STOP MANSPLAINING GUNS TO WOMEN #stayinyourlane

Deciding to conceal carry in formal attire can mean a lot of different things to people depending on what the occasion is. Carrying in formal attire can either be like any other concealed carry day or a special occasion. Sometimes it can be a way to express yourself around other gun friendly people. Occasionally this will be the perfect time to take out the safe queen and show off to your friends. Everyone looks at formal attire differently so let’s dive into some of the challenges of carrying for formal events.

I didn’t quite understand how polarizing the BUG gun ( Back Up Gun) debate was until I was out to dinner with six or seven friends a few weeks ago. My friends all had extremely strong feelings and reactions to a very simple question. Regardless of what you think about back up guns, there’s no denying the idea is pretty well known. It’s so well known among the gun community that there are even IDPA shooting stages where you need to transition to your back up gun halfway through the stage. There are both positive and negative aspects to carrying a concealed handgun and a backup gun so let’s dive into it.

The firearms freedom of the average  Czech Republic may be about to grow as the Czech senate is attempting to increase the self-defense rights of its citizens. A rare occurrence indeed. The new amendment would add the right to make use of a legally possessed weapon (firearm) to the already existing right to defense of life.

Hello my spooktacular readers. Yes, I know that Halloween was yesterday, but that doesn’t mean these spooky savings aren’t still screaming good deals! You’ll be haunted by regret if you don’t at least give them a look!

Tactica Defense Fashion just announced their new leggings designed specifically for concealed carry.  Tactica Defense Fashion is dedicated to empowering women to carry firearms while remaining fashionable.  It’s no secret that concealed carry for women is… well, to steal a feminine phrase, “it’s complicated.”  The new Concealed Carry Leggings are just one of Tactica’s fashionable solutions to daily carry options for women.

In my previous articles, I’ve talked about why it’s important to have some sort of light when concealed carrying whether it’s a weapon-mounted light or some sort of handheld light. When concealed carrying, it’s important to have some sort of light source if you’re going out with a handgun at night. A common question I often get is whether to have night sights or fiber optic with a light. There can different ways to look at what kind of sights work best at night time.

Honestly, one question I get fairly often when talking about concealed carrying is whether or not to have multiple guns to carry depending on what you’re doing that given day. There are benefits of carrying different guns at different times of the year, but it’s also important to be proficient with one gun. Does that mean you should find one gun and master it before trying something else? It’s definitely a valid question that people ask fairly often. I’ll dive into both and we will figure this out.

TFB’s Concealed Carry Corner series has always had an underlying heaviness to it. That heaviness is due to the fact that it’s a wide topic about the possibility of having to take someone’s life if you find yourself or a loved one a victim of an assault involving deadly force. Well, in this edition of Concealed Carry Corner, we’re going heavier still. Let’s discuss the limitations of concealed carry as a response to mass shootings. Note: My photo selection deviates from the Concealed Carry Corner norm, and is meant to reflect various settings we visit in which there are large amounts of people.

When we think about concealed carrying, it’s always fun to look at different gear and guns to see what works best. Picking your loadout and trying new options is one of the most fun things that people love to do when conceal carrying every day. I often get a good amount of questions about training for concealed carry whether it’s mental work or actually putting the time in at the range.

OK, so this isn’t about concealed carrying a straw. I just thought that photo was hilarious and so I used it. What is serious is trying to legally conceal carry in California. For those who do not know, California is a may-issue state. You have to jump through silly hoops required by your county Sheriff’s office and you have to explain why you want/need to conceal carry. They don’t like your reasoning? No concealed carry license for you. Well, now you can legally conceal carry in California without a CCW license with this one weird trick.

In a past article, I talked about the pros and cons of carrying a spare magazine. In that article, I also talked about the different methods of carrying a spare magazine. It’s important to plan ahead when configuring your loadout in a concealed carry situation. Some of you have been asking what the best way to conceal carry an extended magazine. Others often ask if it’s even a good idea to carry a larger magazine.

Carrying a concealed weapon can be challenging and somewhat puzzling depending on certain situations. One thing I’ve noticed after years of carrying concealed is the fact we sometimes get comfortable with a particular loadout. This often tends to force a certain gun and holster combination into roles that may not be ideal. It’s an easy trap to fall into once you start carrying for a while and I’m guilty of this as well.

A few months ago TFB was allowed an exclusive sneak peek at SIG Sauer’s newest iteration of the P365 subcompact pistol. Like the rest of the snag-free versions of SIG’s popular carry guns, the new P365 SAS features rounded edges, recessed controls, and an overall slick profile. However, this new CCW-focused gun goes several steps beyond just buffing out the rough edges. The most notable feature is the lack of a traditional front/rear sight system. Instead, the P365 SAS includes an embedded holographic tritium/fiber optic sight that aligns the target with a dot inside a dot. The result is a slick slide without any protruding sights to get in the way of a smooth draw from a concealed location.

I decided to pick up a P365 XL when they first dropped a couple months ago and since then I’ve had plenty of trigger time on the little concealed carry. I carried the regular P365 for about 18 months and the XL is a new variation of the original P365.

