New Trio of Concealed Carry Resource Books are on Shelves
A new trio of concealed carry resources are available from the recently launched 2nd Amendment Media imprint of Whitman publishing. The trio includes a summary of firearms laws around the United States and two guides to carrying a concealed firearm.
Legally Armed: A Concealed Carry Gun Law Guide includes a state-by-state guide to the “law of the land” concerning various aspects of CCW with photo illustrations by firearms photographer Oleg Volk. The book covers basics like who can get a carry permit, whether open carry is allowed, how firearms can (and can not) be carried in vehicles. The guide also covers essentials like where you can and can not carry (for instance, in restaurants that serve alcohol or state parks), whether or not you have the “duty to inform” a law enforcement officer if they make contact with you, and more – including relevant excerpts from the state laws. Legally Armed also touches on other aspects of firearms ownership, such as NFA status.
Each state is also graded on an A+ (like Kentucky) through F (like Illinois) scale based on how much gun control. Additionally, contact information is given for the entity that regulates concealed carry such as the state police or state’s attorney general’s office.
In addition to an overview of the 50 states’ laws, Legally Armed also covers some general topics of interest to people who have, or are considering, a concealed carry permit (or, where applicable, carrying without a permit). These topics include firearm safety basics, tips for interacting with law enforcement, things to consider before carrying a firearm in public, and what you should do if you ever have to use your firearm for self defense.
Of course, it should be noted that firearms can and do change often. While Legally Armed is a great starting point, it is the responsibility of each person who chooses to own or carry a firearm to know the federal, state, and local laws governing them wherever they are. Although we aren’t experts on firearm laws in each state, GunLink staff did find outdated or incorrect information for two of the states in which we spend time. To help stay as current and correct as possible, 2nd Amendment Media told us that they would be periodically releasing updated editions of Legally Armed. Volume One is available now, while Volume Two is scheduled to hit shelves mid-summer 2015.
The other two concealed carry resources from 2nd Amendment Media are Armed & Smart: A Beginner’s Guide to Concealed Carry and the follow-up Armed & Smarter: Advanced Concealed Carry Weapons & Training. As is obvious from the titles, the former is a basic guide to CCW while the latter goes deeper into carry issues.
Armed & Smart provides good information for firearm newbies. The information is presented in plain terms by full-time firearms instructor and gun writer David Bahde, Sportsman Channel’s Student of the Gun host Paul Markel, and Harris Outdoor Magazines writer Terrill Hoffman. Topics covered include everything from the theory of why individual citizens would want to carry concealed to protect themselves to how and why the right to keep and bear arms is protected by the Second Amendment and sometimes restricted by gun control laws. The guide covers other firearms basic such as the rules of firearm safety, how firearms work, caliber selection, firearm care and maintenance, and basic practice techniques.
Experienced firearm owners and enthusiasts may find that they already know much of what Armed & Smart presents, although it is still a good read. Those new to the firearms world (or considering purchasing a firearm for self defense), will find the useful.
As the name suggests, Armed & Smarter delves into slightly more advanced topics. This volume sees David Bahde and Paul Markel return, along with contributor David Johnson. WhereArmed & Smart covered safety, basic operation, cleaning and other principles of firearms, Armed & Smarter covers things like shooting technique, shooting under stress and using different types of sights, holsters, lights, and other accessories.
The guide is divided into three parts. Part I covers shooting fundamentals such as drawing, grip, stance, sight picture and alignment, reloading, and holstering. Although the advanced book digs deeper into these topics than the beginner’s book, it is not a substitute for firearms training or practice and it does not comprehensively cover every topic. For instance, when discussing proper stance, the guide references building a good, solid foundation and having a posture that allows for managing recoil. While it touches on the Weaver stance, it does not go too deep into it or present every possible shooting stance; rather, it suggests working on the basics and finding a comfortable, repeatable stance that works for the individual shooter.
The guide goes into much greater detail in Part II, which deals with gear and accessories for CCW. For instance, types of sights and how to use them, sight adjustment, sight alignment and sight picture are covered in great detail for everything from notch-and-post, two-dot, ghost ring, fiber optic, and tritium sights as well as modern laser and red dot sights. The guide also includes other important topics for concealed carriers such as handheld and weapon-mounted lights and their use, holsters – including everything from material, belts, and IWB,OWB, pocket, shoulder, ankle and off-body carry considerations.
Part III of Armed & Smarter covers training for concealed carry and is primarily presented by Markel, who operates the Student of the Gun University. This section presents live fire and dry fire training tips and a number of drills that can be used to build and maintain shooting skills that will be invaluable should one ever need to use their firearm in a self-defense situation.
No matter your level of experience, 2nd Amendment Media’s new series of books on concealed carry offer valuable information and act as a good source of reference material for everything from local laws to gear and tactics. If you are considering carrying a firearm for protection, consider checking out these titles as a starting point but remember that there is no end point. CCW comes with a lot of responsibility and one needs to stay up to date on laws and maintain their skills through practice and training.
