Concealed Carry Basics Part 2: Holster Options
You Have Your Pistol – Now How Do You Carry It?
This is the second installment in the Concealed Carry Basics series. In Part 1, we addressed the factors involved in choosing the right firearm for you to carry. As we mentioned there, people have been carrying firearms for protection since there have been firearms. The practice can be as simple as literally carrying it (like, in your hands) or tucking it into your waistband. However, the first method will likely (at best) lead to a chat with Officer Friendly after he gets a MWaG (man with a gun) call while the second might lead to such pleasantries as a surprise vasectomy. Therefore we strongly recommend not using either method for your EDC.
Many, if not most, folks who endeavor to carry a firearm tend to go through a number of holsters before they find the one that works best for them (or, worse, end up using a bad holster). Thus they end up having to try to sell their used holsters or having the proverbial box o’ holsters tucked away into the back of their closets. Good holsters can be somewhat pricey and a box of pricey holsters can add up pretty quickly to real money.
We’re here to help with some basics on what kind of holsters are available and some considerations to keep in mind when choosing yours. As with the choosing a firearm part, This article is not a primer on what specific holster is best or which one you should get – instead, we hope to help you find one that works best for you and your situation.
If you are starting from scratch, head over to Firearms 101 for the basics on what firearms are, how they work, and commonly used acronyms.
So, you have the firearm you want to carry for protection… what next?
First off, you should definitely use a holster – no questions asked. Sure, some people do just drop a firearm into their pocket or purse or tuck it into their waistband like they just got out of jail and found it in an unlocked glovebox, but it’s a bad idea for several reasons addressed below. Continue reading
Concealed Carry Basics Part 1: Choosing the Right Firearm
Finding the right pistol to carry
This is the first installment in the Concealed Carry Basics series. Carrying a firearm on your person is as simple as… well, as carrying a firearm on your person. It is not rocket science – people have been carrying firearms for protection since there have been firearms – but there are pieces of information that you pick up along the way that make the practice easier, safer, and more effective. With a couple combined decades of carry experience among us, the GunLink team hopes to share some of that information with you to help make the process easier.
This article is not a primer on what specific firearm is best or which one you should get. Rather, it lays out a number of considerations that you need to make when choosing the best firearm for you and your situation.
If you are starting from scratch, head over to Firearms 101 for the basics on what firearms are, how they work, and commonly used acronyms.
Technically, the first thing you need is the mindset – the decision to carry a firearm in the first place – but the first three parts of this series are focusing predominately on the gear, with mindset coming in Part 4. For now, let’s presume that you have decided that you want to carry a firearm for protection… what next? Continue reading
ATF to Alabama Dealers: CCW Permit No Longer Bypasses Background Check
Alabama Carry Permit Will No Longer Act as a Brady Alternative
Cliff’s Notes: Alabama was handing out CCW permits to prohibited persons, who used it to purchase firearms without a background check. Somebody dropped the ball on screening AL CCW licenses and they now no longer bypass the check.
From the ATF:
Public Safety Advisory to all Alabama Federal Firearm Licensees
The purpose of this public safety advisory is to notify you of an important change to the procedure you may follow to comply with the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act (Brady Act), codified at 18 U.S.C. § 922(t), when transferring a firearm to an unlicensed person.
The permanent provisions of the Brady Act took effect on November 30, 1998. The Brady Act generally requires Federal firearms licensees (FFLs) to initiate a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check before transferring a firearm to an unlicensed person. However, the Brady Act contains exceptions to the NICS check requirement, including an exception for holders of certain state permits to possess, carry, or acquire firearms. The law and implementing regulations provide that permits issued within the past 5 years may qualify as alternatives to the NICS check if certain other requirements are satisfied. Most importantly, the authority issuing the permit must conduct a NICS background check and must deny a permit to anyone prohibited from possessing firearms under federal, state, or local law. Continue reading
Range Time with Mossberg’s Centennial Gift to the Shooting: The Company’s First Pistol in 100 Years
To celebrate their 100th year in business, Mossberg is releasing a new pistol, only their second in the company’s history.
