A few other things CCW holders should do....

I talked earlier about some of the things that CCW holders NEED to do if they're going to carry responsibly.  Yeah.  That's right.  If you choose to carry a gun in public then you have a RESPONSIBILITY to do it the right way.

I hit on ideally having a retention holster, being skilled in weapon retention and that old standby of being sure of your target AND whats behind it.

There are a couple of other important issues that I think a citizen who decides to responsibly carry concealed needs to consider....

Alice Matos...fitness hottie!

Physical Fitness.

No I'm not telling everyone that you have to score a 1st Class PFT in order to carry concealed.  What I am saying is that if you're going to carry responsibly then you owe it to yourself and your family to have basic fitness (unless medically unable).  Why?  Quite simply because of your bodies to response to the fight, freeze, fawn or flee phenomena.  If you've ever seen the elephant then you know what I'm talking about.  To the uninitiated then you're going to be surprised by what your body does to you.  What happens to junior Marines during their first firefight?  They freeze.  It might last only a second.  It might last several minutes.  They could be totally fucked up and even try and flee (never have seen that, but I'm told its happened).

The bigger issue is for the older CCW carriers.  If your situational awareness is on point, and you recognize the danger then you're less subject to that part of the response.  The second response is where the danger comes in.  Your body is going to slam you with adrenalin.  Hearts rupture before the fight actually starts.  If you're in good physical condition you can better control your bodies response to impending danger.  I can't imagine anything more fucked up than a guy having spent his life preparing for a fight, but lets his fitness lapse and when the beast comes knocking his body lets him down because he didn't perform proper maintenance of it.

Know the law.

This is a given but I have to emphasize it.  Especially considering how mobile our society is.

I can't help but think about the Marine that is rotting in a Mexican jail.  Know the law and be extremely careful of committing even minor infractions if you have a weapon on your person or in your car.  Additionally it also applies to buildings where you can or cannot carry weapons.

I've heard many people say that they'll carry anywhere regardless of what the store says about concealed weapons.  That sounds macho but it will open you up to civil litigation if the worst happens.  YES!  I know its better to be judged than carried but why put yourself in that situation.  Better to avoid those places unless absolutely necessary than risk your life's work by being defiant.

So there ya go.  Things I consider important for a CCW holder if they're going to carry responsibly in public....a good retention holster, weapon retention training, being proficient with your firearm/knowing your target/whats behind it, physical fitness and knowing the law.

I love the gun community but I'm becoming a bit put off by how they're marketing to CCW holders.  Its a right AND A RESPONSIBILITY!  If you're not doing it right then you're as big a danger as that gang banger preying on society.