by EJ Owens

MISTAKE #1: Buying the wrong gun

What makes your gun the wrong gun? Unlike the guy behind the counter at your local gun store

who is more interested in selling his products, I have listed several considerations for you

regarding your selection of the right gun. While there are many others, these are my absolutes;

• A. Hand size – you should be able to reach the magazine release with your thumb without

breaking your grip. Once the grip is broken it must be reset and this act under stress can cause

you to miss your intended target.

• B. Body size – over 90% of concealed carry handguns are carried on the hip. Your hip should

allow the gun to rest comfortably against your side without flaring outward. Regardless of

the position on the hip you should ensure that it is flush with your side. If you have a little

more love than others then consider moving the gun more toward the 4 or 5 o’clock position

vs true 3 o’clock. If your need to eat more Wheaties then consider a thinner grip.

• C. Method of carry – there are 2 main types of waistband carry options, Inside the Waist-

band (IWB) and Outside the Waistband (OWB). IWB gives you the most concealment as only

the grip is exposed. This method also maintains the gun in a lower profile position because

it is wedged between your hip and the inside of your pants. Make sure that you can still get

a firm-firing grip when going for your gun under stress. This position lends itself well to be-

ing covered with just a t-shirt. OWB is overall more comfortable of the two but has the most

exposure as the gun rides outside of the waistband and can be seen below the belt line. This

method of carry must have a cover garment of some sort due to the exposure. As with being

outside the waistband this method has a greater potential to stand off the body thus “print-

ing” (the outline of your gun being seen through your cover garment) more.

• D. Caliber – todays personal defense 9mm rounds are perfect, PERIOD! If you are hell bent

on a .45 get a .45cal gun that holds a lot of bullets. Good friends and bullets are hard to find

when you need them.

MISTAKE #2: Buying The Wrong Holster

What makes a holster the wrong holster? Holsters are like shoes. We have shoes for all types of

outings and events. Holsters are merely a functional way to have our gun on us throughout our

day. However, we will spend $500 - $1500 on a gun only to carry it in the cheapest thing we can

stick it in or “the only one the store had to fit it when I bought it”. Put as much effort in selecting

a holster as you do for your gun so that when you need your gun the holster allows you to draw it

out fast but when you are going through your day keeps it secure. Here are considerations when

selecting the right holster:

• A. Method of carry – the position of carry make all the difference in the world. A 3 o’clock

carry (inline with the side seam of your pants) is the most common form of carry. Lately there

have been some new developments in hip carry like the appendix carry (1 o’clock position car-

ried next to the belt buckle) that lend itself to a perceived faster draw but still are unproven.

However, the 3 o’clock position is where most will carry and that is a great position. You might

want to experiment with the 4 or 5 o’clock as well as they might be more comfortable with

your body type to include long arms.

• B. Material of holster - as stated previously, IWB or OWB. If you are considering an IWB hol-

ster look at the “hybrid” holsters that have a leather backing but a kydex holster. The kydex

grips the gun well enough to keep it secure when running but allows for a smooth release

upon drawing. Remember, this will be against your hip throughout the day. The leather ab-

sorbs your body’s oils and that aids in pliability. OWB should cover the end of the barrel. You

might be surprised how easily you can knock off your front sight if its not protected. Also, I

don’t particularly like thumb break retention on a holster because that WILL hinder your draw

under stress. Get a good holster and carry your gun more and you won’t feel the need for the

“added protection” or what I like to call it, a “security blanket”.

• C. Method of securing to your belt – the fasteners or belt loops or however it holds on to

your belt must fit tighly. If there is any gap between the two there will be torque and give

when drawing under stress. Tourque will cause a cant in your draw that will cause the gun to

put opposite sided pressure on the inside of your holster when drawing under stress. I have

seen this too many times on the shooting line and it is awful. The gap will cause you to end up

pulling the gun up, along with the holster, until the holster finally meets resistance with the

belts grasp and then you will start being able to use the pressure you are already exerting to

remove the gun from the holster. I have seen this gap as much as 2 inches of extra pull before

the gun finally comes out.

MISTAKE #3: Buying The Wrong Belt

MISTAKE #4: Not Having A Back Up Mag

The wrong belt…the most overlooked item in your concealed carry attire. Not any bely will do!

You have to consider several things before the belt can be the right belt. The criteria that I have

for a belt that will carry my gun is simple:

• A. Stability – you cannot bend a quality gun belt in half (folding the top over the bottom). It

must be rigid and built of high quality leather or webbing.

• B. Buckle – easy to secure and unsecure PERIOD!

• C. Length – consider the width of your IWB holster (with gun in) and add that length to your

current belt length. If you wear a 34” waist in pants consider and 36” or even 38” belt to allow

for your holster and gun width.

If you carry a gun you should carry a back up mag! 90% of the Type 1 malfunctions are magazine

related. Also, if I getting in a gun battle I want as many bullets as I can get. I have never met a

person who has been in a gunfight that has said they wished they hadn’t brought so many bullets

with them…..just saying!

• A. Waist carry – IWB or OWB carry of extra mags is perfectly acceptable and the most advan-

tageous way to carry should you need them.

