First day of Conceal Carry in public

[Jacketed]

I purchased my holster (phlster enigma) the day my permit was approved and had been dialing it in while wearing it in the house with an unloaded pistol.

Then I received my permit in the mail and Today was the day when I went grocery shopping, conceal carrying it for the first time. I called it my first dry run where the pistol was unloaded.

I practiced slow and firm draws from the appendix position and feel very comfortable but it has been with an unloaded firearm.

How do you mentally prepare yourself to start carrying with one in the chamber? Is there a slow transition to it?

Thanks in advance from a newbie

Read More

 

[DC13]

For me it was more of when i trusted myself. The gun wont go off by itself but can i be sure I'll stay aware of what I'm doing so that I don't do somethin that could potentially make it go off. Of course that means knowing what can make it go of so throw a snap cap in the hole and practice random moments to draw or holstering or dropping it or whatever. This way you really know what itd take to make it go off.
My guess is other than clumsy draws or holstering, youre going to find that it really would take alot to make it go off and when you really know that, you equally know your capabilities and your guns tolerances.

 

[Omni]

• You could start out carrying with a loaded mag and nothing in the chamber.
• Some people feel more comfortable carrying a gun with a manual safety.
• If appendix spooks you, maybe try some different holster positions.

 

[Alexx1401]

I purchased my holster (phlster enigma) the day my permit was approved and had been dialing it in while wearing it in the house with an unloaded pistol.

Then I received my permit in the mail and Today was the day when I went grocery shopping, conceal carrying it for the first time. I called it my first dry run where the pistol was unloaded.

I practiced slow and firm draws from the appendix position and feel very comfortable but it has been with an unloaded firearm.

How do you mentally prepare yourself to start carrying with one in the chamber? Is there a slow transition to it?

Thanks in advance from a newbie

For me? I had been shooting before I started school. So by the time I was old enough to carry? It was nothing to me. For you? Just have to work with the gun you wish to carry until you are comfortable with your skill.

 

[Jay Walk]

Shoot your carry once a month, minimum. It really helps.

 

[Stomper]

It all comes down to training, time, and familiarity. Always be deliberate while handling a firearm. Always beware that familiarity can breed contempt, contempt breeds sloppiness, sloppiness breeds negligence, and negligence breeds a negligent bullet hole where you don't want it.

Congrats on stepping up and exercising your rights and taking responsibility for your own safety. Don't mess it up!

 

[Alexx1401]

One thing I forgot to mention along the lines of what Stomper said. Every new shooter I work with I tell one important thing to remember. You will be held responsible for every round that leaves your gun if you fire. A LOT of people seem to treat carry as they are hoping to play superman. Best to avoid ever having to even pull the gun out. In other words if your life is not in danger you should probably not pull the gun.

 

[Jacketed]

Shoot your carry once a month, minimum. It really helps.

I go to the range almost every week and shoot my carry

 

[Ironbar]

I purchased my holster (phlster enigma) the day my permit was approved and had been dialing it in while wearing it in the house with an unloaded pistol.

Then I received my permit in the mail and Today was the day when I went grocery shopping, conceal carrying it for the first time. I called it my first dry run where the pistol was unloaded.

I practiced slow and firm draws from the appendix position and feel very comfortable but it has been with an unloaded firearm.

How do you mentally prepare yourself to start carrying with one in the chamber? Is there a slow transition to it?

Thanks in advance from a newbie

You're reading WAY too much in to it man. Just go about your business.

 

[Duneblaster]

If you don't trust yourself with a light DA or SA then carry a DA/SA. With the DA/SA you have a longer 1st trigger pull.

 

[solv3nt]

One thing I forgot to mention along the lines of what Stomper said. Every new shooter I work with I tell one important thing to remember. You will be held responsible for every round that leaves your gun if you fire. A LOT of people seem to treat carry as they are hoping to play superman. Best to avoid ever having to even pull the gun out. In other words if your life is not in danger you should probably not pull the gun.

Be the most agreeable SOB out there. Don't be a driver with a prolific middle finger and horn. Don't drive like a BMW driver. It's better to take injury to your pride than walk away in bracelets. Read up on your RCW's and where use of lethal force is legal. If you do use your gun, your life will be upended completely. Brandishing is not legal in just about all, if not all states. Warning rounds aren't legal either. Good luck, and stay salty.

 

[Jacketed]

• You could start out carrying with a loaded mag and nothing in the chamber.
• Some people feel more comfortable carrying a gun with a manual safety.
• If appendix spooks you, maybe try some different holster positions.

Great idea and exactly what I as thinking. I carry a p365xl with no manual safety option and also like the appendix position very much. So that leaves me with the first option and that is to carry with a loaded mag and empty chamber and then slowly ease into it.

 

[Old Dog]

Biggest mistake I see folks new to concealed carry making is being overly concerned about the concealment aspect and (1) carrying in an inefficient mode (e.g., pocket carry, "tuckable" holsters, under multiple layers of cover garments, bad/dangerous positioning i.e., small of the back) that dictates a slow/unwieldy/clumsy draw stroke making it virtually impossible to quickly deploy the handgun and (2) prioritizing concealment over safety practices.

If the OP is good with AIWB, okay, he's a responsible adult, but I absolutely believe it's one carry mode/position that best-suited for advanced gun carriers with lots of carry experience and safety practices engrained over years of gun-handling and carrying.

 

[L84Cabo]

What are your concerns with carrying one in the chamber? Are you worried about the gun spontaneously going off? Are you worried about inducing a negligent discharge through poor handling? Are you worried about someone (family member, etc.) getting ahold of the gun and firing a round? Try to be as specific as possible.


And some general comments...

Modern firearms are designed to safely carry with one in the chamber.

