In the concealed carry world, it’s always fun looking at new guns and what gear fits your lifestyle best. In the past, we’ve talked about training yourself to be more aware in public and how to look for things out of place. Another important aspect of that doesn’t get as much attention is the idea of being the best version of yourself.

When we talk about upgrading our carry guns, there’s always the debate of swapping out various parts and carrying it daily on your person. Whether it’s a new set of sights, new barrel, magazine release, or aftermarket trigger, there will always be benefits and disadvantages with changing out parts on your carry gun. The biggest issue with changing parts on your concealed carry gun is the liability if you ever have to use it to defend yourself.

Essentially the Soviet response to the H&K MP5 covert briefcase, the KGB invented this briefcase in response to a need to covertly carry an AKS74U while guarding high-level dignitaries. Unlike the MP5 briefcase, the AKSU case is designed so that it simply camouflages the rifle in plain sight, allowing a user to easily deploy the rifle by depressing a “trigger” which allows the briefcase to fall apart, leaving the rifle attached to a carrying handle that becomes part of the suitcase.

Small carry guns are about as polarizing as the new Star Wars movies or which way the toilet paper roll goes when its time to refill. Depending on who you talk with, small guns will either be a great resource or completely useless. There’s plenty of arguments for and against carrying an extremely small gun for concealment. Whether it’s for exercise, carrying when it’s difficult, or just finding something comfortable there are plenty of realistic reasons to carry a micro gun. So Boomers and Millenials, grab your black coffee or Kombucha probiotic drink and let’s dive into this.

The HK USP Compact holds a very special place in my heart. It was the first handgun I ever had and for the first five years, I shot the crap out of that gun. I think there’s always a special place in your heart for the first gun you own. The USP Compact was the first handgun I bought and learned how to shoot on. Luckily, I still own it today and still enjoy putting rounds through it at the range.

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.

The Fobus APN holster is the company’s latest IWB offering and is currently for sale in the United States. It is designed as an ambidextrous all polymer IWB holster with a sweat guard and comes in three different configurations; the APN26 for the Glock 26, APN365 for the SIG P365, and the APN43 for the Glock 43 (not mentioned at ISDEF but available on the website is the APN Shield for the Smith & Wesson Shield).

One of the best things about being a gun guy and traveling is having the ability to meet great people and go on some fantastic range days. I’ve had a ton of fun meeting new shooters and having different perspectives at different range days. I’ve also had the opportunity to shoot a few amazing guns I would never be able to if I didn’t travel. It can be a peace of mind to travel with your concealed carry firearm. This is especially true when driving with family across the country. There are a few things to watch out for though when you’re traveling.

I often get questions from people about the best way to carry a spare magazine. I’ve struggled to find what works for me, but there are a few different ways of carrying a spare magazine concealed.  Before I started trying out different carry options, I use to carry a spare magazine in my pants pocket. This was never a great idea, and was always in a different position than when I put it in my pocket. The biggest issue with just carrying in your pocket is the fact rounds will come unseated out of the magazine. You’ll end up with a pile of random rounds in your pocket instead of being inside your magazine. And it isn’t ideal from a training or muscle memory standpoint either.

In 2003, I was a young shooter and really my only other experience with a handgun was with a 2nd generation Glock 17. Prior to owning my first gun, I spent a lot of time on Glocks and a Smith and Wesson 686 I loved. I researched for a couple months and still couldn’t figure out what I’d rather purchase between an H&K USP Compact or a SIG P229. At the time, I was only around 13 and saved up working to have my dad buy one. I wanted a handgun so I could start competing in IDPA and steel competitions.

As many of you know, for the last few years I have carried a P226 Elite religiously. To me, the P-Series from SIG Sauer is biblical and some of the best handguns to use daily. When the 320 was released to market a few years ago, I was interested, but it seemed like another standard service pistol. I have no issues with guns that are common but prefer something that’s out of the ordinary. It has to be completely reliable, so I held off when it came to the 320 because I didn’t have much experience with them.

Dressing for CCW as a young gun owner was a struggle for me. I’m 27,so I will admit I’m growing closer to the age of comfortable pants and fashion you would find in your dad’s closet rather than a cool trendy millennial. I remember when I turned 21, the concealed carry market was geared towards the 50- and 60-year-olds who loved rocking the cherished CCW vest that looks like a fishing vest. I thought it was terrible then and honestly, it never got cooler, it’s still awful!

