I Don’t Lift I Carry
Knoxville, Tennessee publishes their 24 hour arrest report online. It’s just mugshots and a list of charges. I couldn’t help but look daily when I first moved here. It was only two, maybe three days before I noticed something that shook me. Seemingly, almost every other person was charged with possession of a firearm included with some other fairly serious crimes. Now, I moved to Tennessee from Texas, and I’ve shot my whole life. That being said,I had never before felt like I would be outgunned in the street and thus began feeling a strong need to start carrying.
I mentioned this to some folks at work and one of the young guys that reported to me just laughed and casually mentioned, his grandma’s got two guns on her at any time. That was it. That weekend I went to pick up something easier to carry than my full 5 inch government model 1911. I got to the gun store at 10:03AM. Three whole minutes after they opened, and the place was busy. A little Smith & Wesson J-frame 38 special came home with me that day. Tennessee is a constitutional carry state, as it should be, and so I carried it everywhere. I never even shot it, not a single time, before I traded it on a Springfield Ronin commander size 1911. What can I say, 1911s just tickle my fancy. From there it’s been all sorts of learning opportunities, various gun purchases, lots and lots of range time (the range was next to my office). Although I’m by no means an expert, I have learned some lessons the hard (expensive) way, and hopefully can help others by sharing a little starters advice on topics related to carrying a concealed pistol.
First and foremost, understand what kind of responsibility you’re taking on when you carry. It’s serious shit, and not to be taken lightly. If you’re not comfortable with your firearm, with knowledge of the applicable laws, with the idea of possibly shooting someone, don’t do it. If you think it makes you tough (it should make you more likely to back down from a fight rather than start one), you’re doing it wrong. I aint here to preach, and I’ll leave that at that.
If you’ve gotten past all of that, you’ll need to figure out what to carry - there’s no one right carry gun for everyone - but everyone will tell you why their preferred make/model is the obvious answer. Listen and learn from them all, but make your own choice. Go to a range, rent several, take a class, and in general get an overall familiarity with shooting handguns. Finding what you like is important. Everything from size and weight, to capacity, to conceal-ability, and yes even the cool factor (if you don’t like what you have, you’ll chase every new trend that comes around continually) and go with the one that feels best and fits you and your lifestyle. Then get a good holster (we sell those here btw), get your permit or don’t if your state doesn’t require one (for those of us in God’s country otherwise known as the American South, it does make traveling easier), and most of all get some range/training time, and get finally some time carrying by carrying it. The more you do the more natural it becomes.
I promise you if that if you stop touching the darn thing, no one will be looking at you or know you’re carrying. Unless you just got that thing hanging loose just blowing in the wind, or clothes so tight you’re giving everyone a look at what you’re packing. Treat the gun and people with respect, and hopefully it’ll never leave it’s DudeBro Holster. If it’s ever needed, at least you’re prepared as best you can be.
Your Dude, Bro
Baron
