Category: Gun and Other Self Defense Stuff

One of the decisions you must make when you carry defensively is whether you’ll carry a secondary weapon. Know your local laws regarding carrying a backup gun before you invest in one for yourself. Find out three popular reasons people carry a backup gun.

1. In Case Your Primary Becomes Inaccessible

Holstering your backup gun in another carry position increases the likelihood you have an accessible firearm. Having a gun on more than one area of your body means you have different places you can access in case of an emergency.

Many people use waistband carry for their primary weapon and keep their secondary weapon on their thigh or ankle. If your attacker pins you in a bad position or wounds you, you’ll appreciate having another place to draw from. That’s why one of the most practical uses for a concealed ankle holster is to carry a backup gun.

2. In Case of Primary Weapon Failure

Another popular reason people have for carrying backup guns is to have a useable firearm if the primary weapon fails. It’s unlikely your primary weapon will fail, but if it does and you don’t have a backup weapon, you will need to find alternative methods to defend yourself.

At times, your primary weapon might only be temporarily out of commission. Rather than devoting time during an emergency to adjusting your primary weapon, you might opt to immediately use your backup firearm instead.

3. In Case Your Primary Runs Out of Ammo

After training and developing strong familiarity with their guns and holsters, some people elect to carry loaded weapons. If you find yourself in a situation where your primary weapon runs out of ammo, you could spend time reloading. However, you could reach for your secondary weapon instead to save time.

Primary guns with lower ammo capacities also increase the likelihood you’ll need to reload. If you’re concerned about this, consider carrying a backup gun.

Whether you carry a backup firearm or not, always familiarize yourself with your holster, gun, and carry position. Practice using your firearm efficiently and safely so that you can protect yourself and others in a hazardous scenario.

When you start carrying a concealed weapon, you can get overwhelmed by the mountain of information regarding best practices and how to stay on top of your game. Many new owners spend countless hours studying calibers, holster types, how to dress and avoid printing, and similar considerations.

But the most important thing to learn is to handle a concealed firearm with skill and accuracy. Whatever your reasons for keeping a firearm on your person, these are the necessary skills to learn for concealed carry.

1. Drawing Your Weapon

Going to the gun range and firing rounds at targets is fun and sharpens your shooting skills. But you also need to practice drawing your concealed weapon efficiently. A gun you can’t safely and reliably draw and have at the ready is worthless. Not practicing your skills is one of the most common concealed carry mistakes you should avoid.

First, remove all rounds from the clip and chamber. Then practice reaching, drawing, and aiming your firearm. Practice it so often that, in the event of danger, your muscle memory kicks in, and you can defend yourself and others.

2. One-Handed Shooting

Another necessary skill people who carry concealed should learn is one-handed shooting. On the shooting range and in perfect conditions, it can be easy to get caught up in the quest for accuracy and firing that shot right into the center of the target. Most of the time, however, life-threatening situations will be much more complicated. Many new CPC holders fail to practice handling, aiming, and firing a weapon at a fast-moving, close-quarters attacker.

Learn how to aim and fire at targets less than 10 feet away without needing to put both hands on the weapon. You might not be able to use both hands to fire in the case of an emergency. And you won’t always be able to line up the sights and take a perfect shot, so master shooting in these more challenging conditions.

3. Reloading

Finally, in real-life situations in which you will be firing a concealed firearm, the ability to quickly reload your weapon can save your life. It’s easy to forget that, unlike range sessions or backyard practicing, you can miss the target a lot in life-or-death situations due to adrenaline and suboptimal conditions.

Practice reloading your weapon in a crisis by releasing the clip, popping in a new one, and drawing a round into the chamber – all while keeping your eyes on the target. In real life, the target won’t stop coming for you unless you do what is necessary to ensure your gun has enough bullets and those bullets reach the right place.

If you’re new to the world of concealed carry or interested in joining it, there are several different types of holsters to consider. To name a few, there are inside-the-waistband, outside-the-waistband, belly-band, and ankle holsters. Let’s look a little deeper into the pros and cons of ankle-carry holsters so that you can narrow down your choices and decide what’s best for you.

