedule that fits with your budget and time constraints. The safety of yourself, your family, and those around you will all be greatly improved.

Tags: home invasionpracticeskillstraining
Luke McCoy

Luke McCoy

Luke McCoy is the founder of USA Carry. In 2007, he launched USA Carry to provide concealed carry information and a community for those with concealed carry permits and firearm enthusiasts.

Next Post
Facebook's Move Against Pro-Gun Groups

Facebook's Move Against Pro-Gun Groups

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Connect with
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect with
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Please login to comment
3 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Previous Post

Why You Should Always Read Your Firearm’s Manual

Next Post

Facebook’s Move Against Pro-Gun Groups

Related Posts

Louisiana Man Shoots Co-Worker in Self-Defense After Co-Worker Repeatedly Strikes Him in the Head
Defensive Gun Uses

Louisiana Man Shoots Co-Worker in Self-Defense After Co-Worker Repeatedly Strikes Him in the Head

July 2, 2025
Homeowner Shoots Armed Intruder After Suspect's Gun Misfires During Alleged Attack
Defensive Gun Uses

Homeowner Shoots Armed Intruder After Suspect’s Gun Misfires During Alleged Attack

July 2, 2025
NFA Tax Removed but Fight Continues as ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Heads Back to House
Firearm Laws & Litigation

NFA Tax Removed but Fight Continues as ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Heads Back to House

July 2, 2025
Does North Dakota Accept Non-Resident Carry Permits? Here’s What We Found Out
Firearm Laws & Litigation

Does North Dakota Accept Non-Resident Carry Permits? Here’s What We Found Out

July 1, 2025

© 2025 USA Carry LLC

Navigate Site

  • State Guides
  • Maps
  • Articles
  • Forums
  • Podcast
  • Store
  • Deals
  • Giveaway
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Concealed Carry Permit Reciprocity Maps
  • Concealed Carry Permit Guides By State
    • Alabama
    • Alaska
    • American Samoa
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Guam
    • Hawaii
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Mississippi
    • Missouri
    • Montana
    • Nebraska
    • Nevada
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • North Dakota
    • Northern Marianas
    • Ohio
    • Oklahoma
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Puerto Rico
    • Rhode Island
    • South Carolina
    • South Dakota
    • Tennessee
    • Texas
    • Utah
    • Vermont
    • Virgin Islands
    • Virginia
    • Washington
    • Washington D.C.
    • West Virginia
    • Wisconsin
    • Wyoming
  • Articles
    • Defensive Gun Uses
    • Concealed Carry
    • Gun Reviews
    • Gear Reviews
    • Training
    • Firearm Laws & Litigation
    • CCW For Women
    • General Firearm
    • Open Carry
    • Self-Defense
    • Survival
    • Home Defense
  • Forums
  • Podcast
  • Giveaway
  • Store
  • Daily Deals
  • Contact

© 2025 USA Carry LLC

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Concealed Carry Permit Reciprocity Maps
  • Concealed Carry Permit Guides By State
    • Alabama
    • Alaska
    • American Samoa
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Guam
    • Hawaii
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Mississippi
    • Missouri
    • Montana
    • Nebraska
    • Nevada
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • North Dakota
    • Northern Marianas
    • Ohio
    • Oklahoma
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Puerto Rico
    • Rhode Island
    • South Carolina
    • South Dakota
    • Tennessee
    • Texas
    • Utah
    • Vermont
    • Virgin Islands
    • Virginia
    • Washington
    • Washington D.C.
    • West Virginia
    • Wisconsin
    • Wyoming
  • Articles
    • Defensive Gun Uses
    • Concealed Carry
    • Gun Reviews
    • Gear Reviews
    • Training
    • Firearm Laws & Litigation
    • CCW For Women
    • General Firearm
    • Open Carry
    • Self-Defense
    • Survival
    • Home Defense
  • Forums
  • Podcast
  • Giveaway
  • Store
  • Daily Deals
  • Contact

© 2025 USA Carry LLC

wpDiscuz
3
0
Join the conversation, please comment.x
()
x
| Reply
You are going to send email to

Move Comment
Gun Deals
Gun.Deals