Have you thought about what could go horribly wrong if you actually needed your gun but had to cycle a round first? Maybe you have enough time. Maybe you don't.

It's entirely possible that your P365 is not the gun for you. Maybe a SA/DA would be a better choice. Maybe a gun with a manual safety would be a better choice. Maybe a 1911 with it's redundant safeties would be a better choice...but then you got that big scary hammer cocked which may bring it's own set of anxieties.

It may be that what you really need is more practice and training to develop confidence in your platform. So perhaps seek out a competent instructor and start putting more rounds down range. Dry fire and manipulation practice can help greatly in this area. Obviously you want to make sure the gun is unloaded and/or you're using dummy rounds.

You might also try this...Load the gun with dummy rounds/snap caps...NO LIVE ROUNDS but with one dummy round in the chamber. Then do everything you would normally do in the course of an average day and see if you can get the gun to fire (again...using DUMMY ROUNDS). After that, do EVERYTHING out of the ordinary that you can possibly think of to see if you can make the gun fire...within reason. I'm not suggesting you chuck the gun off the second story or something crazy like that. But shake it, rattle it, run with it, jump with it, take your gun and holster off and toss it on table, etc., and see if you can get the gun to fire. You could even wear the gun all day with dummy rounds in it...but obviously if you get into a situation you should NOT draw the gun. Or you could wear the gun around your house on the weekend and see if you can get it to fire doing your normal stuff.

I don't own a P365 and am not familiar with the internal workings of this Sig. But I bet you can find plenty of videos the detail how the gun works and the safety features. Spend some time reviewing these as learning how the internals work may help instill greater confidence in it for you.

 

[WillametteWill]

Here are my $.03 (inflation) thoughts (that not all will agree with...we have been down this road in other threads). AIWB carry with a gun that has no mechanical safety and a relatively light trigger pull (i.e., what you are carrying) requires some serious considerations and comfort level with your gun handling. All it takes is a broken holster piece, item of clothing or something else and badness is going to happen. I obviously don't know you so please don't take offense in that I'm not saying you are not competent. However, becoming intimately familiar with a holster to know how it feels takes time. Drawing from concealment takes time and practice. Driving, shopping, learning to not constantly check to make sure your gun is there...all take time. Don't be in a rush.

As others have said, make sure you have a high level of comfort with laws of self defense. From surveys that I have done at our club, just over 21% of those who carry do so with an empty chamber. If you choose to do this, know the limitations. Know one handed draws will be difficult, but not impossible. As always, I believe people should carry as they wish but with their eyes open.

Good luck with your quest!

 

[WillametteWill]

And on another note:

Don't drive like a BMW driver.

Do you know what the difference between a porcupine and a BMW driver is?

With a porcupine, the pricks are on the outside.

Driving in Scottsdale last week reinforced this view.

 

[Old Dog]

Driving in Scottsdale last week reinforced this view.

Same thing I observed driving in Sedona a couple weeks ago...

 

[spookshack]

The P365 can be converted to use a manual safety with minimal effort. The factory levers are pretty slim and barely usable IMHO. Luckily, Armory Craft makes an extended version that is far superior to the factory safety.

If you are sure that the manual safety it the way you want to go, the grip module can be relieved with a Dremel or something similar.
If that does not appeal to you or you might want to go back to not having a manual safety, then I'd recommend buying a manual safety grip module. That way, the non safety module remains unmolested.

Armory Craft Sig Sauer P365 - EXTENDED Safety | armorycraft

Armory Craft Sig Sauer P365 - EXTENDED SafetyFits ALL P365 variants. IMPORTANT: You are purchasing ONLY the Extended Safety (1 part).For those users that want to change their guns from 'No Safety' to 'Manual Safety', you will need to purchase the additional 2 parts (spring and the detent) from...

www.armorycraft.com

Sig Sauer P365 Manual Safety Parts Kit, Black

Check out the deal on Sig Sauer P365 Manual Safety Parts Kit, Black at MGW

www.midwestgunworks.com

Sig Sauer P365XL Grip Module, Manual Safety

Check out the deal on Sig Sauer P365XL Grip Module, Manual Safety at MGW

www.midwestgunworks.com

GRIP MODULE, WCP365 XL

Revolutionize your shooting experience and upgrade the concealed carry potential of a SIG-SAUER P365X/P365XL with the black Wilson Combat WCP365XL manual safety grip module. Our all-new molded polymer grips will not only improve your grasp on the gun but also control recoil better than before...

wilsoncombat.com

 

[nwslopoke]

One thing I forgot to mention along the lines of what Stomper said. Every new shooter I work with I tell one important thing to remember. You will be held responsible for every round that leaves your gun if you fire. A LOT of people seem to treat carry as they are hoping to play superman. Best to avoid ever having to even pull the gun out. In other words if your life is not in danger you should probably not pull the gun.

Responsibility = House, family, retirement, freedom, ect. It all has to be worth it in order to draw you firearm.

Beyond that, once it's holstered, outside of pooping or shooting something, there's really no reason to handle it until you take it off. You probably need to shoot more often until you feel comfortable.

The pistol I ended up carrying is probably the lowest on the quality/popularity chart but the one that just works for me. I rarely have to think or worry about for the last 10 years.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I purchased my holster (phlster enigma) the day my permit was approved and had been dialing it in while wearing it in the house with an unloaded pistol.

Then I received my permit in the mail and Today was the day when I went grocery shopping, conceal carrying it for the first time. I called it my first dry run where the pistol was unloaded.

I practiced slow and firm draws from the appendix position and feel very comfortable but it has been with an unloaded firearm.

How do you mentally prepare yourself to start carrying with one in the chamber? Is there a slow transition to it?

Thanks in advance from a newbie

Just remember it won't go off while it's holstered.