Got the CCW license this week

M

motorhead0922

New member
I just thought I'd share my thoughts with others who are waiting for the call from the sheriff's office...

I got my call Monday, 27 days after the fingerprinting, and went to get the permit. Then to the license bureau for the non-drivers license.

Tuesday, I decided to go on my maiden voyage. I loaded the PPK (nothing in the chamber) and put it in my inside coat pocket. Checked in the mirror to be sure it didn't print in a variety of poses, and headed out. I made a quick package drop-off at a shopping center, and filled the car with gas.

I learned a few things:

1. The little PPK feels surprisingly heavy pretty quick. I am sure I'll get a pocket pistol instead and try the right front pants pocket.

2. I will definitely use a pocket holster to be absolutely sure there is no print in the future. Three words: holster, holster, holster.

3. It was kinda creepy doing something that 2 days before would have been a felony. Gonna take some getting used to.

4. I really don't want to have a car wreck while carrying. Or have anything else weird happen, for that matter.

If you veterans would like to comment on your "early days", feel free.
 
I'm still in my early days.

:D

So far, I'm using a belly band holster (Galco) and carrying either a Sig P220 or a Beretta 92FS. So far, so good. Easy to position it where you want it.

It's not perfect but I've adapted pretty easily in a short time.

--Wag--
 
you should go into public and shake that feeling. try a walmart or mall. if you go to the mall, make sure you check to make sure there isnt a "no weapons" sign posted.
 
The early days always felt strange. Any time somebody looked at me in public (especially store employees) I felt my gun must be showing. I was constantly afraid of printing or the gun falling out.. etc etc.. Then I realized several key things.

(a) You must be confident in your holster, your firearm and the concealment clothing you wear. I carry a Glock 45 IWB with a kydex holster. I also wear untucked NON TACTICAL shirts (no vests, 5.11, etc).

(b) Unless you do something to attract attention most people are off in their own world. Even if you have a lump in your shirt (which I don't recommend) people really don't notice. As a society most people are really off on their own cloud.

(c) Your shirt getting caught on something exposing your gun is not brandishing. You didn't remove the firearm, didn't take it out and threaten somebody, etc. While it hasn't happened to me it's certainly possible.

Once you feel these in your heart... it all becomes much easier. Best way to break yourself in... take many walks around Walmart. Seems like there's always some strange person there who wants to stare at you for no reason...
 
4. I really don't want to have a car wreck while carrying. Or have anything else weird happen, for that matter.
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Had a car wreck the other day. Someone hit us from behind at a stop light.

My wife and I were both carrying. It was a total non-issue. The EMT didn't say a word when he was checking my wife for injuries and felt the gun.

I notified the officers that responded that I had a handgun permit since I knew that it would come up on their computers when they run my driver's license. They asked if I was carrying. I said yes. That was the end of it.

It's like having a pen in your pocket. You don't walk around constantly looking for paper to write on, wondering when you'll need to sign something or write something down. If you don't need it, it stays in your pocket and you don't think about it. If you need it, you pull it out and use it as appropriate.
 
Sounds like you already know a holster is a good idea. As to which type and where you carry it, that's something you'll have to decide based whether you're required to dress a certain way. If no such requirements exist, I'd recommend a belt holster. The weight won't be as noticeable, and access will be better than with a pocket holster.

I would also recommend carrying it with a round in the chamber. If you're not comfortable with that...get there ASAP. Carrying a gun with an empty chamber puts you at a serious disadvantage.

Good luck.
 
I just thought I'd share my thoughts with others who are waiting for the call from the sheriff's office...

I got my call Monday, 27 days after the fingerprinting, and went to get the permit. Then to the license bureau for the non-drivers license.

Tuesday, I decided to go on my maiden voyage. I loaded the PPK (nothing in the chamber) and put it in my inside coat pocket. Checked in the mirror to be sure it didn't print in a variety of poses, and headed out. I made a quick package drop-off at a shopping center, and filled the car with gas.

I learned a few things:

1. The little PPK feels surprisingly heavy pretty quick. I am sure I'll get a pocket pistol instead and try the right front pants pocket.

2. I will definitely use a pocket holster to be absolutely sure there is no print in the future. Three words: holster, holster, holster.