Appendix holster position carrying is a really sensitive subject for a lot of people. It’s tough to grasp the idea that carrying a firearm pointed at your weiner is safe. The only time that ever becomes unsafe is when the end-user is unsafe. Complacency kills, or in this case, kills your weiner. That is why practice repetition, repetition, repetition is what makes you a better concealed carry person. I have seen people carry at the 4 o’clock position and had a round enter their butt cheek or hip. The round then went through their thigh and missed their weiner getting lodged in their calf. I’ve seen people carry at the four o’clock position and have the bullet shatter their pelvis, and come out the front. So the argument that you’re going to shoot your dick off is pretty much null and void. You could shoot it off every other way as well. Now that we have gotten through all that banter, let’s get onto the most important part; how to carry at the appendix position most effectively depending on firearm and firearm type.

I know many will disagree, but I think we live in a Golden Age of gun culture. Never before so much good (and bad) information was readily available. There are blogs, sites, forums, reviews, videos, manuals and training classes available to anyone who wants to learn about guns, shooting and concealed carry, and the amount of information is increasing every year. But when you’re already deeply immersed into the firearms industry, it is often easy to forget how a first-time gun buyer feels when he decides to buy his first concealed carry handgun.

Concealed carrying a handgun while hunting is viewed differently around the country depending on what part of the country you’re in. Carrying a handgun out west is pretty common due to the various wildlife but in the midwest, it is less common. I’ve been asked several times on social media about carrying a handgun while hunting so let’s dive into it.

Being able to conceal carry a gun for the first time can give new guys mixed feelings. It’s definitely exciting to be able to legally carry and take personal safety into your own hands. There can also be a lot of anxiety and mistakes when learning how to carry a gun in public. One of the first things I learned is it’s not as simple as strapping a gun onto your hip and walking out the door. Now, most of you who are regular readers on The Firearm Blog will know how to conceal carry, but there’s always new people getting into firearms and it’s not always easy finding reliable information out there.

In a bit of a break from my usual writing (covering ongoing court cases and weekly deals posts for the most part) today I’m tackling something a little different. I’m going to explain my choice of a first handgun, a VP9SK.

We’ve all been there. Standing in the aisle at the sporting goods store staring at the hundreds of options. Inside the waistband? Outside the Waistband? Leather or Kydex? Safariland or Galco? The options are nearly limitless. I’m talking of course, about holsters.

When carrying a gun daily it’s easy to get caught up in what gun is the best for concealed carry, but we sometimes forget about looking at our carry ammunition. Even in recent forums, I’ve read new conceal carriers asking why they can’t just carry a quality FMJ round instead of a hollow point. When I started reading more about the man’s claim, he said a police officer told him FMJ rounds are better because they penetrate the body more. So there’s lots of misinformation out there and it’s always good to check out claims before taking them as fact.

Over the last few months, I have posted up a few different articles about the benefits of steel targets when training with a handgun or rifle. One complaint I’ve read in the comments section is the fact some of you guys can’t run steel at your range. That’s understandable and had me thinking about people who can only run paper targets.  I’ve decided to start running drills from various websites and will give you the pros and cons of each drill. I figured it would be a great way to give shooters a tool to use when looking for new drills on range day.

When looking for concealment holsters, it looks like a fairly straight forward process, but there are thousands of variations to pick from. I went through several different holsters before settling on the model I use with a claw attached. I get a lot of questions on social media and emails asking why claws are so beneficial so I’ll make it easy for everyone. To clarify as well, a claw is also anything with a wing or attachment that pushes the waistband outward.

About ten years ago, a law was passed that clarified the federal government’s stance on firearms in National Parks. Since we are wading through the heart of summer here in America, TFB thought it would be a good idea to revisit the topic of possessing/carrying firearms in National Parks before you jump in the station wagon and head for Jellystone. As a reminder, information posted here at TFB should be supplemented with the actual rules and regulation on firearms in National Parks before making any final decisions. I’ve included NPS rules and regulations below.

To perfect your draw you want consistency. If your holster is rising with the gun when you draw, you are adding an unnecessary variable to your draw. This negatively impacts the shooter’s grip.

The Inforce pistol lights have caught a bad reputation in the last few years from people running and having them quit working either due to the activation switches failing or electrical issues. The first generations of lights were known to have issues but now the APL full size is on its 3rd generation. I’ve been running both APLc models fairly hard on my SIG Sauer P229 Legion and CZ P10C for over a year. The APLc comes in a small package than the APL weapon light. The Inforce APLc offers quite a few perks compared to other lights on the market.

When I started concealed carrying I thought most people carry in their home as well as in public. After working in the industry and talking to a ton of everyday people who carry, I’m honestly shocked at how many people decide not to carry in the home. The most common thing I hear from people when asked why they don’t carry in their house is the simple fact they feel they don’t need to. I respect this because it feels like a safe haven for certain people.

A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the Icarus Precision ACE 365 aluminum grip modules for SIG Sauer P365 pistols. Recently, the company came up with the second version of this frame that lacks the palm swells on the grip. The new grip module is called ACE 365 V2.0.

I recently polled the TFB Staff on what they would consider the Best Summer Carry Guns. After the usual focused expletives and suggestions of flashbangs and SIG Rattlers tucked away in backpacks, I started getting some serious answers. Obviously, with the summer heat comes the inability to conceal a pistol under jackets, sweaters and (gasp) fishing vests. So instead we turn to thinner and smaller guns that fit in pockets or appendix carry rigs. Below are some of the summer carry gun suggests from our top-notch writers. See if you can pick which staffer suggested each of the below guns. The first one to guess correctly in the comments section below gets a TFB patch.