The Glock evokes a lot of emotion from the TFB community. It’s amusing. You have people who are Glock haters, many times because the Glock is the “Toyota Camry” of the gun industry: Reliable, prolific, “boring.” And then you have the tuners who will modify their stock Glock beyond recognition, and even go so far as to build a Glock from the ground up without even using a single Glock component ( Polymer 80 frames, ZEV uppers, etc. etc.).

The CZ SP-01 Tactical from CZ is one of the hottest selling models for CZ currently. It is based on the classic CZ 75 and then modernized for the 21st century The gun was launched in 2004 to accommodate the increasing number of weapon attachments on the market. Fast forward 15 years and the gun is still a serious contender in the DA/SA market.

In the last few years, there has been a massive increase in vehicle-based shootings. These shootings include police attacks, where officers are ambushed in their cruisers. Let’s be honest though getting into a gunfight at all is a bad day, and getting in a gunfight while in a vehicle just plain sucks.

Good afternoon shooters and welcome back to TFB’s Concealed Carry Corner where we discuss anything and everything related to the topic of packing a firearm for personal protection. Today we are going to revisit a topic we touched on more than two years ago: a by the numbers look at two of the most popular ultra-compact pistols currently on the market. The GLOCK G43 vs G43X debate has been discussed numerous times since the “Silver Slide” debut of the G43X and the longer G48 about two months ago. But now that the feverish new-product rush is past, how is the latest release stacking up against the original 9mm GLOCK pocket pistol? Let’s take a mathematical look, shall we?

One of the hottest concealed carry pistols currently on the market (if you can find one available) is undoubtedly the Sig Sauer P365. Acknowledging the popularity of that carry piece, Alien Gear Holsters has expanded their offerings within the Shapeshift Modular System to include it. Now if you own a Sig P365, you can carry it with confidence through all of Alien Gear‘s options in the Shapeshift line of products.

Just recently on the discord chat room, I was chatting with a user, and he mentioned that he was absolutely loving his VanGuard 2. I actually had not heard of these holsters before (which I’m sure will give somebody something to rag on me in the comments for), but I knew of a similar concept. TFB’s own James Reeves had actually used something called the Clipdraw during his video titled  Five Summer Concealed Pistol Carry Methods + Beach Jam Playlist. Somewhat horrifying preview image aside, it was a fun and informational video.

If you really think about it, we probably live in a golden age of firearms training right now. If you’re a U.S. citizen, there are thousands of instructors, schools and courses available and a lot of good (and bad) information available online. Unfortunately, a lot of gun owners think that they don’t need all that “high-speed ninja training” under the premise that “I am not a Navy Seal, I will never have to use those skills!” or “Having a gun is enough!”. But there is one thing that everyone has to do all the time, even if he is not a ninja or Navy Seal and that is – concealed carry in a vehicle.

For those wanting to improve their training value through training aids, homemade barricades can be built cheap and easily. This article provides a variation of the VTAC target by Kyle Lamb. With the following list of tools, materials and a little woodworking skill you can build some barricades to expand your training capabilities.

If you have been carrying a sidearm for any reasonable amount of time you likely have a shoebox or desk drawer with a dozen plus holsters inside. There is no magically perfect holster for carrying Outside-the-Waistband (OWB) or Inside-the-Waistband (IWB). To muddy the waters even further, if you ask ten friends what holster you should buy you will likely get ten conflicting opinions as well. In this TFB Review, we will examine a Bravo Concealment Torsion IWB Kydex Holster specifically for a Glock Gen4 17 9mm.

This article is about the Ulti-clip, which TFB’s own Ray covered at SHOT 2017.

One of the hardest things to do is color match a rifle build. One such color is Magpul’s discontinued Foliage Green. Sure you can seek the help of a competent Cerakoter or similar weapons refinishing professional. But one of the joys of firearm ownership is making it your own by adding some personalized touches. I recently discovered a way to DIY Foliage Green with an off the shelf can of spray paint. The can is not what you think it is.

“-Tactical Tassles have actually been around for a while as a company, we’ve spent years in R&D and we’re soon ready to start the first shipments.”  These exciting words are Tofs Dusk’s, owner of Tactical Tassles.

The folks at Rothco have always produced quality gear, concealed carry clothing, and survival accessories. This year at SHOT Show 2018, they included a line of “Grey Man” concealed carry clothing as well.