Don’t burry your weapons under clothing
I think there is a point that people really can get carried away with the CCW point of view. There were a few wacky incidences that occured over the years where a gun owner got himself or herself into a gray area and really invited trouble. The whole open carry debate can be a powder keg amonst many on our side of the aisle, but not invited problems is something we should be trained to think about. Don’t put yourself in a situation where the method in which you are carrying is going to make you stand out. For example, we have a lot of customers that carry full size autos that want to carry their firearms in jackets and they always want to know which vests or jacket it will work in. If this is what you want to do, go ahead and do it, but if you are standing out on a football field at your kids football game and you are the only person wearing a jacket and it’s 70F out, you are going to be out of place, and may invite problems from a smart ass anti-gun person that knows you may be in a grey area by carrying a gun on school property.
I have stated several times that some of the toughest people I know don’t always carry firearms, and many of the best trained shooters are carrying j-frame revolvers. This has slightly changed in the last few years since there are some reliable .380 pocket guns coming into the market. I really don’t have much experience with these, but since many of them are new, it’s sometimes a good idea to just sit back and see how well the products hold up and what their reputations are. There is not always a real need to get too exotic with gun holsters. A good pocket carry gun could have 6 or 7 rounds of .380 or 9mm and depending on your body size, you may even be able to get a .40 S&W gun in there. Pocket carry is probable one of the most comfortable ways to conceal a firearm and won’t restrict much of your movement.
If I am carrying a j-frame in a paddle holster, I’m usually carrying a speed loader and about 3 reloads. J-frames work very well for deep cover and my primary mindset it to shoot and move and not expect to put up a fight for very long when I’m starting out with 5 rounds. I can increase my firepower and comfort by carrying the same gun, but with an OWB holster that can easily be reloaded. I strongly recommend that everyone considers having a paddle holster for every handgun they own. They also come in handly when going to an outdoor range where you don’t have to worry about putting the gun down on the table after every cease fire.
My Sig 220 blasted its way through the first 8rds without a hickup. I did notice a mini cloud of lint around the gun, and maybe I should rethink some of the shirts I wear to try and prevent or reduce this, but I thought that lint can’t be any worse than dirt and these are combat pistols. I continued to put another 300rds of 45acp 230gr FMJ ammo and had a stopage. I had a friend tell me that the Sig Factory rep he dealt with says that the guns should run wet and that they are dependent on using more lubrication than something like a Glock. Although I’ve never gotten the bug to own a Glock, I guess I’ll have to acknowledge that Glock does have an edge over Sigs in this area. One thing I have considered doing is putting a little grease on all of my pistols, that way it won’t drain off as easily as CLP or similiar types of lubrication. That is something to think about for pistols.
Selecting the right holster for you and going to take some work. The best thing you can do before you start carrying a firearm is figure out what kind of gun you really want to carry and then go from there. Some people want to carry a full size auto right off the bat and then find out which holster works for them. Firearms can be carried in various ways, but situations and comfort are really the key. I have a friend that carries a full size Springfield 1911 and claims there is no difference in carry that vs a smaller auto.
The sythetic duty gear crosses the boundaries between leather and nylon holsters.
A great many years ago I wondered how people really knew which holster worked for them. It’s one of those things people don’t understand when they first start to carry a gun. The reality is that some holster designs are as pretty to look at in the same way we shop for clothing or for a car. Some people just need to get around from point A to point B and don’t need to show off.
If you were new to the concealed carry world, one of the most popular CCW firearms recommended is the Sig 239. Some may think that the smaller the firearm the easier it could be to handle, but that is simple not true. I’ve stood on the firing line and seen guys put 32acp and 9mm firearms in their friends hands and people always comment how much bite the gun has. The smaller the gun, the ligter it is to carry around but not neccessarily easier to shoot or control.