Don’t feel bad if you are unfamiliar with the shotgun powerhouse’s first foray into handguns. The Mossberg Brownie was the company’s very first firearm – a four-barreled .22 caliber pistol marketed toward hunters and trappers – was only produced from 1919 to 1932, during which it sold for a mere $5.
The prodigal pistol producer’s latest handgun, dubbed the Mossberg Carry 1 Sub-Compact (MC1sc), is more on-point for one of the hottest market segments today: the sub-compact single stack 9mm carry gun. The GunLink team went hands-on with the MC1sc at SHOT Show 2019, including getting some trigger time with the new pistol during Industry Day at the Range the day before the show officially opened.
My first thought when Mossberg announced the new handgun was that they were late to an already crowded party. A party already attended by a pretty popular in-crowd, including the Glock 43, Smith & Wesson Shield, Springfield XDs, and the newer Sig Sauer P365. Stiff competition for a company with a sparse track record in the handgun arena. Good luck, Mossberg.
My first thoughts when we met the MC1sc at SHOT Range Day were that it was remarkably well executed and Mossberg has a real shot with this pistol. Continue reading
USCCA Concealed Carry Expo 2018
Yesterday kicked off the annual USCCA Concealed Carry Expo in Louisville, KY. The Expo is a consumer show that is open to the public that features a variety of products that are used in concealed carry of deadly weapons. Everything from weapons to holsters to clothing will be featured on the show floor. The event offers a variety of seminars from industry experts; many are included with the price of admission, however, many are paid courses. Some of the seminar topics include: Skills To Win A Gunfight, Mental & Legal Aspects of Self-Defense, Self-Defense Law & Women, When NOT To Pull A Gun, and many Q&A Panels that cover all aspects of concealed carry.
The Expo will also have a demonstration stage that will attendees to get some quick, and free training sessions on everything from applying a tourniquet to pistol skills to situational awareness. There will also live-fire shooting ranges (using less lethal options to fire) to allow users to test handguns and a showroom for women-friendly products.
The event is held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY. The show opens at 9:00 AM today and 10:00 AM on Sunday. Tickets are available at the door ($10 for USCCA members and $15 for non-members). Parking is not included in the ticket price and costs $8 per vehicle (buses are $20).
If you did not pre-register for the show, tickets are still available at the door.
Sticky Holsters Unveils New EDC Products for SHOT Show
Just in time for SHOT Show, Sticky Holsters is unveiling a bevy of new products for Concealed Carry EDC.
We have been reviewing Sticky Holsters for years now, since we were first introduced to them by a GunLink Forum member. Since then, we have tried out and reviewed a number of their products, including their standard holsters in a variety of sizes, as well as their Super Mag Pouch, and the custom ECR-compatible holster for Viridian’s C5L compact light and laser.
We have had great experiences with Sticky Holsters’ products over the years and are happy to have them come on board with us as a SHOT Show Coverage Partner this year. Operations Manager, Eric, sent us over some details about the latest products coming out of the Sticky Holsters shop and we’re excited to get the opportunity to see them first hand at SHOT Show next week.
Sticky’s new products aren’t necessarily directly pistol-holster related but, rather, geared more toward the EDC stuff that you might lug around if you are packing heat already, like spare mags, tourniquets, a knife, etc.
The first set of new products are their Mini Mag Sleeves and Pouches. As you saw in our review of the Super Mag Pouch (SMP), we generally used that product for double-stack pistol mags like those for the G19 and G17. Using the SMP for single-stack mags, like those for the XDS45, was passable, but not ideal since they didn’t fill out the pouch enough and we worried about the possibility of the magazine sliding out at inopportune times. Trying to use the SMP for tiny mags, like those for the .380 ACP Ruger LCP, was nigh impossible. This is what we wrote at the time: Continue reading