3. It was kinda creepy doing something that 2 days before would have been a felony. Gonna take some getting used to.

4. I really don't want to have a car wreck while carrying. Or have anything else weird happen, for that matter.

If you veterans would like to comment on your "early days", feel free.
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The very first time I ever carried, it was also with an empty chamber. Come to think of it, it was a Polish P-64, so remarkably similar to the PPK, only chambered for 9mm Makarov. But that was the only time. Having in one in the chamber is definitely best provided the gun is safe to carry that way. You get an extra round and are ready to roll much faster if worst comes to worst.

You don't necessarily have to go pocket gun if the PPK is feeling a bit heavy. You can just got for something a little more modern. Something like a Kahr CW9 or Kel-Tec PF-9 is actually considerably lighter than the PPK, without compromising ammo capacity and actually chambered for the significantly more effective 9x19.

As far as getting used to it. It happens fairly quickly, and the more you carry the faster you get used to it. When I first began, it was sort of uncommon for me carry, and of course it felt like everyone you ever saw somehow knew. Do it often enough and it just becomes part of the routine, not any different than making sure you've got your wallet, keys, or phone.
 
If you veterans would like to comment on your "early days", feel free.
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  1. Thank you for keeping and bearing arms. When any one of us is safer, we're all safer; conversely, when any one of us is in danger, we're all in danger.
  2. May you always have a gun near to hand, and may you never need it.
  3. You'll soon feel something's weird when you're not carrying. You'll start to wonder why everyone doesn't carry. You'll start feeling inclined toward advocating in favor of the right to keep and bear arms. Get busy and start advocating, friend.
 
First of all, thank you for carrying your weapon. You are definitely a citizen and I appreciate it personally.

Secondly,
2. I will definitely use a pocket holster to be absolutely sure there is no print in the future.
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Just for reference; Yes a pocket holster should be utilized in order to minimize printing, but keeping the silhouette invisible is definitely tertiary to keeping the weapon properly oriented for a drawing scenario and keeping the trigger guard covered so that it isn't accidentally pulled when you don't want it to be.

This brings me to a third point. I tell everyone that carries to carry the largest caliber that they can shoot and carry well. For me, I settled on a 9mm for most days. It works and I understand it's benefits and limitations. You've got yourself a .380 PPK with 7 rounds in the magazine. That's a heck of a gun. I love them. They are reliable and easy to carry and have VERY good sights for a sub-compact. They also possess very limited power and capacity in order to attain that. The .380 isn't known for being a great man-stopper. But if that works for you and fits the system you're comfortable with, then more power to you. Whatever it takes to carry your weapon more often, do it.

Fourth point segway; while you are carrying a PPK with 7 rounds in the mag - 1 in the chamber, why don't you feel comfortable carrying it fully loaded? No modern handgun will discharge without properly being manipulated, and the PPK even has an external safety. It may not sound like much, but it could very well be a big deal for a few reasons. With 7 rounds of .380, your stopping power is quite limiting. It's by no means sub-par, but you have to realize that you're shooting a small round at relatively mediocre velocities, and on top of that, you don't even have as many as you can possibly have in the gun. By loading it 7+1 and engaging the safety (or not) and placing it in a holster that covers the trigger guard, the weapon WILL NOT discharge until you tell it to. Now if you just don't feel comfortable doing it "just for right now", that's understandable. If you don't feel like it's safe, I don't agree, but I have friends that carry that way. For what it's worth, I carry a Glock 19 15+1 without an external safety in a holster every single day and have never had a negligent discharge in my life (so do the majority of police officers).

I feel perfectly comfortable carrying this way. If you don't, and doing so would cause you to leave it at home, then by all means carry without one in the chamber. Taking a second to rack the slide beats having to drive home to do it. But just remember that it's perfectly safe the other way too. And by carrying "+1" with a 7rd magazine, you automatically increase your likelihood of hitting what you're aiming at by over 14%, you decrease your draw-to-fire time by almost a second, and you have the ability to draw and use your weapon if you only have one hand free (other hand fighting off a dog, pushing away an attacker, having been broken/injured, someone laying on it, etc...) that otherwise would render your weapon useless without the ability to use your other hand.