• B. Pocket carry – great for concealment but a little more difficult to get to if you don’t train

on it but nonetheless you still have them. Hell, just throw a mag in your back pocket if that’s

MISTAKE #5: Not Being Mentally Prepared

MISTAKE #6: Not Prepared To Deal With Police

Carrying a gun is not a magic talisman. Its mere presence doesn’t ward off evil sprits. You have

to have the right mindset to be victorious. If you are not mentally prepared for the reality of why

you are carrying a gun then shock alone of the incident will cause you to loose momentum and

time. Time is life in a gunfight.

• A. It really could happen…right now! – any moment your card could get pulled and you will

have to answer boldly. All of your being will be drawn into the fight whether you want to or

not and by being prepared you are ready to respond with ruthless survival. Choosing the right

gun and holster, carrying a back up magazine, and utilizing the right belt all are tools to enable

us to respond properly to a potentially deadly situation. Understanding that we carry these

trusted items routinely is to understand that it could happen right now! Awareness leads to

Preparedness!

• B. The scenarios I play in my head all end with me being victorious. – those are fantasies

unless you train and train through training failure. You need to stop playing scenarios and

start playing “what if”. What if someone tried to rob me right now? What if someone can into

this restaurant and started shooting up the place? Look at your immediate surroundings and

start devising a survival plan. Look for exits, windows, cover and concealment. If you were

shooting where would you want to be moving to for your reload? These are the thoughts of

a warrior.

• C. The police or somebody will step in and save me. – no they won’t! No one is coming to

save you. Others will be running away or staring in dismay. You will be alone to defend your-

self and or your loved ones. If you are not ready to give everything up then you have already

lost.

Dealing with the police is not something that is routinely discussed in shooting schools and

therefore is not common knowledge among concealed carriers.

• A. The police will know I’m innocent - the police are there to take notes of the incident and

prepare the case evidence along with any facts for presentation to the District Attorney (DA).

The DA determines whether or not to press charges against you.

MISTAKE #7: Only Carrying In A “Bad Neighborhood”

MISTAKE #8: Improper Use Of Light

• B. Your going to go to jail - In the meantime you will wear some handcuffs and go downtown

to the police station and will be questioned/interrogated. You will be there for a long time,

alone without your family!

• C. I’ll tell my side of the story - You will want to plead your case to the cops and demonstrate

how innocent you are…. they don’t care! Prepare now to fight the adrenaline urge, shut your

mouth and ask for your lawyer.

The misconception that the news events only happen in “bad” parts of town. You are as wrong

as wrong can be!

• A. This is a safe part of town – only because it hasn’t happened to you! One day it might. It

only takes one incident to end your life.

• B. I’m around here all the time and nothing ever happens – See “A” above!

• C. Statistics show that crime is low here so I really don’t see a need to carry EVERYWHERE

legally allowed – Other peoples statistics don’t mean a thing when the event is happening to

you!

Turn it on a go find the bad guy! Well whatever you can see he can see also. You have to train in

low light/no light situations to be effective. Light is used to identify a shoot/no shoot threat. It is

not a mid-evil torch use to wander the halls of your castle.

A. Momentary On – turn on to scan then turn off. Use to check dead spots then turn off. When

you turn it back on again you should be in a different position.

B. Constant On – When the fight begins get it on and leave it on.

C. Strobe – If you have it, use it to momentary blind your attackers while you assess the threat,

then if necessary, engage them. Use it in the same manner as the Momentary On and Constant

On usage.

MISTAKE #9: Not Being Prepared Should They Miss

MISTAKE #10: Different Grain Practice Bullets vs. Game time use

As stated earlier most people don’t envision themselves missing their intended target. Under

stress your tight group at the static range opens up considerably if you don’t train under stress.

• A. Static Range Shooting - stop shooting at a static range if you have somewhere that lets

you move while you shoot. No one stands still in a gunfight! You will move. He will move. Start

training to hit moving targets.

• B. Competition shooting isn’t real gunfighting – you are correct but it does offer you some

external stress while you shoot and if you don’t game it then you can get something out of it.

• C. You will have first shot success – only if you train for it under stress. Replicate stress

as often as you can. Go run and get out of breath then try shooting. Do push-ups then shoot.

Have someone yelling in your ears then shoot. Do something that makes your blood pump

and breath hard. Controlling your shot placement takes on a whole new meaning when you

are jacked up on adrenaline.

Using a different grain bullet for practice or training then rolling out with game time ammo of a

different grain is a sure way to miss your target. Practice with the same grain you carry!

• A. Recoil management – recoil is greater with +P rounds. Your follow shots of a higher grain

will have a wider spread. That spread turns into misses under stress.

• B. Flash signature – If you have to shoot at night the flash signature will be like a fireball

with personal defense rounds to begin with. Using a higher grain round will be blinding. Again,

you have to train in a low light/no light scenario to see how difficult follow shots are because

of the flash signature.

• C. Once you have trained with a certain grain stay with it – Once you have put in all the

time and effort to train yourself with a certain gun and certain grain and manufacturer made

bullet stay with it because if not the slightest difference can cause you to be inaccurate.

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