Removing the paper ceiling in concealed carry

You might have to hit me over the head a few times, but I like to think I can eventually learn. Thanks to Karl Rehn, we all learned that most gun owners never take more advanced firearms classes than those required to get their concealed carry permits. Add that my state recently became the 28th state to adopt constitutional carry, the concealed carry of a firearm in public without a permit. I also analyzed some common incidents of armed defense last week, though that is something I’ve done thousands of times before. Put all that together and I wonder if more gun owners will continue their training now that the artificial ceiling of a concealed carry permit is gone.

This flickering insight came to mind as I looked at the stories we talked about in a recent podcast.

A defender at home at night stopped an intruder as the intruder came up the stairs to the second floor. As simple as that sounds, there are some advanced skills that go unnoticed.

• Learn to live with a firearm in your home so you have your gun both secure and quickly accessible.
• Learn how to use cover and concealment so you don’t get shot.
• Learn to shoot from unusual positions like crouching, kneeling, or lying down.
• Learn to shoot in low light situations like inside your home at 5 in the morning.
• Learn and review the laws in your state so you understand if, and when, you have a duty to retreat.

A defender was attacked by her estranged husband who broke into their home at night. After she was attacked in her home, the female defender retreated to the front yard. Her attacker pursued her. She shot him as he ran her down. We don’t cover that in firearms safety or in the concealed carry class.

• Learn about restraining orders if you have an abusive partner or stalker.
• Learn to shoot as you move, and in particular as you move backwards away from the threat.
• Again, learn to shoot in low light conditions.
• Learn how to turn your neighbors into “ear” witnesses.
• Learn what to say to the police.

A defender was at home on a weekday afternoon when a stranger came to his front door. The news story isn’t clear if the door was unlocked or if the homeowner opened the door to talk. The stranger pushed the homeowner out of the way and entered the home. The homeowner shouted for the intruder to stop and tried to push him back outside. The stranger hit the homeowner with a hammer. That is when the defender shot his attacker.

That is too close for comfort and armed hand-to-hand defense is not taught in the first classes.

• Learn the habit of carrying concealed at home.
• Again, lock your doors and windows to buy yourself time.
• Learn to shoot from the close-quarters retention position.
• Learn what to say and what not to say to the police. (Hint: The hammer on the floor is important evidence.)
• Learn about the legal challenges you face any time you touch your firearm.

These stories of armed defense are common, however the self-defense skills required in these defensive examples are considered advanced. We all want the habits of self-defense when we need them in an emergency. No one argues that, but any skills we haven’t practiced recently are not available to us. That means we are making it up as we go along.

We’re not as safe as we imagine. We’re telling the truth when we say we want the skills. At the same time, we don’t seem willing to put in the time, the money, and the attention to maintain those self-defense skills.

Let’s start with the simple things first. I find dry practice to be easy and enjoyable,
but I’m amazed at how many people count on luck.

I hope our culture of armed defense continues to grow. Though concealed from public view, we are walking ambassadors for civic responsibility. You don’t even need a class in order to join us now that we have constitutional carry in so many states. You don’t have to pay the government an entry fee to join the concealed carry club. True, you might feel out of place at first as you carry a concealed firearm in public. That feeling is natural as you learn what to do and when to do it. There are classes that will methodically explain what we’ve learned from four centuries of living with firearms. Other people have done it and you can do it too.

We all should sympathize with new gun owners. I still feel the responsibility of carrying concealed every time I put on a gun. I hope that more of us pick up that challenge. It has been an amazing adventure so far, and I hope it lasts a lifetime.

Rob Morse writes about gun rights at his SlowFacts blog and hosts the Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast and co-hosts the Polite Society Podcast.

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