6. Not practicing with SD ammo
A self defense situation is not the time to find out that your gun doesn’t like to feed your chosen self defense (Hollow Point) ammo. Take the time to practice with several different brands of SD ammo and find the one that your gun likes best. Yes, it’s more expensive than strictly shooting white box Winchester, but the extra expense is worth knowing that if the time comes to defend yourself or your family, you’re actually going to be able to do so.
7. Adjusting in public
Unlike checking to see if the gun is still there, this mistake comes when the holster has slid to an uncomfortable position or something has happened that you now need to re-adjust your holster. Doing this in public is a very bad idea. The movement of re-adjusting will draw quite a bit of attention to yourself, much more so than just touching the gun. If you do need to make an adjustment and you’re in a public area, the best places to do so are in a locked bathroom stall, your car, or a dressing room without security cameras. Just find a private place where you’re able to fix whatever needs to be fixed without worrying about someone figuring out what you’re doing.
8. Carrying on occasion
If you’re going to carry, do your best to carry all the time. You wear your seat belt every time you drive (at least I hope you do) but you likely won’t end up in a car accident. The same concept applies to carrying your gun. You never know when you’ll find yourself in a situation where you need it, whether you’re away from home the whole day or just making a quick run to the gas station. Incidents happen when you least expect them, it pays to always be prepared.
9. Not understanding firearm laws
It’s your responsibility when you decide to carry to know all the laws that can affect you, whether local, state, or federal. Every state and area is different. Find out what the exact law says for every area you find yourself in. Know whether you’re in a stand your ground or a duty to retreat state. Know where you’re allowed to carry and where you’re not. These laws are typically very easy to find with a quick Google search so you have absolutely no excuse not to know.
Luckily, the vast majority of people who carry are extremely responsible and have studied the laws so much they could pass as a lawyer. If you’re not one of these people and haven’t taken the time to know the ins and outs of firearm laws in your area, take the time to do so now.
10. Having the wrong mindset
As I previously mentioned, most people who carry concealed are extremely responsible and have the mindset that they’ll do everything in their power to avoid a conflict, but if violence comes their way, they’re prepared to do what it takes to protect themselves and their family. This is a great mindset to have. A big mistake that some less responsible people make is having an invincible or escalation mindset. These people will go out of their way to go down that sketchy alleyway or will intentionally escalate a fight. Just because you carry a gun it doesn’t mean it’s time to start looking for trouble or trying to start a fight. In fact, it means the exact opposite. By carrying a gun, you must do everything in your power to avoid trouble.
Go out there every day as a respectful and responsible person just going about your daily business and you likely will never have to use your gun in a self-defense scenario. Should the absolute worst happen, you and the police will know you had no hand in bringing the situation upon yourself. Don’t leave any room for doubt.
John