Pros

Versatility

If you prefer to carry a small pistol or micro-pistol, an ankle-carry holster is a solid concealed carry option for you. If you carry a revolver, ankle-holsters are still versatile enough that you’ll be able to carry it below the waist in this way. Other forms of concealed carry may need some serious adjusting if you try to carry a micro-pistol in them, but ankle holsters can carry a wide array, from a Kel-Tec P-3AT or Ruger LCP up to a SIG Sauer P220.

Increased Mobility

Other holster types can prevent you from making certain movements while you carry. For example, carrying outside of the waistband requires you to wear specific apparel. When you move, you may have to adjust this apparel so that your firearm isn’t revealed. In turn, your overall mobility may be compromised. You may find yourself avoiding certain movements to keep your holster and firearm hidden. The beauty of an ankle holster is that it allows you to move freely without worrying that your firearm is showing.

Comfortable Fit

Other common concealed carry holsters can leave you feeling uncomfortable. Carrying inside or outside the waistband may leave you feeling as though you must stand rather than sit, as the nature of having a firearm on your waist means it’s prone to digging into you when you sit. And belly bands can feel uncomfortable on sensitive skin and make your body temperature rise.

Ankle holsters are comfortable because they don’t poke or prod into an important part of your body. Additionally, the skin around the ankle tends to be less sensitive than the torso and waist regions, adding to overall comfort.

Cons

Continual Adjustments

The nature of carrying on your ankle means that your firearm moves every time your leg moves. Continual movement can cause the holster to slip, slide, or shift. To ensure security of the firearm, you’ll want to keep an eye out for these moments and adjust accordingly.

Slower Draw

In times of crisis, the quickest possible draw is ideal. Other concealed carry types keep the firearm close to your hands. This makes it quicker to draw, and in a dangerous situation, these seconds could be the difference between life or death or injury. This is why other holster types appeal to a larger audience.

Evaluate your needs and priorities in a holster. If you’d like some additional guidance in your choice, contact a local professional or sign up for a local concealed carry class near you. Either option can help you consider the pros and cons of an ankle-carry holster.

Firearms can be used for recreation, sports, hunting, and protection. They can be single-shot or fully automatic and come in many styles and sizes. Let’s learn more about the basic groups of firearms and how they are classified.

Semi-Automatic

Semi-automatic firearms are guns that fire one shot per pull of the trigger. Because they’re so common and easy to use, they make up most of the firearms owned by civilians. On the other hand, semi-automatic pistols, shotguns, and rifles are legal for civilian ownership in the United States.

On the battlefield, semi-automatic rifles have been used since WWI because of their speed and accuracy; soldiers can fire several shots per second with less recoil than a fully automatic rifle. For competition shooting, as in the events in Olympic competitions, athletes also prefer semi-automatics because of their precision.

Automatic

Machine guns are the type of automatic firearm that most people think of when they hear the word “automatic.” The first automatic weapons showed up in World War II, and they were used heavily by the Germans. While the duties of each military branch may differ, but they all use automatic weapons to defend our country.

Automatic weapons fire a continuous stream of bullets when the trigger is held down. Many people think you have to be a member of law enforcement or the military to own one, but automatic weapons are technically legal if they were made before 1986. Manufacturing new automatic weapons for civilian use is illegal.

Common examples of automatic firearms include M60 GPMG (light), M249 SAW (light/medium), M240 GPMG (medium), and M2 Browning HMG (heavy).

Assault Rifles

Assault rifles are selective-fire weapons that use intermediate cartridges and detachable magazines. The two most popular assault rifles are the Soviet AK-47 and the German StG44. These guns have been used by military forces worldwide for a very long time.

Class 3 Firearms

Auto-fire or burst fire weapons use a silencer or suppressor. They can be automatic rifles, submachine guns, or machine guns, and these firearms are highly regulated. There are several types of class 3 items that the National Firearms Act restricts.

Each state can impose additional restrictions on the sale, purchase, and transfer of class 3 firearms, and compliance with the National Firearms Act is required.

These are the basic groups of firearms and how they are classified. Technically, all firearms are classified as weapons, but there are a variety of different types that have varying uses and capabilities.