5 Tips For Safe Daily Carry

You've got your chosen defensive daily carry gun. You've obtained your carry permit. You've invested in proper training. Now, you're ready to go, right? Ready to carry everywhere, every day. (Where legally permissible, of course!!)

Take a look at these five tips and pointers as you begin the next stage in your daily carry adventure. 


1) Ask Yourself:
    *Are you competent with your chosen defensive carry gun? This is not the time to be PC, and pat yourself on your back just because you know how to pull the trigger and can mostly get rounds on the paper target. Brutal self honesty is required here. 
When was your last training session? What were the results? Did you improve in shot placement? Were your magazine changes smoother? How did you test yourself? Your competency level with your gun is critical. Being competent increases your confidence. Higher confidence increases your desire to learn more and your ability as you train. 

Dot Torture Shooting Drill- Image from Google

2) Complacency. Kills. I can not stress this enough. The idea that just because you now own a gun, does not make you Annie Oakley. I fear for the safety of those people who honestly feel this way. Not only are their lives in danger should they ever have to use their firearm in a defensive manner, but lives of innocent bystanders are in danger as well. Competency requires discipline, discipline builds skill. Much like piloting a vehicle, your firearms training requires dedication to learning and hours of practice.

3) Examine your wardrobe. Hopefully, you have picked up two or three different holsters to test, with the understanding that a sturdy belt is a critical point for proper, safe carry and weapons retention. A flopping gun is an unsecure gun in many cases, and not something you want to have happening. Make sure your holster covers the trigger guard, fits your gun snugly, and has no pieces or parts poking out that come in contact with the trigger on reholstering. 
**For those who prefer to purse carry, and enjoy the argument, "I can shoot through my purse." Fine. What does that say about the security of your gun in there? Is it safe? In My Opinion (that and $5 might get you a cup of coffee and a cookie,) NO. Your gun is NOT safe. Why? Because if you can put your hand in the purse and NOT have to unholster your weapon, it means your trigger guard and trigger are exposed. Is an exposed trigger safe in a purse? Again- In My Opinion- NO. It is too easy for something- such as a pen, lipstick, etc- to be accidentally dropped in with your gun. Why take the chance on a negligent discharge?

4) Practice at home. While you are folding laundry, doing dishes, cooking dinner, mowing the lawn- carry your gun. The only way to determine what holster and carry position is going to work perfectly for you is to carry them. Plus you have the added benefit of being prepared for Decepticons. Don't let your peers poking fun at you deter you. This is YOUR life and safety- not theirs. If they wish to be complacent in the knowledge that their home is "safe" and home invasions only happen to the Other Guy, that's fine. Just remember what we say about COMPLACENCY. It kills. 

5) Carry with an air of comfort and confidence. The next time you go to the store, or out for an evening stroll, take a close look at the people moving around you. Observe what they are doing, where they are looking, and if they are honestly paying any attention to their surroundings. Chances are, they are looking down at their phones or some electronic gizmo, have no clue you are there, and are only aware enough to have a basic understanding of getting from point A to point B. People see what they WANT to see- not what is in plain sight. Projecting an air of confidence as you carry in your chosen (legal) method prevents people from noticing whether or not you may or may not be armed. Should someone ask, if they do notice, smile. Be polite. Be confident. Be willing to talk. Also be willing to walk away if the person attempts to engage in a discussion on your decision to protect yourself. They are not worth your time and are generally just looking for a fight, so they might further convince themselves of their superiority. (The reverse of which is you, for carrying a gun, are inferior.) 

From a personal standpoint, as a woman who has carried over five years now. I often open carry. (It is legal in GA and I have my Georgia Weapons Carry License.) That is just me, and what I am comfortable with. There is no law saying YOU have to carry like that. In that time frame, I have had mostly positive interaction with strangers. I have been asked if I was a police officer (no, I'm not.) I've been asked what I'm afraid of (to which I smile wickedly and say, "Absolutely Nothing" and then I walk away.) I've been asked most about training and obtaining a permit to carry. (Wonderful discussions have ensued from this.)

There are those who attempt to argue with me over my chosen carry method. Fine- they are entitled to their opinion. The "criminals will target you first" argument is old and tired, and I tell them a brief story of my own, about a sick child, a late night run to a local big box store, my openly carried 1911, and a thug on the phone to his homies telling them to scatter because, and I quote, "... F@!k that - B!tch got a gun!" The thugs ran off like roaches when a light comes on, and I made it home unmolested with the meds for my son. 

Moral of the story? Train. Carry. Observe. Have Plan A, B, C and D in place. Behave in a professional, confident manner. Above all else, carry safely and intelligently, in a manner which suits your situation.

In the meantime, get in some range time and challenge your skills. You never know when you'll need them to save your life!

~Shannon