Any other wisdom I can provide seems to have already been provided. Everyone isn't looking at your gun. Honestly, you should do your best to forget you have it on you. Also, everyone isn't a terrorist. I know when I started carrying years ago, that I was constantly on the lookout for that 85 year-old-lady to whip out a knife, or that little 3rd grader to pull a grenade out of his backpack and start swearing in angry tongues (exaggerated of course. kind of) It is good to be on the lookout. A sheepdog's eyes and ears are his first line of defense. But that "always on alert" phase will pass in time. Just make sure it doesn't vanish completely. Try and find a "happy medium".

Good luck and thanks for exercising your rights. You make us all a little safer.

~LT
 
yea,i was a bit self concouis when i first started carrying,but like everyone else it soon came to be a habit.btw,do we have spell check?
 
Choice of words

What to say when stopped by the police:

A. "I have a gun" --- well, its short and to the point, but possibly sub-optimum.

B. "I have a concealed carry permit" --- more wordy, but very possibly the better option.
:)
 
So your going to have to fumble to get it out of your pocket AND rack the slide during an adrenaline dump in a combat situation? Good luck!;)

It was my understanding that a PPK was not drop safe when carrying a chambered round, correct? Ayoob states that, and an accident incident illustrating that, in one of his books as one of the many reasons he wouldn't carry the PPK.
 
personally i felt really odd the first few times i went out concealing my weapon, and so i made myself go out in public places by myself and with friends to make myself more aware. im still pretty new to carrying and so im still a tad worried about if im printing or exposed in warm weather days, or while at work (long story). also, the first few days i carried, i did so with an empty chamber. i did this because i told myself that if i ever needed to pull my gun on someone, i would have the time and ability to rack the slide before going any further. then i was told to do 15 or so jumping jacks and try to rack the slide with any sort of speed...i was pretty embarrassed to say the least.
 
Thanks for all your comments. They are all helpful and I will take them to heart.

BTW, I chose the PPK only because it's my smallest gun. It's old and I inherited it. It's also not a .380; it's a .32, and that's not adequate for me. Right now I'm taking baby steps until I get more comfortable. My plan is to get a .380 or 9mm DAO and carry a chambered round.
 
First, Thanks for swelling the ranks. One more personally responsible, Liberty loving Individual!

BTW, I chose the PPK only because it's my smallest gun. It's old and I inherited it. It's also not a .380; it's a .32, and that's not adequate for me.
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Well, it IS Christmas time, is it not?

Right now I'm taking baby steps until I get more comfortable. My plan is to get a .380 or 9mm DAO and carry a chambered round.
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Baby steps are fine, at least you are moving.

I, too, carried in condition 3 a first (cheap 1911 in a cheap suede IWB holster). Better informed people here and elsewhere convinced me that there are better methods and tools out there than what I was using. I still carry a 1911 (a smaller one, in 9mm), but the biggest improvement came in getting a good holster and a good stiff belt.
 
I started carrying only this past spring, and in the beginning I didn't tell anybody--not my wife, nor my daughters. Guess what? They had no clue. In fact, once my daughter even touched my gun when she put her arm around my waist. We were in a store at the time, and I thought for sure she was going to ask me "what's that?". But she didn't say a thing.

Note: I'm 6'3" tall and about 175 pounds, so it's not as though I've got lots of built-in hiding places. :D

That taught me that as long as you have the right rig and clothing combination, nobody will ever know you're carrying.

I currently carry an SP101 in a Crossbreed SuperTuck IWB holster and I'm confident that the gun is truly concealed.

Soon I'll probably start carrying a full-size 1911 (got another SuperTuck holster on order for it!), and I'm sure that gun will also be completely concealable.

DD
 
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There is a sign on your forehead,,,

And it's huge and bright neon,,,
It says, "I'm packing heat"!

But don't worry,,,
In a few weeks it will fade.

Aarond
 
I think a lot of people get that early uneasy feelings.
What I did was carry my 380 bursa on me even while at home . not even telling my family so that I knew if I was doing good concealment . :cool:
I made it a point not to go anywhere without it ,except where handguns are not permitted.
Now when I get dressed in the morning , it just comes naturaly to gird up.
The second thing which to watch out for , is that your weapon feels so natural on you , that you forget to take it off when going to work or to the bank. :o
 
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